Voice is more of a party trick than an actual replacement in my house.
Honestly, that sums it up for me too. I’ve got all these “smart” features in my living room, but half the time I’m just yelling at the TV and getting nowhere. Tried to impress guests once by dimming the lights and putting on a movie with voice commands... ended up with the weather forecast and the kitchen lights flickering. Remote’s still king—at least for now.
Honestly, I get the appeal of voice controls, but they’re just not there yet for me either. I’ve set up a few systems in client homes, and even with top-of-the-line gear, you still get those moments where you ask to turn on the lights and it starts playing jazz instead. There’s potential, sure, but until these things can handle accents, background noise, and the occasional mumble, I’m sticking with good old switches and remotes. Maybe in a few years we’ll laugh about this phase... or maybe we’ll just keep yelling at our TVs.
I actually get a kick out of voice controls, even if they mess up sometimes. Had a weekend where I wired up my own system—took some tweaking, but now it gets my commands right most days. Guess I like tinkering more than yelling at switches.
Guess I like tinkering more than yelling at switches.
I get that, but I always wonder if the DIY route ends up being cheaper in the long run. Did you have to buy a bunch of extra gear, or were you able to use stuff you already had? Sometimes I feel like these smart gadgets nickel-and-dime you with all the add-ons...
Sometimes I feel like these smart gadgets nickel-and-dime you with all the add-ons...
Totally hear you on that. I tried to reuse old gear where I could, but honestly, there’s always some “hub” or adapter you end up needing. Still, I like having more control over what goes in my house—plus less e-waste if I can repurpose stuff.
