Smart Home Tech I ACTUALLY Use!

First video from the in-progress basement studio 👀
Thanks to @BestBuy for sponsoring today's video! Check out the smart home tech I showed off on my Best Buy storefront at bestbuy.7tiv.net/dox2Kj or the links below.
This is the tech I have set up around my home right now in 2022:
Nest Hub Max Smart Display at bestbuy.7tiv.net/AoZbQN
Google Nest Smart Thermostat at bestbuy.7tiv.net/RyQk3a
Google Nest Doorbell Battery at bestbuy.7tiv.net/GjWvk9
Google Nest Camera at bestbuy.7tiv.net/KebD3A
Google Nest Camera with Floodlight at bestbuy.7tiv.net/qnM7Xj
Google Nest x Yale - Smart Lock at bestbuy.7tiv.net/a1g0zo
Philips Hue Gradient Singe Table Lamp at bestbuy.7tiv.net/gb0272
NETGEAR Orbi AX4200 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Mesh System at bestbuy.7tiv.net/15xmkx
TP-Link - Kasa Smart WiFi Plug at bestbuy.7tiv.net/WD51zZ
Sonos Beam at bestbuy.7tiv.net/5brVG3
Sonos Sub at bestbuy.7tiv.net/kj6mv3
The links in the description are affiliate links, which means I will earn a small commission if you purchase through these links. For more information and details about these products and more, visit bestbuy.com

[@otakuotaku6774]

Can we just take a minute of Silence for those who are watching Tech Videos without buying anything

[@Xevos701]

Me :(

[@mental_breakdance7227]

Probably the majority of us

[@thomascutino2387]

Me too! Marques is the GOAT of tech reviewers!

[@ItzStardustYT]

What's up with your capitalization though 🤨

[@johnfranks6980]

That's me right there. With zero chance of winning any giveaways whatsoever 😂

[@nickhanscome]

A dedicated home assistant setup is a game changer. Makes all of the standards talk to each other and allows so much customization

[@Iraijus]

Home Assistant really is great. I do not think I would ever be able to return to Alexa or Google Home.

[@Kwayzar_]

Agreed. This way you can buy cheaper Chinese smart home stuff too and not have to use their cloud ecosystem. Also it's really fun to play around with, the sky is the limit with applications. Would have liked Marques to mention the open source ecosystems but I suppose his focus is on commercial tech.

[@xslytitanx]

Yep home assistant is awesome.

[@anom6707]

@@Kwayzar_ yeah his fans aren't really as deep into the custom side of things as someone like LTT. I was totally expecting Marques to be in the Ubiquiti ecosystem but I was surprised he was with orbi which is still good.

[@jorrit_o]

I don't really like the HomeKit Plugin though... I found the one in iobroker to much more customizable and easier to understand. So I'm also running HomeBridge because my TV wasn't working together with the homekit plugin. Home Assistant has a lot of functionality but I personally don't like the UI and how everything is structured...

[@kicheko4980]

This video needs an update

[@gokuvegeta1626]

why?

[@ImGeneralJAckson]

​@@gokuvegeta1626 the quality of the Google ecosystem is degrading by the day. I'm hoping they will offer Gemini integration soon.

[@bradygoldblatt560]

If it’s pretty different then fs but it’s prolly not

[@climbingnurse]

I have a little over half the lights in my house on smart switches and it's really nice to run scenes like "coming home late" and "cooking dinner". But the best bang for your buck is definitely exterior lights and entryway lights. It's really nice to have those go on and off when it gets dark or light and/or when you come home. Also nice to be able to turn at least a few lights on and off when you are out of town so the house doesn't look vacant.

[@zero_burrito]

I picked up some WiFi plugs the other day. Being able to pair them up with Google assistant routines has been so handy for saving electric, and was damn effortless to set up

[@zero_burrito]

TP Link Tapo P100 for anyone interested. Just a simple on/ off plug.

[@Schneckensepp2022]

Don't forget, that they draw energy in standby

[@D.e.e.p.77]

Which Other day u lazy guy

[@zero_burrito]

@@Schneckensepp2022 of course, everything draws power in standby. But under 1W of power is drastically less than everything else draws in standby mode. I don't have easy access to the sockets with them being behind furniture, so being able to turn them off remotely is also a small bonus

[@Ahjusshi_Brown]

I just bought some too, literally this week. I have the Kasa brand tho.

[@CamPritekel]

We have the Nest smoke detectors and I’d highly recommend them. When there’s too much smoke from the food I’m making, it’s really easy to dismiss the alert from the app instead of having to touch the physical device to silence it. I also like that they’ll alert you if the battery is getting low, instead of chirping obnoxiously in the wee hours of the morning.

[@brownboii305]

Does this detect a gas leak?

[@drixxer]

@@brownboii305 probably not, i think you have to buy a seperate detector for it. Atleast thats how it works in my house

[@frydog1ea]

Did you replace all of them in your place or just the one that gets triggered most?

