👍🏽 for a fair and honest views of both system. I personally have had Control4 for quite some years now and I just absolutely love it. Did inquire about Savant , but as you mentioned, price was a factor in my decision to go with Control4 instead. Also, dealer availability was a big part of it too.
I'm in the UK and just about to move house. I plan to make this next house "smart" I would like audio, lighting, heating, automated garage door and lastly security. What system do you recommend? I am an electrician by trade so am prepared to run cabling wherever and just use an installer for the 2nd fix and commissioning. Thank you
@@supernova8962 thanks for asking. So it's slow and steady. I have nearly finished the lounge. We have a pure theatre CR50 projector lift and a CR180 screen. 7 sonance IS8 plaster over speakers and a lump of a cabinet subwoofer in the converted fireplace. We dropped the ceiling round the edge of the room for downlights and a LED up light lip. Need to install automated blinds next for the privacy!
I have a question, so I’m getting the savant system with an s2 host that I really just wanted to use in one room initially, what I’m wondering is with the s2 host would I be able to simply add control of other rooms devices that are on my network once the system is installed? If so, could I then purchase a second x2 remote and have it connect to all my devices?
Daniel Cauley planning on one for this year, although biggest difference is that Control4 now has ‘heads up’ display option as part of its new OS3 update. I think on the whole my thoughts/opinions are about the same. But really can’t go wrong with either app.
TYM Smart Homes & Home Theaters will the update include info about power management now that savant owns Noon and Racepoint Energy, lightning, wellness controls etc. Also are you still saying hands down Savant for AV?
Daniel Cauley I’m still partial to Savant for AV yes, but Control4 has closed that gap so much now I think it’s really personal preference. My opinion is that C4 was originally more focused on automation, and Savant originally more focused on AV. I feel like you still see that in both platforms, but Control4 has really closed the gap. It’s close now
TYM Smart Homes & Home Theaters can’t wait to see the updated video hope it gets released soon :) thanks for answering my questions, I hope the update includes some of the new categories that have entered the market like power management and lighting/wellness. I’d love to hear your opinion on those also.
I wish I could integrate my home theater through you. Not all integrators are created equal and you seem very customer focused. I need to choose between the two, and didn't know both of them lock the system down which would be problematic for someone like me who likes to tinker and do my own work when I can. Is the lockdown driven through local or remote authentication? Just curious if I could convince my integrator to give me the code as part of our install so I can add on items as I grow.
I have savant switches in my house however the previous homeowner took all the automation equipment other than switches and thermostats. Will they integrate with any other automation systems such as Google or control 4 without having to replace the switches
If they’re actually savant switches you’ll need a savant system to use them again. If they happened to be lutron you’d be able to integrate with something like c4.
I'm in Salt Lake and I'm about ready to remove my Control 4 HC-800 with over 40 dimmer switches 10 scene switches, and I few dimmer/volume switches.. How would you recommend I go about selling it?
NUPE SWAG better people than me to answer this. But my understanding is that Harmony Elite is more of a one room solution. People on forums say they’ve made it work for multiple TVs, but typically it’s meant for a 1 room setup. C4 is a whole home solution and can support multiple rooms, tv, etc. although you would need a remote for each tv. There’s other nuances, but that’s probably the major difference on a surface level. Harmony is a great remote, we’ve installed it on a number of smaller projects and we know a lot of people that love it.
I control my whole house with Siri. Garage door, Lifx Lighting, Ecobee Thermostats, August door locks, etc. All from the Apple Homekit app. Never have any issues. What different in using Savant or control 4?
Chris no need to use C4 or Savant if you are already happy with what you have. But a lot of people shopping for C4 want to know how it compares to Savant, and those shopping Savant how it compares with C4. That’s what we’re addressing here. Siri is great, and now that Apple is actively integrating with C4 and Savant we’re excited to see how much further we’ll be able to take it than before.
Siri is locked into homekit compatible products only, you can't control things like relays, rs232 devices and very limited AV, limited interfaces, limited automation.
