I have been using a combination of VeraMate on my iPhones and Imperihome on an iPad for some time now. My continued frustration with VeraMate has me looking for a better all round solution. So I purchased a Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and installed Imperihome on it. First impression is that the Android version is way better than the iOS version. I have the tablet working well but it’s still lacking in several areas if I’m going to use it as my only Vera, Alarm system and surveillance camera controller. I have reached out to Imperihome on the features I need to really adopt it as my main tool and there has been no response in a week. Poor response to issues is one of the problems I have had consistently with VeraMate, so is Imperihome just as bad in that regard…?
I need the alarm widget to be user configurable, I don’t want to need to input a passcode to arm the system (DSC) as I don’t need to do that at the native alarm panel. I want the alarm widget to have sounds again just like the native panel does. I have 4 outdoor and 3 indoor cameras around the house and I’m using Blue Iris to control them. I can get the application to pop to the main camera screen when any of them see motion but I also want an alert tone when that action takes place.
There are a number of other things I want it to do that it does not but without the developers paying attention to use the users I don’t see that as likely to happen.
Am I barking up the wrong tree…? Is there an alternate solution for iPhone and tablet control that I should be looking at that would have better developer support and be more feature rich…?
[quote=“RichardPHarvey, post:1, topic:194647”]I have been using a combination of VeraMate on my iPhones and Imperihome on an iPad for some time now. My continued frustration with VeraMate has me looking for a better all round solution. So I purchased a Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and installed Imperihome on it. First impression is that the Android version is way better than the iOS version. I have the tablet working well but it’s still lacking in several areas if I’m going to use it as my only Vera, Alarm system and surveillance camera controller. I have reached out to Imperihome on the features I need to really adopt it as my main tool and there has been no response in a week. Poor response to issues is one of the problems I have had consistently with VeraMate, so is Imperihome just as bad in that regard…?
I need the alarm widget to be user configurable, I don’t want to need to input a passcode to arm the system (DSC) as I don’t need to do that at the native alarm panel. I want the alarm widget to have sounds again just like the native panel does. I have 4 outdoor and 3 indoor cameras around the house and I’m using Blue Iris to control them. I can get the application to pop to the main camera screen when any of them see motion but I also want an alert tone when that action takes place.
There are a number of other things I want it to do that it does not but without the developers paying attention to use the users I don’t see that as likely to happen.
Am I barking up the wrong tree…? Is there an alternate solution for iPhone and tablet control that I should be looking at that would have better developer support and be more feature rich…?[/quote]
I love Imperihome and used them for years. On their beta (google+) site they add features we request all the time. The problem if your using an iPhone, which by nature can’t do much anyways (everything locked out by apple). The last user suggested tasker but that or any of its advanced features are not available for iphones. Also Imperihome started out as a Andriod product and just recently opened to apple so they have less options and features for the Apple side vs. the Android side. I have things I used on Andriod imperihome and when asked why they don’t have that on apple side it was talk that’s not possible with apple’s API. App short cuts in Imperihome app was one of them.
With that being said for me on Apple and only Apple (since imperihome works for both but this one only works for Apple) is Homewave.
I should have added that I’m looking to deploy tablets at 3 locations in the house and I’m OK using Android there. On our phone, yep not moving off the iPhone but I can deal with a crippled Imperihome OR deal with VeraMate which is a pretty good app but is really lacking support.
Can you provide more info or a link to the beta site you mention please.
@RichardPHarvey I’m curious to know more about your tablet setup and interacting with Blue Iris, I have almost the same setup as you do. My wife and I both have iPhones, but tablet in the main area that I want to be able to control the obvious lighting but also integrate the alarm system (activating/deactivating/etc) and also what you mentioned with BI if there is motion to pop up or alert you. How do you have that setup?
Also, I read a thread/post somewhere that someone has there tablet as a picture frame and when motion is detected by the camera the HA control pops up, have you done anything like that? I have my tablet and running Social Frame, but would like for Imperihome to pop up when you’re in front of the tablet. Any advice on that?
Thanks for any info, as this is a little bit of a learning curve for me.
You didn’t mention if you’re already using Blue Iris or not but BI has the ability to push HTTP requests when a camera senses motion. Imperihome has it’s own built-in web service that when enabled it listens for HTTP requests, so that combo allows you to (for example) bring the front door camera full screen when it captures motion.
Imperihome also has the built-in capability to bring the tablet out of sleep when it sees motion on the tablets camera, I have yet to even try this as I like to keep my tablets on 24x7. I think Imperihome is the better solution out there but it’s not yet complete in my opinion. I would like every widget to be sound capable so that things like state changes in an alarm panel could ding etc. I unfortunately don’t see the developers as responsive at all so I don’t know how quickly they will add additional capability.
@RichardPHarvey I’m curious to know more about your tablet setup and interacting with Blue Iris, I have almost the same setup as you do. My wife and I both have iPhones, but tablet in the main area that I want to be able to control the obvious lighting but also integrate the alarm system (activating/deactivating/etc) and also what you mentioned with BI if there is motion to pop up or alert you. How do you have that setup?
Also, I read a thread/post somewhere that someone has there tablet as a picture frame and when motion is detected by the camera the HA control pops up, have you done anything like that? I have my tablet and running Social Frame, but would like for Imperihome to pop up when you’re in front of the tablet. Any advice on that?
Thanks for any info, as this is a little bit of a learning curve for me.[/quote]
I’m still struggling with this overall question…! I have Imperihome running on 3 Android tablets now and for the most part it’s acceptable, but it’s not complete in my opinion. I requested to be included in the Beta program as a way to have my voice heard and maybe get some advanced features added someday but after 3 weeks they have yet to accept my request. I have opened several tickets with their help desk and ALL have gone unanswered. What are users to thinks here…? In it’s current version it’s 90% of what I need, I’m just looking to get that last 10% of functionality which would make it near perfect.
If the Imperihome developers read these threads please respond to me somehow…!
[quote=“RichardPHarvey, post:12, topic:194647”]I’m still struggling with this overall question…! I have Imperihome running on 3 Android tablets now and for the most part it’s acceptable, but it’s not complete in my opinion. I requested to be included in the Beta program as a way to have my voice heard and maybe get some advanced features added someday but after 3 weeks they have yet to accept my request. I have opened several tickets with their help desk and ALL have gone unanswered. What are users to thinks here…? In it’s current version it’s 90% of what I need, I’m just looking to get that last 10% of functionality which would make it near perfect.
If the Imperihome developers read these threads please respond to me somehow…![/quote]
I also have two tablets using Imperihome. It supports most basic function but I am moving to Openhab2 & Habpanel which I could customise everything (icons, images, layouts, and etc…). Another bonus is I could use IFTTT with my Vera too
Best Home Automation shopping experience. Shop at Ezlo!
