NEW YORK – Panasonic plans to roll out its DECT-ULE home-automation products through retailers in February, followed by VTech’s planned second-quarter availability of products incorporating the wireless standard.
Here’s what the companies will offer:
Panasonic: Bundles of sensors and a hub range from $179 to $299, with individual smart plugs priced at $39, window sensors at $29, an indoor Wi-Fi camera with speaker/microphone at $79, and an outdoor version of the camera at $99. The indoor camera plays five lullabies for use in an infant’s room. There’s also a hub at $129 and a cordless handset at $29.
At $249, the KX-HN6003W home monitoring and control kit consists of a cordless handset, two window/door sensors, a motion sensor, a smart plug and a hub. At $299, the KX-HN6002W surveillance kit offers two outdoor cameras, one hub, and ability to record video to microSD cards.
The systems will support up to 50 sensors of all types and up to four AC cameras at a time. Panasonic’s hub will call up to five phones numbers to alert homeowners to sensors that have been triggered.
VTech: Through big-box retailers and online retailers, the company plans second-quarter availability of the following products:
• audio baby monitor with ULE sensors at a suggested $119-$129 with two open/closed sensors;
• wireless monitoring system with hub at $179- $299 depending on the number of sensors included in the starter kit;
• ULE sensors and devices ranging from $29 for a door and window open/close sensor to $59 for a ULE-enabled multi-color LED lightbulb;
• fixed-position HD Wi-Fi camera at $149; and
• pan-and-tilt HD Wi-Fi camera at $179.
Other products include a wireless monitoring system with cordless phone at a suggested retail ranging from $149 -$199 depending on the final bundle configuration. It does not include a separate hub, but the phone itself serves as a hub for wireless connection to motion sensors, open/close sensors, and garage-door sensors. With this package, users receive alerts on the cordless handset, which also dials outside numbers to alert users. An additional hub is needed to get alerts sent to a smartphone, monitor and control the system from a smartphone, and use additional sensors such as glass-break and leak sensors.
Other products include garage-door controller and combination doorbell/camera that transmits images via Wi-Fi.