[@DeelitefulJestr]

@@drixxer yea it detects co2 haha it’s a $100+ smoke detector. It’s for sure. A combo detector

[@impino26]

@@brownboii305 My nest detectors are smoke/Co2 detectors so, yes, they do

[@cd-bitcrshr]

For Hue lights, I strongly recommend the Lutron Aurora Dimmer smart switch. They just screw onto your existing switch, and are super easy to set up and use. Phillips also sells a module that you can wire into your existing switch to make it control your Hue bulbs

[@LostInArtMagic]

I have almost the same setup (Nest Thermostat, Nest Doorbell, 2x Nest Mini, Nest Hub, Hue in most rooms and 2x Chromecast) and I just wanted to add that the Google Home app also works great on iOS so no worries there :) The Nest Hub is a great device for the kitchen by the way. Yeah it's a glorified egg timer but it can handle multiple timers with labels so when cooking I can just say 'hey G, start 10 minute timer for X' and it works it's magic. Great for random food/cooking questions too and FINALLY they've added the date on the homescreen which is very handy for checking use bys etc.

[@alexhayman1108]

Marques is so wholesome. Still keeps it real and isn’t worried about always having an overkill setup. It’s the simple things that make the quality of life improvements.

[@Gr33nMamba]

Quite honestly sometimes when you work any tech sector, you tend not to take the complications home with you.

[@samargentinia4930]

Imagine having to recharge your doorbell every 3 weeks

[@alexhayman1108]

@@samargentinia4930 yea, hardwiring it is definitely the right move.

[@diwaalejandrogalvez796]

Dude, tech people know how complicated and hard the maintenance be if you go overboard with too much tech in your home.

[@muhammedaytekin6665]

And also, working in it takes the magic off of useless products. For non techsavvy guys some products almost feel magical for being abled to control a relais via voice control. From an it guys perspective it sounds stupid and simple. So you have a different opinion on most products just from the get go.

[@sacksj]

That whole thing of not touching your phone until you're actually out of bed sounds like a great plan. I'll usually check my phone and lay around for longer than I care to

[@benfulford3943]

Don't take your phone into your bedroom. By not having your phone in your bedroom at all, your sleep will improve massively

[@GuardianTiger]

@@benfulford3943 I personally sleep great even with it in my room(I read books before bed on my phone with either greyscale on or night light with tints the screen yellow for keeping your sleep from being affected) It's just the waking up part which I'll now know to not touch my phone and just get ready for the day BEFORE I touch my phone.

[@leok7193]

Funny, I have the same setup except for lights I use Lutron switches with normal LEDs and wired Nest Camera. Orbi is pretty awesome!

[@mannyboats]

I needed this so much. Just moved into a new apartment and trying to make it a smart home from the ground up. Thank you!

[@remstar707]

Depending on how much research went into your solar panel purchase could be cool to get a video on that. Different options and why you went with the ones you bought! Pros and cons

[@danieldelvisco8342]

yeah it may be a $0 electric bill but how much are the panels and were their batteries with it.

[@VikasSingh-er5hh]

+2

[@stearless]

@@danieldelvisco8342 a lot, that's just how it is, until eventually it pays itself through 0$ bills

[@TGFNittros]

Great for folks from the area who'd have many of the same options on their disposal.

[@speeddemon0712]

I live in a new construction home in Fort Worth, TX. We had solar sales people constantly knocking on our door all year (still do). Ended up getting a quote. In order to have basically a $0 electric bill, I'd have to put up 20+ panels. Without a battery backup (another $15k+), the system was still $20k even after the government rebate. This would have been a $150 monthly payment for 25 years. Then you have panels that slowly degrade, and the very possibility of net metering ending in the near future. Even with the a/c set to 69/70 at night and 74/75 during the day, our electric bill was $200 - $250 for the 3 summer months. But the spring and summer bills average $100, and winter is $50 - $75 (we have natural gas for heat). Plus when it comes time to sell the house, you have to find a buyer who wants solar. It made no financial sense to us.

[@DJLsbVapes]

You forgot one buddy, home assistant, which makes everything compatible with all ecosystems

[@AverageCarGuy]

Elaborate please

[@khyleebrahh7]

HOME ASSISTANT !!! He says while humping the air

[@khyleebrahh7]

@@AverageCarGuy home assistant is a custom software and if wanted a hardware setup that can bridge and make make majority of all smart devices talk to one “hub”. It can also make non HomeKit devices “work” with Homekit. Also can be completely Local meaning no internet connection needed, except for 2.4ghz wifi network for some devices. Its honestly amazing but very overwhelming if your not very tech smart.

[@cerveraoliver]

I agree, another lost opportunity to show to the masses what Home Assistant can do.

[@gaz909909]

@@khyleebrahh7 hoooome assistant!!

