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Control systems integration and support by Art of Integration

Crestron support for homeowners who have inherited a system in Surrey and London

Crestron is an American maker of control systems, founded in 1972, whose Crestron Home platform runs lighting, AV, shading and climate in many large houses. If you have bought a home with Crestron, we can help you identify what is installed, what to ask the previous installer for, and whether to keep it or move to Control4.

Since 2012Showroom in Walton-on-Thames★ 5.0 on Google
Best for

Large houses that want one platform for lighting, AV distribution, shading and climate, looked after by an experienced Crestron integrator

Works with

Lutron HomeWorks QS and QSX, RadioRA 2 and 3 and RA2 Select lighting; DoorBird door stations; Horizon and Cameo 2 keypads

Where to see it

Crestron is not shown in Walton-on-Thames; Crestron runs its own experience centres, listed on crestron.com

How we help

A survey of what is installed, advice on keeping or replacing it, the network around it, and a Control4 route if you decide to move

Official website: Crestron (opens in a new tab)

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Overview
crestron supportPhoto: JohnRH4, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
01

What Crestron Home is, and how it differs from older Crestron systems

George Feldstein started Crestron in 1972 in a room above a delicatessen in Cresskill, New Jersey, and the company moved its headquarters to Rockleigh, New Jersey in 1997. It equips boardrooms, lecture theatres and stadiums as well as homes, so the residential side borrows a lot from professional AV.

For a new owner the useful point is that a "Crestron house" can mean three quite different things:

  • Crestron Home. The current residential platform, set up with configuration software rather than written as code. Crestron lists four processors for it: the rack-mounted CP4-R for larger homes, the compact MC4-R for smaller ones, the PC-based PC4-R and the DIN-rail DIN-AP4-R.
  • Crestron Pyng. The earlier residential platform, running on a PYNG-HUB (Pyng OS 1) or a CP3-R (Pyng OS 2). Crestron describes upgrade paths from both: the MC4-R replaces a PYNG-HUB in a smaller system, and a CP4-R still on Pyng OS 2 can move to Crestron Home with a firmware upgrade.
  • Custom-programmed systems. Many larger Crestron houses run a bespoke program written by the original integrator in Crestron's SIMPL Windows software. These can do almost anything, but the program file and the knowledge behind it sit with whoever wrote it.
crestron supportPhoto: JohnRH4, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
02

Why owners choose Crestron home automation for a large house

Crestron's appeal is breadth. Crestron Home brings lighting, shades, climate, music, door stations, cameras and pool equipment into one interface, and Crestron's DM NVX range sends video sources around a house over the network, including several on one screen at once. The CP4-R is aimed squarely at large homes, home cinemas and multi-room video.

The control surfaces are a second reason. Horizon and Cameo 2 keypads and the 80 Series touch screens are made for the platform, and the Cevo Mini handheld remote adds voice control. Crestron also keeps adding to the software: Crestron Home OS 4 arrived in March 2024 with a redesigned interface, and later releases added Philips Hue and PhaseX lighting, and Crestron Home's manual now covers DoorBird door stations.

crestron supportPhoto: JohnRH4, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
03

Keep Crestron or move to Control4? What decides it

  • Which platform you have. Crestron Home on current 4-Series hardware is configured rather than programmed, which makes it easier for another Crestron integrator to pick up than a custom SIMPL program with no source file.
  • The age of the processor. Crestron says Crestron Home 4.07 was the final feature update for its Version 1 hardware, and its 4.10 documentation explains how to check whether a CP4-R or MC4-R is Version 1. An early unit can still work well, but it will not gain new features.
  • What the previous installer can hand over. Owners edit scenes and schedules through an advanced user login whose password the original installer sets. Crestron's monitoring portal is open to Crestron residential installers only, and it has a Release Ownership step so a processor can be added to another account.
  • How much else is changing. If you are rewiring, refitting a cinema or replacing lighting anyway, moving the control layer at the same time means one period of disruption rather than two.
  • How you want to live with it. Some owners value Crestron's depth; others want a simpler app and an installer nearby. Neither is wrong.

