I love your sense of humor and subscribed for that alone :) When I started automating my home, I did one thing right and one thing wrong. First, I used the "sigh" method of automation. What made my husband or son (or me) sigh? I remember my first one was my husband (who had bad knees) would sigh in frustration when he sat down, got all comfortable, had a cat in his lap, and realized he forgot to turn on the fan. So, I created an automation that when he sat down in his chair, the fan would turn on. My son would feel terrible when he would do the trash at night but then forget to close the garage door. So, I created an automation that would close the garage door after a certain time. These automations worked great and were invisible to the family. They didn't have to remember a certain phrase with Alexa. They didn't have to change their routine in any way to accommodate the house. Just live your life and the house worked for you. The thing I did wrong was not getting buy in from my family. In my defense, it never occurred to me that they wouldn't love home automation. When my son heard the garage door close, he didn't think, "Ah, the house is taking care of me". What he heard was, "I forgot the garage door! AGAIN!" So now, when I hear a sigh of frustration, I ask my son what he thinks. Does he want an automation? If so, how would he like it to work? Since doing that, he's even approached me with automation ideas!
Literally bought my Philips hue bulbs last week and now I’m going down this automation rabbit hole. Can’t wait to start putting more things up in my new house!!
Hi Jimmy, I use Home Assistant as well. I get up early for work which in Winter is before sunrise and I have an aquarium in my room. When I turn the light on this wakes the fish and I did not want to influence their circadian rhythms by then switching off the light and leaving, so my automation is as follows. - If it is a work day, gradually fade the lights up and start to indicate by colour going whiter closer to my departure time. - Leave the lights on, this is enough to side illuminate my aquarium and the fish start their day, - 45 minutes after Sunrise, the curtain will open to allow natural light in. - 60 minutes after Sunrise, the internal lighting will go out.
I reckon the real value in smart home automation is making optimal use of passive heat gain and loss to maintain a comfortable temperature with minimal energy use. Automated blinds or even air vents networked with brightness and temperature sensors and perhaps weather forecasting could go a long way.
This is what Home Assistant is for! Gluing all of these standards together. Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread/WiFi for Matter, WiFi, Bluetooth, the cloud, basically regardless of device manufacturer. Well worth getting it set up. I use Aqara devices with a Zigbee USB stick on my Home Assistant server with zero issues. The automation capabilities are unparalleled in even professional installations!
I hate the idea of needing to run a "computer" 24/7 to keep this stuff running. And HA sounds super user unfriendly - as a software engineer myself I'm sure I could figure it out, but I'm at a point in my life where I expect better and just want point and click to work. Command line, scripting, config files and community made drivers as the only way to make things interoperate between ecosystems or do complex automations with local control is such an absurdly ass backwards way of doing things, I'm amazed that with all the buzz around Smarthome nearly a decade ago we haven't made pretty much any progress yet.
@@emissarygw2264 i was in the same boat as you around 3 years ago but gave ha another shot a few weeks ago and man, its not even close to being that bad. ha is running on a raspberry pi without issues. thats really low power consumption. other smarthome platforms also have a "computer" running 24/7, just not in your home. the installation is trivial and most things really are plug and play today. you can use scripting etc if you want and if you have something nieche thats not yet compatible but there are so many things that just work. i have phillips hue lights, aqara temp sensors, shelly relais and smoke detectors and octoprint to control my 3d printer. it just works without doing anything. all you have to do is buy a zigbee usb stick and you are good. the hue lights for example just have to be in pairing mode and they show up in ha. one click and they are added. its really that simple right now. no more cloud bullshit for everything and over 9000 accounts.
@@emissarygw2264 There are Home Assistant variants for running on lower-wattage Raspberry pi, or running on a NAS, or other "always on" computer. I tell myself I'm saving more power than I am "wasting". It may be a lie, but it helps me sleep better. :) Complexity-wise, it runs on linux, and I''d say it's about as usable as Windows was in the 95/98 days, but not as easy as Win11, MacOS, iOS or Android, is yet.... and heck , we're 40+ years into home computing, and we still have Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, all slightly incompatible and needing tweaking, button finding, to perfectly interoperate. :D
I am in this ship. I am comfortable with the automations. I helped a neighbor get his up, and I realized that we have a lot of work to do to help the public understand.
The most frustrating thing about smart homes is the vast difference in connectivity standards and interfaces for controlling your devices in ways that are both convenient and compatible with existing home designs.
@@rossdamerell I wouldn't count on that happening anytime soon, Matter has been a promise for over 4 years, and only now we're starting to see brands embracing Matter, yet I'm skeptical that "everything" will be moving to Matter because that would mean companies would have to give up their corporate greed by letting everything be intercompatible and not keep you under one brand. I think we should still build a Smart Home taking into account the main ecossystem that you want to be in (for example Tuya and / or Alexa). If Matter becomes established later on it won't make your previous stuff obsolete, but it will add to it, so yeah hopefully it becomes easier in the future, until then just avoid the mistake of going to multiple brands that do not belong in the same ecossystem and you should be fine.
I watched this video several months ago, and fast forward to today we moved into a house that really need automated window shades that were in a very high inconvenient location. I quickly remembered your video because of how much i enjoyed it and searched through my YT history and finally found this video again! We just bought the Aqara motor. Thanks for your tips!
Found this video while looking for ideas for other Smart Home automations. Glad to see my own trip down the rabbit hole is similar to others. Started with some Arlo smart cameras and a Nest Thermostat. Then added a Gen 1 Google Assistant speaker. Then was off to the races as they say. Now just about every outlet, light switch and fan in my home is smart. Once you start it's really hard to stop. Recently added Home Assistant as when my GF moved in I needed to also support Apple/HomeKit. Had that same issue and needed to force compatibility as you say. HomeBridge is great for that too. When we eventually sell this home it will be hard to leave so much of this hardware behind. But looking forward to Matter and hopefully my next Smart Home will be easier and deployed smarter. Also really like what you did with the blinds may look into adding something similar.
Great video!! My home isn’t fully smart, but I have a bunch of devises and routines set up. All my outdoor lights turn on at dusk, and off at 11pm. My pantry and coat closet (that are shut when not accessed), turn on and off when door is open or closed with door sensors. My master closet and laundry room I tend to keep the doors open so they have motion sensors. I have a Hue button that I press when I’m heading upstairs for bed…it turns off all my downstairs lights, turns off the tv, locks my front door, turns on my stair lights at 30%, and turns on my bedroom nightstand lamps, love it 😍 I also have smart water detectors under sinks/washing maching/dishwasher. I haven’t switched to smart smoke detectors yet but I have Alexa set up to alert my phone if there’s a siren detected. I have a camera on my dogs kennel in case there is accessive motion so I can check on him. I have a smart cat feeder that I only use if I’m running late and can’t feed my cats on time. And, I love having a smart garage door so I can see if I accidentally left it open…or let someone in (even tho I could also use my smart lock on the front door). :)
I actually did the fan in the bathroom if humidity goes over 60%, and turns off when it’s below 55%. The switch for the fan also has an automation that when you manually turn on the fan it runs for 15 mins and then turns off, but no before checking the humidity otherwise it stays on if over 60%. This was with Aqara temp/humidity sensor that I also did a conformal coating on the circuit board to last, and a HomeKit WiFi switch like the one from Meross. The automation was with native HomeKit.
