Version: 2008
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Technology time warp




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Twenty years of technological innovation help shape a renovated penthouse.

By Lisa Montgomery
Photography by Scott Braman
In the 1980s, Mark Schlesinger's New Jersey home was packed with X10 gear, including a special computer program that told the lights, the thermostats, and the security system how and when to react according to certain conditions such as the time of day. Twenty years later, the system still runs fine. But times change, and what was once the coolest way to control a house has started to feel a bit old-fashioned. "There are so many more choices these days, particularly when it comes to the types of devices you can use to control things in your house," Mark says. "I had been using only keypads in my house, which now seems pretty rudimentary compared to today's sleek touch screens." Mark, who's now chairman of the department of anesthesiology at Hackensack University Medical Center, decided to try city living for a change. In their new place, he and his partner, James McKee, have fused some of the hottest technologies on the planet with a modern and sophisticated decor. See this slide show
EQUIPMENT LIST
Home control system:
Crestron Pro2e processor
Crestron CNX BiPAD8 audio distribution controller

Audio & video sources:
Integra 7.4 receiver/amplifier
Integra 8.3 DVD player Hughes HD
DirecTV receivers (2)
DirecTV HD TiVo receiver
AudioRequest Fusion Pro 160 digital jukebox
AudioRequest VRQ-1 VideoRequest video server
Sony DVP-CX777ES 400-disc DVD player

Security and climate system:
HAI Omni Pro II system
HAI RC-80 communicating thermostats (4)

Lighting control system:
Lutron Chronos Radio RA B Series system
Lutron Radio RA switches and transmitters (34)

Master bedroom:
Custom-Made Electro-Kinetics plasma lift
Fujitsu 42-inch HD plasma TV
Crestron 2-way wireless touch screen
SpeakerCraft CRS-Four speakers

Dining room:
Fujitsu 42-inch HD plasma TV
SpeakerCraft CRS-Four speakers
Second Level
Fujitsu 50-inch HD plasma TV
Crestron two-way wireless touch screen
SpeakerCraft CRS-Four speakers
SpeakerCraft in-wall subwoofer

Kitchen:
Sharp 14-inch Aquos LCD TV
Crestron Mini-Touch wireless touch screen
SpeakerCraft CRS-Four speakers

Foyer:
Crestron TPS-3000L touch screen

Living room:
Crestron TPS-2000L touch screen
Color Kinetics IColor LCD lighting system
SpeakerCraft CRS-Four speakers
Master Bathroom
Crestron TPS-3000L touch screen
SpeakerCraft MT Four speakers

Deck:
Klipsch SA-1 outdoor speakers (3 pairs)
HAI outdoor temperature sensor

Contact:
Electronics design & installation by
Sawyers Control Systems
Frenchtown, New Jersey
www.sawyerscontrols.com
General contractor
Glen Luppino
Programmer
Ed Manna
Technology on Demand
Yorktown Heights, New York


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