Free software update offers simpler controls, more customization options, easier access to favorite rooms or activities, and much more
With any home automation system, the most important piece is the control system. It’s what you use to manage everything in your house, so the system needs to be intuitive, responsive and powerful.
These attributes are precisely what you get with Control4’s OS 3 software update. OS 3 is a free update for users with an EA-category system, and it delivers “over a thousand new features and interaction enhancements,” according to the Control4 website. These improvements range from tweaks to the interface to higher-quality music streaming, and much more. As a smart home company in New Orleans that installs Control4 systems, we’re here to show you some of the changes OS 3 will bring to your automation system.
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GREATER CUSTOMIZATION
Every home automation system is different because every home is different. With OS 3, Control4 has made it easy to customize your interface exactly how you want it to be.
As just one example, you can now pick a photo from a selection of preloaded wallpapers for every room in your house. For a more personal touch, you can also upload your own images. These wallpapers make it easier to see which room you’re interacting with. If you have wall panels in your home, you can take a picture of the area around the panel and set it as the home screen to help the panel better blend in with your décor.
The most substantial change in terms of customization, though, is OS 3’s new Favorites system. You can now select favorite rooms or favorite activities and access them in seconds by pinning them to your home screen. OS 3 also lets you customize your interface further by adding, removing and rearranging icons. This eliminates clutter and gives you faster access to your most-used apps. Favorites are also synched to individual devices so that you can have certain selections on your phone and different ones on a remote, wall panel, etc.
SIMPLIFIED CONTROLS
Letting you select favorites is just one way OS 3 has made controlling your devices simpler. Anything you’ve chosen as a favorite can be accessed from the main Rooms Screen, from lighting control and motorized shades to your smart security system and speakers. OS 3 has also added gesture control for activities like your cable or satellite TV guide, as well as sliders for volume control.
Speaking of volume control, OS 3 has made managing media throughout your home a breeze. An Active Media bar instantly shows you what’s playing when you select a room and lets you adjust the volume, change tracks or see the quality of the music being played.
For media control at a broader level, the new Sessions system lets you see and control media anywhere in the house. You can raise or lower the volume in individual rooms or systemwide, add or remove rooms from different media Sessions, or turn various devices on or off. Now if you want to turn off your outdoor speakers but leave music playing everywhere else, you can use Sessions to simplify the process.
MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENTS
Here are a few other highlights from the OS 3 update. Systems with OS 3 can now support Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) music streaming from services like Tidal, the highest quality audio available for discerning listeners. The icons within the app have also been tweaked by making them larger and the text easier to read. New filtering options also make it easier to monitor the status of individual systems across the home.
OS 3 represents a significant change to your Control4 system, with a multitude of improvements we haven’t even mentioned yet. To learn more, call us today at (225) 442-9849, click our contact page or type a message in the chat box at the bottom of your browser.
