Over the last few months, as I’ve visited with our Design Clients, I’ve started to notice some confusion between Video Distribution and TV Control.
It easy to see why. If you have Video Distribution you have TV Control, but it’s also possible to just have TV Control and no Video Distribution.  So they’re related, but definitely not the same.

Don’t worry, I’ll explain.

Quick Review Of Video Distribution

Video Distribution is kind of like Audio Distribution.  With Audio Distribution we send our favorite sources like Pandora, Spotify, etc., to speakers all over the house.

With Video Distribution we have Video SourcesSatellite/Cable receivers, DVRs, Apple TVs, and Blu-Ray Players.  We distribute these Video sources out to the different TVs in the home.

Now the immediate benefit of Video Distribution is that we reduce the need for Media Cabinets in every room of the house to hide our Video Sources, and we prevent cable clutter.

Instead, we centralize all those sources in a Media Rack, or closet and distribute them through the home.

There are a lot of other really valuable reasons for Video Distribution, but that’s beyond the scope of this post, you can read more here.

TV Control

With Video Distribution we use a Smart Home app like Savant or Control4, to select and control our different Video Sources, and send them to the TV we want to watch.

We also Control the TVs. We turn the TVs on and off, control the volume, and change the channels.

Now some of our Clients choose to add Video Distribution at a second phase, but here’s the thing. Even if you don’t have Video Distribution, you still have TV Control!

If you’re a cord cutter and don’t have any video sources to distribute, you can still control all your TVs and TV apps like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube.

A lot of clients have been telling me lately that since they weren’t getting Video Distribution they thought they couldn’t control their TVs.  But… YOU CAN!  And I highly recommend it.

TV Control With Alexa

If you have a good Smart Home system like Control4 or Savant, there’s a lot of exciting things you can do with TV control, even if you don’t have Video Distribution.

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Matt Montgomery, TYM, Salt Lake City, Ut

Named one of Technology Integrator’s Top Talent Under 40, Matt has designed systems for 20 national award-winning projects, including  "Home Theater of the Year", and "Custom Smart Home of the Year" from CTA™ (Consumer Technology Association). His ebook “How To Wire Your Smart Home” is a best seller among professionals and DIY-ers alike.  He has taken classes with Home Acoustics Alliance (HAA). You can watch Matt share the secrets of his craft on YouTube!

Matt is a Golden State fan.

 

 

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