[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
The smart home market in the UK was worth over £2.2 billion in a recent year, which makes it the second largest market in Europe according to a GfK Smart Home UK survey. Some of the smart products looked at in this survey include smart meters, smart TV’s, smart speakers and more. In the survey, connected smart entertainment gadgets were found to be experiencing more growth compared to other smart products. There was also a lot of professional market interest in energy management, lighting and light control, IP security cameras and alarm systems. There has been significant tech advancement for most of these products in 2019.
Great sound and attentive virtual assistants
Virtual assistants in most smart speakers have improved not just by sounding less robotic, but also by becoming better at listening to commands even when loud music is playing. For instance, Google Assistant has become better at picking up words even when they are spoken by people with heavy accents. These tech enhancements have the potential to revolutionise smart home design.
Generally great smart speakers produce rich sound, have stable multi-room audio, and can connect with many streaming audio services. The Sonos One speaker ticks most of these boxes and even beats the speaker that was expected to disrupt the smart home speaker market in 2018, Apple’s Homepod. One of the reasons why the Homepod did not take off as expected, is because it is mostly only compatible with products within the Apple Homekit ecosystem. A speaker with great sound and an accurate virtual assistant is ideal for a brilliant home cinema.
High Resolution TVs and Smart Projectors
So far, 4K TVs are still the better choice for people who do not have space for a home cinema. However, for people more interested in home cinema experience with a picture larger than 75 inches, there are many smart projectors that can make that happen. Projectors now have 4K resolutions, produce vivid clear colors and more detail. They are also brighter, smaller in size and can zoom up to support a screen of 120 inches or more.
Some of the most interesting projectors include XGIMI H2 Smart 3D projector and the PHOS. The XGIMI H2 Smart 3D projector can project a 300-inch screen in full true HD and has a built-in Harman Kardon speakers and a subwoofer. The PHOS is a conceptual rotating cylindrical projector that looks more like a mix between a sculpture and a desk top lamp. It sits in a capsule shaped frame and has a marble base that controls the projector.
Lighting in the house
A home cinema is not complete without the smart lighting and 2019 has a lot to offer as far as that is concerned. The smart bulbs that should draw you interest are those that are eco-friendly and can be controlled using a digital assistant or you smartphone. A super efficient smart LED bulb can emit the power of 800 lumens using only 9 watts of energy and can last more than 20,000 hours. They can also produce a variety of colors and have various lighting themes.
If you want an excellent smart home experience, you will need a comprehensive smart home plan. Without a plan you may just end up with a clutter of expensive gadgets that you rarely use. Fortunately, there are smart home expert that can work with you as a team to develop an affordable home automation plan. Once the plan is created, you can buy the gadgets at your own pace.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]