Everyone seems to be talking about HomeSeer.
How does it compare to HAL 2000?
I am interested in motion detected digital video recording.
Also, I would like to be able to ask for the weather and have it read to me.
It seems like HAL can do this out of the box, but HomeSeer would take some extra modules?
Thanks for any reviews.........KM
On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 05:37:10 -0400, "Kenneth Murphy" wrote (with possible editing):
I can't do a side by side comparison, which is what you're looking for, but I can tell you that HomeSeer support is somewhat lacking. We were considering becoming a dealer for them and ordered the upgrade to
1.7 for which we paid retail. Then we ordered the HAI OmniPro module as we have installed quite a few of them. It did not work out of the box. I'm doing the testing. I have tried to connect it to an HAI OP2 with several expansion cabinets. While I can access the zones, I cannot access the flags, so I'm better off doing all my programming with the OP2. HomeSeer has stopped responding to our email which has been polite.They also have an online forum. I posted several questions there as well, but there was nobody there with sufficient knowledge of the OP2.
No flame - just the facts.
Extra modules? Just the Webcam Plugin 39.95 Homeseer 149.95 retail I sell for 139.95
Hal 2000 299.95
I think Homeseer is the better deal and better software. Homeseer 2.0 is due out at any time upgrade is 39.95. This is still 70.00 cheaper then Hal.
Yes I do use Homeseer but I've been playing around with Charmed Quark also. Check this software out too.
Support could be better but I've found other users very helpful.
But each have a trial period. Download them and see which one you like the best.
Just for clarification, the issue with support with was Homeseer, not with us, right? We might not be very good with the ladies, but we do have good support. :-)
------------------------------------- Dean Roddey Chairman/CTO, Charmed Quark Systems
Yes Dean you are always on the boards ready to help. I've even been playing with your new version, that supports Zwave.
This is why your program is going to take off. And this is where many other programs have failed.
Have to mention another great company also. Elk has to be one of the greatest companys I work with. I wish more were like them.
Just to chime in, I also use Charmed Quark Software
In regards to your requirements, CQC supports motion detected video recording with the CQC Application Control Server module, as well as read out wheather reports.
CQC $200 stefand
Rapp,
I followed your thread on the homeseer board, while you had some inital setup problems, it seems Rick was responding withing a day or 2 to your queries. As far as I can see, you didn't have any outstanding issue?
Ross.
(homeseer and op2 user)..
L. M. Rappaport wrote:
I'll give some kudos to Elk as well. Most companies, if we contact them to get some loaner equipment in order to write drivers for it, will at best say no and often not even answer. Elk had no problem with sending us an M1, which I have now physically gotten put together and will be starting on the driver for soon. To be fair, Omni did the same.
------------------------------------- Dean Roddey Chairman/CTO, Charmed Quark Systems
Not certain what happened, but I don't see my last post here which was my response to you.
Well, fwiw...
Yes, Rick Tinker did respond, (after an unanswered help desk ticket), but he never fixed the problem. It appears as if the problem is that while the HAI plug-in might work with a regular OP2, it does not work with an OP2 which uses expansion cabinets and/or extender. All zones are properly accessible. The problem is that the list of flags is incorrect. His starts somewhere around the mid 200's and stops at unit 393. With two expansion cabinets and an extender card, the first flag is unit 394 (all those numbers from memory and could be off a little).
He asked me to check the model number specified in the plug in - and I did that. I answered him several times, but I got no response.
I realize that he is tied up working on v2 of Homeseer, but I think if you are going to sell a piece of software that it is incumbent to see that it works. If it doesn't (and I know that happens) then you must fix it.
I'm not blowing smoke here. I've never gotten angry with them and I personally have been involved with commercial software development for over 20 years. I own a company with 7 other developers, a few testers, a doc writer and a few administrative types. While that doesn't give me any expertise in this specific area, it should indicate that I know at least a bit about software development and what it takes to keep clients.
Again, no flame intended...
BTW, we are finally getting some user galleries up, if you want to see some real world CQC installations:
------------------------------------- Dean Roddey Chairman/CTO, Charmed Quark Systems
There have been several other similar complaints regarding HS service. Both Ricks at HS are IME decent, honest guys and while I no longer carry HS, I have no issues with their company. I must concur, however, with Larry as to the support glitch.
No flame here either.
Elk is also one of a very few manufacturers that will actually allow end users to speak to an engineer. They don't encourage this as it can get out of hand, but they have never IME turned anyone away without assistance. Would that the other alarm manufacturers were even half as helpful to end users as ELK Products.
BTW, I'm not exactly unbiased in this regard since I sell Elk products in my online store.
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