How TriVista Does It
Exactly how do you select and purchase a home theatre, multi-room entertainment, and home automation system? Few homeowners understand the technology, and most of us have just a vague idea of what home automation can do, let alone the true value of a smart home. What is a smart home – what can it do? What kind of wiring do I need? Can my builder pre-wire? How much does it cost? Why wouldn’t I just buy my home theatre at a discount store and install it myself? How does smart home security differ from inexpensive home alarms sold via telephone? Can I use my existing security system? What if I cannot run wires in my existing home?
TriVista understands that all this technology can be confusing, and you need to feel confident you’re getting just what you need, within your budget. We help you to get through the sales process with complete confidence. We first invite you to our demonstration facility. Here, you can see the various products in real-life operation, and try them out for yourself. You’ll come away knowing what is possible for your home. We then review your requirements with you so we can prepare a proposal to suit both your needs and your budget. This proposal is a fully costed estimate with detailed product listings and prices. All installation services, accessories, programming, and interconnection are included so there are no downstream surprises. Once you’re ready to commit, we prepare a detailed system design that our installation team uses. This design is available for any builder/contractor that may have a role in the system installation, such as pre-wiring or cabinetry.
Exactly how does TriVista turn my home into a smart home? We go through a structured, carefully controlled structured process consisting of six stages, as shown below
We consult with you to understand your requirements, within your budget constraints. You select equipment and options by seeing/trying them in our demonstration facility. We then produce a detailed design with equipment lists, interconnection requirements, and any pre-requisites. This attention to detail is crucial to avoid missing anything before a proposal is produced.
Pre-wire is usually completed just after completion of electrical wiring. For a new home under construction, we run appropriate in-wall wiring, usually from the various devices/equipment to a central wiring station or enclosure, typically near the electrical panel. Security wiring includes sensor devices such as door/window contacts, motion sensors, etc.
In the case of an existing home, this step can be largely avoided, with the exception of some multi-room audio installations where we recommend wire for optimal sounds fidelity and reliability.
Some of our systems require a wireless LAN. We would install a LAN loop dedicated just for home control, so it is not affected by your household internet activity.
For new homes under construction, we often install the security system to protect the home during construction, once the doors and windows are in.
If TriVista does not do the pre-wiring, we inspect pre-wiring prior to drywall to ensure it is properly installed.
This takes place once the home’s finishing is complete, and the home is ready to be occupied. We install in-wall devices such as smart light switches, touchscreens, and any central controllers in a rack. We install any motors or device controls that might be required for motorized blinds, drop-down projector screens, etc.
Any customer-supplied entertainment equipment must now be integrated, such as cable/satellite boxes, TVs, DVD players, etc. We also connect to systems such as swimming pool or hot tub controllers, sprinkler systems, and your in-house LAN/Internet service.
Here we program the “rules of behavior” and overall operation into the system, so the home operates according to your wishes. When would you like the heat to come on the mornings, and at what level? What lights/levels for various lighting scenes? What temperature should trigger an alert? When/how to turn lights on/off? What music playlists to present onscreen? Who gets notified, and when/how in the event of alerts or emergencies.
We’ll show you and your family how everything works, so you’re fully comfortable from day one.