2:05 I control the TV and the lights with the IR-blaster in my phone. It takes a little getting used to but the ability to make buttons you use often larger slightly reduces the initial convenience problems. Of course you won't get that feeling that buttons give you (both sensing what button your finger is on and feedback).
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 💡 Start with identifying the problems you want to solve in each room before buying devices 01:13 🛠️ Focus on automating one room at a time instead of the whole house 02:50 🔌 Consider smart bulbs, plugs or switches for lighting control based on your needs 03:49 ⬆️ Smart switches may not work if you rent, smart plugs offer flexibility 06:09 🤝 Zigbee, Z-Wave and Matter are protocols for devices communicating through a hub 07:34 📱 Pick devices compatible across platforms to avoid multiple apps 08:46 🏠 Google, Apple and Amazon have main smart home ecosystems to link devices 10:38 🧙♂️ Home Assistant consolidates devices and enables complex automations 13:16 💡 Research carefully, focus on compatibility and take it one room at a time Made with HARPA AI
I don't have too many smart devices, but I decided to use home assistant right out of the gate with them. Something amazing that I configured with it was a smart IR blaster. All of my non IoT devices (fans, projectors, etc) are controlled exactly like smart devices, with variables to track their states and such. Happily skipped out on paying for some smart alternatives on those devices that I wanted to automate.
@@Thejakegee I use a broadlink RF/IR blaster and receiver. Due to the nature of the tech, you'd need one unit per room since the IR waves can't really blast past walls.
i have a few of these as well. The only caveat is that you have no feedback on current device state. If you use a remote you are looking for real-world confirmation in the room, but sight-unseen, you don't know if it landed on the right final state.
the intro is spot on happening to me lmao, i bought a fan because i was hot and before i know it i'm buying a new lamp because i really want a smart light bulb in it, then i find out i could get a really cheap temp sensor, then i'm thinking i'll connect it all to google home so i need a hub.. god damnit what a time to be alive
Ok, so apparently you may be my other son…I’ve been “working” trying to perfect my “smart home” for years…started with Google, then Amazon, finally Apple and maybe adding in Hubitat or Home Assistant…..I finally realize it’s a measure twice cut once kinda thing….and it isn’t a sprint it’s a marathon so better to get it right than fast. Thanks for all you do…keep it up👍🏻
Awesome video, I would recommend that you do videos for beginners on single subjects, so that we could begin our journey with a step-by-step. I can see the makings of 10 videos in the one you just did. Many thanks for this, you’re a natural storyteller.
In response to the bathroom fan, I found the DewStop switch to be very handy. You can calibrate the sensitivity for the season and it automatically times out if you are going number 2.
Thanks for this video. I fully dove into the home automation whole when I remodeled my entire house. I must of done hours of research before purchasing anything. I started my journey home Smart Things but quickly moved to Home Assistant after running into walls. I decided to purchase Zooz smart light switches to replace all the switches in my house and also Zooz scene controllers for the bedrooms. The scene controllers are great because I can use them for status. For example I have it set if there is a door unlocked in the house, the bug button led will be red. I can just press the button on any of the 8 scene controllers to lock the doors.
4:16 a fourth option is to install something behind the existing switch, just in case you don't like the size of all the smart switches on offer (I'm guessing that size is a US standard, it's like 3 times the size of our switches here in NZ).
Since I bought my house I knew I wanted it to be a smart home, i started by putting meross switches for the blinds, a ring dorbell for the entrance, a meross smart dimmer for the leds on the stairway, next i want to put ac on 4 rooms and want to make them smart too, also want to put automatic curtains but the thing that i don’t like is that they need batteries to operate, also want to put a smart garage door controller also from meross. Basically what you need (if you don’t want to use home assistant) is that everything needs to be compatible with everything, i chose mostoy meross bc it’s compatible with alexa and homekit and work pretty good
I appreciate you Jimmy I am a young entrepreneur In the very beginning states of starting my LLC for home Security I’m 11 minutes into this video On my way to deliver pizza Still grateful for my job now of course But with knowledge and your preparation you’re helping me get to a better place. HOME ASSISTANT BLEW MY MIND onto the next 20 minutes of your brilliant and well organized video thank you!
My smart home evolved organically. Started with the wife wanting to not carry a key when out walking, so i bought a coded lock. Somewhat by design, but also somewhat by accident, the one I got was Z-wave. From there, it just filled itself in over time such that now, most every light and most of the major services in the home are smart.
This video is spot on for what I’m trying to do at my home. Right now I am all in with Kasa TP Link and i’m very pleased with them but that may change. I use these because I’m a caregiver for my wife she has Parkinson’s and it’s so much easier to say hey Google or Alexa to turn on devices. It does not mean that you or me are lazy we just want things to be convenient for us. Thanks for the video.
That’s me! I’m starting the home automation in my apt. I bought bulbs first then ring doorbell and now the WiFi door lock. I will be buying more smart lightbulbs this weekend. It doesn’t stop 😮
I started down this same rabbit hole about 8 years ago, making all of the same mistakes you so elequently described. I tried Zwave and more. I was pretty successful, but then devices started failing, the software would change, the hubs would get better, etc. Along with the slow response times, it just seemed that it was constantly sub par even when it was working at its best. (I assume some of the DIY tech has improved since then) Then I discovered Loxone. Best thing that has ever happened to me. In researching this Austrian smart home company I found that they had conquered every downside. Zero latency, high security, works when internet is down, elegant, bombproof and the list goes on. As you have discovered, they realized that a TRUE smarthome simply reacts to your presence. Enter a room and the lights, music, heat, blinds etc go to an "occupied room" setting based on the current avail light, temp, humidity, time of day etc..... Leave the room and everythign reverts to a predetermined "unoccupied" state. You dont touch anything. A smart home is NOT the ability to use complicated touchpads and cell phones for basic tasks. Screen interfaces should be reserved for fine tuning or special tweaks, or "Away From Home" access. Loxone works w both wired components for new construction and wireless components for remodel. I went crazy and now have lighting, music, garage doors, shades, sprinkler system, water features, ALL operating flawlessly for 4 years now. And its ONE APP TO RULE THEM ALL!! I could go on, but bottom line is check them out. The downsides are its a pro solution & not cheap, (but IMO is better than & costs less than Control 4 & other pro solutions) , which obviously doesn't work for all of your audience. One time my wife asked me if Loxone could perform a certain task, I said No. Then I called them them & it was easy. BLEW ME AWAY! I hope this is helpful for anyone who has come to the realization that they are ready to move past DIY and interested in truly amazing. Some day it will all get standardized, but till then I feel like I hit the smarthome lottery.
fully supporting solutions. I'm just leaving HA because this is good for tinkerers but not for serious home automation system. Constant breaking changes, lack of stability and complete lack of transparency not to mention responsibility and security.
Now imagine you get everything that Austrian company with its proprietary technology and this Single-Point-Of-Failure called Miniserver provides, but as global standard from 400 vendors with over 7000 devices to chose from. You can chose from 50 odd servers including all Open Source ones. Home Assistant has even announced a partnership with the KNX foundation. I would never install something proprietary like Loxone, given that my house electrics have a lifespan of 30-50 years. What if they go bankrupt? What if they get acquired and then shelved over time? What if they do a 50$/month subscription for things to still work? Nah. KNX gives you all the Loxone benefits based on an open industry standard, backed by the likes of ABB, Siemens & Schneider Electric. That is way more sustainable.
Best advice. Keep it as simple as possible and make sure it’s practical otherwise, smart home will start to feel like a part time job. I changed my Wi-Fi password recently and it took over an hour to re-sync everything. Not something I wanted to do right after work.