Well after reviewing everything I was set on Control4, but trying to find their products was challenging. Come to find out, you can only purchase their equipment by having one of their dealers install and program everything, which drives up the cost substantially. I'm already having a low voltage tech come in and install all of my network drops, surveillance cams, whole home audio, etc, so, paying a Control4 vendor on top of that for their installation seems a redundant cost to me. It would be nice to be able to purchase equipment. I suppose I will just go back to Insteon. What a bummer.
Agree with Courtney, both of these systems are a "higher level" true home automation. Their systems are "closed" and require certified programmers to protect the brand(s).
Christopher Frith RTI is great,m. This video addresses a question we get regularly, specifically which is better between these two platforms, it’s not excluding other platforms but merely addressing the very specific question we get asked. We’ll look at other platforms in upcoming videos including RTI
I have to use Savant at work and it is trash. Trying to play media off pandora or spotify works about 50% of the time [sms could not be found on the network]. When it does finally play something, it will then get stuck and become unable to change the media.
Yeah sounds like the old music server they licensed from Autonomic, and have now gotten rid of. Real issue, but one that a good dealer can fix and resolve for you. - Don't think that's prescriptive though of the Savant experience, just need a dealer to get it working correctly for you.
Warren, OS3 made a big leap, including the one item I really wanted which was a heads up display. I personally still favor the 'look and feel' of the Savant App. However I'm genuinely sixes on the two platforms. Anymore, it's very application driven for us, and a fair amount of input from Clients to determine which is the right solution.
Gavin Walsh kinda. You can install the hardware if you find the right dealer to work with you. But the programming has to be done by the dealer. Once programmed you can set a lot of custom scenes yourself. So not DIY, but you can do a lot of the work yourself if you want to.
This can be easily avoided if the customer knows how they connected the system and are confident with it. Programming all comes down to matching inputs/outputs for communication. This goes for both Control4/Savant.
I found that the only way to learn how to program Control4 is by going to their boot camps and becoming a Dealer, once a Dealer you get access to online courses and devices documentation
Jay J Great timing! Moved to a new house with no way to pull speaker wires. Just added Sonos to C4. Waiting for a NEEO. After a year of nothing, coming back into OS3 has been great so far. Thank you.
I have had control 4 for years, was never happy with it, i had to have the dealer in on a regular basis , after about 6 years, it competed died. I replaced it with savant. Time will tell how Savant will work.
I would love to find a way to make the Savant system in my house tolerable. Reliability is terrible. Needs a restart every time I open the app and it disconnects regularly. Seems glitchy/incomplete. More focus on making it look good than work well. I don't agree about user experience although I have not tried Control4: I wish Savant would put a keyboard on the screen similar to how Control4 puts the remote with all of the buttons. No way to contact Savant for support... they'll point you to your dealer even if they're useless and unknowledgeable. I vote Control4... or just stick to "dumb homes" because they're better from my point of view.
Make sure your network is up to the task. A better router, more access points, etc. will make home audio/video/automation better. Never rely on the router your ISP provides. If you read that a Sonos/MusicCast/Heos/Control4/Savant system is disconnecting, it's not the audio/video/automation system -- It's the network. We've (I'm not with Tym) found that a big and beefy network almost always solves the problems provided that the system that's acting flakey was configured properly.
Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Savant, Control4, Control4, Control4,Control4, Control4, Control4. Got it lmao.. Great video BTW and very informative
Control4 dealers work on a pyramid sales scheme of some sort, ask them to fix a software issue and they'll spend 4 hours trying sell you some hardware and charge for their time doing it.
Avoid Control4 bad, clunky, unreliable no support for customer. Dealer network a joke - From my experience C4 should be avoided. All good to go when installing $$$$$$$$$$ then immediatelly obsolete and not supported by dealers or C4. look at website for C4 and try to work out where support is. Call them and see if they can help. Make an appointment ,stay home for them not to show, multiple times. Hugely frustrating in this day and age of technology and generally good customer service. C4 shows us how not to run a business but how to piss off customers that spend 10s of thousands $$$$.
Thanks so much for watching our video - Control4 vs Savant which is better? If you have questions leave them in the comments.