Still buying? Our guide on whether home automation adds value to a house covers what to ask the seller before exchange.

Our approach

How we would approach Crestron in your home

We would start with a survey rather than a proposal. In a house you have just bought, that would mean:

  • Identifying the platform. We would note the processor models in the rack, the keypads and touch screens, and whether the system is Crestron Home, Pyng or a custom program, because each points to a different next step.
  • Listing what depends on it. Lighting, heating, blinds, gates, the cinema and the music may all run through the Crestron processor, or only some of them. Lutron lighting usually has its own processor, which changes what happens if the Crestron layer goes.
  • Checking the network. Some apparent Crestron faults turn out to be network changes: a replaced router, a new IP range or a tired switch. A review of the home network is sometimes the whole fix.
  • Setting out the options. Stay with Crestron through a Crestron integrator, keep the Lutron and the cabling and move control to Control4, or change in stages. You get each route in writing, with what it keeps and what it replaces.
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From our portfolio, not a Crestron installation
Integration

Crestron Home with Lutron lighting, and where Control4 fits

Crestron documents a direct pairing between Crestron Home and Lutron HomeWorks QS, HomeWorks QSX, RadioRA 2, RadioRA 3 and RA2 Select, covering lights, shades and fans. A few rules in that pairing matter to an owner:

  • One Lutron system can be added to a Crestron Home system, and each Crestron room takes one Lutron area.
  • Lutron shades are left out of Crestron Home shade groups, so shade groups are built on the Lutron side.
  • RadioRA 3, HomeWorks QSX and RA2 Select configurations do not migrate to a different Crestron Home processor. Replace the processor and the Lutron system has to be paired and configured again.

That separation helps if you leave Crestron. The Lutron lighting keeps its own processor and programme, and Control4's driver library includes a Lutron HomeWorks QSX processor driver, so the same scenes can be triggered from Control4 keypads, remotes and the app. Each side has its own page: Lutron lighting and Control4 installation.

Already own Crestron?

Already have Crestron? Getting it back under control

Moved into a house with Crestron whose original installer has gone quiet? Get in touch, and we can help you:

  • pin down which Crestron platform and processors you have, and whether any are Version 1 hardware;
  • draw up what to request from the previous installer: the advanced user password, a release of processor ownership, any program files, and the network and Lutron details;
  • trace the network problems behind dropped touch screens, slow apps or lost remote access;
  • keep the Lutron lighting and as much cabling as the survey allows while planning a move to Control4, a floor at a time if that suits;
  • decide whether a Crestron integrator or a Control4 replacement suits the house better.

Where the answer is Crestron programming, we will say so plainly. For inherited systems of any make, start with taking over an existing system; the guide to what Control4 needs from the network shows what a replacement would ask for.

Ask about your system Call 020 3397 9888

We also look after systems installed by other companies. See takeover and maintenance.

Compare

Crestron or Control4?

Both run large, demanding homes, so the fair question is fit rather than quality. Crestron offers depth, its own AV-over-IP range and, on custom systems, near-unlimited freedom, but it relies on the integrator who set it up and on that person's paperwork. Control4 is more packaged: one app across the house, scenes an owner can follow, and drivers for a wide range of third-party products. We are not neutral here, because we work as a Control4 Platinum dealer; weigh our view with that in mind and read what Control4 is before deciding.

Services

Where Crestron fits in our work

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Takeover and maintenanceFor a house that came with Crestron, we survey what is installed and advise on keeping it or replacing the control layer.Explore the service →
crestron support
Control4 smart home installationIf you decide to move on from Crestron, Control4 can take over scenes, AV and Lutron lighting control.Explore the service →
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Data and Wi-Fi networksA sound network is the first check when Crestron touch screens or remote access start dropping out.Explore the service →
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Lutron lighting controlLutron lighting paired with Crestron Home usually keeps its own processor, so it can stay when the control system changes.Explore the service →
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Our showroom

See and hear it before you decide

Visit our demonstration cinema and smart home showroom in Walton-on-Thames and try the technology for yourself.

