It’s a top-of-the-line home theater receiver. It’s a home automation system. It’s the new STR-DA5800ES and STR-DA2800ES receivers from Sony, with Control4 inside.
The two companies announced the products – and the collaboration – at CEDIA Expo 2012. The receivers are part of Sony’s high-performance “Elevated Standard” (ES) line, and they offer 4K pass-through and other high-end features, including HDMI switching (“Yes it is really fast,” says CE Pro contributor Joe Whitaker in his exclusive review).
On top of their uber-performance on the A/V side, the Sony products also have a Control4 home automation processor built in. Out of the box, the Control4 intelligence can be used to configure the included Sony remote as a universal remote for operating a complete home theater. Via built-in ZigBee RF technology, it also can be used to configure and control a limited number of lighting modules and switches.
“We think this is a fantastic way to broaden the market to channels beyond Control4,” says Control4 product manager Noel Gouff. “Sony has a brand trusted by consumers. We think we’re sitting on right opportunity.”
The new receivers can be purchased from traditional Sony resellers, but in order to get the full Control4 feature set (two-way remote, thermostats, keypads, motorized door locks, etc.), consumers will need to step up to a Control4 dealer.
At that point, the consumer pays a licensing fee to unlock the full potential of the system.
Click image to enlarge.“If purchased by the consumer and brought home, they can have a great media experience,” says Control4 CEO Martin Plaehn.
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