Dude, SOLID video man, well said and straight to the point
Exceptionally informative and surprisingly concise. Subscribed!
Jeff Wilson glad it was helpful Jeff!
Fantastic recap of these two systems: both of which we sell, with many of the same point/counterpoints we use in sales/discovery. Great job!
👍🏽 for a fair and honest views of both system. I personally have had Control4 for quite some years now and I just absolutely love it. Did inquire about Savant , but as you mentioned, price was a factor in my decision to go with Control4 instead. Also, dealer availability was a big part of it too.
H.M.S PF glad its been a positive experience. We love Control4. Always happy to hear from people that share our enthusiasm. 🙌🏻
Control4 FTW. I work for a dealer of C4/Savant/Crestron.
Blake Heath have you gone to C4 training?
How about an updated version of this video
Any recommendations or reviews on Elan vs Savant or Control4?
Can savant be hooked up to integrate with a sprinkler timer box , if so what manufacturer will work for that
What are your thoughts on URC?
Control4 is easy to use but in terms of user interface it’s old and savant looks classy and new
Good analysis. Really candid
Very educational and probably a time and money saver! Thank you!
What networking equipment do you use with savant?
Do u think any of those system can DIY or need their technian to do it?
Do you have a updated video on this topic?
Up!
I'm in the UK and just about to move house. I plan to make this next house "smart"
I would like audio, lighting, heating, automated garage door and lastly security. What system do you recommend? I am an electrician by trade so am prepared to run cabling wherever and just use an installer for the 2nd fix and commissioning.
Thank you
1 year later.... how is your smart home coming along ?
@@supernova8962 thanks for asking. So it's slow and steady. I have nearly finished the lounge. We have a pure theatre CR50 projector lift and a CR180 screen. 7 sonance IS8 plaster over speakers and a lump of a cabinet subwoofer in the converted fireplace. We dropped the ceiling round the edge of the room for downlights and a LED up light lip.
Need to install automated blinds next for the privacy!
Great video,highly informative, thank you.
I have a question, so I’m getting the savant system with an s2 host that I really just wanted to use in one room initially, what I’m wondering is with the s2 host would I be able to simply add control of other rooms devices that are on my network once the system is installed? If so, could I then purchase a second x2 remote and have it connect to all my devices?
Can this be updated for 2020?
Daniel Cauley planning on one for this year, although biggest difference is that Control4 now has ‘heads up’ display option as part of its new OS3 update. I think on the whole my thoughts/opinions are about the same. But really can’t go wrong with either app.
TYM Smart Homes & Home Theaters will the update include info about power management now that savant owns Noon and Racepoint Energy, lightning, wellness controls etc.
Also are you still saying hands down Savant for AV?
Daniel Cauley I’m still partial to Savant for AV yes, but Control4 has closed that gap so much now I think it’s really personal preference.
My opinion is that C4 was originally more focused on automation, and Savant originally more focused on AV. I feel like you still see that in both platforms, but Control4 has really closed the gap. It’s close now
TYM Smart Homes & Home Theaters can’t wait to see the updated video hope it gets released soon :) thanks for answering my questions, I hope the update includes some of the new categories that have entered the market like power management and lighting/wellness. I’d love to hear your opinion on those also.
@@chrismon1001 we'll do our best to push it to the front of the line. You have a project in mind already?
Recommend me please a control4 training certification online
I wish I could integrate my home theater through you. Not all integrators are created equal and you seem very customer focused. I need to choose between the two, and didn't know both of them lock the system down which would be problematic for someone like me who likes to tinker and do my own work when I can. Is the lockdown driven through local or remote authentication? Just curious if I could convince my integrator to give me the code as part of our install so I can add on items as I grow.
I have savant switches in my house however the previous homeowner took all the automation equipment other than switches and thermostats. Will they integrate with any other automation systems such as Google or control 4 without having to replace the switches
If they’re actually savant switches you’ll need a savant system to use them again. If they happened to be lutron you’d be able to integrate with something like c4.
I'm in Salt Lake and I'm about ready to remove my Control 4 HC-800 with over 40 dimmer switches 10 scene switches, and I few dimmer/volume switches.. How would you recommend I go about selling it?
