Snap One has announced that it is now shipping the CORE Series of Control4 controllers, a generational refresh of the hardware that runs each customer’s system and provides access to the full set of features available from the Control4 Intelligent Platform.

The company also announced an update to the platform itself with the release of Control4 OS 3.3.0, which includes: new time-saving shortcuts in Composer Pro, support for Apple Watch, full integration of colour and colour temperature into the Control4 Platform with user interface controls, colour selection and ramping available to lighting scenes, and easy integration into personalised automated scenes for effortless highlights.

Also, the Control4 apps for iOS and Android were updated to enable faster connection speeds for customers using the app while on the go, providing access to their systems up to 40% faster than before.

“Snap One has invested in enhancements, optimisations and large-scale backend infrastructure changes to provide a faster experience for our customer, which will benefit our partners as well. With every product we engineer, and in all the software we design, we commit to identifying ways that we can make them easier for our partners to install and configure. Their experience with our product line matters as much to us as the experience of the customer,” says Paul Hess, Snap One chief product officer.

The newly available CORE 1, CORE 3, and CORE 5 Controllers feature updated multi-core processors that run the Control4 OS faster and more efficiently, with power to spare for the new features and functionality currently in development. By pairing those processors with a 4K HDMI output, CORE delivers the speed and performance needed for a beautiful, interactive on-screen menu for instantaneous access to video, music, lighting, comfort, and security solutions. The CORE models continue the brand’s high-resolution audio tradition with new, higher-quality DACs and more independent zones of streaming audio than the EA Controllers they replaced.

The CORE 1, CORE 3 and CORE 5 Controllers feature a heat-sink chassis for a fanless design and cool, reliable operation. The CORE 1 and CORE 3 both provide options for AC or PoE+ power, and include an ethernet output to extend the network. In addition to the usual cadre of I/Os (IR, serial, IP, contact, relay, Zigbee), the CORE 3 and CORE 5 Controllers include an external Z-Wave antenna that will be enabled after it completes the certification process.

CORE was built with OvrC Pro inside, enabling network monitoring and management, remote connections, and advanced troubleshooting capabilities. An active 4Sight subscription unlocks Intercom Anywhere, Alexa and Google voice integration, system alerts and notifications, and remote access via the Control4 App for OS 3 through Android and iOS, including Apple Watch, with connection speeds faster than ever.

With OS 3.3.0, the biggest upgrade for customers is the addition of native colour control for lighting, which integrates chromaticity and temperature controls for tunable-white, and colour-changing LED lighting products.

A new, vibrant colour wheel provides real-time control, while the new colour agent enables customers to create presets and scenes for effortless recall of their favourite hues, and instant ambiance adjustments across rooms. Colour scenes can also be automated and scheduled to change based on mood, activity or time of day, creating the opportunity to improve our circadian health by matching our indoor lighting to the cooler colour temperatures the sun produces during the day, and the warmer tones we experience the closer the sun is to the horizon.

“Control4 Partners and users all over the world are gaining brilliant new capabilities that will, quite literally, add color to their existing systems which will transform every interaction, creating new experiences for them out of their most normal and mundane routines. Customers can experience an improvement in their demeanour, mental health and their overall wellness as they take greater control over their personal environments, including custom colour control for lighting,” adds Mike Jordan, Snap One senior vice president of control and entertainment.