Home isn’t just where the heart is anymore – it’s also where the lights automatically turn on, the temperature adjusts to your liking and assistants such as Alexa can play your favorite deep-cut rock tune from the 1960s. But what if you aren’t a tech wizard? What if you can barely boot a standard PC and get the internet working, much less sync everything in your home to the same automated system? No worries — Chris McDaniel and his team of experts at Sphere Audio Video take the guesswork out of raising your home’s IQ for the ultimate in convenience and comfort.
McDaniel, a graduate of Georgia State with a degree in business, said that his now-thriving enterprise started out as just a hobby — “I was the kid who took the TV apart and put it back together, and my interest continued in my early 20s,” he said. Back then, McDaniel had no idea (nor did anyone) of the tech boom on the horizon, yet he certainly positioned himself as a key player. At this point, Sphere has been in business since 2008, with about 75% of their projects being residential and 25% commercial. As smart technology continues to grow and become more complex, Sphere is gaining popularity among locals for good reason.
So what exactly does Sphere do? Put simply, they create an “umbrella” for your smart systems to operate under. Therefore, separate systems that control music, lights, garage doors, temperature and other facets around the home are more easily managed.
“We try to consolidate as much as we can into one system so it's simpler,” McDaniel noted. “We use certain platforms — primarily Control4 because it plays well with others. The magic happens when you’re able to connect all these personalities and get them on the same team.”
“By personalities, I mean Google, Amazon, Siri, audio, TV, security, lighting — they all want to be the one in charge,” he continued. “Control4 is a platform that has the ability to interact with all these individuals. That way, when your garage door opens, it turns on the music, then the lights the kitchen, then sets AC, closes the shades, and so on. A whole chain of events can happen with one click. And you don’t have to interact with everything; one event happens and the rest happens.”
McDaniel admitted with a laugh that at this point, no request surprises him anymore.
“One guy wanted to dive into his pool and hear music playing underwater as well as in the house. We made it happen,” he recalled. “And I like challenges. We’ve been asked to do unusual stuff, but we figure it out.”