Online
@@The_New_Smokey as a complete package or piece it out? Do only dealers buy or do end users buy. Ebay my best bet? Or is there a dealer forum website?
Whichever works for you. It's your property to sell. Offer it up to your circle of friends and family first then go from there.
Can you some explain the advantage of Control4 over a Harmony Elite Remote?
NUPE SWAG better people than me to answer this. But my understanding is that Harmony Elite is more of a one room solution. People on forums say they’ve made it work for multiple TVs, but typically it’s meant for a 1 room setup. C4 is a whole home solution and can support multiple rooms, tv, etc. although you would need a remote for each tv. There’s other nuances, but that’s probably the major difference on a surface level. Harmony is a great remote, we’ve installed it on a number of smaller projects and we know a lot
of people that love it.
You can do harmony for a whole hows you just need a i/r router, but it’s more for diy users and it’s very basic for what it can do.
Harmony is a Remote Control, Control4 and Savant are true automation systems that take remote control to a different level.
I control my whole house with Siri. Garage door, Lifx Lighting, Ecobee Thermostats, August door locks, etc. All from the Apple Homekit app. Never have any issues. What different in using Savant or control 4?
Chris no need to use C4 or Savant if you are already happy with what you have. But a lot of people shopping for C4 want to know how it compares to Savant, and those shopping Savant how it compares with C4. That’s what we’re addressing here. Siri is great, and now that Apple is actively integrating with C4 and Savant we’re excited to see how much further we’ll be able to take it than before.
Siri is locked into homekit compatible products only, you can't control things like relays, rs232 devices and very limited AV, limited interfaces, limited automation.
@@sgill4833 that’s your loss. Sorry.
great vid!!!
Do you guys do out of state installations?
We do
Can I use my Lutron and Brilliant light switches for c4?
Lutron for sure, not sure there's any kind of driver for C4 and Brilliant at this time.
@@SmartHomeBrothers last question, can you control your door locks with c4?
@@BDUKE937 yes but they have to be from C4
Looking for a dealer/installer in Nigeria, can you help?
Hello. Kindly check www.reinalake.com they are a home automation company in Nigeria.
Well after reviewing everything I was set on Control4, but trying to find their products was challenging. Come to find out, you can only purchase their equipment by having one of their dealers install and program everything, which drives up the cost substantially. I'm already having a low voltage tech come in and install all of my network drops, surveillance cams, whole home audio, etc, so, paying a Control4 vendor on top of that for their installation seems a redundant cost to me. It would be nice to be able to purchase equipment. I suppose I will just go back to Insteon. What a bummer.
There's a reason you need to have dealers. Insteon is diy
Agree with Courtney, both of these systems are a "higher level" true home automation. Their systems are "closed" and require certified programmers to protect the brand(s).
Where does RTI fit in on this review? RTI is very powerful as well.
Christopher Frith RTI is great,m. This video addresses a question we get regularly, specifically which is better between these two platforms, it’s not excluding other platforms but merely addressing the very specific question we get asked. We’ll look at other platforms in upcoming videos including RTI
RTI is a great remote platform and very customizable, it's just not a Home Automation system.
I have to use Savant at work and it is trash. Trying to play media off pandora or spotify works about 50% of the time [sms could not be found on the network]. When it does finally play something, it will then get stuck and become unable to change the media.
Yeah sounds like the old music server they licensed from Autonomic, and have now gotten rid of. Real issue, but one that a good dealer can fix and resolve for you. - Don't think that's prescriptive though of the Savant experience, just need a dealer to get it working correctly for you.
thank you for sharing exp...
Hi thanks for the details and great video - i would be interested to hear an updated opinion on this topic since the release of Control4s OS3
Warren, OS3 made a big leap, including the one item I really wanted which was a heads up display. I personally still favor the 'look and feel' of the Savant App. However I'm genuinely sixes on the two platforms. Anymore, it's very application driven for us, and a fair amount of input from Clients to determine which is the right solution.
