Author: GMI Automation

Is your Crestron system malfunctioning? Improperly managed wires could be the culprit.

When installing and programming a high end Crestron System, it’s not enough to just run wires from one component to the other. The more complicated the system, the more important it is to have all wires and cables managed properly throughout. Myself and the team here have seen far too many installations in which significant problems are caused by internal wiring not being up to standards.

One of the main issues we see when diagnosing a malfunctioning system is that wire entering a piece control equipment is supported only by the connection to the back of the equipment itself, left to helplessly dangle. Wire’s connected like this are begging to be let go, disconnecting from the system and causing a malfunction or total shutdown.

Another issue we find all too often is the improper separation of 110V electrical wiring. Others do not take the time to keep parallel runs of 110V wiring and control system wiring spaced properly apart. When not spaced properly, unwanted noise can get into the control system wiring and cause issues with communication or noise in connected audio devices.

Control system wire is designed to be installed to certain specifications, and we are constantly finding haphazard wiring jobs that don’t take this into account. One such specification is bend radius; If a wire is bent beyond this radius the signal passing through it is degraded substantially and in some cases will not pass at all.  We commonly find integration companies have installed wiring in such a way that it is bent, pinched, or otherwise flexed beyond the bend radius, which will often cause malfunction or outright failure in a Crestron system.

The Done Right Not Easy Crew at GMI Automation makes sure that all wire is supported properly from beginning to end. We use supporting bars in our racks and Velcro to guide wire from point to point between component parts. We keep like wires together with each other and organized properly, take heed of bend radius when routing wires, and keep power wires away from power limited control system wiring. This is just one part of the process that ensures the Crestron systems we install work properly every single time you walk through the door.

Having problems with the Crestron System at your home or office? Contact us today to see if a visit from the Crestron Doctors at GMI Automation is right for you.

Crestron systems invisibly power the most high end office and luxury home spaces you can imagine, integrating audio, video, security and climate control technology for a worry free experience every single time you walk through the door. What many people don’t realize though, is that not all Crestron systems are created equal. In our 20 years of experience programming and installing Crestron systems, we at GMI have seen it all, and there’s a reason we have a reputation in the industry as the “Crestron Doctors”. We wanted to begin sharing our stories and expertise in the world of integration with the goal of educating our readers to how and why Crestron systems should work right the first time, and every time. Here’s some of the topics you can look forward to us covering in the coming months.

Case Studies

GMI is proud of our work, and rightfully so, our team of engineers are the best in the industry and we will be using this blog as a platform to show off their great work, in their own words. Each one of our engineers will be highlighting specific jobs they’re proud of accomplishing and what makes those installs so special. From new theater installs to clean-ups on out of date or poorly installed Crestron systems, there’s no shortage of work to show off and you can be sure our tech’s won’t be shy! After all our motto is “Done right not easy” and we stand by that on every job we do.

Not all Crestron systems are created equal. 

Common Crestron Problems

Crestron systems are as complex as they are impressive, and with that complexity comes a whole mess of problems that can crop up when a system is installed by a less skilled team of engineers. Throughout their years of experience our engineers have come across every type of issue you can imagine, and we will be using this blog to highlight these issues and why they’re important to diagnose. From labeling and wire guidance to coding and proper job consultation, we will make sure you know what warning signs to watch for before integrating and automating your luxury home or office.

Integration and Compliance

In the financial world, SEC compliance is big business, and between access control, data management, site security and digital communications, compliance officers have a lot on their plate. GMI specializes in building fully compliant and state of the art systems to keep our client’s finance firms on the forefront of technology, leaving compliance officers the time they need to ensure their firms aren’t subject to fines and additional regulations. We will be focusing on how our systems seamlessly assist compliance officers and financial firms with this burden.

We hope you join us as we dive into the world of Crestron systems and the work our engineers do to ensure our systems are always working beautifully and without fault for the ultimate in integration technology. There’s no telling what types of new integration and automation technology are in our future, but one thing is certain, that the GMI team will be ready and willing to engage with these technologies to give the top of the line performance our clients expect and deserve. Please feel free to share our stories or drop us a line in the comments section.