Great video, thank you! I'm starting out small, just bedroom and bathroom speakers, and adding lights next. I have a ceiling fan, and that will be something to look at, unless just leave it on all day.
hahahha Alexa always has something to make you laugh, I think it's top tier tech for home. That and my vionentus wallet with airtag slot made my daily life more stylish
You just dropped a gem on me. This “home assistant” was something I had no clue existed. I can’t wait to try and If it allows me to mix multiple products together that wouldn’t normally work with my apple home it opens so many possibilities. Thank you!!!
"Significant other to wake up" - made me smile. Great video finally properly explaining how it works. The humor injected into the video makes it more enjoyable to watch and easier to understand.
My Smarthome was a mess of apps, switches, voice commands and some automations as well. And just because I built my one NAS with unraid, i stumbled over Home Assistant... OH MY GOD! I know thar feeling, when you first see ALL your devices and some you did not even know you can integrate (my security cameras have temperature sensors and I can even tap into their motions sensors)... Finally my home is really getting smart.
The rabbit hole gets deep when you start using containers, vms, ESPs, Arduinos and other microcontrollers and such. Eventually those with cameras start to feel inadequate so then you pour your time into nvr setups but then you also need to store your data properly if you DIY and then you need a proper nas to start consolidating some of these tools. The house basically becomes a prototype and it’s gets exhausting sometimes lol. It never stops.
When I am reading at 11:00 the last thing I want to do is get up to turn off the lights… hence our smart lights now. I haven’t touched my ceiling light in months- I use the smart lamps… Being able to control the brightness and color is well worth the extra cost. LEDs have a reasonable lifespan.
Very cool set up. The only thing I disagree with is advising people to cheap out on light switches and getting ones without a hub. The Lutron switches are very reliable and super fast.
Would be interested in seeing a video where you sit down with a caregiver to figure out what smart products can act as a helping hand when no one else is around. Or with someone with a disability to figure out what smart products can assist them.
Honestly, home assistant should be your main ecosystem and control surface in a setup like this. If you have it, you should use local controls as much as possible so your house isn't dependent on a working internet connection.
Is there music in this video? I took of my headphones multiple times to hear if there was a phone ringing or something. Really Nice Video! I just got a smart bulb because I wanted to use the wake up routine, and I thought that was all I needed. But I now realized that I also need a bridge if I don't want to use the bluetooth on my phone all the time. Can you turn on and off the lights when your not at home if you have a bridge?
I didn’t even have to watch the whole video to give you a thumbs up. Just by saying starts with a single light bulb cracked me up so much, because it’s so true.
I just bought those Tapo smart switches and now I have a Google Nest home, 2 more smart switches, 4 different smart light bulbs, and I'm looking for more...... I just moved into this place omg.
I feel like a chatgpt smart house would end up on fire really fast. Like tesla cars and their "auto pilot", its your standard assited driving, not a revolution in the tech we already had.
Would love it if smart assistants were more context aware based on the device you’re using to chat with it and understood more variations of the typical commands. Really that’s all I’m hoping for!
@@JimmyTriesWorldVoice controls for home automation make sense, context awareness makes sense too. There is an elegant solution to this IMO, it's just hard to implement. As for AI chat-bots I think there all the voice commands should run and be handles offline not the cloud somewhere.
Feels like the best video on the topic I watched! I‘m not new to the smart home world any longer but not having made big changes to my system and having moved to a bigger place recently, I feel like I‘m starting over somehow 😂
Thanks for the video. Good idea with doing a room at a time. I've definitely jumped down the HA wormhole / rabbit-hole and I'm loving it! Setting up my Home Office to go into RUclips filming mode is my next step. I had a raspberry Pi laying around and an ikea Zigbee hub. I'm going to buy a Zigbee / Z-wave / whatever is the best and cheapest! I'm thinking building some WLEDs + ESP32's for the bedroom, Kitchen and Living room will be straight after I setup the office.
There's an amazing little thingy called "Homey" dont know how big it is outside Europe an might be hard to get, but... Its like home assistant but you do everything in a very simple no code gui, worked with everything I tested so far, Ikea, Philips Hue, Aqura... and so on and without any gateways. I use Homey in my home to make that that has to work very easy. In my RV that is my playground I use Home Assistant :)
"it starts with just a single lightbulb" wise words dude wise words hahahahaha same here. and now i'm head deep into a home assistant server setup adding matter devices, presence and zone detection sensors, flashing ESP32 controller boards with WLED and adding tablets to my walls with a map of my home... but you know what? i love it. it's my way to wind down on a friday evening. or let me correct that actually: it's my way to be frustrated over why i can't get sth to work only to realize at 2am that the issue was in my line of sight all along lmao. but again: i love it.
For me it started with seeing that Evedal Lamp in the Ikea showroom. I ended up going on a wait list to get the showroom model as they're discontinued. Really like it and now I have a lot automated with Home assistant haha
Thanks for this video, I found it really complete and helpful to understand the world of smart home devices since I am starting my software engineering journey in two weeks and I am looking forward to dedicate my time in learning while having fun with useful things as well, like domotics, assistants and smart devices... this video really helped me to have an overview about this world, thanks a lot !
Great video. I learnt a lot from this single installation. Could you please recommend or do a video on smart locks that can be controlled with an app? I need one desperately but am only seeing more keyless and fingerprint ones on the market with brand names I don’t know and worrisome reviews that the apps either don’t work or get discontinued on App stores etc. i just need to be able to open and close the doors with the app without needing a security panel that operates the automation of the door. Thanks.
Actually I do have automation in bedroom. For automatic sunrise when I need to wake up. It's in addition to a dumb (but one of the better) wake up clocks. Works awesome and once you have it can't live without it. The few times it fails its not the same waking up. It's much more brutal.
What’s nice is the Apple HomePod and HomePod mini have both temperature and humidity sensors built into them, so that’s two less accessories that you need to worry about.
Very good review and advice. One thing that you did not cover is how to do all of this... without components that report to the vendor what you are doing. A smart home is great but I have no desire to give marketing jerks any more insight into my personal life than I absolutely have to. And since in the US we have no privacy protection laws, this is a real concern.
Home assistant runs locally, if the device uses zigbee, matter, z-wave or Bluetooth (and even some WiFi devices), then they don't have to talk to some cloud service. Most of my automations work fine even when my Internet is down. The only things that break are: Google calendar, Xiaomi vacuum and some LEDs that are automated based on the weather.
Dude, as a moderately techie guy who has stood at the edge of the rabbit hole and stared down into the abyss; I wanted to say thank you. The video was well done, caused me laugh quite a few times, and made me second guess my decisions.
Correct me if im wrong but matter is a standard that should guarantee compatability with basically everything, that is home kit and google home. Software is being implenented in already sold items by updates. It's quite important so if you can please confirm this and correct that at 6:30
This is how it currently stands (early 2024,) : A bulb from vendor X will be something like "Matter compatible (when using the gateway from vendor X)" - Over Matter (from Alexa, Google, Home assistant, etc): Turn the bulb off and on - Through Vendor X's app, or hub (or both): Change colors, set timers, upgrade software, turn the bulb off and on For simple devices that only have a few Matter-supported features, things can be controlled by Matter. More complex devices, or device kinds that matter doesn't support yet (cameras), it's still up to different hubs, different controllers.
