On 11/22/04 02:33 ET, RTI Installer said...
Oops, well then I guess the RTI K4 is just a figment
of my imagination
[Link: rticorp.com]This unit isnt available yet to my knowledge AND it isnt a handheld unit either. We install RTI equipment as well, when Crestron isnt warranted. However, I would never consider RTI for anything more than the most basic of systems. This is just how we do business which may not be how you do business. That isnt to say anything negative about you or your business, it is just a difference of opinion.
Its not that I don’t think that AMX is all that
cool, its just that only 1 in 15 customers I run
into are really even interested in spending that
kind of money on the larger systems. Further I
am voicing an insiders opinion of what I know
is coming down the road real soon, Bi directional,
IP addressable and all.
I would agree that most customers dont really
want to spend the kind of money that is needed to get total control of thier gear. However, I still see it as a
need for those customers.
The new stuff is getting powerful really fast
from an integrators standpoint. Franks needs for
example could easily be handled with just a T2+
and an RP-6, no sweat for less than $1500.00 in
parts. Does he need bi-directional communication???
I think he just wants to watch his HD Tivo without
any hassles. If he wants something more elaborate
he could wait a couple of months and get a K4.
So lets talk reality---how much would it cost
Frank to get into an AMX system? If frank can
afford it and wants to go that direction, then
hey you will be happy and I am sure Frank will
be happy. But if frank cannot afford such a setup
what is he left with, which way should he go.
I think Frank already answered this question when
he said, “I like to work with and set-up the system
myself”.
I think he does need the bi-directional feedback, even if its 'faked'. We have many customers that we have given this feedback to and they LOVE it. Why? Well, in a multiple monitor/multiple source setup like what Frank has, we can provide logic based programming that tracks itself and 'reports' to the touchpanel, at a glance for the end user, which source is displayed on which display. This is great if he has had a few to many drinks during his favorite sporting event and cant remember what source is where. A virtual matrix switcher if you will. All of that can be done with logic. That isnt something that RTI is doing now and since I dont have insider information I cant speak about the future.
As far as pricing goes, you have given a parts only price for the RTI gear of @ $1500.00. I believe that with the RF antenna module the RTI gear ends up at a @ retail of about $1700.00. Well, parts only, Frank could get into Crestron with a decent one-way handheld RF unit and processor with built in RF gateway for @ $2100.00. That really isnt a great difference in price but there is a significant difference in programmability. We could argue this for weeks on end and never come to an agreement as to which is the better choice for Frank. My point was that RTI makes good stuff but the price difference is so little that he
should consider Crestron. You are correct in that he stated that he does like to work with and setup the system himself but the reason for the post was to gain some understanding as to what RS232 is and how to implement it. By his own admission it may be over his head technically. In a situation like this, he most likely would hire a professional installer to guide him in the installation and programming of the system. No offense to Frank but if he has had some difficulty with a MX800 then the RTI would probably be a bit daunting as well and Crestron/AMX is way out there.
To give you an idea of 'fake' feedback, you can go here (IP Addy removed due to installed gear) this is a work in progress for a customer and is by no means finished but is an example of 'fake' feedback since there is NO gear other than the processor on the system.
This message was edited by avgenius1 on 12/01/04 15:21 ET.