[@jasonzuniga2587]

I have the battery nest doorbell too. It'll trickle charge off your doorbells previous wiring too. It'll keep you from having to charge it during all except for the coldest months. Once you get below 30° though, it won't charge and you'll have to charge indoors again. And I highly recommend Kasa too. They have power strips and outdoor weatherproof power strips too. I use them for our grow lights, Christmas Tree, and outdoor Christmas Lights and decorations. Have worked flawlessly so far. One recommendation is to use their app for timers and schedules. I used Google Routines at first, but sometimes communication breaks down after updates. Kasa firmware updates usually fix the issue, but the gap sometimes is not tolerable when it comes to grow lights that keep indoor plants alive, lol.

[@alexconstant3909]

Lutron casets & Kasa for light switches!!! Game changer! I have them on every light in my house and I never have to worry about leaving a light on accidentally. A smart universal remote is also amazing! Love Logitech even though they discontinued the harmony stuff...

[@ratznefumel]

Motion detection helps a lot for automization. In the home or outsids. For now we use it outside the most. We have lights in the garden at the front door that light up. Super handy when coming in the dark, while its also helpful for security.

[@krazymartini]

All fun until they light up when no ones around..

[@DumKump]

@@krazymartini wym no one, don't hurt the feelings of your dead great grandma smh

[@vidIQ]

Are those smart golf clubs that automatically blur when on camera?

[@dylanchapgier9504]

That, or marques needs to clean the front lens element before shooting in his basement!

[@MRony]

Pretty sure they were blurred on purpose to not give unpaid ad for the brand of clubs.

[@chinnidiwakar]

@@MRony r/whoooosh

[@MRony]

@@chinnidiwakar good one bro. I had no idea that OP was bieng sarcastic. 😒 My comment was more in reply to Dylan.

[@eyluismi168]

He accidentally took them to Linus' neighbourhood, and they blurred forever.

[@doughope761]

Thanks for this! I just upgraded to the eero WiFi 6E Pro and I'm pulling 900Mbps as well, iPhone and iPad. Changes the home game, no buffers anywhere 🙂

[@KirkandRA]

I’m all in with Kasa smart switches and plugs. Works great. I’m a caregiver for my wife so even that little bit of time to turn on a light is very helpful. Thanks for the vid. 👍

[@somethingkindawonderful3034]

You are a wonderful husband.. don't burn out ask for help now and then.

[@pranavchaparala]

Basement home studio, Nice!

[@starwarsfreak4]

When I lived by myself I had a smart home security system set up. I used ring and didn't pay any subscription fees. (Those services I missed out on were mainly stored recordings and they notify police if the alarm goes off). So if you live by yourself I recommend it because it helped me feel less paranoid something would happen, especially at night

[@RoyRoy-Garou]

Ajax?

[@malvora]

nothing like having to pay to call the police ROFL

[@aleemahmed370]

The best smart home feature in my house is to connect all halway lights to motion sensors and apply the following rule. "detect motion; after sunset; turn on light for 30 seconds" this has probably been one of the small things that really makes a big difference

[@Cenzo4u]

And add to that Circadian lighting if you can. I use Home assistant for that and it's really nice, 10/10 recommend :D

[@Doofens]

This is the first and only automation I’m still using after many years.

[@jordanprada9880]

Just bought my first house and I've put Kasa Smart light switches everywhere. They're surprisingly cheap, look great and work flawlessly. Easy integration with Google routines as well. Highly recommend!

[@AstuteJoe]

Home assistant is the DOPEST tech and kasa light switches are a super great bang for the buck, they've been running flawlessly for a year now. An unconventional trick I did too was using a Bluetooth hygrometer to trigger kasa light switches to turn on the bathroom exhaust fan, that way no one ever has (or forgets) to turn the fan on or off again :) Doubles down as a humidity controller for the home for humid seasons too.

[@dylanguerrero8053]

Probably the ONLY area in tech I'm on par with Marques. I have most of the same set up as you do in terms of smart home stuff. I tend to keep the smart home stuff around the house light. Regular bulbs/lamps with smart switches smart plugs and door bells all connected through Google Home

[@j800r_aswell]

I have a Phillip's Hue in the bedroom. The TV is also Homekit compatible. The Hue is great for being able to dim the light rather than have to deal with a mechanical dimmer switch. I also love just being able to say "Hey Siri, goodnight" and have my tv (along with anything connected to it) and light all turn off together. So far impressed with the lifespan of the Hue bulb too. Haven't had to change it yet.

[@cowboy_dogg2124]

Smart light switch is a must for Philips hue lights. The hue switch is good, and it lets you turn them on normally and cycle through selected scenes with multiple taps.

[@freshtodeath88]

This is really awesome. MKBHD started his channel from his bedroom in his parents’ house. And now, he is filming from his own basement. Kudos man. Really happy to see your success. I do second the Sonos speakers (Amazing). Orbi mesh network is also great especially when you have a multi leveled house.

[@dmvmeu7140]

agreeed

[@walterwhite2270]

An access point mounted on the ceiling in the middle of the house will do the same as a mesh network without all those devices cluttering up your house and probably perform better since you only have one hop to get to the internet from the access point.