I love this video! Very clear and answered all my questions regarding advanced home automation. I’ll definitely try Home Assistant coming from a background of programming Crestron and Control4 systems
Nice introduction. My best and number #1 advice is always that if you're serious about smart home, beyond controlling one lamp or two with your smartphone, go directly to Home Assistant, because sooner or later you have to switch into it, so why not do it in first place? Basic stuff is quite easy with Home Assistant, but it doesn't limit or block you doing complex more stuff as you learn more about smart home. Also home assistant is local solution, so your smart home isn't depended on the cloud.
The worst reccomendation ever. Lack of security, transparency, poor community management, constant breaking changes. Yes there was a Hype but HA is dogy platform and I would never recomend it to anyone who seriously thinkinkg about home automation.
Hi Jimmy, great video. I am new to the block with home assistant. Now I have started to set it up in my home, but I am thinking, if I can also use home assistant also in my apartment at the lake. In my current home I bought a Home Assistant green hardware. Do I have to buy a second one for the other address or is there a short pass without new hardware to use home assistant in both homes. could not find a video explaining this and hope for an answer here
We used automation to save energy and money. Hot Water recirc pump is on smart plug. Activate with smart button to come on for five and off. No wasted water and no running a pump for hours. Auto checks that all lights are off late at night. No leaving something on by mistake.
Any plans to do a smart home: married edition video? That way you can recommend products that can help with putting the toilet seat down or finding common household items?
Thank you very much. You have given us a lot to think about. You mentioned and showed us the Home Assist device, can you provide a link for us please? We are based in the UK and use Google Assist. Pls keep posting
Thank you for creating this. I LOVE when my lights come on in a closet. It is what got me started with my journey. I really want blinds for a couple of rooms.
Well that was very useful, thank you! Having a conversation with the family about what we want before we start is definitely a good idea. I think I want something at the "dumber" end of the smart home spectrum so I'll stick with Google compatible products to smarten my home. A routine that will switch on the lights when I park on my drive will be useful - I suspect that will involve a compatible smart alarm system.
New guy here, just released a similar video last week. You're like my more refined brother from a different mother! Thank you for inspiration, love the intro (could not agree more) and format of video 🙂
Good to know its not just me, I got a nice Home Assistant going on but it is a absolute mess to find quality products that are affordable and work with HA, also being run locally instead of the cloud.
Nice video, smart and funny guy. I am in the same situation: 3 hubs, 3 apps, more than 100 devices (zigbee mostly), but still struggling with routines too basic to be really useful.
I have taken a very deliberate, some would say slow, approach to smart home tech. I watched dozens of videos and decided most of what I watched didn't apply to my idea of a smart home. I don't want, and neither does my wife, to automate lighting based on presence or motion. I don't want colored LED bulbs. We never raise or lower our thermostat because he have geo-thermal and it likes to be left alone so we do. (One temp in the winter, and one in the summer.) I wanted reliability to be as rock-solid as possible, even if that meant it might cost more. My goals were to automate some ambient lighting based on time of day, integrate with my traditional wired home security system since I am the monitoring service, and integrate my garage doors. All those goals have been achieved. I use Hubitat, Lutron Caseta, EYEZ-ON Envisalink, Zooz, and Life360. My non-tech wife and our guests quickly learn how the Caseta switches/dimmers work, and that's their only interface to the system. We may consider adding motion detection but that hasn't been compelling to us so far. We're not using voice control even though that is an option. Thank you for your thought-provoking video.
Use my iPad as home hub along with a google home for other non apple supported things, one of the things I love is the smart plug device automation that trickle charges my iPad to keep it 35-80% battery at all times. Would be amazing if I could do that with my macbook, but not supporting device automations 😢
The best part with smart homes is when stuff just stops working completely or intermittently. My Philips Hue motion sensor works great, until you're preparing to take the dog out and for some reason the lights go off instantly in the hallway even though you're still moving around.
Thank you, I loved all the tips including starting with one room at a time. I recently moved into a house with roller Bali blinds. They have a remote to close and open them. But I would love to get them into Apple HomeKit for automations. I haven’t found a good solution except for the Bali gateway from Home Depot for over $200. The blinds use z-wave for the remote, is there a way to use Hubitat or something to get them into HomeKit to automatically close at sunset?
All smart devices rely on API calls that can be sent through each manufacturer's cloud to do various tasks. These API calls are super easy and if you have a little bit of coding experience, you can actually make your own app that controls all these devices like I did and put it behind a firewall so no one except you have access.
great video - i feel your pain - was an early adopter of Home Assistant and alexa..now happy ,but like you, took a lot of work/time. One thing for you to do answering your question of what to do next? check for leaks. The Aquara leak sensor is great, put it under your sink, toilet, etc. and get notified if there are leaks. You can even turn off the water automatically if there is a major leak under washing machine, hot water tank, etc. Have fun
Great video! I'll send it to my friend who is starting his smart home journey. Also, what audio gear/setup do you use? I like your audio quality and I'm starting my channel soon, so the info would really help me out :).
Love your video. Nicely explained the practical use case with negative and positive thoughts. Apart of other details, I would be interested the TV you are using. I pretty much like it and interested to purchase, can you please share a link from where I can buy it.
did my guy actually mute when he said alexa so my alexa wouldnt bother me? its the little things that makes a great creator
He forgot to mute when he says "... may have also picked up random Alexas or ..." at 9:18-9:21
"But we're here to spend 100s of hours now to save a minute or two in the future." 😅
This fellow perfectly encapsulated the entire home automation journey in a sentence
I loved this quote too
Investing
In total it saves A LOT more time
@@agentsmith007 I believe you, but I couldn’t figure out the software. Too confusing for this noob
I love your sense of humor and subscribed for that alone :)
When I started automating my home, I did one thing right and one thing wrong. First, I used the "sigh" method of automation. What made my husband or son (or me) sigh? I remember my first one was my husband (who had bad knees) would sigh in frustration when he sat down, got all comfortable, had a cat in his lap, and realized he forgot to turn on the fan. So, I created an automation that when he sat down in his chair, the fan would turn on. My son would feel terrible when he would do the trash at night but then forget to close the garage door. So, I created an automation that would close the garage door after a certain time. These automations worked great and were invisible to the family. They didn't have to remember a certain phrase with Alexa. They didn't have to change their routine in any way to accommodate the house. Just live your life and the house worked for you.
The thing I did wrong was not getting buy in from my family. In my defense, it never occurred to me that they wouldn't love home automation. When my son heard the garage door close, he didn't think, "Ah, the house is taking care of me". What he heard was, "I forgot the garage door! AGAIN!"
So now, when I hear a sigh of frustration, I ask my son what he thinks. Does he want an automation? If so, how would he like it to work? Since doing that, he's even approached me with automation ideas!
Definitely feel like this man spent many hours in his room messing with lights and tinkering. Absolutely love it.
Literally bought my Philips hue bulbs last week and now I’m going down this automation rabbit hole. Can’t wait to start putting more things up in my new house!!
Hi Jimmy, I use Home Assistant as well. I get up early for work which in Winter is before sunrise and I have an aquarium in my room. When I turn the light on this wakes the fish and I did not want to influence their circadian rhythms by then switching off the light and leaving, so my automation is as follows.
- If it is a work day, gradually fade the lights up and start to indicate by colour going whiter closer to my departure time.
- Leave the lights on, this is enough to side illuminate my aquarium and the fish start their day,
- 45 minutes after Sunrise, the curtain will open to allow natural light in.
