It’s finally summertime! The weather is beautiful, the kids are home from school, and your summer vacation is just around the corner. This time is all about relaxing with a beer by the pool or a movie marathon with the family. So what better time to take advantage of a smart home control system? Find out how the right solution can simplify the day-to-day living in your River Oaks, Texas home so you can focus on basking in the sun.

SEE MORE: 3 Ways Smart Control Can Be a Parenting Tool

Get the Most of Your Outdoor Spaces

Smart home control simplifies all the technology in your outdoor spaces. Want to listen to some music? Use your smartphone to pick out the song you want to play on the speakers installed throughout your patio. If a new guest arrives while you’re out back, receive a notification on your phone and let them in remotely. The celebration doesn’t have to end as soon as it gets dark. Schedule your landscape lights to go on at 7 p.m. to keep the darkness from spoiling the party.

Let Your Home Counteract the Heat

As your local Savant Systems dealer, part of our job is keeping you updated whenever any new features or products are available for your Austin, Texas home. In this blog, we'll talk about the company's latest releases which include new music streaming and control options, an improved user interface and new video distribution products. Read on to explore all the latest Savant offerings. 

SEE MORE: 4 Best Features of the Savant Systems App

Improved User Interface

When it comes to the average consumer, the change to the Savant Systems user interface is the biggest news from the company’s Pro 8.0 software release. The new user interface is all about creating a comprehensive view of the system. On your main screen, icons represent all the technology included in the home. If you hold down a particular icon, you can get a drop down menu showing all the control options for that specific subsystem. This general user interface is the same for each room in the home. This way it's easier to get what you want within a few button presses.

New Streaming Options

Creating a safe environment in your River Oaks, Texas home should be one of your top priorities. You want to create a spot where your family always feels safe and protected; somewhere they can go for comfort after a tough day. For this reason, you've likely invested in a security system that includes an alarm, power locks and maybe even surveillance. In this blog, we'll discuss how a smart home lighting control system can also be a big asset for your security. 

SEE MORE: 4 Ways to Control the Lights in Your Home

Eliminate Dangerous Unlit Areas

For added protection, convenience and comfort, you always want your home to have a well-lit environment. With the right lighting, you can protect your family from both external and internal threats.

You want to ensure general access points - like your front door, garage, or gate - are illuminated at all times. This way it's easy for you to spot anyone approaching. Schedule your landscape lighting to go on each evening, so these fixtures are always turned on when needed.

Distributed audio video is your interior designer’s best friend. Through a whole home audio video system, clunky source components can be hidden away in a closet. Replace the pile of remotes with a stylish touchpad flush-mounted on the wall. You can retain your unique style without having to sacrifice your favorite entertainment. Making equipment disappear may sound like magic, but we promise we're not wizards. Below we'll explain exactly how this kind of system works, and how it could fit into your Memorial, Texas home. 

SEE MORE: How Can Crestron Enhance Your Media Distribution?

It’s About Much More Than the Wiring

At face value, it seems like a media distribution system is all about wiring. As long as you have a long enough cable, you can put your sources as far away as you want and just line the cables behind your walls to get the signal to its end point. That’s not really how it works.

Your whole home audio video system actually includes the following components: a multi-channel matrix switch, cables, power amplifiers, speakers, televisions, sources and controls (touchpad, tablet or smartphone). All of these work hand-in-hand to ensure that your signal makes it to its end point without a dip in quality and that your content is easy to access.