Control4 Home Automation
Control4 Home Automation Dealer & Installer
A Capable Alternative to Crestron
Control4 is a professional home automation platform that brings lighting, audio, video, climate, security and access control into a single interface — controlled from a wall-mounted touchscreen, a remote, a phone or an Apple Watch. Where Crestron is fully bespoke programming, Control4 is template-driven and configured from a library of pre-built device drivers covering more than 13,000 third-party products. The result is a system that deploys faster and costs less than fully bespoke Crestron, while still delivering genuinely capable whole-home automation. We install Control4 as the right specification for projects where that trade-off makes sense — and we tell clients honestly when it does not.
Home
Automation
Lighting
Controls
Audio Video
HVAC Controls
Window Coverings
Security & CCTV
Control4 X4 — The Current Platform
Control4’s current operating system, X4, represents a significant step up from previous generations. The home screen surfaces favourites and active media sessions immediately rather than requiring navigation through multiple menus, and a Quick Actions bar handles the most common day-to-day commands. Routines — Control4’s automation engine — can now be created and adjusted by the homeowner directly through the app, with a visual timeline showing exactly what is scheduled and a gallery of ready-made templates to start from. For households that want to make small changes themselves rather than calling an installer for every tweak, this is a meaningful improvement over earlier Control4 generations.
X4 also brings deep Apple integration — native Siri voice control, Apple Home app compatibility, CarPlay scene launching from the car, and iPhone widgets that put Control4 scenes on the home screen without opening the app. For households built around the Apple ecosystem, this level of integration is currently unmatched by any other major automation platform at this price point.
What Control4 Controls
A Control4 system manages lighting, multi-room audio and video, climate, motorised blinds and curtains, security and access control from one interface. Scenes combine multiple actions into a single command — a “Movie Night” scene dims the lights, lowers the blinds, sets the room to the correct AV input and adjusts the thermostat simultaneously, all properly sequenced so everything is ready by the time you sit down. Voice control via Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri is supported across the platform.
Control4 and Lighting
Control4 includes its own lighting control modules, suitable for projects where a single-manufacturer approach is the priority. For projects where the lighting and shading specification matters more than anything else in the room, we frequently specify Lutron for lighting and shading, integrated within the Control4 system — giving the combination of Lutron’s dedicated dimming quality with Control4’s broader automation and AV control.
Control4 vs Crestron — Which Is Right?
The decision is about programming depth, not just budget. Crestron is programmed from scratch — every scene, every automation, every interface element built specifically for the project, with no upper limit on complexity. Control4 is configured from a driver library and a template platform — faster to deploy, more cost-effective, and entirely capable for the majority of residential projects. For very large estates, highly unusual third-party integrations, or clients who want an interface designed entirely around a specific workflow, Crestron is the right answer. For most whole-home automation projects — multi-room AV, lighting integration, climate and security under one interface — Control4 delivers an excellent result. We install both and recommend honestly based on the brief.
Why Custom Controls for Control4
Every Control4 system we design begins with how the household actually lives, not with a hardware list. We establish which rooms need independent control, how AV sources are used day to day, and what the household wants to be able to adjust themselves versus what should simply work without thought. Every Control4 rack is pre-built, configured and tested at our workshop before it arrives on site — commissioning is about refining the system in the finished space, not building it from components. We have been installing Control4 alongside Crestron for over two decades, and we take over and modernise existing Control4 systems installed by other companies as a regular part of our work.
Frequently Asked Questions — Control4
What is Control4?
Control4 is a professional home automation platform that unifies lighting, audio, video, climate, security and access control into a single interface. It uses a library of pre-built device drivers covering more than 13,000 third-party products, making it fast to configure and broadly compatible. Custom Controls install Control4 as a capable, cost-effective alternative to fully bespoke Crestron programming.
What is the difference between Control4 and Crestron?
Crestron is programmed from scratch with no limit on complexity — the right choice for the most demanding projects. Control4 is configured from a driver and template library, making it faster to deploy and more cost-effective for the majority of residential projects that do not require bespoke programming depth. We install both and recommend the right platform for each project.
What is Control4 X4?
X4 is Control4’s current operating system, replacing the previous OS 3 generation. It introduces a redesigned home screen, homeowner-editable Routines with a visual timeline, and deep Apple integration including native Siri control, Apple Home compatibility, CarPlay scene launching and iPhone widgets.
Does Control4 work with Lutron?
Yes. Control4 integrates with Lutron lighting and shading systems via a native driver. For projects using Control4 for overall automation, we regularly specify Lutron separately for dedicated lighting control — the combination delivers an excellent result for clients who want the best of both platforms.
Can you take over an existing Control4 system?
Yes. We regularly take over support, reprogramming and modernisation of Control4 systems installed by other companies — including upgrading older systems to the current X4 operating system.
