Author: GMI Automation

In part one of our case study on Crestron and Planar video display walls we discussed the benefits they can bring to a busy financial office, as well as the challenges and aspects that go into constructing such a complicated installation. Today we will be looking at a specific example of a video wall we constructed for a client’s luxury office, the challenges we encountered and the unique features we programmed for them.

Our client’s Miami Beach based financial office was looking for a video wall solution for a variety of reasons. Having already been contracted to set up automation and access control systems throughout their luxury office, we began the consultation and design for a 2×2 video wall as a main feature of the open office layout. Fast forward a few weeks and the construction of this video wall is complete, however upon seeing the finished product our client decides they needs a larger wall to fully complete their vision for the office..

A sudden change like this would stymie even an experienced crew of integration professionals, but the #DoneRightNotEasy crew was up to the task. We quickly mocked up a 4×4 solution on the same wall using Photoshop to get near instant approval from the client, allowing us to move forward right away. We then proceeded to move the 2×2 display around the corner to a perpendicular wall. This was no small feat, as it required a full infrastructure change on both the front and back end of the system; everything from new cabling, new mounting hardware, new everything. Power requirements and rack set up even had to be recalculated to ensure both displays would work at full capacity every time they were needed.

Once both walls were up and in place, it was time to begin the unique programming used to meet our client’s needs. As we discussed, when utilizing a four by four video wall you gain 16 screens of real estate to work with, and your options are vast. In the case of our client, they chose to divide this up into four primary quadrants, split between two news channels, a fully matrixed video conferencing system powered by ClearOne, and an interactive video shot of the entire secondary office located in New Jersey. These were not static displays, as users have the ability to drive and change the interface around depending on current needs. There is a drag and drop feature which allows a user to grab content from the top and release it instantly causing it to appear on the screen. This can be manipulated directly from custom built desktop panels, which also have the power to isolate audio from any source on the screen. Utilising a Crestron digital graphics engine, the display wall also had the ability to overlay images on top of the normal display, which would prove instrumental to the custom video conferencing platform we put together.

The video conferencing system connected to the video display and automation system is a thing of beauty. Every desk in the office is equipped with a microphone giving them a real real time connection to the New Jersey office. Due to the sensitive nature of work in the financial field, we wrote and installed special Crestron programming that allowed the tabletop microphones to be muted quickly, either at large or on an individual basis. This feature is illustrated on the video wall itself, as on the bottom right screen there is a graphical overlay of the desk layout featuring a color indicator showing which microphones are muted or active at any given time. This was not an out of the box feature, and required a back and forth conversation between the Crestron system, Planar monitors and Video conferencing software. Just another fully custom solution designed and programmed by GMI to ensure the needs of the end user are met beyond their wildest dreams.

In the end our client was over the moon about the power, utility and beauty of their Crestron powered Planar video display wall. The flexibility to change content, ability to pre-program based on user, and the real time connectivity of the video conferencing system would prove instrumental to their operations right away.

The modern office in the financial industry is a hotbed of activity, and in the digital age, information travels faster than ever before. To stay ahead of the news and market performance, many financial companies are choosing to bring streams of information into their offices in new and unique ways. One of the most popular features GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew have been asked to install in modern connected offices have been interactive video display walls. The video display wall company of choice for GMI is Planar. When it comes to technology, service, and quality, we believe Planar is at the top of their game when it comes to video displays of all kinds, in the same way that Crestron dominates the world of automation technology.

Simply installing and mounting monitors and displays around an office is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Smart financial companies constantly have their eyes on the future, and In a busy and productive financial office, staying on top of the news and the market is the highest priority. This means having real time access to both computerized data, news media and video conferencing software at any given moment. A powerful and customizable video display wall is the modern aesthetic choice for future minded financial companies. A four by four video wall allows you to have 16 individual monitors in one place, usually broken up into four quadrants and built to stream any type of content that will give a financial firm an edge. A display of this type is usually divided into four quadrants, and using Crestron automation control can be manipulated and controlled in a variety of ways.

