The Smart Home as it currently exists can be thanked for many of the innovations we have seen in the custom integration channel. In addition to the simplification of the control and automation process, which now more easily pulls security and lighting control into the mix, the ability to stream audio and video has also been kicked up a notch. In the case of video, the much wider acceptance of 4K as the viewing standard, more robust equipment, and higher residential bandwidth—as well as wider availability of content—have reinvigorated the complex configuration and integration of video distribution in homes.

“The most dramatic impact can be tied to Apple’s introduction of a 4K-capable Apple TV, making content widely available at an affordable price,” said Jay Bakalar, president of Metro Eighteen, an integration company based in San Francisco. “Add 4K TVs that cost a small fraction of what they were just a few years ago, and the only remaining challenge is to deliver the content reliably to all of the end-points throughout the home. Now that issues surrounding the source, home networks, and standards have been adequately resolved, Metro Eighteen relies on the Savant video-over-IP solution exclusively.”