A Crestron automation system in a home or office is the epitome of luxury. Wired and seamlessly connected to every aspect of your home, these systems, when properly built and coded by an integrator such as the #DoneRightNotEasy crew, simplify and streamline not only your home, but your life as well. To us, it is more than just this simplicity that brings true value to our Crestron automation systems, our value comes from taking our automation to the next level by going deeper into traditional automation concepts to truly revolutionize a space.

Today we will be looking at three ways we take traditional Crestron automation to the next level through proper coding, programming, and installation.

Shading and Lighting

The aesthetics and beauty of your luxury home are important to you, and one of the main ways a Crestron automation system adds to this is through automated lighting and shades. These systems are integrated together and programmed to provide your desired level of light at all times throughout the day and night, either through programmed buttons, or through timed automation.

To take these systems to the next level we provide an in house interior design solution. This ensures that not only are the lighting fixtures and window treatment choices powerfully automated, but that they complement and enhance the aesthetics of your home as well. In addition to this, those luxury homeowners who have invested in fine art pieces will find our automated lighting for these pieces helps protect the longevity of these investments through proper automation or light type and levels.

Distributed Entertainment

The ability to have audio and video entertainment instantly streamed to devices throughout your home is one of the biggest selling features of Crestron automation. With the evolution of both HD video and quality streaming music, to do this effectively requires a detailed and deft understanding of both how a system is physically built, and how it is programmed on the back end.

Distributed 4K video can be one of the most difficult tasks to conquer for an integrator, and there isn’t always one right way to accomplish this. GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy have a variety of weapons at our disposal, including extensive knowledge of how to navigate ever changing HDCP protocols, and how to equip our systems to deliver the same 4K quality to every screen in the home through centralized source equipment and scaling devices.

Security

Home security and protection may seem boring, but in reality is one of the most important bedrocks to an automation system. Either by protecting your home directly through 24/7 monitoring, or by more tacit methods such as automated lighting scenes designed to make an empty home seem occupied, the protection of your home is both constant and out of sight.

Integrated security not only protects your home, but it combines directly into automation programming to allow for a new world of possibilities. Room occupancy sensors, door contacts, and access control, work directly with your Crestron system to trigger lighting, and entertainment choices simply by entering or leaving a room or opening a specific door. Even in the event of an attempted break-in, the entire home is programmed to react to deter any potential intruders.

This is part two of a three-part series outlining the complete Crestron system takeover and repair at a luxury New Jersey home. This entry will cover the beginning stages of the system’s physical installation.

When we last left off at our customer’s luxury New Jersey home, we had completed a job site walk through and started to consult the customer on how to properly repair and replace his Crestron control system. We then set about on the process to streamline his home with the goal of streamlining his life.

The takeover project began with a major consolidation of the component racks. This originally was slated to be a simple relocation of the two existing control racks into a more centralized location in the home’s basement. As we started this process it became clear that in order for the system to run properly and meet our end users needs, that an additional two racks would be required. This expanded the scope of the job, but with proper communication to the client about the importance of doing things the right way and not the easy way, approval was granted and we moved forward. 

This expanded rack relocation wasn’t as simple as moving the racks, rewiring, and reprogramming. With the addition of two extra racks in the basement closet, more room would need to be created. It is situations like this where our mastery of the job site leads to our success. Once we realized that the space required for the racks would need to be increased, we worked with the contractor on site to use the dimensions of the rack to create a custom wall and framed custom fit opening specifically for our racks. 

Of course, on a job site of this caliber, nothing goes as planned. Relocating the racks in such a manner created an issue with getting proper audio into the basement theater. To solve this problem without creating additional failure points, we customized a Crestron 2 by 1 enclosure into a single location audio splice point. To customize the enclosure we put in a mesh screen backing that allows us to install any type of equipment. Quick thinking and problem solving such as this leads to a more streamlined system with less failure points, which makes for a happier end user. 

While the rack consolidation was underway we began rewiring and re-installing the cabling behind every TV in the home. This included replacing a rather unsightly installation in the master bedroom, where a cable box and Apple TV device were simply shoved under a dresser and the television was thrown up on the wall. We used this opportunity to build a custom recessed opening above the fireplace in this room too, as well as expanding the DM system to properly distribute 4K video throughout the home from centralized devices.