Properly designing and building a video wall isn’t for the faint of heart, and as with many of our projects, requires meticulous planning and execution throughout every stage of design and installation. The first step is to diagnose the amount of real estate on the wall you need to fill, which will determine the grid size and placement for the video wall components. During this phase it is also important to account for obstructions, as an ideal video wall should be visible from all parts of the office space. A proper understanding of space requirements helps build the foundation for the back end components required to run the video wall, as well as power requirements.

Once the back end wiring and components are in place, construction of the video wall itself can begin. Remember, this isn’t as simple as mounting a number of TVs on the wall and calling it a day. The mounting structure needs to be as plum and level as possible so that when screens go up they look like one seamless unit. This requires the proper tools and more importantly the proper skill levels to build and fine tune each individual panel. Once each panel gets put into place it needs to be leveled so that each screen aligns perfectly to the others, even if this is off by a mere centimeter people will notice and the effect will be lost.

As the screens go up and the display come together it becomes more and more important to handle everything with extreme care. Each display panel is an extremely sensitive piece of equipment with a small bezel. This means that even something as seemingly minor as using the wrong screw can break a display and force you to restart your measurements and work. In a piece of physical equipment with this many potential failure points during installation you need a team that is experienced and knowledgeable enough to know the ins and outs of the project. The ability for a team to work together as a unit to install such a complicated device is few and far between, which is why the #DoneRightNotEasy crew prides ourselves on working together to master every part of your job site.

In part two of this case study, we will take a look at a recent video wall installation and the challenges and unique aspects that made it shine.

As we’ve reviewed many times in this blog, Crestron automation system installations require more than just control equipment and tools. The complexity and nuance of complete home control calls for the right mix of experience, teamwork and problem solving that only GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew can provide. When contracted to repair or replace a control system that not functioning properly, we tend to come upon a similar set of problems stemming from an inadequate installation. Here are 5 of the most common issues we see with Crestron control system installations

Improper Wiring

Crestron control equipment is designed to use specific types of wiring when interconnecting different components. We find far too often that others make one of two commons mistakes. The first is using wire of the proper type, but of a sub par quality, which will cause the system to underperform or malfunction. Second, some engineers will use the incorrect wire all together as an interconnecting means. This is a huge issue since pushing a wire to do something it is not intended to do in the first place is a common point of control system failure.

Equipment Distribution

When control racks and system components are distributed throughout a space, rather than being centralized into one dedicated location, each piece of hardware or group of control equipment becomes a potential failure point. With control wire running from multiple areas around a home it creates issues properly powering the system components and leading to an inevitable malfunction. This is why GMI strives to centralize control equipment at one location in order to create more efficient control systems, and reduce the need for complicated maintenance.

Poor Design

Crestron systems are so powerful and customizable that they are capable of almost anything. This makes it very tempting to over design a system in the early stages. Inexperienced integrators will often fail to communicate with the customer leading to them designing a system, that while powerful, is beyond the customer’s needs. Adding this level of unneeded complexity can leave a client without the knowledge and confidence they need to use the system to their desired level, and potentially can cause a customer to ignore their system entirely.

No Documentation

When dealing with high level Crestron control, it becomes critical to keep proper documentation of the system. We often find jobs with little to no documentation outlining where components are located, and to what other components they are connected. With system infrastructure this complicated and multifaceted, the lack of proper documentation to reference could cause a simple issue to become time consuming and costly as you move on to future jobs.

Labeling

Along the same lines as the failure to document a system properly, an inexperienced integrator will often fail to physically label wires throughout the system. Crestron systems can be quite large and contain a complex web of interconnecting wire, so to GMI, labeling is elementary; proper labeling at every wire termination is critical for troubleshooting, which often involves temporarily disconnecting and read seating wires..

While there are many qualified integration companies out there, we unfortunately find these installation mistakes on job sites at an alarming rate. Our commitment to solving these issues and making sure our installations are done the right way, and not the easy way, is what gives us the ability to provide reliable, intuitive and powerful systems to our clients.

In this blog, we’ve discussed many instances of mistakes made by other integrators that have led to critical automation and communication systems failing or underperforming. Everything from poor design, improper equipment, or poorly managed installations can lead to disaster for a system you rely on to work properly every time you use it. This is especially important when our client is a financial institution or in the financial industry, as not only do these organizations need to comply with specific compliance rules set forth by the SEC, but the sensitive and high-end nature of their business dealings means system failure is not an option.

GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew pride ourselves on our ability to utilize our extensive knowledge and experience to correct issues for clients who rely on flawless performance from their automation systems. This is why we are excited to preview one of our coolest projects yet, overhauling the video conference system of a large financial company with offices in New Jersey, Florida, Texas and Southern California.

Big time financial firms who deal with large investments require flawless and mistake proof technology and our newest clients have simply become fed up with the issues they’ve been experiencing with their integrated video conferencing system. To them this system is critical, being used for both important inter-office meetings across all four of their sites, as well as being used to speak with potential investors, often those looking to invest significant sums of money.

The host of issues that have continued to plague this firm’s video conferencing system starts with significant connection issues. Meeting attendees would routinely be disconnected from the conference, and oftentimes would not be able to connect in the first place. Those that were able to get past these connection difficulties would be met with audio problems, not being able to hear others in the meeting or communicate effectively as their audio dropped off unexpectedly. As you can imagine these types of issues are extremely frustrating for a financial company attempting to court large investments or work effectively with their staff to manage extensive portfolios. At their wit’s end, the partners at the firm were ready to give up the video conferencing and automation systems altogether, and this is where GMI comes in.

Upon arriving on site and sensing the frustration with the systems first hand, we began to review the existing system and consult the firm on how to correct their issues the right way, and not the easy way. The problems, we found, stemmed from the usual culprit; a poorly designed system leading directly to a subpar installation process. While the control and video equipment itself were top of the line, the previous integration company lacked the necessary knowledge and experience to build an effective and reliable system. Anyone can order high-end equipment, but it takes cunning and teamwork to properly design, program and installs an automation system that is simple, reliable and intuitive.

We look forward to highlighting this newest project as we embark to each of these offices to help our client right the ship and begin to utilize the best technology available as it was meant to be used. Stay tuned!

As the summer season begins to enter it’s peak, outside temperatures continue to soar. In fact, 2017 is shaping up to be one of the hottest years on record, with heat waves expected into the early fall. Luckily for our clients, Crestron automation systems expertly manage home or office temperatures while conserving energy in the process We’ve discussed often on this blog how automated lighting and shading systems are instrumental for a great automation system and full home control. Today we will discuss specifically how these systems work together with environmental systems to manage the temperature in a home or office, allowing users to effectively beat the summer heat without lifting a finger.

Temperature regulation through Crestron automation begins in a traditional sense, with automated thermostats. We integrate these devices directly into standard residential HVAC systems using industry standard wiring, and back to a Crestron control system processor for integrated control. The control system is then programmed to automatically adjust the temperature based on time of day, outdoor temperature, room occupancy, and many other factors.

Integrating your home or office’s HVAC system into Crestron automation is just the beginning of how GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew design control systems to properly regulate the temperature of a home or office. An automated shading system allows users to block direct sunlight coming into the home, lightening the workload of the HVAC system and creating a more even distribution of temperature throughout the space. Automated shading can also be used in the cooler months, utilising direct sunlight to enhance heating system efficiency.

When programmed and designed in conjunction with shading and environmental systems, a connected lighting control system is the final step in properly regulating temperature. As your automated shades silently reduce the amount of sunlight entering and heating a room, the lighting system works expertly together with it to maintain the ideal light level, ensuring that the end user can move about a space adequately. Lighting systems also reduce the strain on your home or offices power systems, reduces consumption through dimming lights to use only the necessary energy and automatic control of lighting when you enter and exit a room through motion sensors.

Anytime we build and design a Crestron automation system for a home or office, we do so to improve the day to day life of the end user. With integrated thermostats, shading, and lights, our system’s users never have to worry about taking time out of their busy days to ensure temperature is regulated properly. They simply stroll into the space and Crestron and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew take care of the rest.

When we automate a client’s home it’s more than just putting in control equipment and the latest and greatest in video and audio technology, our client’s are giving us access to their home and the routines of their everyday lives. This means to be successful we need to be more than just experts in Crestron automation and control, but also taking our customer service to the next level, ensuring our client’s peace of mind and easing them through the process from start to finish. 

