How To Install Brilliant Light Switches

The Brilliant Command ($299) is a unique wall switch that uses Wi-Fi to connect to and control various smart devices in your dwelling. It has a v-inch color touch screen with user-friendly push controls that let you play music, command lighting, set thermostat temperatures, and see who is at your door, amongst other things. It works with many popular smart dwelling platforms including Ecobee, Nest, Philips Hue, Ring, and Sonos, and it has built-in Amazon Alexa voice back up that allows it to do about everything an Repeat device tin practise. It's fairly pricey and requires wiring noesis to install, simply it's a smart add-on to a high-tech home.

Design and Features

The Brilliant Command panel replaces a wall light switch and uses the same wiring (load, neutral, ground) as most switches. We reviewed the unmarried switch model, which controls one light (direct), but Brilliant offers 2-switch ($349), 3-switch ($399), and 4-switch models ($449). It's very easy to install, only it requires turning off power to the excursion, removing the onetime switch, and wiring the Brilliant switch, so if you're not comfortable with electrical wiring, you should hire a professional to do the chore.

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The unmarried switch has a 5-inch colour touch display with a ane,280 by 720 resolution that serves every bit an icon-based control panel for devices that are paired with the arrangement. When non in use, yous can take information technology go nighttime or act as a photo frame. Above the screen are a motion sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a 720p camera. The motion sensor tin can be used to automatically turn on the light that the console is wired to, and the light sensor is there for future use. The camera is used for video intercom chats with other installed Vivid panels, and has a shutter that you tin can close for privacy.

The Brilliant panel uses 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect to smart dwelling house devices and has congenital-in Amazon Alexa circuitry that lets it practice near everything an Amazon Echo tin exercise. You can ask Alexa near news, conditions, and sports scores, and have her turn things on and off or gear up a timer. When you ask Alexa virtually the weather, the screen displays a seven-twenty-four hour period forecast to go forth with the vox response. Additionally, when you lot ask near the score of a sporting outcome, the screen displays the team's logo along with the text version of what Alexa is saying. However, equally nosotros saw with the Honeywell Smart Abode Security hub (which also has built-in Alexa), it won't play Amazon Music, or whatsoever music for that thing. The panel has a built-in microphone and a speaker that is fine for video chatting and listening to Alexa responses, merely is much too underpowered for listening to music.

You lot tin utilize the Vivid console to control any light fixture it is directly wired to, too every bit Philips Hue and Belkin Wemo lights, but command is limited to dimming and turning lights on and off. To turn lights on, swipe up on the panel until you've reached the desired effulgence, and swipe down to dim them and plow them off. You tin't change colors or create scenes—for that you accept to utilize the Hue or Wemo app. The same goes for playing music on a Sonos speaker: You lot tin can apply the panel to play favorites that y'all've created in the Sonos app using My Sonos, merely you can't directly admission music services such as Amazon Music, Spotify, or Apple Music.

As y'all pair the Brilliant panel with various devices, you lot can add their icons to the main display or accept them appear inside of a room. Along the bottom of the screen are buttons for Scenes, Alexa, Home, Intercom, Alert, and Settings. When y'all pair the console with a uniform thermostat, a Climate button is added. The Scenes button is used to create one-touch automation where you can turn something on or off or have information technology plow on or off at a specific time of day. The Alexa push button mutes the Alexa service, and the Domicile button takes you lot to a screen with buttons for each room you've created. Tap on any room to control devices assigned to that room. This is where you can as well add together new devices to the Brilliant system. Just tap Add New Device, select the device from the listing of compatible devices, and link information technology to the Vivid panel by inbound the device account information. You'll exist asked to assign the device to a room or create a new room that will announced in your Home. The Climate button takes you to a screen where y'all tin see the current temperature of your thermostat, set temperature targets, and switch modes.

If y'all have two or more than Brilliant panels installed, borer the Intercom push button initiates a video chat session with the other panels. In guild to connect, somebody has to have the phone call on another panel. One time the call is accustomed, printing the Concord To Talk button to speak with the person on the other end. The Alarm button tin can be used to set schedules for aural alarms. For example, yous can set an alarm to get off at the same fourth dimension on specific days or every day of the week. The Alarm is actually a pleasant-sounding chinkle and has its own volume slider. To silence the alarm, tap the Dismiss push.

