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You are here: Home / Blog

Blog

LED lights suck.

January 28, 2025 By Mark Hudzinski

At least, mine did, and I’m willing to bet yours do also. It’s not your fault, and it’s not the fault of the person who built your home, or the electrician that installed the lights, either. It’s simply time for a better lighting solution.

First, a quick lesson in lighting and its impact on humans. For most of our history, we relied on two primary sources of light: the sun and fire. Once we began living in structures, fire was our main indoor light source. About 150 years ago, the incandescent light bulb was invented, which was highly effective at rendering accurate colors and, when dimmed, shifted to a warmer color temperature, much like firelight. Over the last 15 years, however, we’ve transitioned mostly to LED lighting due to the inefficiency and high energy use of incandescent bulbs. While this shift has improved energy efficiency, it has come at a cost—both to our personal health and to the aesthetic quality of our indoor spaces.

Can light GlareGlare from standard LED “cans” is very uncomfortable in a room

Getting the colors right

In the lighting world, “color rendering” describes how accurately a light source reveals the colors of everything it touches.  The industry standard for measuring this is called “Color Rendering Index”, or CRI for short, and uses a scale of 0-100.

A high CRI light brings colors to life, making everything appear vibrant and natural. Incandescent and halogen bulbs, once the standard in art galleries and luxury retail stores, had a CRI of 100. In contrast, the fluorescent tubes often found in warehouses or garages typically had a CRI around 50, which is why those spaces can feel sterile and drab. LED bulbs and fixtures come in a wide range of CRI performance. However, many LED bulbs with high on-paper CRI values fail to render the full color spectrum accurately, often appearing “off” to our eyes. We want the artwork, furnishings, and materials we’ve chosen for our homes to look their best, but poor CRI lighting can hinder that. Additionally, recent studies show that low CRI lighting can lead to physical discomfort, including eye strain and fatigue.

CRI exampleAn example of poor CRI lighting on the left, and high CRI lighting to the right

Why dimming matters

One key principle of good lighting design is to “put everything on a dimmer.”  Most of the time, interior lights don’t need to be at full brightness – perhaps only in the middle of the day, or in an emergency situation.  

Incandescent lighting from the past had two comforting benefits when dimmed.  First, they dimmed smoothly all the way from max brightness, to off.  Second, as they dimmed, the light they output got warmer in color temperature.  An incandescent bulb has a color temperature of about 3000k (“warm white”) at full brightness, and about 1800k (which is similar to candlelight) at its lower dimmed range.  As humans, we respond to higher color temperature light with feelings of energy and alertness, and lower color temperature lighting promotes relaxation and calm.

Conversely, most LED bulbs struggle to dim smoothly and will flicker or blink, and oftentimes shut off completely at a brightness level well above where we would like them to be, such as 25-30%, making it hard to achieve the low, relaxing light we’re after.  Also, most LED lights do not change color temperature as they dim, which leads to a color of light that’s often described as “gray”.

Warm Dimming

Evolved Home brings beautiful lighting to your home

So, what’s the solution?  Ceiling-recessed cans with poor-performing LED bulbs are common in many homes, but there are effective ways to improve both their performance and appearance. Until recently, the most available options were to replace all the recessed lights with expensive LED fixtures, then patch and repaint the ceiling—a costly, time-consuming process. Now, Evolved Home offers a simpler, more affordable way to upgrade your lighting without the hassle. Our retrofit solution fits into almost any standard 6” “can-light” fixture, requiring no repairs or major renovations. Available in black or white trims, these lamps offer a variety of premium features:

  • Exceptional color rendering: 90+ CRI across the spectrum for lifelike color in all shades

  • Smooth dimming: as low as 2%, depending on the dimmer

  • Dynamic color temperature: 3000k at full brightness, 1800k at lowest levels, with a smooth, natural transition

  • Adjustable beam angle: 30-50 degree beam width adjustment and up to 50 degree aiming gimbal adjustment allow for high-end architectural detail or artwork highlighting, and the ability to get the right light right where it should be

Evolved Home LED Fixture

An Easy, Affordable Upgrade

Including installation and a dimmer control, the cost is approximately $150 per fixture. For a typical kitchen, you can expect to spend under $2,000 total—an affordable investment for a significant lighting upgrade. If you’re ready to enhance the atmosphere of your home, Evolved Home is here to help. We offer complimentary in-home assessments and personalized proposals for as many rooms as you’d like to upgrade. In many cases, we can even arrange an in-home demonstration so you can see the difference firsthand. Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation and get started.