- 60 minutes after Sunrise, the internal lighting will go out.
Energy bill > ‘circadian’ imaginary rhythm of a bunch of fish
@@19Jose91 Thats why after the sun has come up I open the curtains and shut down the lights. Sunlight is free.
@@19Jose91 energy bill is probably unnoticeable with Led bulbs. Not really such thing if energy wasting
I reckon the real value in smart home automation is making optimal use of passive heat gain and loss to maintain a comfortable temperature with minimal energy use. Automated blinds or even air vents networked with brightness and temperature sensors and perhaps weather forecasting could go a long way.
I think being able to open my blinds so the sun wakes me up will be a big win for me... although I don't have that just yet...
Fortunately, manual still works for these things lol. There are, after all, considerations aside from the mere functionality that we here seek.
This is what Home Assistant is for! Gluing all of these standards together. Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread/WiFi for Matter, WiFi, Bluetooth, the cloud, basically regardless of device manufacturer. Well worth getting it set up. I use Aqara devices with a Zigbee USB stick on my Home Assistant server with zero issues. The automation capabilities are unparalleled in even professional installations!
I hate the idea of needing to run a "computer" 24/7 to keep this stuff running. And HA sounds super user unfriendly - as a software engineer myself I'm sure I could figure it out, but I'm at a point in my life where I expect better and just want point and click to work. Command line, scripting, config files and community made drivers as the only way to make things interoperate between ecosystems or do complex automations with local control is such an absurdly ass backwards way of doing things, I'm amazed that with all the buzz around Smarthome nearly a decade ago we haven't made pretty much any progress yet.
@@emissarygw2264 i was in the same boat as you around 3 years ago but gave ha another shot a few weeks ago and man, its not even close to being that bad. ha is running on a raspberry pi without issues. thats really low power consumption. other smarthome platforms also have a "computer" running 24/7, just not in your home. the installation is trivial and most things really are plug and play today. you can use scripting etc if you want and if you have something nieche thats not yet compatible but there are so many things that just work. i have phillips hue lights, aqara temp sensors, shelly relais and smoke detectors and octoprint to control my 3d printer. it just works without doing anything. all you have to do is buy a zigbee usb stick and you are good. the hue lights for example just have to be in pairing mode and they show up in ha. one click and they are added. its really that simple right now. no more cloud bullshit for everything and over 9000 accounts.
@@emissarygw2264isn't a router a computer running 24/7?
@@MrDragonorp a fraction of the wattage though
@@emissarygw2264 There are Home Assistant variants for running on lower-wattage Raspberry pi, or running on a NAS, or other "always on" computer. I tell myself I'm saving more power than I am "wasting". It may be a lie, but it helps me sleep better. :)
Complexity-wise, it runs on linux, and I''d say it's about as usable as Windows was in the 95/98 days, but not as easy as Win11, MacOS, iOS or Android, is yet.... and heck , we're 40+ years into home computing, and we still have Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, all slightly incompatible and needing tweaking, button finding, to perfectly interoperate. :D
I am in this ship. I am comfortable with the automations. I helped a neighbor get his up, and I realized that we have a lot of work to do to help the public understand.
The most frustrating thing about smart homes is the vast difference in connectivity standards and interfaces for controlling your devices in ways that are both convenient and compatible with existing home designs.
With everything seemingly moving to Matter this should be remedied soon.
Use control 4 or savant
@@rossdamerell I wouldn't count on that happening anytime soon, Matter has been a promise for over 4 years, and only now we're starting to see brands embracing Matter, yet I'm skeptical that "everything" will be moving to Matter because that would mean companies would have to give up their corporate greed by letting everything be intercompatible and not keep you under one brand.
I think we should still build a Smart Home taking into account the main ecossystem that you want to be in (for example Tuya and / or Alexa).
If Matter becomes established later on it won't make your previous stuff obsolete, but it will add to it, so yeah hopefully it becomes easier in the future, until then just avoid the mistake of going to multiple brands that do not belong in the same ecossystem and you should be fine.
Home assistant app ? Anyone have experience with this iftt app
😅
I watched this video several months ago, and fast forward to today we moved into a house that really need automated window shades that were in a very high inconvenient location. I quickly remembered your video because of how much i enjoyed it and searched through my YT history and finally found this video again! We just bought the Aqara motor. Thanks for your tips!
Found this video while looking for ideas for other Smart Home automations. Glad to see my own trip down the rabbit hole is similar to others. Started with some Arlo smart cameras and a Nest Thermostat. Then added a Gen 1 Google Assistant speaker. Then was off to the races as they say. Now just about every outlet, light switch and fan in my home is smart. Once you start it's really hard to stop. Recently added Home Assistant as when my GF moved in I needed to also support Apple/HomeKit. Had that same issue and needed to force compatibility as you say. HomeBridge is great for that too. When we eventually sell this home it will be hard to leave so much of this hardware behind. But looking forward to Matter and hopefully my next Smart Home will be easier and deployed smarter. Also really like what you did with the blinds may look into adding something similar.
Great video!! My home isn’t fully smart, but I have a bunch of devises and routines set up.
All my outdoor lights turn on at dusk, and off at 11pm. My pantry and coat closet (that are shut when not accessed), turn on and off when door is open or closed with door sensors. My master closet and laundry room I tend to keep the doors open so they have motion sensors. I have a Hue button that I press when I’m heading upstairs for bed…it turns off all my downstairs lights, turns off the tv, locks my front door, turns on my stair lights at 30%, and turns on my bedroom nightstand lamps, love it 😍
I also have smart water detectors under sinks/washing maching/dishwasher. I haven’t switched to smart smoke detectors yet but I have Alexa set up to alert my phone if there’s a siren detected. I have a camera on my dogs kennel in case there is accessive motion so I can check on him. I have a smart cat feeder that I only use if I’m running late and can’t feed my cats on time. And, I love having a smart garage door so I can see if I accidentally left it open…or let someone in (even tho I could also use my smart lock on the front door). :)
I started with Homey Pro as my main smart ecosystem. Incredible experience. Recommend to both techies and non-techies
I actually did the fan in the bathroom if humidity goes over 60%, and turns off when it’s below 55%. The switch for the fan also has an automation that when you manually turn on the fan it runs for 15 mins and then turns off, but no before checking the humidity otherwise it stays on if over 60%. This was with Aqara temp/humidity sensor that I also did a conformal coating on the circuit board to last, and a HomeKit WiFi switch like the one from Meross. The automation was with native HomeKit.
2:05 I control the TV and the lights with the IR-blaster in my phone. It takes a little getting used to but the ability to make buttons you use often larger slightly reduces the initial convenience problems. Of course you won't get that feeling that buttons give you (both sensing what button your finger is on and feedback).
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 💡 Start with identifying the problems you want to solve in each room before buying devices
01:13 🛠️ Focus on automating one room at a time instead of the whole house
02:50 🔌 Consider smart bulbs, plugs or switches for lighting control based on your needs
03:49 ⬆️ Smart switches may not work if you rent, smart plugs offer flexibility
06:09 🤝 Zigbee, Z-Wave and Matter are protocols for devices communicating through a hub
07:34 📱 Pick devices compatible across platforms to avoid multiple apps
08:46 🏠 Google, Apple and Amazon have main smart home ecosystems to link devices
10:38 🧙♂️ Home Assistant consolidates devices and enables complex automations
13:16 💡 Research carefully, focus on compatibility and take it one room at a time
Made with HARPA AI
I don't have too many smart devices, but I decided to use home assistant right out of the gate with them. Something amazing that I configured with it was a smart IR blaster. All of my non IoT devices (fans, projectors, etc) are controlled exactly like smart devices, with variables to track their states and such. Happily skipped out on paying for some smart alternatives on those devices that I wanted to automate.
