Does Oppo Smarthome?

"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley) 01/22/2020 at 10:48 • Filed to: None

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Outside of vehicles, I’ve always been super interested in technology. A big part of this house is the increased connectivity that I wanted to bring to it.

I’ve always had Nest thermostats and smoke detectors and plan to install some smoke detectors here soon. Unfortunately, we have electric heat, which means every room is a separate zone, which means we have 12(!) thermostats. One in every room, bathroom and a couple closets.

One of my favorite parts of the house is that every room has a hard wired data connection via a dedicated Ethernet port. A big plus if you game/work from home.

Our home has a data centre in the garage with the ability for 4 phone lines and for each room in the home hardwired to our modem. This is great for gaming/home offices because I can have a wired internet connection anywhere in the home.

I have a mesh wifi system to link everything together that isn’t hard wired with points in 3 of the rooms.

In terms of connected products, I try to balance privacy with convenience. I am a strong believer in good old steel vs plastic connected to the internet. No smart locks, just good ol’ deadbolts. No interior cameras and nothing that can change the operation of my life if compromised or leak too much personal data.

We have some more rooms to set up and a few more connected devices to put into place, but the home is really coming together. It is cool to be at a point where so many systems/ecosystems can be controlled from a central app like Google Home.

I get a strange comfort from being able to monitor and control things from the road/office given I have such strange hours.

That being said, who needs wifi in a washer/dryer?? It wasn’t a selling point for me, but if you got it, use it I guess.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 10:50

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No, that Disney Channel movie suckedI 

jimz > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 10:53

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only the Sensi thermostat I have.  but I haven’t really done anything with its “smart” features other than check the current temp with the app.  But the rest of it (smart lights, smart appliances, assistants?) no thanks.  hell, my washer and dryer have completely mechanical timers. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > jimz 01/22/2020 at 10:56

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It is starting to seem like we don’t have a choice on smart products.

I am TV shopping now and would rather have a “dumb” TV and a $35 Chromecast that I can upgrade/change than a TV with a brain that will eventually be obsolete.

Also, I am getting a security upgrade and they are taking out my old fashioned button panels and putting in touch screens, which I feel conflicted about as one of the panels is in our master bedroom.

TorqueToYield > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 10:59

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The 4K Amazon Fire Stick is a great deal for a nice little streaming stick that can output 4K and supports all the newest AV standards for $50. You can also side load any android app you want, including Kodi if you get into it.

I don’t use any of the apps on my 3 year old smart TV because the stick just blows them away.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > TorqueToYield 01/22/2020 at 11:00

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I typically just use a chromecast.  I prefer to just have the apps on my phone and the screens remain static

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:00

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It’s all interesting to me , but I really don’t see the great advantage (vs the cost/hassle) of being able to control my whole home by my phone. Also, I know that my physical light switch will still work in 5-10 years when the smart panels that are being installed right now in some homes are outdated/no longer supported by the new version of the software.

I probably should upgrade to smart thermostats, and I see the advantage of a connected garage door, but the only connected item I have thus far in my home is my Arlo security cam (have two more I need to set up & install) and a connected plug that I used for my Christmas lights this year.

Tripper > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:05

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Yes, whole house. AMA

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Tripper 01/22/2020 at 11:07

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What ecosystem are you using or app to manage it all?

RacingShark > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:09

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smart washer/dryer seems like the only useful smart appliance, so you can know when things are done. My o ven will send a notification to my phone when it’s pre-heated. Less useful than the washer/dryer, because I’m usually close to the oven when using it.

I’ve been using smart things for years now, and it’s great. Integration with LOTS of things. If it isn’t officially supported, someone has probably made a custom device handler for it. There’s also ways to build your own devices. I’ve built a few custom device handlers to make dumb things smart.

T he easiest and best update I recommend is putting a motion sensor light switch in the garage .

RacingShark > TorqueToYield 01/22/2020 at 11:13

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Netflix no longer works on my Roku2. Eventually, tv’s with built in apps won’t work anymore. The TV will still work though, so it’s not THAT big a deal. I’m not sure you can even get a TV without smart features.

The TV’s are cheap, because they data mine and send information about w ha t you’re watching back home. Probably best not to even connect the TV to the internet, or setup a PiHole to block it from phoning home. 

Tripper > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:14

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“ Smart life” is what I use to get them on the network and create automatons. Then I push the ones I want to voice control out to Siri. I have my wife’s Pixel setup the same way but with Google Assistant.

Most of our stuff is on timers, linked to sensors, or lin ked to other switches. So although it’s all “smart” we still use the physical switches and we don’t often use the voice control. The convenience comes in where we don’t often have to use the switches because I have everything dialed in just so.