[@PuppetMaster0]

One thing I didn't quite get is what for is he using the speakers? I recalled him recommending them when I was looking for ones for my TV and ended up buying the exact combo he mentioned but now I realize he didn't specify they were for TV and I see the Yamaha speakers behind him for the PC

[@andrewbrozovich]

Home Assistant setup would be awesome content. Somewhat more DIY than others but you can customize it to your hearts content and have an amazing setup where all the ecosystems are integrated. Would recommend out of 10

[@Autunite]

Home Assistant, or even simpler, Homey. Does the same, but so easy to set up and fun to program. It's like the Ubiquiti or Apple of the smart home world.

[@gabapereira]

I would be interested to know how "Secure" are all these smart home systems... I read multiple stories and news about these gadgets being easily hackable... when I see a smart door lock being used, my only thoughts are "isn't this very unsecure since it can be hackable?"

[@Autunite]

@@gabapereira check out Lock Picking Lawyer, traditional locks are just as secure, if not even less secure to someone who wants to get in.

[@azerejude9347]

@@Autunite.

[@cdx41]

@@Autunite homey looks to be cloud based, unless you pay for their local box? Home assistant runs on a raspberry pi, or a VM on your pc

[@sambarendsma8584]

I actually work at a company that installs and programs smart home with the KNX standard. You definitely need to at least take a look at it! We connect everything that attaches to a wire. Such as lights,HVAC,curtains,alarm,circulation, weather station, ipads, Sonos and other audio and home theater setups to name a few

[@nqbudde]

I love the Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch for Philips Hue Smart Bulbs. Solves the problem where the light switch is off making the smart bulb unavailable. Looks and works like a normal dimmer switch. Thanks for the great videos!

[@willbutera1915]

I think hue lights in your bedroom is great. You can have the button switch next to your bed to easily turn on/off your lights. And you can set the button to a schedule, so in the middle of the night you don't have full brightness when you press the button.

[@Autunite]

Yep, and also set the lights to fade on gradually before you're going to wake up.

[@VRUmasterVRU]

Another nice feature is a motion sensor in the kitchen for the light, so when your hands are full with dinner leftovers and plates, your light turns on for you! And during the wee hours when you need some water its set up to 20% to not fully wake you up

[@daspradeep]

LIFX rocks

[@oliverwilson6904]

I’m liking the home stuff, solar panel updates would be great 👍🏼

[@hsteckylf]

For a smart light switches, I would highly recommend Lutron Caseta. They are the best "smart" things I've installed in my house! Plus you can get a remote that can then be programmed to interact with multiple devices. You didn't show us the smart blinds, but mentioned them at the end. Which ones did you end up going with?

[@StuartDavisTexas]

I've got assistant war in my home with both Google Mini and Alexa. With the Mini in my bedroom, it's less intrusive, but effective. My primary routine are a great way to wake (temporarily increases volume on the Mini, plays specific song and turns on bedside lamps). Not to mention the evening routine which turns on selected lighting around my home.

[@JorgePowell]

It's wicked to see some of the tech you live with on a day-to-day basis! Of all the smart tech I live with I think my favourite has to be the Fyrtur blinds from IKEA - super affordable & battery powered so no need to hire an electrician either. Would definitely love to see the solar panel setup tour too!

[@kijohnson8793]

Awesome video as always Marques. I know its early still but I’d love to see a mini-video or podcast segment on Matter implementation into a setup like this when it launches. Keep up the awesome work!

[@ohkaspian]

i have a google routine set up for my alarm in the morning. It will tell me weather, news, and calendar events for the day as soon as i dismiss my alarm. that way im not having to look any of that up while im getting ready in the morning. Eventually I will add in lights and certain appliances to it as well.

[@KCScorpion34]

I just got a Nest thermostat & really like so far. I like that it senses when you're nearby & can display info like the weather outside.

[@vaibhavkhatri5953]

I love how nowadays you are realising videos so fast great thanks to techtober obviously ✌️ Absolutely love to watch more and more tech

[@_CarlosA]

You should invest in the Lutron Caseta light switch system for the whole place. Basically turn all normal lights into smart lights. It's regarded as the most reliable smart switch system that works with Google, Alexa, and HomeKit. Worth the price in my opinion!

[@Samuel-7418]

It doesn't require smart lightbulbs?

[@magic4218]

@@Samuel-7418 no, it doesn’t. You can use pretty much any bulb!

[@AstuteJoe]

Kasa light switches are very good too, for a fraction of the price and requires no gateway. It also works perfectly with home assistant and remembers dimmness levels.

[@stollerino]

If you prefer dimmers, i have heard caseta is not the best. It defaults to turning on lights at 100% vs. turning on at the previous level. Bad for early in the morning, or for childrens rooms. (I use kasa, not caseta so cannot confirm... simply read it when making my own decision)

[@meeker03]

@@stollerino Caseta has a new switch that does have a default dimmer. As well, the Pico remote has a middle button that you can pre-set to whatever level you like. Cant recommend Lutron stuff enough. It's very well built and I've never had any hiccups with the system.

