Smart home hubs

[SlimCini]

Yo peeps.

Just started my journey of making my house less stupid. Echo has landed. Next step is some bulbs, plugs and whatnot. However, I'm aware I need some sort of overall smart home hub (Samsung smartthings has been recommended) to co-ordinate all these things together. However I have a PCS machine permanently switched on as a plex server. Is there a bit of software I can install to use to turn that into a smart home hub instead of having to buy one? Anyone know? Or do I need a separate dedicated smart home hub??

 

[Tony1044]

I have an Echo along with Hive and Phillips Hue Bulbs.

I can control Hive and the bulbs from Echo which is handy.

For other things, you may want to look at If This, Then That (IFTTT) first before you buy any extra hardware. Ties disparate things together (can do some funky control of my phone via Echo, for example).

It's a skill on Echo as well as an app on Android and iPhone

 

[SlimCini]

I have an Echo along with Hive and Phillips Hue Bulbs.

I can control Hive and the bulbs from Echo which is handy.

For other things, you may want to look at If This, Then That (IFTTT) first before you buy any extra hardware. Ties disparate things together (can do some funky control of my phone via Echo, for example).

It's a skill on Echo as well as an app on Android and iPhone

Do you need the hue bridge to control hue bulbs or will echo do it directly?

 

[Tony1044]

You still need the bridge to the best of my knowledge.

Which I agree is a bit of a pain - bridge for Hive, bridge for Hue and Echo etc

But I believe Hive do lights now as well as plugs so you could control a lot with a single bridge.

 

[ubuysa]

There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about.....! :surrender:

 

[jerpers]

I've been keeping an eye on the new IKEA Tradfri range. It is supposed to be compatible with Hue and will be getting Alexa integration (hopefully) soon. It is substantially cheaper but only white bulbs so far.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I've been keeping an eye on the new IKEA Tradfri range. It is supposed to be compatible with Hue and will be getting Alexa integration (hopefully) soon. It is substantially cheaper but only white bulbs so far.

The Ikea range can pretty much be integrated and controlled by any platform can't they? Quite an appealing advantage.

 

[Tony1044]

What the hell is it with manufacturers of smart bulbs though?

Never any bayonet bulbs.

I've slowly moved 95% of all of the bulbs in my home to LED now. Cost up front has been higher than the alternatives but the cost to run savings are worth every penny,

My patio lights, for example, there are 5 9W LED bulbs in there. The alternatives were 40W Halogen so I run them all for marginally more than a single halogen.

Even found a nice strip light for the kitchen and garage to replace the old flouro's

 

[ubuysa]

What the hell is it with manufacturers of smart bulbs though?

Never any bayonet bulbs.

I've slowly moved 95% of all of the bulbs in my home to LED now. Cost up front has been higher than the alternatives but the cost to run savings are worth every penny,

My patio lights, for example, there are 5 9W LED bulbs in there. The alternatives were 40W Halogen so I run them all for marginally more than a single halogen.

Even found a nice strip light for the kitchen and garage to replace the old flouro's

When you live on a boat you very quickly learn the benefits of LED lighting. Our apartment ashore here is also 100% LED, well except for the lights in the fridge and oven, they don't seem to make LED versions of those.

LED has other advantages too, in particular that they run cool, it's allowed me to put mains powered LED lights into wooden kitchen cabinets without fear of a fire!

 

[Tony1044]

LED has other advantages too, in particular that they run cool

Yes indeedy - no way I would have halogen uplighters in the patio. For one you risk being burned and for two the glass of the lights would be at risk of shattering if and when it rained.

I'd challenge anyone to go round their homes and check the lights. When you take into account lamps, chandeliers with multiple bulbs etc, you actually have far more than you ever stop to realise and they soon add up to several kWh of juice (not that many people have them all on at once, but still...)

 

[Stephen M]

. . . it's allowed me to put mains powered LED lights into wooden kitchen cabinets without fear of a fire!

Certainly agree about LED and the amount of lighting most of us have is massive. OT but Ubuysa' post reminded me of something a little scary. I come from a family of hoarders so we have tons of stuff that is kept but will never be used. A while back I found some old Christmas decorations, most likely some from my grand-parents, among it was clip on candle holders for use on Christmas trees. I have a photo somewhere of a tree lit up with candles, it used to be a fairly normal thing but enough to give a modern fire safety officer nightmares.

 

[SlimCini]

I've been keeping an eye on the new IKEA Tradfri range. It is supposed to be compatible with Hue and will be getting Alexa integration (hopefully) soon. It is substantially cheaper but only white bulbs so far.

Tradfri bulbs seem about £15 which is about the same as a white Phillips hue one isn't it? Not really a price war happening there.

 

[jerpers]

Tradfri bulbs seem about £15 which is about the same as a white Phillips hue one isn't it? Not really a price war happening there.

You are right. I hadn't looked at the Philips ones for a while and seen the prices creep down. Ignore me completely.

 

[Tony1044]

To be honest neither had I. I bought our Philips stuff a few xmas's ago as extra presents for the wife and they were far from cheap back then.

 

[SlimCini]

The coloured ones are still extortionate. Not sure I can justify £60 on any sort of bulb!

 

[Tony1044]

The coloured ones are still extortionate. Not sure I can justify £60 on any sort of bulb!

To resurrect this thread a bit - the new Amazon Echo Plus is launching in a couple of weeks. It has a Philips Hue Hub built in and currently on pre-order offer to include one bulb.