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    Functionality of Plug-in

    Hi Dirk,

    I have read this forum with great interest - I have 6 zones and although I do really like the iPad/iPod interface for Sonos, I would like to have the ability to build my own home automation interface, nicely integrating Sonos app's functionality.

    I did have a look at the trial verision, but would likr to understand to what extent all current Sonos' app features can be implemented with your plug-in. I am specifically looking at the capabilities for searching, queuing and listing of my music library.

    I guess, the short question would be - can I have the same user experience and feature set with your plug-in that I currently enjoy with the Sonos app?


    Thanks in advance,

    Peter

    #2
    Originally posted by Peter View Post
    Hi Dirk,

    I have read this forum with great interest - I have 6 zones and although I do really like the iPad/iPod interface for Sonos, I would like to have the ability to build my own home automation interface, nicely integrating Sonos app's functionality.

    I did have a look at the trial verision, but would likr to understand to what extent all current Sonos' app features can be implemented with your plug-in. I am specifically looking at the capabilities for searching, queuing and listing of my music library.

    I guess, the short question would be - can I have the same user experience and feature set with your plug-in that I currently enjoy with the Sonos app?


    Thanks in advance,

    Peter

    Hi Peter,

    your question is a tricky one, user experience is very personal but I would say, probably not. The main intent of the plug-in is to allow automation, meaning, combine actions such as turning amplifiers or light on/off when tracks are started/stopped.

    The plug-in has all the capabilities to browse music based on albums, tracks, artists, genres, radiostations, audiobooks, podcasts, playlists but it goes through a number of layers such as the plug-in , upnp, Homeseer, HStouch server and depending on the speed of the devices involved is a good bit slower then the Sonos PC/Ipad Controller.

    Also the representation layer (the GUI) is limited to what HS designer can do so it is far from as sexy and fancy as you would have directly from the controller (pc, cr200, ipod).

    On the flip-side, some folks like to take control of what happens around the house and use the combination of HomeSeer and Sonos to play announcements when phone rings, announce caller-Id, link the alarm-clock with turning lights on in the morning, send announcements to kids rooms to get up etc. That in my personal opinion is why you want to invest in HomeSeer.

    I hope others can chime in with their opinion, as I started saying, opinions are very personal. I can tell you though, once you start with home automation it becomes a bit addictive . I started out a year ago with a desire to be able to turn my spa on remotely so the water would be hot by the time I got home. From there it turned into a never ending project where I developed a plug-in to control all functions of my pool, added control to all outdoor lighting, motion sensors, thermostats, water/heat pumps, alarm system and lastly my Sonos players.

    Dirk

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      #3
      FWIW, I agree with Dirk. The Sonos interface on the iPad/CR200 etc is very pretty, and works well for what it is - I don't think a Homeseer solution would ever be a truly worthwhile replacement for it. However, there's some things the Sonos app can't do, which is where this plug in comes into it's own. I've not done much with this yet, but my typical week is fairly routine, and that's where this can save me time. For example:

      1. When the alarm is armed, if any music is playing, it's stopped. Sounds simple, but apparently that was too much for the rest of the family, so now it's done for them :-)

      2. when I go to bed, I want to turn out any remaining lights, set the HVAC, and set Sonos to one of the sleepy Sirius channels for 1 hr in the bedroom. Now that can all be done with a single button.

      3. If my house alarm is triggered, I want all hell to break loose, and now that's relatively easy (at least it would be if I could get HS Speaker to act reliably).

      I've been a huge advocate of Sonos since the day they launched, and continue to be - I think they have by far the best consumer-installable music distribution system out there, and they've done a great job of keeping it relevant, without reinventing the wheel each time - the core product is still essentially the same, 5 years later. There's not many electronics products that can claim that these days. My reason for saying all of that is, they know what 99% of their customers want. for the remaining 1% - us - there's Homeseer and Dirk's plug-in :-)

      Comment


        #4
        I use the Sonos controller, as well as the PC client. For me, it is the simplicity of Dirk's plug-in that make it invaluable. I have multiple keylink keypads installed, and nothing beats walking into a room pushing a single button and having the music start. Similarly, when it is time to turn it off; it is nice to push the same button and have the music stop some period of time later.

        I haven't fully exploited all the integrated scenarios like pwhite8314 (yet), but I can think of countless possibilities.

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