[@JDNasty]

Great video! Thanks for getting more personal with us and allow us in one of rooms. This really helped out of what I need to put in my home.

[@mediocrisdusha5446]

I think home assistant is also up there if not above with the 3 home environment you mentioned and with the recent HA UI change and matter this is arguably going to be way batter then other options.

[@praneetchakraborty8332]

You can also get NFC tags that you can place around your house and you can program them pretty easily (just with shortcuts on iOS) to do various smart home stuff

[@hashcode_error]

I'm using its goooood

[@photographicmemories]

best suggestions: don’t go for the cheapest nfc tags. get the ones that work fast. defeats the purpose if you have to tap your phone ten times before anything actually happens

[@niter43]

Expired contactless credit/debit cards can be used as free tags as well

[@randall3107]

I don't understand how an NFC tag would be useful in your home, can you give me an example please? Genuinely interested

[@rodrigojds]

@@randall3107 for example you can place a nfc tag at the entrance of your room to turn on the lights without having to flick the switch or tell Alexa to turn them on, just pass your phone against the tag. The possibilities really are endless.

[@brendon5248]

Highly recommend getting the Nest Secure paired with Nest Detects on windows and doors if you’re concerned about security. The Secure was discontinued but it still works great if you can find one! Unlocking with the Nest x Yale locks disables the security alarm as well.

[@mitchellvargo9550]

I’ve always wondered what you have used for your home. Thanks for posting this!

[@joewu280]

In addition to paying money for those smart home tech, assembling them together and making them work properly is the most difficult and complicated part for me, though they are pretty dope. I need a guy preparing all the stuff for me cuz I gonna spend lots of time picking those products as well as having a proper installation.

[@ChengHorn9]

I'm personally a fan of the Home Assistant route, but I'm glad you're satisfied. I would put everything I can on a Wi-Fi plug so only the power, and not the device, are communicating with the internet/intranet.

[@andrewgilman8835]

I love how MKB has a routine asking about traffic going to work. He can't be late. He's the boss.

[@CityStarrzz]

Plot twist, it’s not to see how long it will take, it’s to decide whether he bothers going in to the office or not.

[@barrypuckett5969]

He can’t be late…that is why he IS the boss. Attitude is everything.

[@Chris-hw4mq]

@@CityStarrzz its worse being the boss you need the company to earn so you can pay the employees and bills, you cant slack off

[@CityStarrzz]

@@Chris-hw4mq that’s only true if your workforce requires hands on management. I work for a company which hardly ever sees it’s bosses. We’re pretty self sufficient.

[@Chris-hw4mq]

@@CityStarrzz yeah I should have said small companies where the owner still works to keep it running.

[@OkayHippo]

Long time watcher, first time commenter. Really loved this video from you Marques, would love to see what kind of improvements come to your home / studio setup in the future. Love your work dude, thank you!

[@altjxx]

Highly recommend Lutron for the smart switches. Replaced every switch on every level of my house and absolutely no regrets. Gets easier after the first 2-3

[@modzila6956]

For people looking into setting up their smart homes, personally I would suggest going for Google instead of Apple (idk about Amazon but would assume it's similar to Google). Here are some reasons: 1. Last time I checked (1 ~ 2 years ago), there are far less devices compatible to Apple Home than Google smart home. Also, the devices are much more expensive. 2. Although Apple smart home does have some cool features (like you can transfer music to the Apple Home mini from your iPhone by tapping your phone on the hub), they're still relatively new and don't all work quite well (in my experience with the Apple Home mini). 3. I have Spotify but not Apple music. The Apple Home allows you to use the hub as a bluetooth speaker, but when you command it to play music, it only goes through Apple music. For Google Home, it goes through Spotify if you've linked it up, and for Nest Hubs, you can even command it to search videos on KZbin. 4. I prefer a screen on my control hubs so I have a Google Nest Hub Max. Apple Home doesn't have a screen. I personally have iPhone, Apple watch, and a lot of other Apple products, but I still went with Google smart home system and it has been great. Mainly I use them for music playing and controlling smart lights. I often find myself falling asleep without turning off the lights, so I set up a routine for Google to turn off the lights after a certain time. I also often forget to do stuff, and setting a reminder on Google Home really solved the problem. BTW, for iPhone users, you can set up a Shortcut to perform Google commands on your iPhone. I have 2 Shortcut Widgets on my home screen to turn on/off my lights. It still goes through the Google Assistant app, but I find it better than having to open the Google App myself :)

[@Raress96]

Yeah, Apple is a no go. Not sure about Google though, I swear my Nest Mini is getting dumber with each passing day, not recognizing voice commands that worked a month ago... Will probably switch to Alexa if this keeps getting on my nerves. Although I use Home Assistant, and just use Google for voice commands. But I have setup automations and buttons that basically do what I want, and with google I just have some routines that do a lot of things by triggering HA scripts (music time, movie time, kitchen time, workout time etc)

[@Marco-cz7rb]

@@Raress96 I have a Alexe since 2 years and it s the same here

[@futuristudios]

go with apple if you care about the security of your identity and privacy, not systems which grant police secret access to things like video streams… aaand apple home has many screens… including apple tv!