Book a showroom visitAsk a question
Reviews

What our clients say

★★★★★ 5.0 on Google · read the reviews

“Fantastic service from Andy and Adrian, who installed a cinema room and full Sonos sound integration throughout my home. I would definitely recommend them! Their communication and professionalism were excellent from start to finish, and the cinema room they created was outstanding.”

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Chris KiplingGoogle review

“We engaged AOI for the renovation of our period property in West London. A key requirement was a discreet, high-performance cinema arrangement that would blend seamlessly with the original character of the house, and they delivered exactly that.”

F
Fraser RobsonWest London

“We've worked with the team at Art of Integration on several high-end residential projects, where they've delivered Control4 smart home systems. From the initial design through to client handover and ongoing support, their attention to detail and level of service has been outstanding.”

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Amanda HollisTrade partner
Guides

Further reading

All guides
crestron support
Control4What is Control4 and how does it work?Read the guide →
crestron support
Control4Why a Control4 smart home depends on its networkRead the guide →
crestron support
Smart homeCan home automation increase a home's value?Read the guide →
Questions

Crestron: your questions answered

Anything else, call us on 020 3397 9888.

Can anyone support a Crestron system, or only the original installer?

It depends on the platform. Crestron Home is set up with Crestron's configuration software, and its monitoring portal includes a Release Ownership step so a processor can move to another installer's account. A custom SIMPL program is different: without the program file, changes are much harder. Either way, ask the seller or previous installer for passwords, files and network details as early as possible.

What is Crestron Home?

Crestron Home is Crestron's current residential platform. It runs on the CP4-R, MC4-R, PC4-R and DIN-AP4-R processors and brings lighting, shades, climate, AV, door stations and cameras into one app and set of keypads and touch screens. It replaced the earlier Crestron Pyng platform, which ran on a PYNG-HUB or CP3-R.

Crestron vs Control4: which is better for a UK home?

There is no single winner. Crestron suits owners who want great depth and have a Crestron integrator they trust. Control4 suits owners who want a packaged system with a familiar app and a wide choice of third-party drivers. In a house you have just bought, the deciding factors are usually what the previous installer can hand over and how much else you plan to change.

Will my Lutron lighting still work if I remove Crestron?

Usually, yes. Lutron systems paired with Crestron Home, such as HomeWorks QSX or RadioRA 3, run on their own Lutron processor, and Crestron notes their configurations do not move between Crestron processors. That separation means the lighting can stay while the control layer changes. Control4's driver library includes a Lutron HomeWorks QSX processor driver.

How do I know if my Crestron processor is out of date?

Crestron says Crestron Home 4.07 was the final feature update for its Version 1 hardware, and its 4.10 documentation explains how to check whether a CP4-R or MC4-R is Version 1. A legacy PYNG-HUB or CP3-R means the house is on the older Pyng platform, for which Crestron describes upgrade routes to Crestron Home.

Do I need Crestron programming to change a scene?

Not always. On Crestron Home, owners can create and edit light, shade, media and climate scenes, and schedule them, through an advanced user login. The password for that login is set by the original installer, so it is one of the first things to ask for. Bigger changes, or any change to a custom SIMPL system, need a Crestron integrator.

Get in touch

Talk to us about Crestron

Planning a new room, or need help with a Crestron system you already have? Tell us a little about it and a designer will come back to you.

  1. We call you backA quick conversation about your home, the room and your timings.
  2. Design consultationAt your home or in our Walton-on-Thames showroom, where you can see and hear the technology.
  3. Design and proposalA tailored design, with 3D visuals before you commit.
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Crestron is a trademark of its owner. This page describes how we can integrate and support these products. Project photos are our own. Other images: Photo: JohnRH4, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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