- Posted on
Fri Dec 04, 2020 2:11 pm
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dduff617
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- Posts: 661
- Joined: Jul 05, 2006
- Location: Massachusetts, USA
I'm now circling back to the original poster's request. I have direct experience with: Somfy RTS, Somfy Autoview, HunterDouglas PowerRise, and Lutron Serena, in all cases, controlled by Indigo.
The very best quality solution I have come across are the Lutron Serena. Their materials are high quality, their motors are very smooth and quiet. There is a Lutron plugin for Indigo (for shades as well as other Lutron devices). A Lutron hub is required to bridge between IP and proprietary Lutron Clear Connect (RF) protocol. Setup is done via Lutron app which provides numerous control options including creating groups, rooms, schedules, etc. (largely duplicative of what Indigo provides). Lutron app can operate locally (directly communicating with your local hub) or via the Lutron cloud. The protocol (and bridge) is two-way, so you can use Lutron remotes/programs to control the devices and Indigo actively tracks device status. Serena shades are expensive plus there's extra expense due to requiring a proprietary hub if you don't already use Lutron.
Of the two Somfy options, RTS and Autoview, I own numerous instances of both. Although both types are still sold, I would consider RTS to be obsolete as it is surpassed by Autoview in almost every way. (note I covered various ways of controlling RTS shades from Indigo in my previous post.)
Somfy Autoview hardware is a newer design and improved with smoother/quieter motors and superior control system. Support and integration with Indigo is better with Autoview - you get full two-way monitoring and control of devices. Since Autoview devices (both remotes and shades) are standard Z-wave devices, neither hub nor plugin is required; Indigo provides "native" support. There is no cloud dependency. Plugins are great, but I would hate to make a big investment in products to find at some point that a plugin I depend on has been dropped or been abandoned by its developer. There is no Autoview app, nor is there any need for one. Adding devices to Indigo is done in the "normal" way (z-wave association) so you don't have to learn yet another system of buttons, LED's, etc.. Indigo can control shades with direct control, triggers, or schedules. Both remotes and shades report battery status to Indigo. Assuming you have other z-wave gear in your house, wireless signal quality/range is generally a non-issue, since the devices participate in your z-wave mesh. Autoview shades are relatively economical - among the cheapest motorized shades that I've come across, despite having good quality and good warranty.
I have the least (and least recent) experience with HunterDouglas, but have generally found their products to be good and their product selection very wide. I have not found them to be friendly w.r.t. either HA integration or DIY ordering/installation. They require you to design, price, and order their products exclusively through authorized dealers. I bought HD hardware only to have them switch to a new/incompatible system, then switch yet again to another new/incompatible system a few years after that. I will note that HD sells some classes of product (e.g., motorized bottom-up shades) that you can't get from other vendors and I know them to have good warranty/support. There is a PowerView plugin for Indigo. I have no direct experience with it, but I see 7rdr7 reports having a good experience with it.
My personal recommendations:
I would heartily recommend Somfy Autoview - it is good quality, relatively good value, with excellent integration with Indigo and is virtually sure to still be supported and working in 5 or even 10+ years. There's nothing extra to buy (hubs, etc.) and the extras that you might buy (remote controls, for example) are reasonably priced and fully usable from Indigo as general purpose scene controllers. Autoview complements and is complemented very nicely by Indigo.
I would also give a qualified recommendation for Lutron Serena. It has excellent quality, good integration with Indigo, has very robust battery support (uses D cells for most sizes) and seems like it will stand up well to multiple-times-per-day usage. Drawbacks are: it is based on a proprietary protocol, dependent on a 3rd party Indigo plugin, and dependent on a specialized IP bridge, and is also quite expensive.
HunterDouglas has a wider selection of products, very good quality and support. I confess to not being up-to-date on their product offerings. If you find a knowledgeable HD dealer familiar with motorization/automation, you might have good luck with them.