Does Harlo Cam Work with Control4?

In recent years, smart home technology has made significant strides in integrating various devices and systems to create seamless experiences for homeowners. One popular smart doorbell brand, Ring, has been exploring ways to work with professional-grade control systems like Control4. So, does Harlo Cam work with Control4?

The short answer is yes, but not exactly as one might hope. The Ring Events Driver, a new software development kit (SDK), allows integrators to incorporate push-button and motion events into their Control4 configurations. This means that if the Ring doorbell senses motion at the front door, for instance, the interior lights could turn on via the Control4 system or send a chime through the home's loudspeakers.

However, there is one significant limitation: video from the doorbell cam is not currently integrated with Control4. This is a major drawback for some homeowners who rely heavily on video surveillance as part of their smart home setup.

According to BlackWire president Kevin Luther, the company has been testing the Ring Events Driver and has found it to be 'so fast and reliable' that they've had no problem proving its worth. The SDK allows for direct integration with Ring, which is much faster than other solutions that rely on third-party services like IFTTT.

In an interview, Luther mentioned that his company is exploring additional opportunities with Ring, hoping to integrate video in the future. This development could potentially open up new possibilities for Control4 users who want to incorporate video surveillance into their smart home setup.

While some dealers may use doorbell-sensing boxes to integrate dumb doorbells into a home automation system, this method can be unreliable due to power fluctuations and over-sensitivity of these sensing devices. The direct integration with Ring provided by the Ring Events Driver is a more reliable solution for integrating push-button and motion events into Control4 configurations.

As one software developer at BlackWire noted, 'Video is obviously the big question,' but the survey that went out with the beta came back with most people not caring about video because the Ring app is so good. This suggests that while video integration would be a welcome addition, it's not necessarily a priority for all Control4 users.

In summary, Harlo Cam (Ring) does work with Control4 to some extent, allowing integrators to incorporate push-button and motion events into their configurations. However, video integration from the doorbell cam is currently not available. As Ring continues to explore new opportunities with control systems like Control4, we may see more comprehensive integration in the future.

Does harlo cam works with control 4