Tech Home Rating System

CEDIA (The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) is a trade organization that is made up of System Design/Install firms, equipment manufacturers and other industry related people and organizations. The association exists to help bring technology into your home in a way that makes more sense.

Unique to this industry association, it is controlled by the design/install firms rather than the manufacturers (as most other industry associations are) putting its core more directly in contact with you the consumer and better able to act as your advocate in the technology world.

It is in this spirit that we offer the following observations, opinions and perspectives on the recently developed “TechHome Rating” structure.

To find a CEDIA Residential Electronic Systems Contractor near you use the Free Finder Service right now.

What is the Tech Home Rating System?

As technology has become more prolific in our homes the consumer electronics industry has become aware that consumers want to quantify their investment in some way. This quantification is especially desired in the situation of real-estate resale. Similar to the valuation of a two bathroom, three bedroom home being more valuable than a single bath, two bedroom home, the TechHome Rating is an initial attempt to value the technologies that have been installed within a home.

It is believed that in time, the TechHome Rating system will be listed in the real-estate advertisement just as bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. are listed today.

Who are the Players?

• CEDIA – Trade association fully focused on the design and installation of electronic systems in your home.
  
• CEA – Consumer Electronics Association - Trade association made up of industry manufacturers focused on the sale and delivery of consumer electronic components. Recently, however, this group has begun to include dealers in their membership and has a division focused on custom installation called “Tech Home.”
  
• CONSUMERS – This is you; we depend on your interest in our products and services in order to make a living. We would appreciate feedback on the TechHome Rating system and any other aspect of our industry.

How Might This Impact Your Decisions?

As a trade association that wants to make certain you, the homeowner, can take advantage of new and developing technologies for years to come, we want to influence you to consider engaging our dealers when you renovate, remodel or build a home. Mostly, we will try to influence you to install the appropriate and adequate wires during construction.
Beyond the decision to make certain your home is wired for current and future technologies, the rest is up to you. Make your purchase decisions based on your lifestyle. Buy only what makes sense for you to have and use in your home. Establish a budget and stick to it if possible, but be open to the multiple options that face you.
Follow the suggestions of your local CEDIA certified dealer and enjoy your quest for in-home technologies.

Rating Your Home’s Technological Capabilities

CEDIA Designer and Installers want to assure that your home is designed and equipped with the highest technology capabilities. Digital video and music, high-speed internet access and home networking products are becoming a part of daily life. There are many CEDIA Designer and Installers that will provide you with high-quality, high-tech smart homes. To help you evaluate your home’s technological capabilities, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has developed a user-friendly tool: The TechHome Rating System. This valuable tool will help you assess your home’s technological capabilities whether you are building, buying or upgrading a home.

To determine your TechHome Rating, print out the rating form at www.ce.org/techhomerating and follow the scoring instructions at the bottom. The higher your home rates, the more easily it can support the latest technologies.

The TechHome Rating System divides the electronic systems in a home into categories based on the primary function or benefit the system provides.

• The Home Entertainment category contains information on the home's television and audio distribution capabilities including the different types of television subscription services available to the home.
  
• The Communications section rates the telephone and intercom systems, while PC Networking and Internet Sharing measures the availability of high-speed Internet access and the home's support for sharing computer files, printers and a single Internet connection.
  
• The Home Security and Home Comfort & Convenience categories cover other home systems including alarm, energy management and lighting control systems.

How smart is your home? How smart can it be? Rate these capabilities with the new TechHome Rating System at www.ce.org/techhomerating and contact CEDIA www.cedia.org to start living Electronic Lifestyles® today. To find a CEDIA Residential Electronic Systems Contractor near you use the Free Finder Service right now.