Sony X and W Series TV Lineup Now Control4 “Automation-Ready”

September 11, 2014

This week, Sony announced their entire 2014 lineup of X and W Series HD and Ultra HD (4K) TVs will ship with Control4 Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP) technology built-in. This integration means that Sony X and W Series TV’s will be automation-ready right out of the box.
 
Sony has always been a leader in television innovation, and recently has been one of the manufacturers leading the charge in Ultra HD adoption. This addition of Control4 SDDP technology shows that Sony is continuing the trend of innovation with a focus on the smart and connected home.
 
So what is SDDP technology and what does it mean to have a Control4 “automation-ready” TV?
 
SDDP is a powerful Internet-of-Things technology that resides in consumer electronic devices. When these devices are connected to a network that has a Control4 home automation system, the automation system immediately recognizes the device (in this case, a Sony TV) and automatically downloads the driver necessary to control that device. This feature dramatically reduces the complexity of setting up a new device in a home automation system by eliminating much of the manual work historically required.
 
While it’s true that almost any device that can already be controlled though IR (Infrared), RF (Radio Frequency) or IP (Internet Protocol) is ready for integration in Control4’s systems, it is still a manual process for a Control4 Authorized Dealer to search for the correct driver to download and, in some cases, they even need to create the driver from scratch, which requires additional time. A Control4 “automation-ready” device makes it so this entire process is automatically taken care of in just a matter of seconds.
 
With Sony’s announcement, it joins an impressive list of leading global brands that already deliver products with embedded Control4 SDDP technology, including Sharp, Toshiba, B&O, Channel Vision, Denon, DISH Network, Integra, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, TiVo and Yamaha, among others. Together with Control4, these brands are building a smart home ecosystem that will ultimately benefit homeowners who are craving more control over their homes.
 
So how exactly does any of this benefit you as a Control4 customer?
 
As more and more manufacturers and devices adopt this SDDP technology, the time spent installing an automation system can be cut down significantly. Which means your home automation system installation and any future additions can be accomplished quickly and efficiently.