Take the next step toward a more beautifully lit home

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Better Lights, Can Lights, Cheap Lights, interior design, Kitchen remodel, LED Bulbs, LED fixtures, LED Lighting

Sonos Troubleshooting: Optimizing Performance Post-App Update (May 2024 and beyond)

December 19, 2024 By Kory Roth

Since the May 2024 update of the Sonos app, many users have experienced problematic operations. If you have a Sonos system, we’ve been keeping up with Sonos’s backline updates and testing real-world app experiences from a consumer’s perspective. Based on Evolved Home’s hands-on experience, we’ve found that Sonos systems can work relatively reliably if used with patience. Below is a quick guide based on our testing to help make things run more smoothly, as Sonos continues working to improve the app experience over time.


System Not Showing on WiFi?

If your Sonos system isn’t showing at all, or zones/rooms are missing when connected to your local WiFi network, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Sonos app.
  2. Select the account icon in the upper right (the person icon with a circle around it).
  3. Scroll down and select ‘App Preferences’.
  4. Scroll down again, and select ‘Reset App’.  Then select ‘Reset’ when prompted.  This will clear the App’s cached memory.
  5. You may need to log back in when complete, and them proceed as normal.

If you can see your system, you can skip directly to the steps below.


Steps for a More Reliable Sonos Operation:

Before Turning On a Room:

  • Open the Sonos app and uncheck all zones to clear any active outputs.

When Turning On a Room:

  • Select the one room you want to activate.
  • Add additional zones by checking their boxes and hitting Apply.

Before Turning Off Rooms:

  • Uncheck all zones except one.
  • Hit Apply, then pause the source that was playing.
  • Finally, uncheck the last room and hit Apply. You should see “No Output Selected.”

Patience is Key:

  • Allow 20-30 seconds for commands to execute, especially when managing multiple zones or overriding active TV/music setups.

Observations by Evolved Home:

  • The issues stem primarily from the Sonos app, not the hardware itself.
  • The app may crash during extensive use, so staying organized within the app can significantly reduce frustration.

By following these steps, Evolved Home has observed that you can maintain better control over your Sonos system without major hiccups.

Filed Under: Common Resolutions Tagged With: Sonos Problems, Sonos troubleshooting

Apple TV Voice (Siri) integration and control issues

December 10, 2024 By Kory Roth

Upon the introduction of tvOS 18 to Apple TV units in late 2024 by Apple, some users have noticed issues with control and voice (Siri) integration from Control4 (and other control systems).  Rebooting of the Apple TV units in these systems can restore control for an undetermined amount of time, until if fails again.

Upon cooperative investigation between Control4 and Apple, the cause of the issue has been identified.  Apple will be releasing an update to tvOS in the next major update release to alleviate the issue.  At this time, rebooting the Apple TV unit is the only short-term resolution if your system has HomeKit or voice (Siri) integration.  The next release date has not yet been shared by Apple.

You can follow the progress HERE on Control4’s status page.

Filed Under: Common Resolutions

Roku 14.1 Update and loss of device control

December 10, 2024 By Kory Roth

ANNOUNCEMENT: IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR ROKU USERS WITH THEIR 14.1 UPDATE

 

Please be advised that when upgrading to OS 14.1 on Roku, the Control4 driver will stop functioning. To allow external commands, the ECP must be manually authorized in Roku.

 

Users should follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Select System
  3. Navigate to Advanced System Settings
  4. Choose Control by Mobile Apps
  5. Click on Network Access

• Current Status: The setting is enabled.
• After the Update: The setting will be set to Limited by default.
• Action Required: Users will need to change the setting back to Enabled and accept a security warning.