I even have a couple of the outlets in my office. White noise comes on when I walk in, fan comes on with voice or touch after my run.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:21

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i have a smart tv wich loses functions every time it auto updates wich i told it not to do but it does anyway

so no thanks to smart shit from me.... i like stuff that works when its not broken

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:24

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Not I , said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:24

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I have my smart TV hooked up to my Echo so I can control it with voice commands. Does that count?

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:26

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I have a few Amazon Echo devices and, a couple of exterior cameras, and a smart tv. I find the Echo to be extremely useful, especially when I’m in the kitchen.

The smart tv I bought as a demo model because it was a good deal, I don’t even use the smart features as I prefer to use a fire stick instead.

I’d like to get a smart thermostat, I’m just not sure I can justify the price when my current one was cheap and works fine.  

phenotyp > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:27

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I’ve worked with and designed a bunch of IoT things. At first, I thought it’d be great. Now, I want no part of it.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > jimz 01/22/2020 at 11:27

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https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/95741/data-breach/wyze-data-leak.html

Brickman > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:28

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Nope, I like a dumb house :)  

ranwhenparked > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:29

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No, unless you count an Internet TV and a digital thermostat (which I hate, because its white plastic with a blue LCD screen on a prominent wall in the dining room) as “smart” . I'm not opposed to smart home technology, one of my cousins has done her whole house that way, I just don't think it offers enough of a lifestyle-changing convenience for me to be worth the expense and hassle. Maybe someday.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:30

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No.

RacingShark > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 11:31

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I have 3 different types of light switches (2 brands of wifi, and a lot of z-wave switches ). All of them still work fine without any external system. One of them is from a company that seems to have gone belly up. The switch still works, but t hey never really added all the features they said it would have. 

I think the thing to look out for, is to make sure the features are all there before you buy it. If you’re concerned about life, the z-wave or zigbee switches are probably the best. They are standards that have been around a long time, and have grown more popular in the last few years. They require a central command system, but there are a bunch of options for that.

Watch out for the WiFi switches. Those are the ones that require some sort of central command and apps, etc.

smobgirl > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:33

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No, I’m still plenty happy to have indoor plumbing.

RacingShark > Tripper 01/22/2020 at 11:34

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Interesting. I’ve looked at a lot of smart house systems, and I’ve never heard of Smart Life. Does it require a central hub? Can it support z-wave/z igbee devices?  Can you write your own custom things for it?

Thomas Donohue > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:35

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I have Google home for Chromecast and lots of lights (early on I used WeMo, but have started using Leviton switches and dimmers). I have an Ecobee thermostat with remote sensors. Works great for me since I have two sepa rate heating/cooling systems, each of which is a single zone. With the remote sensors (they are very small and wireless) , I can adjust what temp I want in a given room I am in .....office, bedroom, basement, etc. This works well for me because I live alone during the week ! But seriously, I highly recommend the EcoBee, check to see how many zones and remotes it can handle (when I got it, the Nest thermostat was very limited with remote sensor abilities) . I like that I can use it with verbal commands, the app, or the main touchscreen in the living room, and all of them work.

Integrated into Google Home (now Nest?) are Spotify, SiriusXM, YouTubeTV, and my hardwired ReoLink security cameras (just became compatible with Google/Chromecast). I prefer to hard wire things when possible (my Chromecasts all have the ethernet adapters).

I also have a Vera system/Z-wave that I got last year but haven’t fully installed/integrated. I’m still using my old ADT system for now, as the VeraPlus and Z-wave has been spotty as far as wire less coverage, alarms, triggers, etc. Honestly I haven’t spent a ton of time trying to get it working, but it’s not the easiest system to add new devices to so I kinda put it on the backburner.

I have a new Google- compatible doorbell cam I haven’t installed yet (current one is standalone).

gmctavish needs more space > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:35

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The only smart feature we have is a Telus (AlarmForce, I think) alarm system, controlled by an app. Everything else is ancient. If it was my house, the main thing I’d change is setting up a more efficient and programm able heating system

JustAnotherG6 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:36

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When we moved in 2 years ago our house came with a “smart” thermostat from Honeywell. I learned that first week that only the original purchaser can reset the password so no online monitoring for me. I’m really upset about that in case you couldn’t tell (/s).

Other than that, I just picked up a “smart” TV (50", 4k, $350) and for the most part I’ve been happy with it. One interesting feature is that it will occasionally turn on the XBone (if it was used when the TV was turned off) and instead of having to change inputs, the XBox is seen as another one of the apps available. One of the main reasons we went with this one is that it had the Xfinity streaming app availa ble and the room in which it rests has no cable line running into it.

functionoverfashion > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:37

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They don’t make a smart thermostat yet that can put wood in my woodstove, so....

B ut seriously, our schedules are predictable enough that a programmable t-stat has been perfect for our propane / forced hot water heat. Then when we get home it’s not freezing and we start up the woodstove.