Which unit did you use? Do you have good success with fans in multiple rooms?
@@Thejakegee I use a broadlink RF/IR blaster and receiver. Due to the nature of the tech, you'd need one unit per room since the IR waves can't really blast past walls.
i have a few of these as well. The only caveat is that you have no feedback on current device state. If you use a remote you are looking for real-world confirmation in the room, but sight-unseen, you don't know if it landed on the right final state.
@@BrunchCrawlerwell bruv you can do this without home assistant too
Well naive decision - Hype will pass and in the long run you will see "adventages" of HA:)))
the intro is spot on happening to me lmao, i bought a fan because i was hot and before i know it i'm buying a new lamp because i really want a smart light bulb in it, then i find out i could get a really cheap temp sensor, then i'm thinking i'll connect it all to google home so i need a hub.. god damnit what a time to be alive
Ok, so apparently you may be my other son…I’ve been “working” trying to perfect my “smart home” for years…started with Google, then Amazon, finally Apple and maybe adding in Hubitat or Home Assistant…..I finally realize it’s a measure twice cut once kinda thing….and it isn’t a sprint it’s a marathon so better to get it right than fast. Thanks for all you do…keep it up👍🏻
Awesome video, I would recommend that you do videos for beginners on single subjects, so that we could begin our journey with a step-by-step. I can see the makings of 10 videos in the one you just did. Many thanks for this, you’re a natural storyteller.
Give Lutron Caseta a try when it comes down to you controlling lights. Great user interface and integrates well.
In response to the bathroom fan, I found the DewStop switch to be very handy. You can calibrate the sensitivity for the season and it automatically times out if you are going number 2.
Thanks for this video. I fully dove into the home automation whole when I remodeled my entire house. I must of done hours of research before purchasing anything. I started my journey home Smart Things but quickly moved to Home Assistant after running into walls. I decided to purchase Zooz smart light switches to replace all the switches in my house and also Zooz scene controllers for the bedrooms. The scene controllers are great because I can use them for status. For example I have it set if there is a door unlocked in the house, the bug button led will be red. I can just press the button on any of the 8 scene controllers to lock the doors.
4:16 a fourth option is to install something behind the existing switch, just in case you don't like the size of all the smart switches on offer (I'm guessing that size is a US standard, it's like 3 times the size of our switches here in NZ).
Since I bought my house I knew I wanted it to be a smart home, i started by putting meross switches for the blinds, a ring dorbell for the entrance, a meross smart dimmer for the leds on the stairway, next i want to put ac on 4 rooms and want to make them smart too, also want to put automatic curtains but the thing that i don’t like is that they need batteries to operate, also want to put a smart garage door controller also from meross. Basically what you need (if you don’t want to use home assistant) is that everything needs to be compatible with everything, i chose mostoy meross bc it’s compatible with alexa and homekit and work pretty good
I appreciate you Jimmy
I am a young entrepreneur
In the very beginning states of starting my LLC for home Security
I’m 11 minutes into this video
On my way to deliver pizza
Still grateful for my job now of course
But with knowledge and your preparation you’re helping me get to a better place.
HOME ASSISTANT BLEW MY MIND
onto the next 20 minutes of your brilliant and well organized video thank you!
My smart home evolved organically. Started with the wife wanting to not carry a key when out walking, so i bought a coded lock. Somewhat by design, but also somewhat by accident, the one I got was Z-wave. From there, it just filled itself in over time such that now, most every light and most of the major services in the home are smart.
This video is spot on for what I’m trying to do at my home. Right now I am all in with Kasa TP Link and i’m very pleased with them but that may change. I use these because I’m a caregiver for my wife she has Parkinson’s and it’s so much easier to say hey Google or Alexa to turn on devices. It does not mean that you or me are lazy we just want things to be convenient for us. Thanks for the video.
I love how he said it starts with the light bulb, cuz that's exactly how I got here. 😂 do I stop and turn this off now? Forget it ever existed?
That’s me! I’m starting the home automation in my apt. I bought bulbs first then ring doorbell and now the WiFi door lock. I will be buying more smart lightbulbs this weekend. It doesn’t stop 😮
I started down this same rabbit hole about 8 years ago, making all of the same mistakes you so elequently described. I tried Zwave and more. I was pretty successful, but then devices started failing, the software would change, the hubs would get better, etc. Along with the slow response times, it just seemed that it was constantly sub par even when it was working at its best. (I assume some of the DIY tech has improved since then) Then I discovered Loxone. Best thing that has ever happened to me. In researching this Austrian smart home company I found that they had conquered every downside. Zero latency, high security, works when internet is down, elegant, bombproof and the list goes on. As you have discovered, they realized that a TRUE smarthome simply reacts to your presence. Enter a room and the lights, music, heat, blinds etc go to an "occupied room" setting based on the current avail light, temp, humidity, time of day etc..... Leave the room and everythign reverts to a predetermined "unoccupied" state. You dont touch anything. A smart home is NOT the ability to use complicated touchpads and cell phones for basic tasks. Screen interfaces should be reserved for fine tuning or special tweaks, or "Away From Home" access. Loxone works w both wired components for new construction and wireless components for remodel. I went crazy and now have lighting, music, garage doors, shades, sprinkler system, water features, ALL operating flawlessly for 4 years now. And its ONE APP TO RULE THEM ALL!! I could go on, but bottom line is check them out. The downsides are its a pro solution & not cheap, (but IMO is better than & costs less than Control 4 & other pro solutions) , which obviously doesn't work for all of your audience. One time my wife asked me if Loxone could perform a certain task, I said No. Then I called them them & it was easy. BLEW ME AWAY! I hope this is helpful for anyone who has come to the realization that they are ready to move past DIY and interested in truly amazing. Some day it will all get standardized, but till then I feel like I hit the smarthome lottery.
fully supporting solutions. I'm just leaving HA because this is good for tinkerers but not for serious home automation system. Constant breaking changes, lack of stability and complete lack of transparency not to mention responsibility and security.
Now imagine you get everything that Austrian company with its proprietary technology and this Single-Point-Of-Failure called Miniserver provides, but as global standard from 400 vendors with over 7000 devices to chose from.
You can chose from 50 odd servers including all Open Source ones. Home Assistant has even announced a partnership with the KNX foundation.
I would never install something proprietary like Loxone, given that my house electrics have a lifespan of 30-50 years.
What if they go bankrupt? What if they get acquired and then shelved over time? What if they do a 50$/month subscription for things to still work?
Nah. KNX gives you all the Loxone benefits based on an open industry standard, backed by the likes of ABB, Siemens & Schneider Electric.
That is way more sustainable.
Best advice. Keep it as simple as possible and make sure it’s practical otherwise, smart home will start to feel like a part time job. I changed my Wi-Fi password recently and it took over an hour to re-sync everything. Not something I wanted to do right after work.
Great video, thank you! I'm starting out small, just bedroom and bathroom speakers, and adding lights next. I have a ceiling fan, and that will be something to look at, unless just leave it on all day.
The video I’ve been waiting for.