As with everything that we do, this all begins with the consultation and design stage of our process. Many engineers in this industry are by nature methodical and robotic in how they design a new control system. While this is beneficial, especially considering the complexity of Crestron control systems, without the human touch it can cause undue stress for a client. Throwing lots of jargon and technical specifications at a client who may not understand these factors can be confusing and overwhelming. GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew take the time to listen to and communicate with our clients on a human level, learning their true needs and wants for their automated home. Using this knowledge we build our systems to be simple, reliable and intuitive for it’s end users.

We’ve often discussed how being the integration professional on a job site means assuming a level of control over the vendors we work alongside. This is an especially important factor for maintaining a client’s level of comfort and ease with a large scale project in their home. Along with the routines and responsibilities of everyday life, having multiple vendors and workers in and out of your home can be a stressful situation. This is why we work closely with all of the other professionals on a job site to ensure they are maintaining a level of integrity and excellence, not limiting this to the parts of their work that the automation system interacts with. Our clients have trusted us with simplifying their lives, and this means making the installation process as stress-free and streamlined as possible.

Another way we keep our clients comfortable throughout the automation process is through our use of documentation and communication. Every client is different, and with that comes different needs and wants with respect to communication during a job. Some clients prefer to be constantly updated, while others are happier receiving daily or weekly wrap-ups of work that has been completed. Our high level of documentation and back-end organization allows us to cater to the communication needs of our client’s regardless of the level of interaction they prefer, keeping them in the loop and their mind at ease.

All of this is just a part of our concierge level service. No matter the complexity of a control system we strive to make it’s use as second nature as flicking a light switch. We take the fear out of the automation system to make it manageable for all the end users since in the end, it is their experience that matters most. This level of care, communication, and expertise is what being a great integration professional is all about.

GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew pride ourselves on our outside the box thinking and ability to work with vendors of all kinds to provide incredible and one of a kind solutions for our clients. So when one of our VIP clients was looking to bring his love of golfing and his home automation system together, we jumped at the opportunity to build him something special. We’ve already highlighted our work on this client’s custom home theater, and we were fortunate enough to be involved in his full basement remodel, allowing us to incorporate a one of a kind 4K Golf Simulator into his new Crestron control system.

The project as usual started with the planning and design stages. Since we were already in the process of the basement remodel and home theater construction, adding the golf simulator was a natural extension of this system. Though as we have learned, nothing about a properly built Crestron system comes without dedicated and thoughtful planning. To ensure our client would be happy with the simulator once it was built, we worked with About Golf to work up a design for the room that would incorporate the appropriate technology and fit with our client’s needs.

Once the customer had been properly consulted and the system design was in place, it was time for the construction to begin. Since this was a first of it’s kind system we were entering uncharted territory. To accomplish our goal we installed a ceiling mounted commercial grade Canon projector, which connected directly into the golf simulation system’s sensors for instant feedback. For the highest possible sound quality we chose to go with Polk Audio speakers, however space constraints behind the full wall length screen required us to create a customized mounting solution for the speakers, placing them at an angle while still maintaining the integrity of the audio system. These were all of course integrated directly into the Crestron control system, so activity on the simulator was not only controllable directly from the wall panels, but it could be broadcast to any other display throughout the home.

Anytime we work with another vendor on site it is important for us to elevate them to our level of job site integrity and performance. We were happy to work together with the team from About Golf in order to properly combine their technology into the Crestron system at large. The space requirements of the room required us to think outside the box as far as mounting the projector, sensors and sound equipment. Due to the large scope of this job, we were looked at as the primary vendor on site, which meant any issues with the simulator would be treated as an issue with the Crestron system. This meant keeping in close contact with the About Golf team and ensuring quality and consistency each step of the way.

Breaking new ground with Crestron integration is no easy task. The #DoneRightNotEasy crew has the experience and relationships necessary to think quickly and understand the complexities of integrating third party hardware into Crestron systems. Today’s Crestron users understand that their automation systems are only limited by their imaginations, and with third party entertainment technology constantly expanding and gaining popularity, it is in both our’s and our clients’ best interest to stay ahead of the curve, constantly improve ourselves and our product.