[@GodHatesXbox]

Google has more compatible products & thats the only reason to use them. Otherwise apple’s HomeKit works & looks far better.

[@malaythakkar8772]

@@futuristudios google also works with Apple TV

[@ikerpere9225]

Broadlink's RM lineup is a very useful smart device. It's basically a universal IR and Radio remote that you can configure to function anything from your tv or record player to your garage door, your blinds or your awnings. Some of them also double as a temperature and humidity sensors, so can be useful to set routines

[@PrestoMoto02]

The Orbi mesh 6E is actually amazing

[@npoetsch1]

Kasa makes smart dimmers/switches. They set up easily and work very well with assistant

[@truejim]

There are various brands of fingerbots that you can use to integrate older devices that still have buttons (like coffee makers). Also, programmable infrared pods that work with your smart home assistant to control anything that’s normally controlled via handheld remote.

[@Hellamoody]

Bruh those two things are actually genius, it's got me thinking!!

[@TheAppleFreak]

@@Hellamoody I use two of them to control different air conditioners during the summer. While it's a great idea and well worth investigating (I think it's $30 for an IR blaster on Amazon), do know some devices might misbehave when using it. For example, one of my ACs only accepts inputs from either the blaster or the remote it came with, and if you try turning it off with the remote if it was turned on with the blaster (or vice versa) it silently turns itself back on unprompted. It took some time to figure that one out.

[@truejim]

@@TheAppleFreak Yah. I use the BOND brand IR blasters to control my ceiling fans around the house, but there are some things it won’t control. I use the SwitchBot brand fingerbot to control my garage door. I use a RAINPOINT to control my sprinklers, but it doesn’t work with Alexa. I decided to use smart bulbs instead of smart fixtures, so I have Hue bulbs almost everywhere. My cameras are Ring, my door lock is Yale Nest. My TVs are Alexa enabled out of the box. Echoes are in most rooms. I walk around the house giving my house orders all the time; it’s fun!

[@BenjaminMutuku]

I'm setting up my basement home office and this is a great video to get ideas. For starters, I will add smart lights w/ dimmers, Alexa devices and smart desk. What I haven't integrated yet is the home thermostat.

[@truejim]

For smart lights you first need to make a decision: smart light fixtures, or smart light bulbs (like Hue).

[@obsidian4192]

Co-sign on the Sonos speaker set, they sound so good it's crazy. Definitely going to be a guilty pleasure purchase for me at some point

[@Stormborn29]

I highly recommend Flic buttons for smart light control. I put it right above or to the side of my switches and it works with Hue lights and is/will be Matter compatible. They are fantastic and relatively inexpensive. They even have a new one coming out with dimmer controls. Battery lasts a year or more with a 2032 watch battery. They are also easy to hide in places like under a desk.

[@xStream886]

I added Shelly 1 behind the existing light switches to make them smart. Works awesome with Google home 👍

[@MyTrevonne]

i Still got a NFC tags set up around my house, car, and work. I love them for the things i dont want controlled in routine

[@johnc19891]

Love the Kasa outlets. So effortless. For home media, the Logitech Harmony is a great addition of you can find it.

[@timdastis]

My biggest gripe with the nest x Yale lock is that you can't automate unlock procedures "for security reasons". August smart lock will do it, but I prefer to have everything in the nest app so I'm kinda tied to it. I just think it'd be so awesome for the smart lock to unlock when: A) the doorbell cam detects a familiar face B) my car pulls in driveway, or when my phone unpairs with my car Bluetooth

[@vasilyp]

Nice one MKBHD! I have a similar setup with Google Assistant. If you don't even want to touch lights, speaker volumes, alarm system etc., I suggest to play around with a Raspberry Pi and Home Assistant which is super easy to set up, configure and automate. It is compatible with practically everything!!

[@missr4233]

I love how you're literally one of the only KZbinrs who protects their home and not posting everything online.

[@shanedixon6627]

I think Ubiquiti would be a good option to switch to in the future. You don't have to pay someone else to monitor your own security system. I hear a lot of great things about UniFi Protect.

[@jorrit_o]

You also have all your security footage on your own hard drive. I don't want google or amazon to have my security footage.

[@GoofieNewfie]

Yes and no. Ubiquiti has its fair share of issues as well. Make sure to read and research before diving into them.

[@jorrit_o]

@@GoofieNewfie Thats true... but there are other locally hosted security systems... I also didn't like how Ubiquity handled their data breach but I think at least having your video files at home is a good thing. Even more so if you have cameras on the inside of your house. Not making your security system available via the public internet should also make things much safer.

[@JonathanIvy221]

This video is likely a sponsored video. Way too many Google products.

[@Kushan_Patel]

@@JonathanIvy221 Marques uses the best product that works the way he wants. He's not a fanboy for Apple nor Google. And he would say if he was sponsored. Did you notice in the video he replaced his Google wifi router with a different brand for better performance?

