Jordan O'BrienDigital Home Technologies were approached by the management team at The Garlands of Barrington, a luxury 55+ residential living community in Barrington, Illinois, to replace the existing Crestron system with one from ELAN.
With such a large project, Digital Home Technologies needed to find the ideal solution to appease their high-end clients, that was also easy to use.
“With several large facilities that are constantly in use and require vigorous audio/visual control, it’s impossible to physically troubleshoot an issue on demand,” integrator John Goldenne of Digital Home Technologies says.
“For the community’s upscale residents who are accustomed to high-end service, delayed entertainment and informational presentations are inexcusable. That’s where ELAN comes in.”
The ELAN system had to be completely customised to suit management’s needs, with John working alongside director of food and beverage, Istvan Abdai and information systems director, Joe Parado.
“With our old system, we needed a third party consultant to come in and troubleshoot any technical difficulty,” Istvan explains.
“It was essential to all of us that this new system offered complete control and was both reliable and easy to use.”
John recommended that the development install an ELAN g!systemcontroller in the executive conference room, another ELAN controller in the performing arts centre and a third ELAN controller, matched with an ELAN audio controller in the Grill to manage the restaurant’s existing speakers.
All controller connect to one ELAN g! network so that any management personnel with a smartphone can control the audio/visual content from anywhere.
“The challenge with this installation was the sheer size of the property,” John emphasises.
“By integrating four different controllers into separate spaces with both new and existing technologies, I was able to condense a massive space into one, neatly interwoven network.”
To upgrade the quality of the presentation and informational space, Digital Home Technologies outfitted the Complex’s performing arts center with a Dalite 159” Dia Tensioned Contour Electrol Screen and an Epson G6750WU Projector 6000.
“We host various events for over three hundred residents, including weekly movie nights and monthly play productions,” Istvan says.
“It was very important to me that I was able to control the drop-down projector right from my smartphone to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
The Garlands of Barrington also rents out public spaces to local groups and businesses in the area.
“With ELAN, I can ensure that all of the technology is up-to-par and on-schedule for these groups without having to be in the room,” Istvan adds.
“ELAN definitely offers a new level of customer service when we rent out the space to third parties.”
In addition to customising the public spaces for convenience, Digital Home Technologies also upgraded the on-site executive conference room with an Epson 4750 projector and a Samsung BD-F6700 Smart Blu-Ray player to accompany the room’s existing drop-down Stewart motorised screen.
Now, The Garlands’ executive team can link their laptops to the screen for slideshows or informational offering presentations.
“A handful of our closest management personnel already have the ELAN g! app on their smartphone,” says Istvan.
“ELAN allows the entire on-site management team to control the content on the HD TV at the Grill at the same time that they are dimming the lights in the surround sound theatre. It’s life-changing for us.”
ELAN is distributed in the UK by Indigo Distribution.
More Installations
Inside Michael Bay’s Barco Home Cinema
PictureFrame.TV Installs Glass Wall Mirror TVs Into Albury Park Mansions