Crestron?
thestrauss crestron is pretty above c4 and savant
Can savant be installed by just a user I dont see alot of info out there
Gavin Walsh kinda. You can install the hardware if you find the right dealer to work with you. But the programming has to be done by the dealer. Once programmed you can set a lot of custom scenes yourself. So not DIY, but you can do a lot of the work yourself if you want to.
I see, definitely something to consider
Problem you might run into is having a dealer fully back the installation knowing the end user had his hands on it.
This can be easily avoided if the customer knows how they connected the system and are confident with it. Programming all comes down to matching inputs/outputs for communication. This goes for both Control4/Savant.
I would not warranty equipment installed by the homeowner
How can I start learning Control4?!!?!
Is there a way to follow or also get this answer? Also I would love to know when there are updates I need a rep to come out and update.
I found that the only way to learn how to program Control4 is by going to their boot camps and becoming a Dealer, once a Dealer you get access to online courses and devices documentation
O'mar Rocket and I’m assuming you need to know computer code to do that???
What level of computer knowledge do you think you need to be at?
none, it is very easy to learn. But if you want to have a little practice learn some block based coding
Shouldn't use C4 or Savant for commercial.. Just a let down for majority of clients.
Airplay rules my home for music. Adult kids, guests, wife -- all want to send their music to the appropriate zone. Savant or C4?
Neither, if that's all you want... Sonos
Jay J Great timing! Moved to a new house with no way to pull speaker wires. Just added Sonos to C4. Waiting for a NEEO. After a year of nothing, coming back into OS3 has been great so far. Thank you.
I have had control 4 for years, was never happy with it, i had to have the dealer in on a regular basis , after about 6 years, it competed died. I replaced it with savant. Time will tell how Savant will work.
SAVANT
I would love to find a way to make the Savant system in my house tolerable. Reliability is terrible. Needs a restart every time I open the app and it disconnects regularly. Seems glitchy/incomplete. More focus on making it look good than work well. I don't agree about user experience although I have not tried Control4: I wish Savant would put a keyboard on the screen similar to how Control4 puts the remote with all of the buttons. No way to contact Savant for support... they'll point you to your dealer even if they're useless and unknowledgeable. I vote Control4... or just stick to "dumb homes" because they're better from my point of view.
Make sure your network is up to the task. A better router, more access points, etc. will make home audio/video/automation better. Never rely on the router your ISP provides. If you read that a Sonos/MusicCast/Heos/Control4/Savant system is disconnecting, it's not the audio/video/automation system -- It's the network. We've (I'm not with Tym) found that a big and beefy network almost always solves the problems provided that the system that's acting flakey was configured properly.
Savant is BEST.
The remote for Control 4 is awful and heavy. The SAVANT remote is really cool and hands down a lot better!
Rudy Diaz I don’t know if I’d say the C4 remote is Awful. But agree I prefer the Savant remote for sure
Duh.....Control4! Better overall implementation and customer value!!! And by the way, I am a certified programmer for both...just sayin'
LOXONE
i have Loxone but I do not like the user interface at all
Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Control4, Savant, Control4, Control4, Control4,Control4, Control4, Control4. Got it lmao.. Great video BTW and very informative
Control4 dealers work on a pyramid sales scheme of some sort, ask them to fix a software issue and they'll spend 4 hours trying sell you some hardware and charge for their time doing it.
thats weird.. where did u get this info?
Savant is like the hot chick.... that just can't cook very well :-)
There's a lot of Hot chicks that can cook well. It's all in who the integrator is and that is true for all platforms
Avoid Control4 bad, clunky, unreliable no support for customer. Dealer network a joke - From my experience C4 should be avoided. All good to go when installing $$$$$$$$$$ then immediatelly obsolete and not supported by dealers or C4. look at website for C4 and try to work out where support is. Call them and see if they can help. Make an appointment ,stay home for them not to show, multiple times. Hugely frustrating in this day and age of technology and generally good customer service. C4 shows us how not to run a business but how to piss off customers that spend 10s of thousands $$$$.
Hello,
What I'd Like To Know Is What System Really Works With (Google) Hope Maybe You Could Answer That For Me.