By now readers of this blog will understand that the job of experienced integrators such as the #DoneRightNotEasy crew doesn’t start and end with the automation system itself. In order to ensure the best for our clients and end users it’s incredibly important for us to take a holistic view of every job site, and this includes interacting with and working alongside from many other home improvement and design industries.

Integration and automation systems, by design, touch almost every part of a home or building’s internal systems. While our expertise allows us to keep many things under our roof, such as fiber optic installations or high level networking, we are still required to work with other vendors in order to effectively complete the full automation of a space. This includes everything from licensed electricians, HVAC specialists, cable and internet companies, landscapers, window and entryway installers, and many more.

Since our client’s time is so valuable, it is only natural that they would work to schedule multiple home improvementprojects within a similar time frame. This fact along with the complexity of our systems and how many other parts of the home or office’s ecosystem they connect with, a setback in any part of the work can cause issues for the automation system and our timeline. It is important for an integrator to be nimble enough to be able to react adequately to these issues and stay on schedule. At the end of the day, the job needs to be done on time and done correctly, regardless of what issues pop up.

In order to accomplish this goal we work closely with other vendors on site, oftentimes assuming a role similar to that of the general contractor. Our experience allows us to notice inefficiencies and issues with other vendors early, and work to correct it with those individuals before the timeline of the job gets off track. The goal here is not to offend or put down these vendors, but instead to elevate them to our level, as the client’s happiness with the finished product is paramount. In first time Crestron installations we often find ourselves working with vendors who don’t have experience with automation systems. When this happens we take the time to educate and ask second level questions about their work and process so we can ensure everything will play nice in the end, leading to positive performance and improvement all around.

In the coming months we will be writing more about this topic, going into detail regarding how we interact and work together with many different vendors. We look forward to sharing this knowledge in hopes that professionals across the country can learn how to view the bigger picture for happier clients.

Much of this blog, and much of the coolest Crestron automation technology is dedicated to the wow factor. Stunning home theaters, full home 4K distribution, and streaming audio tend to be the technologies that draw new customers into the Crestron automation experience. While an automated home may revolve around these centerpieces, one of the foundations of a true luxury automation experience is the integration of lighting and shading systems.

With Crestron technology, fully integrated lighting control allows you to granularly control the light level of each room of your home. Shades are fully integrated into lighting systems to ensure the perfect amount of light is allowed in throughout the day, creating rooms that are always as cool, comfortable and bright as you want them to be.

GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew pride ourselves on creating simple, reliable and intuitive control systems for our customers. Below are 3 ways that automated lighting and shades are central to our luxury home automation system.

Aesthetics 

When you invest a significant amount of money into a luxury home, you have an interest in keeping it looking as beautiful as possible at all times. Crestron lighting and shading systems do this by creating flexible room ambiance controlled either directly through your Crestron Touch Screen panels or by pre-programmed settings determined by time of day, temperature, room occupancy or weather conditions. This means that no matter what the lighting conditions outside, you can control the light level inside your home for maximum aesthetic effect. Since the system is centrally controlled the amount of “wall acne” is reduced as Crestron control panels and wall switches are designed for a minimal look and to fit into any interior design motif.

Energy Efficiency

When the #DoneRightNotEasy crew builds out a Crestron control system, energy efficiency is at the top of our priority list. Shading and lighting systems are central to this principle, as a connected lighting control system reduces energy consumption through dimming lights to use only the necessary energy, automatic control of lighting when you enter and exit a room through motion sensors, and harnessing the energy of the sun through light sensors and motorized window shades.

Security

It has been shown by many studies that automated lighting and shading discourage potential intruders. By automatically turning lights on and off, or raising and lowering shades at preset times, your home becomes more secure whether you’re home or away. Since the automation systems built by GMI are deeply interconnected into the home security system, these scenes can be automatically triggered based on the occupancy of the home, or on an individual basis depending on who is entering or leaving the home.

It is for all these reasons and more that a lighting and shading are essential for a truly automated home. While 4K projectors and Dolby Atmos theaters are cool, the foundation of an aesthetically pleasing, energy efficient and secure automated home rests on the lighting and shading system.

About GMI Automation

GMI Automation is a full-service automation company that specializes in simple to operate, reliable automation systems that exceed client expectations.  Our exceptional service and award-winning fit and finish is why our clients love and refer us.