Perfect complement to Cortex?

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  • JonS
    Automated Home Guru
    • Dec 2007
    • 202

    Perfect complement to Cortex?



    Focus on media with moves to HA
    Supports (multiple) touch screens
    Provides a framework so other Apps / Modules can be added
    Written in Dephi, runs on Windows (liek Cortex)

    If this could talk to the Cortex API, and ran as a server on the Cortex machine with client's on Touchscreens (with PC) around the home would it be the perfect complement to Cortex?

    Any developers among us?
    JonS
  • cliffwright
    Automated Home Guru
    • Mar 2007
    • 117

    #2
    What 'complementary' activities are you looking to achieve?


    For me specifically, and for the setup I have already, IMO it looks all too 'home made' to me right now . . .

    I run Windows Media Center's in my house and so for me personally, I'd much rather develop an MCE plugin that simply opens the Cortex web GUI page (especially if using touch screens) . . . but the beauty of Cortex/idratek for me is the fact that it doesn't require a direct human action to perform most automation scenarios . . . lighting and heating are presence orientated as with a lot of other functionality . . . Needing an input that I can't issue either via the TV remote (IR) or via the push of a button on an idratek module would be few and far between (in fact right now I can't think of any) for me.

    Plus, this way I've got no handover issues between the 2 pieces of software for the home automation side of things . . . and Media Center itself will always be far superior in the Media serving world for playback of TV, Movies, Music, Pictures etc etc . . .

    Don't get me wrong, I can see it might suit some folks if you've got a setup of TS PC's that don't run Media Center edition, and good luck to the guy and well done for developing this . . . but I do think there's better ways of achieving 'things' than this . . . (unless you've got a bunch of things in mind that I've not envisaged?)

    Cliff
    www.clifford-wright.co.uk/blog

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    • chris_j_hunter
      Automated Home Legend
      • Dec 2007
      • 1713

      #3
      Core issue, this, ISTM - how to extend an Idratek set-up into AV & multimedia ...

      we're moving towards having our Idratek system (currently installing) look after the house & our Apple Mac network (currently n-wireless, but soon to be Ethernet, as-well) look after documents & surfing & music & movies & also TV (with EyeTV) ...

      but ... it's an open point - how to bring the two together ??
      Our self-build - going further with HA...

      Comment

      • cliffwright
        Automated Home Guru
        • Mar 2007
        • 117

        #4
        Originally posted by chris_j_hunter View Post
        Core issue, this, ISTM - how to extend an Idratek set-up into AV & multimedia ...

        we're moving towards having our Idratek system (currently installing) look after the house & our Apple Mac network (currently n-wireless, but soon to be Ethernet, as-well) look after documents & surfing & music & movies & also TV (with EyeTV) ...

        but ... it's an open point - how to bring the two together ??
        Why? Why bring them together at all? [Genuine question - I can't picture what benefit having 1 system brings over have 1 AV / Media system and 1 HA system]

        The beauty of Idratek [IMO] is that it largely doesn't require any manual intervention . . . whereas any AV & multimedia setup can only really be controlled manually based on the mood of the user . . . obviously you can automate the 'settings' of any particular AV&M setup like have a Harmony remote turn the appropriate TV / STB / Amp etc on & to the appropriate sources etc, but ultimately the user still needs to directly command that he/she wants to watch TV / a movie / listen to music etc . . . you can't realistically do this based on presence, time of day, schedule etc . . .
        www.clifford-wright.co.uk/blog

        Comment

        • chris_j_hunter
          Automated Home Legend
          • Dec 2007
          • 1713

          #5
          yep, take your point ... and the systems that do bring them together - the ones that have brochures, anyway - often get it very wrong (IMO) - eg: they use it to do things such as interrupt a programme or movie when there's someone at the door ... something that would really annoy us (much better if the system handled the call & told us about it later, or presented options for how it should be done, perhaps depending on who or when, when the programme or movie started) !

          anyway, we'd be happy to have something like that, plus things like modifying announcements according to what's going on (muting sounds, door-bell or lights flicker, say, according to circumstance), and improving the user interface of AV equipment (most being awful, in our experience - especially TV, recorders, etc)

          PS: point being, obviously, that for context sensitivity to work, the HA system needs to have good info' on what's going-on ...

          PPS: on our to-do list, once we're up & running, is to explore what can be done via IR - eg: iPhone / iPod touch / Apple Remote can already act as remotes - for iTunes, EyeTV, etc - and there are IR dongles available for the first two that might provide a way to link into Idratek & our hi-fi ...
          Last edited by chris_j_hunter; 24 May 2011, 10:50 AM.
          Our self-build - going further with HA...

          Comment

          • cliffwright
            Automated Home Guru
            • Mar 2007
            • 117

            #6
            Originally posted by chris_j_hunter View Post
            anyway, we'd be happy to have something like that, plus things like modifying announcements according to what's going on (muting sounds, door-bell or lights flicker, say, according to circumstance), and improving the user interface of AV equipment (most being awful, in our experience - especially TV, recorders, etc)
            Well . . . although I haven't done it yet, I believe Cortex / Idratek can already handle this (or most of it) and it's something I plan on implementing when I move onto sorting our lounge out . . .

            with an ITR module, it must be possible to issue a 'mute' IR signal to mute your TV if there's presence in the TV room . . . or flicker a light . . . or whatever . . .


            Pretty much the only AV user interface I use in our house is Windows Media Center so I don't have any issues of dodgy TV / Recorder etc interfaces and all my media [TV, Photo's, DVD's, Music etc etc] is accessable throughout the house.

            I figure an ITR module can provide the limited interface I need between any home automation system and my AV / Media system . . .
            www.clifford-wright.co.uk/blog

            Comment

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