Use the Settings push to configure Light settings where yous can assign lights to various rooms and enable motion detection to turn lights on and off. Brandish settings offer a brightness slider, a timer to turn the display off when not in utilise, and fourth dimension zone settings. Here y'all tin also select which photos to brandish on the photo frame. Interaction settings let you lot adjust system volume, enable gestures, and enable Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. Connectivity settings permit y'all to configure Wi-Fi settings and update firmware.

The Bright switch uses a companion app (for Android and iOS) that lets yous control devices and trigger Scenes from your phone, only it lacks the ability to create Scenes, add devices, and adjust settings. However, information technology does permit yous upload photos for use in the photo frame feature.

Installation and Performance

I've installed endless calorie-free switches, so installing the Brilliant Control was easy for me. I shut off the billow to the excursion that powers my existing lite switch, removed the switch cover, and took a picture of the wiring for future reference. I removed the sometime switch and wired the Bright switch past connecting the white wire to the neutral terminal, blackness to the load final, and green to the ground terminal, and secured them with the included wire basics. I attached the switch to the gang box using the included screws, attached the faceplate, and restored power to the circuit. The panel powered up immediately and within 30 seconds a screen appeared with a list of bachelor Wi-Fi SSIDs. I selected my home Wi-Fi, entered my countersign, and was connected within seconds. Next, I entered my email address, created an account, and verified information technology using the code sent to my email address. I gave the organisation a proper name, selected my time zone, gave the switch a room location and name, and configured it to turn the light that it was connected to on and off and act every bit a dimmer. Next, I entered my Alexa account information and was ready to get.

The folks at Brilliant sent me a secondary unit to test the video intercom characteristic, and installing it was almost exactly the same as above, except this fourth dimension the verification lawmaking was displayed on the start Vivid screen.

The Vivid controller worked well in testing, merely some of its functionality is limited. I connected it to a Philips Hue lighting organization, a Sonos Play:1, a Belkin Wemo Insight Plug, a Ring Pro Video Doorbell, and a Nest Thermostat. I had no trouble raising and lowering the temperature and switching modes on the thermostat, and was able to plow the Wemo switch on and off without effect, merely I couldn't access the other Wemo features such equally power usage reports and scheduling features. For that you lot have to use the original Wemo app.

The panel had no trouble playing music on the Sonos speaker, but it was express to selections in the My Sonos playlists from the Sonos app. I establish myself wishing that I had more access to my music so I could add songs on the wing instead of having to take hold of my phone, open up the Sonos app, and add them to a playlist. Similarly, the Brilliant panel responded quickly to my commands to dim the Hue lights and turn them on and off, but it would exist prissy to be able to change colors and Hue scenes without having to use the Hue app.

The Ring Pro doorbell connection was my favorite feature. When the doorbell was pressed, live video was streamed to the Brilliant panel with buttons to accept or dismiss the phone call. If yous accept, you can have a two-way conversation with the person at the door. When the Brilliant panel is paired with a SmartThings Hub, you lot can even unlock the door if you lot take a smart lock connected to the hub. It besides works directly with August locks, like the Smart Lock Pro.

I was able to conduct a video conversation using the 2nd Brilliant unit, merely audio quality was spotty. There was desultory feedback even though the two units were rooms apart, and the speaker'south output sounded tinny.

Conclusions

If you're searching for a switch that will control most of your smart devices, the Brilliant Control is certainly worth a look. Its color touch on display provides enough of room for swiping to control lights, and it works with many of the virtually pop smart dwelling house devices from companies such as Nest, Philips, Ring, and Sonos. Calculation new devices is relatively easy, but the console is unable to access certain features and settings for some devices. A more than powerful speaker with the power to play music would be a nice addition, as would the ability to access an unabridged music library instead of just playlists. That said, the Brilliant Control worked well in our testing, and will help brand your smart dwelling house even smarter.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/brilliant-control

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