With a long heritage, Crestron has been providing the very highest quality residential automation and control technologies for the corporate and luxury home environment for over 45 years. The company is very active in the corporate world, working with large enterprises to enhance the surroundings, delivering bespoke control for aspects such as audio visual and lighting. In luxury homes, Crestron has pioneered home automation technologies from shades, audio visual and thermostats to sensors and touchscreens. The entire ecosystem of the home is addressed through one means of control. Crestron resides at the premium end of the market and places heavy emphasis on making people’s lives easier through the use of technology to connect luxury properties and corporate buildings.
When one considers the market that Creston plays in, it is easy to see the reasons why the company decided to enter the superyacht market. The work that it carries out on shore translates perfectly to luxury homes at sea. Creston has taken everything the company does from the perspective of a luxury property and transferred it to the superyacht market. With discerning customers that demand the ultimate in convenience and control, the connected superyacht is fast becoming a necessity.
The Crestron USP
Crestron is unique in the market as it designs, manufactures and supports the entire spectrum of products that are available within a superyacht from the smart home perspective. Crestron manufactures lighting control, shading solutions, motors, fabrics, audio equipment, speakers, amps, video distribution software, remote controls, touch screens all the way down to apps to enable people to control from mobile devices. The important aspect to note is that Creston is the only company that is all-encompassing. It manufactures everything that a smart superyacht requires. Other companies will make certain products and then integrate them. However, the experience is not complete and an ETO has to deal with multiple manufacturers. Then, when things go wrong, the process to put things right is time-consuming, and the approach is not joined-up.
The difference with Crestron is that the user experience lies completely with one manufacturer and one system so when assistance is required, it can be found rapidly and easily, with minimal time consumed for already very busy crew. On top of this, all devices are controlled in one place – on a phone or touchscreen – which means that users are able to gain access to the entire system from one place, and it offers complete control of all systems on-board.
This means that, especially on a superyacht, the boat owner and ETO have complete control of how the boat is customised. From the boat owner’s perspective, everything is accessible from one device and control can be exercised over who gains access to certain systems on board. From the perspective of an ETO, the entire system can be defined, giving them complete control when required. This also enables the ETO to monitor all systems and is able to identify issues as soon as, or before, they arise. Therefore, it is much easier for the crew to resolve them.
Another important aspect of Crestron’s capabilities is that, aside from home automation services, the company also allows the boat system to tie into other boat-related services such as crew calling systems and systems that allow the crew to learn more about the immediate environment where the boat is located. These additional services may be integrated into the system so that it is visible on the user screen, along with all other systems.
These capabilities make Crestron the ultimate in terms of both experience and control for owners and ETOs and, because it is Crestron, all systems are completely hidden from view, leaving the only visible component as the touch screen or remote used to control the systems.
In 2019, Crestron will continue to expand its selection of unique, tailored products that perfectly integrate with its client’s lifestyle.
DigitalMedia (DM)
Crestron’s DigitalMedia (DM) solution addresses the seamless integration of all audio/visual technologies on-board a superyacht. Crestron has introduced a single platform from which all AV sources can be controlled and managed. DM features the highest quality video, fastest switching, multi-channel, professional audio and network-based control, all on a secure, enterprise grade platform. It is the only fully-engineered, field-proven, end-to-end solution for managing and distributing digital AV and control signals. DM allows users to experience the same technology enjoyed by Fortune 500 companies, on board a superyacht. The latest DM evolution is DM NVX which assures no latency transmission of stunning 4K60 4:4:4 and HDR video over a standard 1Gbps Ethernet. It is highly scalable, allowing sources or displays to be added as required for the most simple to the very complex of projects – and complex is where the superyacht industry sits.
Horizontal Sheers
Another marine tailored product, Crestron’s horizontal sheers, adapt perfectly to the changing light on board a superyacht, whether guests want light, shade or complete darkness. The latest addition to its line of Crestron Shading Solutions, horizontal sheers add flexible natural lighting control to any room or space. The specialized fabric contains horizontal fabric vanes that float between two layers of soft, knitted fabric to soften the view to the outside. The sheers are available in sizes up to 8 feet wide by 8 feet tall and the can tilt open, closed, or fully roll up to provide an unobstructed view. This means more flexibility with light from a single automated blind, saving space and weight on-board.