CEDIA 2010: Control4 4Store Marketplace Expands

That shiny and new Control4 touchpad has been installed, and you’ve been using it to run your home entertainment system. It dims the lights. And maybe you’ve even got it programmed to open and close the shades, if for no other reason than because you can. But when the novelty wears off, you might wonder, “What else can my Control4 do?” That’s where Control4′s 4Store comes in. Taking a page out of Apple’s App Store playbook, Control4 has filled its 4Store with useful and entertaining applications that can greatly expand the capabilities of your control panel.

The 4Store has only been open since late June, but the list of apps keeps growing everyday. Control4 took some time at the 2010 CEDIA Expo to highlight some of the latest offerings in the 4Store. An Internet Radio app streams radio stations from across the web and across the world. Users can keep a list of favorite and local stations, and the “Now Playing” bar on the Control4 panel allows for volume control and the ability to control different audio zones throughout the home.

If you’re a sports fan with a particularly busy College Football Saturday, or you need to keep up with your Fantasy roster on Sunday, the 4Store has a new Multi-Screen “Video Wall” app. From the comfort of your armchair, and with the touch of a button on the Control4 touchscreen, the Video Wall allows for simultaneous control of up to seven video screens. The app allows the viewer to select the stations to be viewed, and can set a default station for each screen. With full control of each screen via one Control4 remote, you’ll have no trouble displaying just the right mix of games.

The 4Store also has a new app for energy management. The app provides real-time energy usage statistics from any television or Control4 screen, as well as remote access at Eragy. The app gives users the ability to automatically control HVAC systems, based on their own preferences or through custom options based on the time of day.

The 4Store also has the My Energy app that will work for consumers with a TED 5000 energy monitoring device. My Energy offers the Dashboard, where users can see their home’s price per KwH, cost per hour, and other current power usage. The Electricity Use feature offers historical data and graphical representations of energy consumption.

Control4 owners that want to take conservation a step further can do so with the My Yard Sprinkler app. Users can set watering schedules, and, for the first time, the Control4 interface will include support for irrigation.

If security is foremost on your mind, lock manufacturers Kwikset, Yale, and Baldwin have developed apps for the Control4 that allow homeowners to lock and unlock doors, manage access codes, and view status reports from their Control4 panels. A new Vacation app can automatically control lighting and audiovisual equipment, and adjust shades at various intervals to trick the bad guys into thinking your home is occupied.

The 4Store works with Control 4′s OS 2.0 and ships with every new controller or touchscreen. A variety of entertainment apps are also available, including Twitter, Facebook, games, news headlines, and live webcams. For more information about the 4Store Marketplace visit 4Store or call 888.400.4070.