For being in IT, I have a very analog house. 

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:39

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Anything that is on the internet/wifi/etc can be hacked. No thanks. 

ttyymmnn > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 01/22/2020 at 11:40

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You and me, brother. Old fangled people in a new fangled world. 

RacingShark > Thomas Donohue 01/22/2020 at 11:40

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You’re totally right about ecobee. It’s nice that it can set the temperature based on my office when I work from home. I messed up at first and had the sensor on my desk. It was sensing the heat from my monitor/computer and assuming the room was much hotter than it was.

Ecobee is also more open than Nest, so it integrates with many more systems.

facw > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 11:45

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Not in a position to modify much, so I just have some smart lights (mainly Hue), and some Echo devices.

I don’t think there’s much call for smart washers and driers within a home, but I have seen (but not lived in) apartment buildings that have them for the laundry room, and it seems very nice to know when your stuff is done without having to go check.  

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RacingShark 01/22/2020 at 11:50

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A good friend of mine just built a nice, new house and it has all the smarthome goodies you can think of. Will be interesting to watch how things go for him over the next 5-10 years.

I’m no Luddite, but I do believe that sometimes the simple, analog/ mechanical solution is best. 

RacingShark > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 12:13

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I think the big change in the last 5 years is the ease of install. Smart homes have been around for a long time. Control4 has been around and can be very cool, but it requires an licensed installer. It can’t be updated by the homeowner.

The new smart home stuff is wireless (only needs existing power wires), and is meant to be configured by the home owner. I have a probably 2 dozen smart switches/outlets/plugs/thermostats/lights in my house and I can control it all from my voice from multiple places. I can monitor it all remotely and use it as an alarm system. It’s great.

All technology moves on and gets old. Eventually, it all gets replaced with something newer. Sure, a smart light switch costs 10-200x as much as a normal light switch, but in the grand scheme of owning a house it’ s very cheap. I could easily replace every light switch in my house with a smart switch, and it would cost less than the new furnace I put in.

If all of my smart home tech is outdated and has to be replaced in 10 years (most of the switches are based on an open standard, and will probably work much longer than that), it would still be worth it for the convenience.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RacingShark 01/22/2020 at 12:17

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I’ve been on the fence for a while, but about to pull the trigger on an Ecobee or two...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > phenotyp 01/22/2020 at 12:19

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Due to security concerns, or something else?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Brickman 01/22/2020 at 12:19

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Screen name checks out.

Long_Voyager94 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 12:42

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I don’t mind the little bit of exercise from needing to get up to do things.

I also can’t stand everything needing to be connected, so a “smart home” to me is just a dumbass excuse to be lazy and stare at your phone a little longer everyday.

Long_Voyager94 > RacingShark 01/22/2020 at 12:44

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Our washer and dryer have little buzzers that go off to tell you when things are done.
You gotta get up to change laundry anyway, so I really don’t see the difference.

Same goes for our oven, the “ding ding ding” is a pretty distinct giveaway it’s preheated.

McMike > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 12:49

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I smartphone, but want nothing to do with smart house.

Thermostats make sense. Security cameras make sense. DVR and media center makes sens e....

However... Washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, fridges, and other long-life appliance* purchases are an example of what was done because it was possible vs what was needed.

That goes for car, too.

fintail > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 12:51

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I have wifi and a Sonos speaker, does that count?   Otherwise, I am living in the olden days, and don’t mind it - I don’t have enough square footage to make this stuff worthwhile.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 12:52

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I have a few devices and a bit of a smart setup, pretty much done on the cheap. It started with the $89 Nest thermostat from the power company that came with a Google Home mini. I did have a cheap smart outlet that I used for a lamp that was difficult to access; this replaced a mechanical security timer that was having issues. I’ve since added numerous smart bulbs and a few more outlets when I found them on sale.

The TV is an LG smart tv, but I only got it because it was a new 49” 4K for $249 - I didn’t need it’s extra features since I already have video game consoles, AppleTV, Roku and Chromecast. If the smart features stopped working it really wouldn’t matter - I still got a nice 4K set at a great price. They’re nice, but I have other devices, including a Plex server with 4 tuners, that do most of what I need.

I do like the bulbs and switches since I can turn them on and off with my voice or via an app. But they have made me a bit lazy - when the internet glitched I debated whether or to get out of bed and turn off the lights or just sleep with them on, even in the bedroom. Changing brightness via voice without having to install a dimmer is wonderful.

I use the home mini as an alarm clock now, and it makes a great timer when cooking. I have one in the living room and can control it from the kitchen and hear it in the office. A pair of minis can operate in stereo, which I have set up on the nightstands, and can stream music of all genres commercial free, at no cost (just like when I discovered that YouTube was commercial free with the Chromecast).