 

FROM ROKU: This is by design from 14.1, so ECP commands are restricted based on the user’s preferences. The setting can be found under: Settings –> System –> Advanced System Setting –> Control by mobile apps –> Network access. We currently do not have a release date. However, beta users have observed during the Roku updates that there are no plans to change this default setting due to security requirements and acceptance.

 

Please note, this update will impact all control systems, not just Control4.

Filed Under: Common Resolutions Tagged With: Roku control fix

Evolved Home and Control4 X4

September 19, 2024 By Kory Roth

THE NEXT BIG THING IS COMING TO CONTROL4 AUTOMATION SYSTEMS!

Launching early 2025

Announcing Control4 X4 – the next generation of Control4 OS. As homeowners demand more from their connected systems, you need an interface that can keep up. Control4 X4 fundamentally transforms the way you interact with Control4.

X4 is an evolution — from an operating system to a smart living experience. The redesigned interface features a powerful home screen, curated routines, and seamless Apple HomeKit Integration, among other breakthrough updates.

With Control4 X4, you become empowered with a system that adapts to your needs and delivers convenience and personalization. Give yourself a smart space that truly complements your preferences and lifestyle.

Say Hello To Home Screen

Introducing Home Screen: the new hub for a seamlessly connected living experience. Users can control and monitor favorite devices in the project from a single, intuitive screen.

Enhanced Personalization

Widgets

Customizable widgets allow users to personalize their home screen however they like and get quick access to frequently used functions such as cameras and device status.
With the ability to swap out, resize, and rearrange, widgets optimize your home screen and room view layout.

Routines

With X4’s new Routines feature, users can create automated actions tailored to their lifestyle. Routines are created scenes with schedules but even more flexible and interactive.
That means your customers can make the basic changes they want, when they want, letting you spend your time on what matters most.

Expanded Apple HomeKit Integration

Customers can now independently manage devices, access scenes, and convert all devices in the Apple ecosystem into customizable interfaces without needing an integrator in X4. Everything from Car Play, Apple widgets, and of course, Siri.*

Important Things To Know

 

  • The Control4 X4 public release is launching early 2025. More details to come on release date.
  • Customers must have an active Control4 Connect subscription to update to X4.** Legacy 4Sight systems will need to be upgraded to take advantage of X4.  Evolved Home can convert (and upgrade, if necessary) your existing system to be ready.
  • HomeKit integration requires Control4 CORE controllers.  EA series controllers support migration to X4.
  • With the introduction of Control4 X4, sunsetting cloud services for OS 2 systems will happen in 2026.  Evolved Home can help you plan for the changes..
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*HomeKit (hardware and software technology, trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions). CarPlay (software feature) and Siri (voice recognition software) are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions.
**Control4 Connect is currently only available in the U.S.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Control4, Evolved Home, X4

Control4 Connect Subscription Plan

April 23, 2024 By Kory Roth

Control4 Connect makes it possible to enjoy a truly personalized smart living experience with convenient system access, usage insights, and must-have features. It allows access to the latest security updates, software improvement, and integrations – so the system installed today can improve as technology, and preferences, evolve.

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR CONTROL4 EXPERIENCE

WHAT TO EXPECT

As of April 23, 2024, all new systems installed in the United States are eligible for Control4 Connect. All previously installed systems are also eligible for Control4 Connect, and Evolved Home can help you get your system converted!*

Connect is a service that is be paid annually through the Control4 app. Your Control4 Connect service makes the following features and functions possible.

  • Access to Software Updates
  • System Control & Functionality
  • Remote System Access
  • Mobile Notifications
  • Voice Control
  • iOS/Android Control4 App Integration
  • Intercom Anywhere
  • When>>Then Scene Personalization
  • System Backup
  • System Insights
  • System Education
  • Customer ability to add new devices to your system
Control4 Connect subscription pricing varies depending on system deployment, from $0-249/yr.
*Control4 System must be on or upgraded to OS 3.2.2 or greater, and be CA/EA/CORE series controller/s to benefit from Control4 Connect.
Control 4 Connect FAQ

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Control4 Connect

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