My Vera Lite has been acting up lately and went to check out the Vera Edge again to see if UI7 has been mostly sorted out on it and if PLEG, AutoVera, Vera Alerts, etc. that I use HEAVILY were sorted and fully working and was surprised to see that the price on the Edge dropped to $99 dollars.
That got me wondering if that means there might be a new controller coming out soon. Maybe it is the rumored updated version of the Vera 3 with the new Z-Wave chip and other similar spec improvements like the Edge did for the Lite?
I’m moving to a new house in the next few weeks and really want to plan the HA system from the ground up instead of the hodge podge way I did this house. This setup was my introduction to HA and it works but with everything that I learned from here and knowing all the things I’ll want to add to the system in the new house, which will be practically EVERYTHING, I do not want the Edge if a newer more powerful controller is coming out in the near future.
Also not to hijack my own post but is Vera still the way I should go? Probably a premature question as I’ve only just started thinking about and looking at this and the HomeSeer seems to be considered the ‘best’ hub/controller out there but seems insanely expensive. Again I rely HEAVILY on the PLEG and like to ‘tinker’ a bit to stretch what I can do with the system and am looking at integrating a few Amazon Echo devices and at first blush Vera seems to be my best bet.
Anyway I appreciate some input on this stuff. I do not post much but just wanted to say THANKS to all the people who do as I have learned a TON from all of you!!
Thanks Slartibartfast!! I thought I read about something in the works but did not remember the name and nothing was popping in a Google search for ‘new Vera controller’. So my guess with your statement of ‘this fall’ and me not being to find anything else on it, including specs, ‘this fall’ will be more likely Spring to Summer. Hmmm… I really wish they would be a little more transparent on their upcoming stuff. If they slowly released pics and/or specs it would do NOTHING but create more buzz and interest in getting the new controller!
Problem is there is no perfect Home Automation controller. I been threw vera lites and edges for the last 3 years. I have a always running Computer that I use for blueiris and PLEX. That would be perfect for Homeseer. I bought a usb z-wave chip and did their 30 day trial.
The price is defiantly higher, but they run sales and using an existing computer and a 40.00 usb z-wave the hardware was cheap. Software you have options and would be a few hundred which I think many people will agree is not a bad deal if it worked great and caused no problems like the VERA currently has.
Problem is Homeseer has just the same amount of quirks as VERA and it’s much further behind in supporting non z-wave devices mostly due to community here making and maintaining their own plugins. Another thing I never got down right was the phone or tablet apps. Here we have alot of options for which ios or andriod app we want to run and how it looks. I use VERA alerts on andriod and nothing was as nice for that over there.
I ended up finding that I would be missing alot of features I currently use now if I switched. I ultimately decided to stay with Vera, but only because I’m ok with its little issues and quirks not because its perfect.
I like Vera because I don’t have lots of non z-wave devices and everything i have works straight out of the box. I don’t really need the plug ins but i do use a couple just to make life easy.
I don’t really need a clever tablet interface because i have set up scenes to do my autonation.
That all said, i expect to find the new radios in Vera plus useful and then i bet i need more plug ins.
[quote=“integlikewhoa, post:5, topic:189287”]Problem is there is no perfect Home Automation controller. I been threw vera lites and edges for the last 3 years. I have a always running Computer that I use for blueiris and PLEX. That would be perfect for Homeseer. I bought a usb z-wave chip and did their 30 day trial.
The price is defiantly higher, but they run sales and using an existing computer and a 40.00 usb z-wave the hardware was cheap. Software you have options and would be a few hundred which I think many people will agree is not a bad deal if it worked great and caused no problems like the VERA currently has.
Problem is Homeseer has just the same amount of quirks as VERA and it’s much further behind in supporting non z-wave devices mostly due to community here making and maintaining their own plugins. Another thing I never got down right was the phone or tablet apps. Here we have alot of options for which ios or andriod app we want to run and how it looks. I use VERA alerts on andriod and nothing was as nice for that over there.
I ended up finding that I would be missing alot of features I currently use now if I switched. I ultimately decided to stay with Vera, but only because I’m ok with its little issues and quirks not because its perfect.[/quote]
Thanks for the input and great perspective!
I also have a separate PC for BlueIris running 24x7 and running my PLEX on a FreeNAS so that is what did first catch my eye for Homeseer. I did a little looking and think you nailed it though with the community here for Vera. I have learned SOOOO much about how a lot of REALLY smart, regular contributors here are stretching what the Vera products can do and creating awesome apps and hacks that I have implemented a number of ways including a little custom LUUP coding and that info/support is invaluable for me. HA is about automating your home but I enjoy the learning and tinkering as much as the result. Besides I CANNOT live without my PLEG and VeraAlerts!
I’m going to hold tight for now and at least hope the specs for the VeraPlus and/or the VeraSecure come out soon. When I go to the new house in a few weeks the whole setup is going to change and I can try to do a complete wipe of my Lite and add all the devices then slowly add the apps to see if I can get by without the issues I’m now having and hopefully get me by until the new Vera controllers are out.
Better be sooner rather than later as I HATE to wait!! At least waiting will let me save for all the new Z-Wave items I want to get!!
Dave
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