[@CMShortboy]

The perfect examples of tech not having to be extravagant. It really just is the simple things sometimes.

[@glxyreviews]

Love how simple your smart home set up is!

[@lewifreijd3284]

You should look in to the company PLEJD. In Sweden, Norway Finland it’s becoming almost standard in new homes. It’s basically a smart switch/dimmer for all your lights and sockets. No need for Filips hue. Works great with all light types.

[@MEUProductions]

I own the hue paddle, the hue button, and the lutron dial smart switches. The lutron dial is by far my favorite; however, the branded switches are incredible because you can setup time of day profiles. The switch in my bedroom is super dim in the morning, so I don't wake my wife. It's a nice little touch.

[@joeallam]

When a sponsoring brand requires you to blur out any other unrelated brand/logo, it just draws my attention to what’s been blurred out and their insecurities. In any case, looks like you also play with a Mavrik fairway 😏

[@bbrunorocha]

exactly !! I work with a couple brands and this is a huge bummer imo as well :(

[@jasonscott8003]

I would love to see a video about your solar and battery setup. Looking at switching to a smart electric panel, battery backup/car charging port and solar setup and would definitely be interested in what route you went. Great video!

[@NerdPlayhouse]

I'm actually starting on the basement build-out project which has started me down the smart home path. I have even less smart products than you but look to expand on those in the coming months. the one thing that I'm really interested in are smart down lights, especially in the studio and office. my design is pretty heavy on lighting so I want to have more control over them. I would love to replace my existing thermostats with Nest but, since I work from home, I don't adjust my temp very often so I wonder how much I'd actually use them.

[@velrethar]

I've liked the C by GE light switches. Having a physical switch that can also be controlled is ideal. We have the bulbs too, and they're nice but the switch let's you have the best of both worlds

[@Johanneslol11]

I have a similar setup. Maybe you can look into the motion sensor of your home max, so it can detect when you walk into the room and turn on the light ! They just added that feature with your home and away routine

[@ratznefumel]

You can also do this when your phone connets to the home network or gps location.

[@petercoleman8979]

Something that you could try is the Google nest minis they are great

[@blarblamos599]

I have Vivint & it is honestly the best home automation system I have ever used.

[@joe_pearson]

I highly recommend smart lights and motion sensors as combo. Smart lights alone I find are a bit of a novelty. once you go down the motion sensor route you will never go back. Especially with scheduling based around time or light sensors.

[@SparksLegend]

What motion sensors do you use? Struggling to find any that would integrate with Google Home and controls lights and such

[@chaitanyatawte7900]

You just validated all the smart home choices I made. I literally have exactly all the same smart home equipment in my home. Thank you.

[@VenaJo]

3 words man!!! Aqara with Homekit!!! IO16 is topnotch!!! Looking forward to having it in Ipad also….

[@askmahesh]

I like how you said "Hey G" 😊

[@GFourGadget]

These kinds of setup are the best, no nonsense fancy items but rather making all available things "smart" and interconnected 🧠💡

[@GaryGaryGaga]

Betul tu

[@danielspencer1923]

Wow, I totally did expect you to have a lot more smart stuff and for your stuff to be all locally controlled instead of cloud-based, maybe through Home assistant/Hubitat. Go figure haha The basement studio is looking really nice

[@static_motion]

He's not that much of a technical person. Guy knows all about commercial solutions, but asking him to setup a Home Assistant instance and getting that to work with his stuff is already outside his skillset.

[@DekuNEKO21]

He is not techy enough, for this stuff check out LTTs new home for Linus

[@venom5809]

Not his house. Just a dummy setup for the Best Buy ad. LOL

[@amiralizadeh5992]

I picked Wyze and I'm very happy with it. Appreciate you sharing yours.

[@JuaniPodrido]

Best smart lock i have used is the ultraloq smart lock, after trying brand names how unresponsive and eating up batteries, I settled on this smart lock. Not only does the fingerprint sensor works as fast as my phone fingerprint sensor but I can go without replacing batteries for about 7 months in a front door that's gets unlocked multiple times a day. Totally recommend

[@iHustleLXXXI]

I agree that the orbi routers are fire. I've been using Orbi routers for a long time. I used to use the airport express and then I moved but still used Verizon Fios so I upgraded to an Orbi router. I was paying for 200mbps speeds for $39/month and using the Orbi RBR 50 I was getting consistantly 300mbps up/down however, after I upgraded to the 300mbps service for the same price it is still downloading/uploading at 300+mbps up/down. I will never change because I work from home full-time and I need internet throughout the whole house so I have the main router downstairs and then a mesh router in the master bedroom and it works well.

[@nickkincanon4582]

Great video! Highly recommend Lutron Caseta for smart switches. Used them for years and rock solid. Their proprietary protocol on the hub is the key. Very fast and very stable. Works well with Sonos too.

[@LouBalek]

Yes, I just started using them too.

[@Wild_T_A]

They just came out with Diva and Claro too.

