I’ve mentioned Matt Ferrell’s YouTube channel before here, it’s a fascinating mix of coverage of topics mainly surrounding renewable energy.
But his latest video delves into his smart home system which he’s been refining for the last 10 years. It’s powered by Hubitat, a hub that supports WiFi. Zigbee and Z-wave, with integrations into IFTTT, plus Amazon and Google for voice control.
It’s Madness
But Matt only recommends this setup for someone who isn’t afraid to ‘tinker’ and ‘has some comfort level with scripting and computers’. He also points out there is even more complexity with a solution like Home Assistant.
Matt describes the more powerful home automation systems as ‘a horrible experience for a novice’ that ‘kinda sucks’.
He also points out that, despite not being the best solution, the Amazon voice control system has taken a commanding lead because ‘the cheapest and easiest solution will win every day of the week.’
Finally he believes the shining beacon of hope for smart home and mass market adoption is CHIP, the Connected Home Over IP Standard.
It’s a well argued piece and shares the message that we’ve been preaching for many years too. Will CHIP finally be the smart home saviour? Only time will tell.
Check out the video below and consider subscribing to this excellent, well researched channel…