One of us. One of us.
hahahha Alexa always has something to make you laugh, I think it's top tier tech for home. That and my vionentus wallet with airtag slot made my daily life more stylish
Dude! do you recommend that? I have always wanted to give my dad one with RFID security
@@Stevenbrownx11 Yes man and the details are totally impressive. It's like a 007 movie where Bond always has something hidden in elegant clothes.
@@Samluckyman124 lol I love the classic 007 movies, thanks bro! I'm going to check
Heyyy me too, it's easily one of the best things I could have given to my dad.
@@dwalsh35 The best thing is that it goes unnoticed and looks very very good
Dude I am literally trying to make my home fully smart and Alexa functional this is great advice thank you
You just dropped a gem on me. This “home assistant” was something I had no clue existed. I can’t wait to try and If it allows me to mix multiple products together that wouldn’t normally work with my apple home it opens so many possibilities. Thank you!!!
"Significant other to wake up" - made me smile. Great video finally properly explaining how it works. The humor injected into the video makes it more enjoyable to watch and easier to understand.
My Smarthome was a mess of apps, switches, voice commands and some automations as well. And just because I built my one NAS with unraid, i stumbled over Home Assistant... OH MY GOD!
I know thar feeling, when you first see ALL your devices and some you did not even know you can integrate (my security cameras have temperature sensors and I can even tap into their motions sensors)... Finally my home is really getting smart.
The rabbit hole gets deep when you start using containers, vms, ESPs, Arduinos and other microcontrollers and such. Eventually those with cameras start to feel inadequate so then you pour your time into nvr setups but then you also need to store your data properly if you DIY and then you need a proper nas to start consolidating some of these tools. The house basically becomes a prototype and it’s gets exhausting sometimes lol. It never stops.
As hobbies go, still cheaper than owning a boat. :)
When I am reading at 11:00 the last thing I want to do is get up to turn off the lights… hence our smart lights now. I haven’t touched my ceiling light in months- I use the smart lamps…
Being able to control the brightness and color is well worth the extra cost. LEDs have a reasonable lifespan.
Nothing is better than open source solutions. Home assistant was my savior too.
I had to go down the rabbit hole for my university assignment 😂
I didn’t know how amazing these smart setups can be!
Very cool set up. The only thing I disagree with is advising people to cheap out on light switches and getting ones without a hub. The Lutron switches are very reliable and super fast.
Would be interested in seeing a video where you sit down with a caregiver to figure out what smart products can act as a helping hand when no one else is around. Or with someone with a disability to figure out what smart products can assist them.
Honestly, home assistant should be your main ecosystem and control surface in a setup like this. If you have it, you should use local controls as much as possible so your house isn't dependent on a working internet connection.
Is there music in this video? I took of my headphones multiple times to hear if there was a phone ringing or something.
Really Nice Video!
I just got a smart bulb because I wanted to use the wake up routine, and I thought that was all I needed. But I now realized that I also need a bridge if I don't want to use the bluetooth on my phone all the time.
Can you turn on and off the lights when your not at home if you have a bridge?
It’s very important to surge protect everything you can and install spike protection at the panel. Those hubs are costly to replace.
I didn’t even have to watch the whole video to give you a thumbs up. Just by saying starts with a single light bulb cracked me up so much, because it’s so true.
I just bought those Tapo smart switches and now I have a Google Nest home, 2 more smart switches, 4 different smart light bulbs, and I'm looking for more...... I just moved into this place omg.
Have you looked into homebridge for device compatibility? It’s meant specifically for integrating non-HomeKit devices to HomeKit.
Home assistant brought back my interest into smart home
I feel like a chatgpt smart house would end up on fire really fast. Like tesla cars and their "auto pilot", its your standard assited driving, not a revolution in the tech we already had.
Would love it if smart assistants were more context aware based on the device you’re using to chat with it and understood more variations of the typical commands. Really that’s all I’m hoping for!
@@JimmyTriesWorldVoice controls for home automation make sense, context awareness makes sense too. There is an elegant solution to this IMO, it's just hard to implement. As for AI chat-bots I think there all the voice commands should run and be handles offline not the cloud somewhere.
ChatGPT is at best 40% accurate; I don’t want a smart assistant that turns on the wrong light 60% of the time.
I feel like chatgpt would turn into a nagging wife. You need to go to sleep you have work tomorrow....then it will turn off the TV and the lights.
@@JimmyTriesWorld Can you use a smart led bulb in a 3 way lamp? Thank you
Feels like the best video on the topic I watched! I‘m not new to the smart home world any longer but not having made big changes to my system and having moved to a bigger place recently, I feel like I‘m starting over somehow 😂
Thanks for the video. Good idea with doing a room at a time. I've definitely jumped down the HA wormhole / rabbit-hole and I'm loving it! Setting up my Home Office to go into RUclips filming mode is my next step. I had a raspberry Pi laying around and an ikea Zigbee hub. I'm going to buy a Zigbee / Z-wave / whatever is the best and cheapest! I'm thinking building some WLEDs + ESP32's for the bedroom, Kitchen and Living room will be straight after I setup the office.
There's an amazing little thingy called "Homey" dont know how big it is outside Europe an might be hard to get, but... Its like home assistant but you do everything in a very simple no code gui, worked with everything I tested so far, Ikea, Philips Hue, Aqura... and so on and without any gateways.
I use Homey in my home to make that that has to work very easy. In my RV that is my playground I use Home Assistant :)
Many thanks for recomendation. Im running away from HA.
Do you recommend the Homey or Homey Pro?
"it starts with just a single lightbulb"
wise words dude wise words hahahahaha same here. and now i'm head deep into a home assistant server setup adding matter devices, presence and zone detection sensors, flashing ESP32 controller boards with WLED and adding tablets to my walls with a map of my home...
but you know what? i love it. it's my way to wind down on a friday evening. or let me correct that actually: it's my way to be frustrated over why i can't get sth to work only to realize at 2am that the issue was in my line of sight all along lmao. but again: i love it.
For me it started with seeing that Evedal Lamp in the Ikea showroom. I ended up going on a wait list to get the showroom model as they're discontinued. Really like it and now I have a lot automated with Home assistant haha
Thanks for this video, I found it really complete and helpful to understand the world of smart home devices since I am starting my software engineering journey in two weeks and I am looking forward to dedicate my time in learning while having fun with useful things as well, like domotics, assistants and smart devices... this video really helped me to have an overview about this world, thanks a lot !
Where did you get the hexagonal wall lamp? can you share the link? looks great! and great video too!
Great video. I learnt a lot from this single installation. Could you please recommend or do a video on smart locks that can be controlled with an app? I need one desperately but am only seeing more keyless and fingerprint ones on the market with brand names I don’t know and worrisome reviews that the apps either don’t work or get discontinued on App stores etc. i just need to be able to open and close the doors with the app without needing a security panel that operates the automation of the door. Thanks.
You have a real knack for explaining things clearly. Keep it up!
Actually I do have automation in bedroom. For automatic sunrise when I need to wake up. It's in addition to a dumb (but one of the better) wake up clocks. Works awesome and once you have it can't live without it. The few times it fails its not the same waking up. It's much more brutal.
😀the vent fan was one the reason I got into home automations.
What’s nice is the Apple HomePod and HomePod mini have both temperature and humidity sensors built into them, so that’s two less accessories that you need to worry about.
Very good review and advice.
One thing that you did not cover is how to do all of this... without components that report to the vendor what you are doing. A smart home is great but I have no desire to give marketing jerks any more insight into my personal life than I absolutely have to. And since in the US we have no privacy protection laws, this is a real concern.