To control the home’s devices, we upgraded the customer entirely to Crestron HDR-150 Remotes. After all of our customer’s Crestron woe’s, we wanted to make sure to give him something that would not only work properly but also look and act like a remote he was familiar with. Not only is the HDR-150 a hard buttoned remote without a touch screen, it is also integrated into control entire system and programmed specifically to the user’s expectations. Since the remote is not reliant on being pointed at an infrared device, and instead connected wirelessly to the control system, it can be used anywhere in the home to power any device no matter the situation. 

We mentioned in part one that our client spent much of his time working in his home office. With the wi-fi and network connections in the condition they were before we arrived, it was easy for productivity to drop due to network connectivity issues. To protect our client’s network from outside agents we installed a Sonicwall networking system which is one of the highest levels of solutions with advanced threat management. Due to the sensitive nature of our client’s work, we build the network in such a way that his devices and computers could seamlessly transition between networks throughout the home, but no one else’s devices were capable of accessing the secure network used for the business.

In the third and final installment of this case study, we will continue to focus on the process for taking over our customer’s Crestron control system. Stay tuned!

Today’s busy professional is constantly on the go, and often spends time between their proper office, and an office built in the home. In fact, studies show that nearly 40% of all white collar professionals are telecommuting most if not all of the time.GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew are well aware of the changing landscape of where people work, which is why we ensure our clients who spend their time working from home have reliable and intuitive automation connected to their home office.

It’s important that even when working out of a home office, that our client’s days starts out on the right foot for maximum productivity. This is the crux of a great Crestron automation system. Our client can wake up and walk down the hall to their home office, and with no more than a press of a button can trigger lighting and climate scenes to their exact liking, even local to the exact path they would walk to their office, making every morning as simple and stress free as possible. We make this happen by engaging with our users and understanding exactly how they plan to use their automation system, and programming the systems to create ease and comfort in their life.

Working from home isn’t without it’s risks, and one of the biggest is the reliability and security of your home network and data systems. As we’ve discussed many times in this blog, network reliability is at the core of a great automation system, and is especially important to telecommuters who need to be able to connect to a remote location at a moment’s notice. Reliable networks are also needed to ensure adequate video conference experiences, allowing our work at home clients to connect face to face with colleagues and customers throughout the world.

To secure these home networks when sensitive business information is moving through them, we install what is known as an advanced threat management system. Advanced threat protection, or ATP refers to a category of security solutions that defend against sophisticated malware or hacking-based attacks targeting sensitive data. Using Sonicwall managed switches we are able to run software that anticipated threats from the outside, and intelligently mitigates the system to prevent them from getting in.

Throughout the work day, our client may need to grant access to the home or part of the home for deliveries, housekeepers, or even business meetings. Crestron automation integrated directly to the security, access control, and video surveillance systems of the home allows the user to view visitors and unlock doors from any Crestron panel or device, including their own mobile phone. This means not having to pause a project in order to walk to the door during any of these events, which increases productivity and lessens frustrations.

One of the hidden benefits of telecommuting is the ability to provide entertainment for yourself without infringing on the space of office mates. Luckily for our users Crestron makes this a breeze with streaming audio centralized and distributed throughout the home, our clients can listen to their choice of radio stations or pull from a bank of preloaded songs to keep them energized throughout the work day. This is all controlled directly from a panel or remote in a seamless and intuitive manner. Mounted televisions in the home office can even be programmed to go directly to the channel of the user’s choice as soon as the enter the office and turn on the lights. This is especially valuable for those in the financial industry who may need quick access to news and information at their fingertips.

It’s for all these reasons and more that our client’s continue to trust GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew to automate and streamline their homes and lives.

Luxury homeowners and decision makers at high-end businesses have many things in common, and one of the more prescient of these things is their tight schedules and lack of time. Now, we’ve discussed many times in this blog how we utilize Crestron automation to simplify and streamline our client’s lives to help them make the most of the little free time that they have. However, when it comes to making decisions about what integration company is the best fit to undertake their project, this type of client simply does not have the opportunity to research online or call multiple companies looking for the right fit, and they especially do not have the time to deal with the wrong integration company when they fail to deliver on their promises.

GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew understand this, which is why we’ve put together three of the most important questions you should ask an integration professional before moving forward with their services.

1 – Do You Still Take Care of Your Very First Client.

For any professional working in a home or office space, retention of clients is extremely important. Not only does it make good business sense to treat your clients right and keep them long term, but it will also show potential future clients the value of your service over the long term. In the luxury space, this becomes even more important, as the value of the time spent worrying about a malfunctioning system can make its utility vanish. Providing white glove or concierge level service, such as proactive monitoring and back-end control, allow GMI to build long-term relationships with our clients, keeping their systems working every time they need to be used.

2 – What is your Diversity of Skills.

Is your home integrator adept on commercial projects? Does your audio video integrator also have experience with security systems and access control? This is the information you should be finding out when working with a new integration professional. Since Crestron systems touch every part of the home or office, and rely on programming to understand the language of many disparate systems, it is imperative that your integrator have the knowledge and experience with as wide a breadth of arenas as possible. We know that powerful and reliable networks are essential to the functioning of a Crestron system, wouldn’t it be natural to look for an integrator who also has experience setting up secure networks for financial companies? It is this cross-disciplinary experience that sets quality integrators like GMI apart from the pack.

3 – How Do You Prepare for the Future

Technology expands and evolves at such a rapid clip, it seems that as soon as you buy a new piece of tech, within weeks a better and more powerful version is on the market. With this knowledge, you understand how important it is for Crestron systems to be future proofed and designed to expand as your home, needs, and technology does. Whether this means an integrator being honest with you about purchasing the correct equipment to distribute video, knowing that a new resolution of video is right around the corner, or designing your network to anticipate the latest cybersecurity threats, it is imperative to look forward into the future as your relationship with your Crestron control system continues to evolve.

Have you been looking for the right integrator for your needs? GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew check all these boxes and more. 

Readers of this blog, be they integration professionals or Crestron enthusiasts of any ilk, are all familiar with the age old concept that time is money. When you work at the level of GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew this takes on a whole new dimension. Our clients range from hedge fund managers to wealthy homeowners, whose every minute wasted can mean the loss of untold fortunes. Today we will be looking at the multitude of ways we work closely with our clients and their automation systems to save them time, energy, and ultimately money.

At their heart, the Crestron automation systems we build for our clients are designed to streamline and simplify their lives, which means saving them time and energy at any point in the day we can. One of the ways we accomplish this is by custom programming and designing our systems to suit our client’s specific needs. Meeting with a client at the initial consultation stage we take time to dig deep, asking second level questions about their day to day routines and how an automation system can help the reclaim their valuable time.

The nature of our work often brings us into full home or office renovation job sites involving a multitude of different vendors working at the same time. This is a natural byproduct of working in luxury spaces, since our client’s time is so valuable, it only makes sense that they would work to schedule multiple home improvement projects within a similar time frame. To further alleviate the burden from our busy clients, and since Crestron systems touch almost every part of the home or office, we work to take control of every aspect of the job site to ensure a smooth installation of not only the automation system, but any other renovations that may be under way.

Once a system is in place and the client begins to use it on a daily basis, it will come as no surprise how a streamlined and simplified home or office saves time and frustration for more important pursuits. Everything from smartphone notifications to integrated security and access control create an environment where with the touch of a button or the tap of a screen can prevent the user from having to stop a task to grant entry to their home or communicate with staff.

Anything as complex as a Crestron automation system is bound to require maintenance and repair, which can be a burden for our busy clients. To protect against this we install proactive monitoring software within their system to ensure we can identify and stop potential issues before they happen. In the event that these measures fail and there is a system malfunction, we have the ability to remotely access the system and address issues regardless of how far away we are from the physical location. This can allow us to quickly bring a system back online or easily identify and replace a failure point, often correcting issues within hours of them being first reported. Thanks to this proactive monitoring and back end access, systems can be diagnosed and repaired without our client’s day to day lifestyle being affected.

Interested in a streamlined and simplified life through Crestron automation? Contact GMI today to learn more.