[@Jokuuna]

Can strongly recommend motion sensors in hallways or bathrooms. Using Hue ones, and they work great. Esp since you can set the light brightness to times of day, so during the day the light is brighter, and from 9 it gets quite low, to make winding down and going to bed easier :)

[@WeatherManToBe]

I second this. I set mine walk me up too, blasting max light instead of that god forsaken alarm 😂

[@BenWilson24]

I use Home Assistant primarily with a Zigbee network, but also use Google/Nest/Yale devices mixed in too. Works great and I have a gazillion automations running everything from my 3D printers to setting up the house and TV for my dog when everyone leaves. Nice thing about Home Assistant and Zigbee is that it allows things to run locally so you aren't hogging up the wifi or sending commands over the internet. My house will continue to run just fine without internet other than a few devices. I even have NFC tags in vehicles, on my trash cans, and other places around the house that can be quickly scanned with my phone and it kicks off various automations.

[@jarboer]

Definitely recommend setting up Home Assistant! It’s a game changer! Me and my roommates moved into a rental and we’ve teched the place out with Home Assistant being the brains. It’s super nice because it connects our lights from all kinds of brands, smart plugs, cameras, TV, google speakers, sensors (motion, temp, brightness) etc. The TV stuff is cool because we have a Harmony Hub (they don’t make them anymore 😕) but it can turn on the TV, game consoles, sound system, etc and switch inputs. We also have scenes set up for when you watch TV. We get alerts from our cameras and motion sensors when we’re away and we can see who is home. It’s also nice because the ecosystem doesn’t matter, most of us have apple phones but the one guy doesn’t, I’m the only one with an Apple TV and HomePod but they still integrate in and of course our google nest speakers integrate into the system so we can control the house and cast music throughout the house. We also have mixed brands of smart tech as well which is nice because we could use what we had and what is cheapest. Plus we only need one app to manage it once it is paired. We have a ton of automations set up, and it’s so cool to be able to walk into a room have it turn on and then know when to turn off. Or have the lights blink red when someone is at the door. Also, personally I do not like the google home app. You can’t easily control single lights in a room. It’s layout is poor and not customizable compared to Apple’s home app. The routines are okay but I hate that you can’t have a separate goodnight and bedtime routine as google won’t let you change the default words. They also are no where as powerful as apple’s automations/Siri shortcuts. I can have Siri get data from websites extremely easily (I used to use it to check if school was open). I also love the new design of the home app, it’s so clean!

[@druid2538]

Hello, how does one setup Home Assistant? Is it a physical device or software? I assume it pairs all your Google/Amazon/Apple devices so that they can be used interchangeably? I may need to watch a video on this to get a better idea of what this is exactly.

[@derfuchs3296]

My dad’s contemplating on making his home solar powered so it would be dope if you could share some of your experiences with us :D

[@smody121]

You feel good when you see Marques call out your exact smart home hardware for what he's doing with his own.

[@medwestmedia]

I work in home automation and control4 and savant are pretty neat systems. You need some pieces of hardware but I feel as though home automation is all about how convenient you want things and what you want simplified

[@yousupreme]

Interesting video however there are two other options that you missed. Wyze, and Home Assistant. Both really interesting. Home Assistant being a wider platform than one manufacturer. Highly recommend having a look at both!

[@Maisonikkokufan]

I'd be more than happy to see a solar panel video like you mentioned at 1:14 and maybe this could lead into a video about sustainable technologies/gadgets that could help people save on electric costs

[@DragonyCat]

I really like this

[@noahmack1448]

Good idea

[@paulkovacs6654]

Hue Light switches are great. Can program them with multiple commands. 1 tap 2nd tap, 3rd tap, 4th tap. Long press, etc. Each one programmable. Touchscreens are nice, but there’s something about the good old standard light switch, now enhanced with smart features. I Long-press the off button to turn off all the lights in my house as I jump into bed. Hue sensors are great for some rooms. Auto turn on and off. Great add on that really enhance the hue experience. Not all smart home devices have to be controlled only from a home or a tablet.

[@eezeepee]

You already have a TP-Link Kasa product, I recommend going with their wall switches. I have them all over the house. Way better than just getting individual bulbs, which I do have by them as well for just lamps though.

[@MichaelVance]

This was super cool to see what tech you’re actually using at home, thanks for sharing!

[@alexsouthpb55]

QUESTION: I use Sonoff wifi smart switches to drive lights on and off using Google Home. I find there’s a 2 second delay to lights responding after saying “Hey Google, Turn on (…whatever…)”. Is that a function of the web traffic and/or that Sonoff (eWeLink App) servers are based in China? Would I get better response for an US Brand?

[@venom5809]

That's not his house. LOL

[@Harry-uq9qd]

i work from home, none of this stuff really interests me at all. I don't mind switching lights on and off depending on where I am, or making coffee, or picking up my phone to access something. In the future when everything can be automated and done way better than we can do it, I'm sure I'll have some stuff done for me, like cleaning the floor, dishes, etc. Till then...