Personal Touch
Most families have at least one techie. But how does the rest of the family cope with sophisticated electronics? Here in this chic 47th floor high-rise on Manhattan’s East Side, everybody gets an electronics solution just to their liking. Flexible remote controls programmed by Electronic Design Group let the techie owner tweak settings to his heart’s content while keeping operation idiot-proof for anyone else.
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The focal point of the massive project is the video wall in the open living room. It’s not that the homeowner actually watches 18 different TV programs simultaneously on his 195-inch plasma wall. He just wanted to be able to. So the wizards at EDG patched together a complex switching system that allows him to view the latest events in a variety of ways: as independent feeds from 18 cable boxes or one giant panorama from Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth. Or, thanks to EDG’s custom-designed audio/video matrix, anything in between. The wall can deliver any number of independent views up to 18 from a palette of sources spanning the Internet and the Mac Mini and cable and DVD.
Technology Budget:
$ 450,000
* Excludes; Architect, Interior Designer, Carpenter & Furnishings.
Equipment List
Crestron Home Control Equipment:
(14) CNXRMC Room Box
(7) ML-600 Remote Control
(4) CNRFGWA RF Receiver
(2) CEN-IDOC iPod Dock
(1) TPMC-8X Wireless Touchpanel
(5) TPS-2000L Wall Mounted Touchpanel
(2) CNXPVID8X4 Video Distribution Processor
(1) CNAMPX 16X60 16 Channel Intelligent Amp
(2) CNXBIPAD8 Audio Distribution Processor
(1) C2NTXM XM Tuner
(1) WPR-48 Waterproof Remote Control
(1) CNXHUB Hub/Repeater
(1) PRO2 Control Processor
(1) AV2 Control Processor
(2) C2NSPWS300 300W Power Supply
(5) CNTBLOCK Distribution Block
(5) CHVTSTAT Thermostat
(5) CHVRSS Remote Temperature Sensor
Lutron Lighting Equipment:
(3) CW-1 1 Gang Faceplate
(10) GRX-FDBI-16A-120 Power Booster Interface
(3) GRX-TVI 0-10V Ballast Interface
(1) H8P5-H48-120 HW Wired 8 Series Generation 5 Processor
(17) HW-RPM-4A HW Remote Power Module
(7) HW-RPM-4U-120 HW Remote Power Module
(1) HWD-8ANS HW Designer Wired Maestro-Style 8A Switch
(1) HWI-LV32-120 HWI Low-Voltage 32” Enclosure
(5) HWI-MI-120 HWI Module Interface
(5) HWI 32” Enclosure, Feed Through Panel
(1) HWI-Q96 HWI Siviola QED Interface
(16) NGRX-PB Power Booster Interface
(1) PPS1-120-15DC-3A HW Power Supply 17” Enclosure
(1) ST-1B-NI HW Architectural Wired SeeTouch 1 Button Base Unit
(1) ST-2B-NI HW Architectural Wired SeeTouch 2 Button Base Unit
(6) Lutron ST-3BRL-NI-WH HW Architectural Wired SeeTouch 3 Button
(4) Lutron ST-4B-NI-WH HW Architectural Wired SeeTouch 4 Button
(3) Lutron ST-4S-NI-WH HW Architectural Wired SeeTouch 4 Button
(1) Lutron ST-5BRL-NI-WH HW Architectural Wired SeeTouch 5 Button
(1) ST-6BRL-NI-WH HW Architectural Wired SeeTouch 6 Button
(2) STWD-6BRL-WH HW Designer Wired SeeTouch 6 Button
Video, Audio and All the Rest:
(5) Apple Mac Mini
(10) B&W CWM650
(2) B&W CWMLCR8
(3) Comm-tec RGB Spectrum SV4000
(2) DLink DWL-2100AP Wifi Access Point
(1) EarthLCD 12’ LCD
(2) Electrokinetics Picture lift
(1) Extron MTX-6400 Matrix Switcher
(1) Extron MTX-3200 Matrix Switcher
(15) HD Cable Box - client supplied
(3) HD DVR Cable Box - client supplied
(1) Integra CDC-3.4 CD Player
(1) Integra DPS 5.5 DVD Player
(1) Integra DPC-7.5 DVD Changer
(1) Key Digital KD-VA5
(1) Leitch P32X4A2I
(1) Leitch P32X4AECI
(2) Panasonic TH42PHD9UK 42” HD Plasma
(1) Panasonic TH50PHD9UK 50” HD Plasma
(3) PanasonicTH65PHD8 65” HD Plasma
(1) Radio Design Labs ST-SH2 Stereo Headphone Amp
(1) Rotel RSP-1088 7.1 Processor
(1) Rotel RMB-1075 5 Channel Power Amplifier
(1) Rotel RB-1070 2 Channel Amplifier
(1) Rotel RT-1080 AM/FM Tuner
(1) Rotel RSP-1068 7.1 Processor
(1) Seura Mirror TV - Sharp LC20D42U
(1) Sharp PN455 45” LCD
(1) Sonance 275 SE
(2) Channel Amplifier
(2) Sonance Symphony S623TSQ Speaker
(2) Sound Advance SA2B Speaker
(2) Sound Advance SA-ICC equalizer
(3) Sony KDL-26S2010 26” LCD
(1) Sony RDR-VX555 DVD/VHS Recorder
(1) Sony BDPS350 Blu-Ray HD DVD Player
(4) Xantech CB18 Distribution Block
The same flexibility extends to the other nine zones of entertainment in this 2,400-square-foot space. Most clients want less hassle and more scheduled automation. This technophile wanted precise control over lights, shades, music and TV. Sure, he could’ve had EDG program the Lutron motorized sunscreen shades to lower each day just as the late-afternoon sun sliced through the full-length windows, but he likes to play with the toys. Instead, he goes to a Crestron touchscreen, punches the lights page, and lowers the shades himself because he likes pulling the virtual strings. He can do that for every shade in the home from a touchpanel in any room.
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The audio system gives the technophile even more satisfaction. With a background in computers, he’s tech-savvy and has his own way of doing things. He has a variety of music sources to choose from and can drill down to the most detailed levels when choosing XM Satellite Radio, AM, FM, cable TV music channels, CD, Mac or one of three iPods. He can send one source to a single room, a group of rooms or the entire apartment--or rig it so that each zone gets an individual source to please an eclectic rainbow of musical tastes. That’s far more control than most people want, but for the EDG designers on the project, it was all about giving the customer what he wanted. .
His wife doesn’t share his passion for tweaking and wants as little interaction with the electronics as possible. That’s the kind of intuitive operation EDG programmers are known for, and they designed for her a fast and easy path to instant gratification for lighting, music and temperature. One hard button on a Crestron touchpanel is dedicated to lights. She taps the Crestron panel, and the lights in the room come on to a predetermined level. She touches the climate button, sees the temperature and then raises or lowers it using arrow buttons. Audio options are as simple as choosing music from a dashboard in a luxury sedan. If she wants to drill deeper, she can.
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Aesthetics and environment were important to this Manhattan couple. They selected efficient fluorescent lighting for the low-energy benefit and LED for efficiency and colorful options. The cove lighting in the dining room can cycle through a rainbow of colors to match the mood of the owners or set the tone for a special occasion. EDG installers devised an intricate lighting system to make the fluorescents dimmable with the Lutron programmable lighting system.