Recent Blog Posts

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Control4 Connect: What Does This Home Automation Subscription Buy You?

What It Is, What It Does, and If You Need It

You're already paying annual fees for various technologies—Apple iCloud storage, Google services, Netflix, and Spotify. So it shouldn't surprise you that home automation has joined the subscription economy. Control4 previously offered connectivity plans under names like 4Sight, and recently transitioned everything to a new service called Control4 Connect. If you've heard these terms floating around and aren't quite sure what changed or whether you need to do anything, this is the explanation without the sales pitch. Show and Tell will review your Control4 system and recommend the subscription—if any—that makes the most sense for your system's usage.

Friday, 14 November 2025

What Happens in a Home Automation System Upgrade?

Understanding the Process Behind Professional Smart Home Improvements

Upgrading a home automation system isn't like swapping out a thermostat or buying a new TV. Whether you're migrating from another platform to Control4 or modernizing your existing infrastructure, the process requires a thorough evaluation—not guesswork. Show and Tell's approach begins with understanding what you have, what you want, and whether an upgrade is genuinely necessary for your situation. Sometimes the answer is "keep what you have." Sometimes it's "let's phase this over six months." And occasionally, it's "your system just needs reprogramming, not replacement." Here's what the process typically looks like, from the initial call to the final walkthrough.

Tuesday, 04 November 2025

Is Your Control4 System Ready for OS 4? Here's What You Need to Know

Why Smart Home Upgrades Require More Than Clicking "Update"

Your iPhone prompts you to update iOS; you tap "Install," and fifteen minutes later (or so), you're running the latest software. A Control4 upgrade doesn't quite work that way. Smart home systems are fundamentally different—they manage hardware across multiple rooms, communicate with dozens of devices, and rely on network infrastructure that can vary widely from home to home in Utah. Now that Control4 has released OS 4, many homeowners might assume that it’s a “click” to update. The reality is more nuanced. Hardware compatibility, network capacity, and even timing all factor into whether upgrading makes sense for your specific system. Show and Tell approaches these transitions methodically, because a successful upgrade isn't about just having the latest version in your Bountiful home—it's about ensuring your system actually works better afterward.

Monday, 27 October 2025

How Lutron Lighting and Shades Save Energy Without Sacrifice

Automated Lutron shading and lighting system in a modern mountain home with large windows.

Energy Efficiency Meets Luxury

Most homeowners think they face a choice between beautiful home technology and lower energy bills. Wrong. Lutron lighting and shading systems prove you can make a significant dent in energy consumption while getting more responsive, intuitive control than you'd ever achieve manually. Mountain homes face particularly challenging climate conditions—intense high-altitude sun that strains cooling systems and severe winters that demand robust heating. The solution isn't sacrificing or remembering to flip switches and adjust shades all day; it's intelligent automation handling thousands of micro-adjustments that nobody bothers making manually. Two systems working together deliver the results: smart lighting that dims and schedules itself, and motorized shading that blocks heat before your HVAC even notices. Luxury and efficiency aren't diametrically opposed with Lutron.

Tuesday, 30 September 2025

Explore Motorized Shading with Lutron

A Look at Lutron’s Triathlon, Sivoia QS, and Palladiom Lines

When you start exploring motorized shading for your Bountiful home, the questions pile up quickly. Can you wire them, or do you need wireless power? Do you want shades hidden in architectural pockets or showcased as design elements? What control system makes sense for both your lighting and shading? Lutron offers three distinct motorized shading solutions—Sivoia QS, Triathlon, and Palladiom—each engineered for different scenarios. With deep experience in Lutron lighting and shading solutions in Utah homes, we've learned a few things about how to match the right system to your specific situation.

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