I’ve had it with Savant, Philips Hue, and Alexa. Each has its strengths but I just spent a weekend trying to get whole house audio and lights (“scenes”) working and it’s just not happening. And I’m tired of paying integrators for on-the-job training that never produces a satisfying solution. I’m ready to go open source/DIY.
Can Home Assistant help me? Here’s what I’ve got and what I’m trying to do with it:
I have a Savant Pro 8 setup with six audio zones and speakers built into various rooms of the house. It also coordinates our home theater setup with projector, motorized screen, etc. This much works pretty reliably.
We also have Philips Hue bulbs throughout the house (requiring multiple Bridges - a nightmare in itself) and Alexa voice controllers in each room.
We have lots of other devices that we’ve long since given up on integrating - from Kevo to Nest thermostats to connected garage door openers and security cameras.
I’m a huge fan of controlling whole house audio (Savant) by voice control (Alexa) now but it’s very limited and awkward. No volume commands. No location awareness. No “off” commands, necessitating weird scene requests, like “Alexa, turn on All Lights Off.” Neither Savant, Alexa, nor even Hue work well with multiple Hue Bridges.
What I want is pretty simple: “Alexa, turn on hardcore (local iTunes or Spotify playlist) in Gym” or simply “Alexa, turn on hardcore” while speaking to the home gym’s Echo Dot - it knows by its (or my) location to target the gym. Followed by the inevitable, “Alexa, turn up the music,” and when the phone rings, “Alexa, pause the music.” And, finally, “Alexa, stop the music.”
After that, “Alexa, turn on cool down” puts a serene playlist in the master bathroom and appropriate mood lighting for a chacuz.
Is this too much to ask? Any advice is appreciated.