The Nest thermostat has probably paid for itself in energy savings alone. I do like having the ability to set the temp before I leave the office and having the house comfortable when I get home; my schedule varies, so conventional timers wouldn’t work as well. The ability to change settings via voice or app is a great thing.

Appliances? Nothing smart at this time. Refrigerator seems pointless, unless it’s for a temp alarm if the door is left open, but I wouldn’t pay extra for this. A smart oven would only be a little more useful, but not by much. I would like this on the washer and dryer to let me know when they’re done in order to save me the time of going down to the basement; in my case I have to go outside and to the opposite end for access, and it’s a pain, particularly if things aren’t ready.

I was an early adopter of smart home stuff, using X-10 equipment back in the ‘80s. The new stuff is just so much simpler and easier thanks to the internet and smartphones. Yes, there are some security concerns because of it, but given the ubiquity I feel like I’m hidden in plain sight. I’ll skip the cameras for now, lessening the security concerns.

slipperysallylikespenguins > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 12:58

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Nope, and I don’t want anything to do with it. I don’t even have anything in my house capable of accepting a voice command besides cell phones but that is disabled.(Hopefully)

RPM esq. > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 13:13

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@internetofshit is my guiding star on the subject. I do, however, have a smart TV (reluctantly, and with most of the “smart” features turned off), internet-connected security cameras outside (admittedly very convenient), and some sort of little touch screen to control the radiant-heated floors in my bathroom. Otherwise printing via wifi is about as connected as it gets.

phenotyp > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 13:58

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Security, and the fact that most of the devices are bricked within a year or two. 

RacingShark > Long_Voyager94 01/22/2020 at 14:48

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Yeah, mine plays a little tune. The problem is that it’s far in the basement, and it has an “Auto” setting. Many times, I’ve checked and it says 20 minutes. 25 minutes later, it says 12 minutes.

I can’t hear it, and the clock to when it will be done is BS.  I miss the old school loud buzzer. The little tune it plays is cute, but useless.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > phenotyp 01/22/2020 at 15:14

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Yep. Complexity for complexity’s sake is not advancement.

Long_Voyager94 > RacingShark 01/22/2020 at 16:00

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I just generally do laundry while I’m doing other things, so I throw stuff in the washer, go do something else for an hour or so, come back and change the laundry, then go back to something else again.

duurtlang > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 16:18

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I work for a smart home company. We do heating and AC. Mostly EU market though, so it (tado°) is probably unknown in the US. Nest has rather limited compatibility and is not as common here.

I personally only use smart heating products, as I was provided with the hardware for free. Heating is switched off when I leave the house, and is activated when I (or my girlfriend) start driving home. Automatically. I don’t really care about the rest. Especially the voice activated stuff, I’ve disabled it all.

hike > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/22/2020 at 17:27

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I use nest thermostats and use Google home to link it all together. All my lamps have eufy light bulbs, plus my outdoor fixtures in the front of the house (made it easier to schedule than a new switch). I also use a Logitech harmony for the main TV set up, which integrates wkrrg Google home. It's a basic but solid smart home set up. Orbi mesh wifi gives us great speeds across the house as well. 

Tripper > RacingShark 01/22/2020 at 19:55

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No hub, yes to z-wave/zigbee devices. As far as customizing. I know that you can “re-flash” a lot of the Chinese switches (everything sold on amazon) to run custom macros. However, the smart life app goes a long way on it’s own. If you want to go more than a layer or two deep with “if this than that” sort of triggers, you’d need to run a custom macro. For your general stuff like timers, on at sunset, on when detecting motion, and voice commands, the app is really touch and go.

phenotyp > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 21:49

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The Revolv home hub that I worked on years ago was a pretty great piece of kit, spoke all the wireless languages, had 7 different antennas, a great app experience, and it was so good that Nest bought them. Then Google bought Nest. Then Nest remotely bricked the hubs. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > phenotyp 01/22/2020 at 22:54

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Ugh. 

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/23/2020 at 11:09

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If you’re interested, I’m involved with a start up that designed and manufacturs  a smart device that gives you intelligence over your water use, with a simple sensor that straps to your water meter, no plumbing required .

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GPXKN8Z

www.flumewater.com

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 01/23/2020 at 11:12

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Neat!  We don’t have water meters in this jurisdiction, but I can see that being useful for sure

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/23/2020 at 12:31

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O ur customers like the ability to be informed of a potential leak, which could be devastating to a home.

Just an FYI, you can always add an affordable ($50 used) meter, if you're willing to do a little plumbing.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 01/23/2020 at 12:49

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I have considered it. Professionally, water claims are the biggest cause of loss in the insurance industry right now.

Personally, after two large water losses 5 years ago, I was left without water coverage until about a week ago.