Home assistant runs locally, if the device uses zigbee, matter, z-wave or Bluetooth (and even some WiFi devices), then they don't have to talk to some cloud service. Most of my automations work fine even when my Internet is down. The only things that break are: Google calendar, Xiaomi vacuum and some LEDs that are automated based on the weather.
Awesome video, appreciate the honest look. Slowly getting started myself. Apparently I need to Home Assistant and need to spend some time tinkering.
the vent fan was one the reason I got into home automations.
Dude, as a moderately techie guy who has stood at the edge of the rabbit hole and stared down into the abyss; I wanted to say thank you. The video was well done, caused me laugh quite a few times, and made me second guess my decisions.
Dude, I laughed at your intro. Exactly me, down the rabbit hole xD
I've always wanted to automate my toilet. When I open the lid, I want a voice to say "Welcome Master"
Correct me if im wrong but matter is a standard that should guarantee compatability with basically everything, that is home kit and google home. Software is being implenented in already sold items by updates. It's quite important so if you can please confirm this and correct that at 6:30
This is how it currently stands (early 2024,) :
A bulb from vendor X will be something like "Matter compatible (when using the gateway from vendor X)"
- Over Matter (from Alexa, Google, Home assistant, etc): Turn the bulb off and on
- Through Vendor X's app, or hub (or both): Change colors, set timers, upgrade software, turn the bulb off and on
For simple devices that only have a few Matter-supported features, things can be controlled by Matter.
More complex devices, or device kinds that matter doesn't support yet (cameras), it's still up to different hubs, different controllers.
A thermostatic bath tub that fills to a certain volume would be handy.
Your nails looked fabulous with the smart plugs
Hey welcome to Home Assistant... enjoy the rabbit hole... It's a fun hair crazy ride
You have great taste in interior design pal. You've got me thinking...
I love this video! Very clear and answered all my questions regarding advanced home automation. I’ll definitely try Home Assistant coming from a background of programming Crestron and Control4 systems
Nice introduction. My best and number #1 advice is always that if you're serious about smart home, beyond controlling one lamp or two with your smartphone, go directly to Home Assistant, because sooner or later you have to switch into it, so why not do it in first place? Basic stuff is quite easy with Home Assistant, but it doesn't limit or block you doing complex more stuff as you learn more about smart home. Also home assistant is local solution, so your smart home isn't depended on the cloud.
The worst reccomendation ever. Lack of security, transparency, poor community management, constant breaking changes. Yes there was a Hype but HA is dogy platform and I would never recomend it to anyone who seriously thinkinkg about home automation.
Hi Jimmy, great video. I am new to the block with home assistant. Now I have started to set it up in my home, but I am thinking, if I can also use home assistant also in my apartment at the lake. In my current home I bought a Home Assistant green hardware. Do I have to buy a second one for the other address or is there a short pass without new hardware to use home assistant in both homes. could not find a video explaining this and hope for an answer here
Çok iyi başlangıç olmuş inan bende bir ampul ile başladım ve kara delik beni de içine alıyor. :) Teşekkürler paylaşım için
We used automation to save energy and money. Hot Water recirc pump is on smart plug. Activate with smart button to come on for five and off. No wasted water and no running a pump for hours. Auto checks that all lights are off late at night. No leaving something on by mistake.
Any plans to do a smart home: married edition video? That way you can recommend products that can help with putting the toilet seat down or finding common household items?
Very good video. I recommend home assistant as well. Just don't use a raspberry. Use some kind of mini pc.
Thank you very much. You have given us a lot to think about. You mentioned and showed us the Home Assist device, can you provide a link for us please? We are based in the UK and use Google Assist.
Pls keep posting
Thank you for creating this. I LOVE when my lights come on in a closet. It is what got me started with my journey. I really want blinds for a couple of rooms.
Well that was very useful, thank you! Having a conversation with the family about what we want before we start is definitely a good idea. I think I want something at the "dumber" end of the smart home spectrum so I'll stick with Google compatible products to smarten my home. A routine that will switch on the lights when I park on my drive will be useful - I suspect that will involve a compatible smart alarm system.
New guy here, just released a similar video last week. You're like my more refined brother from a different mother! Thank you for inspiration, love the intro (could not agree more) and format of video 🙂
Good to know its not just me, I got a nice Home Assistant going on but it is a absolute mess to find quality products that are affordable and work with HA, also being run locally instead of the cloud.
Nice video, smart and funny guy. I am in the same situation: 3 hubs, 3 apps, more than 100 devices (zigbee mostly), but still struggling with routines too basic to be really useful.
I have taken a very deliberate, some would say slow, approach to smart home tech. I watched dozens of videos and decided most of what I watched didn't apply to my idea of a smart home. I don't want, and neither does my wife, to automate lighting based on presence or motion. I don't want colored LED bulbs. We never raise or lower our thermostat because he have geo-thermal and it likes to be left alone so we do. (One temp in the winter, and one in the summer.) I wanted reliability to be as rock-solid as possible, even if that meant it might cost more. My goals were to automate some ambient lighting based on time of day, integrate with my traditional wired home security system since I am the monitoring service, and integrate my garage doors. All those goals have been achieved. I use Hubitat, Lutron Caseta, EYEZ-ON Envisalink, Zooz, and Life360. My non-tech wife and our guests quickly learn how the Caseta switches/dimmers work, and that's their only interface to the system. We may consider adding motion detection but that hasn't been compelling to us so far. We're not using voice control even though that is an option. Thank you for your thought-provoking video.
Home Assistant is for advanced users, not the layperson. If one is willing to set it up, its a super tool.
Use my iPad as home hub along with a google home for other non apple supported things, one of the things I love is the smart plug device automation that trickle charges my iPad to keep it 35-80% battery at all times. Would be amazing if I could do that with my macbook, but not supporting device automations 😢
The best part with smart homes is when stuff just stops working completely or intermittently. My Philips Hue motion sensor works great, until you're preparing to take the dog out and for some reason the lights go off instantly in the hallway even though you're still moving around.
Thank you, I loved all the tips including starting with one room at a time. I recently moved into a house with roller Bali blinds. They have a remote to close and open them. But I would love to get them into Apple HomeKit for automations. I haven’t found a good solution except for the Bali gateway from Home Depot for over $200. The blinds use z-wave for the remote, is there a way to use Hubitat or something to get them into HomeKit to automatically close at sunset?
Yes! Hubitat now has a home kit integration.
All smart devices rely on API calls that can be sent through each manufacturer's cloud to do various tasks. These API calls are super easy and if you have a little bit of coding experience, you can actually make your own app that controls all these devices like I did and put it behind a firewall so no one except you have access.
great video - i feel your pain - was an early adopter of Home Assistant and alexa..now happy ,but like you, took a lot of work/time. One thing for you to do answering your question of what to do next? check for leaks. The Aquara leak sensor is great, put it under your sink, toilet, etc. and get notified if there are leaks. You can even turn off the water automatically if there is a major leak under washing machine, hot water tank, etc. Have fun
Is there a video about the tv you used in your main bedroom? Love that look
Great video! I'll send it to my friend who is starting his smart home journey. Also, what audio gear/setup do you use? I like your audio quality and I'm starting my channel soon, so the info would really help me out :).
Love your video. Nicely explained the practical use case with negative and positive thoughts.
Apart of other details, I would be interested the TV you are using. I pretty much like it and interested to purchase, can you please share a link from where I can buy it.
best real life home automation video ever