Home Assistant Podcast

Home Assistant Podcast

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Home Assistant Podcast episodes

  • How Andrew Rebuilt His Solo Smart Home When a Roommate Moved In

    Andrew joins Phil and Rohan to share how he outgrew Apple HomeKit and built a powerful multi-user smart home in Home Assistant. We cover presence detection with ESP32s and sensors, ditching MyQ for a Meross garage opener, Yale smart locks, bathroom humidity fan automations, and fun ESPN sports goal alerts.


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA223


    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Welcome, Sponsors, Intro

    00:02:00 - Andrew’s Tech Beginnings

    00:05:00 - From Apple Home to HA

    00:08:00 - Breaking HomeKit Limitations

    00:11:00 - Hardware: Pi to Proxmox

    00:14:00 - Backups, Restores, Cleanup

    00:16:30 - Multi-User Automation Challenges

    00:19:00 - Presence Without Phone Tracking

    00:22:00 - Buttons, Switches, Voice Balance

    00:25:00 - ESP32 Presence And Motion

    00:29:00 - Bathroom Humidity Fan Logic

    00:33:00 - Sensor Health & Batteries

    00:36:00 - Lighting Philosophy & Accents

    00:39:00 - WLED, TV Backlights, Aesthetics

    00:41:30 - Goals For The Year, Wrap-Up


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com


    Notion

    Notion is an AI-powered, connected workspace for teams. Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one space that just works. Try Custom Agents now at https://notion.com/homeassistant



    Products Discussed

    Meross Smart Garage Door Opener (with reed sensor): https://amzn.to/4ratgV5

    Third Reality Smart Switch (Toggle/rocker add-on): https://amzn.to/4kupS4S

    Aqara Temperature & Humidity Sensor: https://amzn.to/4twysV1

    Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: https://amzn.to/3MskUZN

    Philips Hue Lightstrips: https://amzn.to/465QhA5

    Govee Floor Lamp: https://amzn.to/4rfMRDv



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee


    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    43 min
  • How Will Automates His Parents' Pool from 2,000 Miles Away and a Period UK Home

    Will joins Phil and Rohan to share how he tamed a period UK home and a remote Canary Islands vacation property with Home Assistant, ESPHome, and Zigbee. We dive into DIY pool chemistry control, fridge monitoring with a ‘strawtenna’, tactile dashboards, AI‑assisted heating, and why Shelly is everywhere


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA222


    Special Thanks to Today's Guest

    Will Osborne-Kennedy

    Website


    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 Welcome

    00:03:30 Will’s origin story and tinkering

    00:08:30 Finding Home Assistant and ESPHome

    00:12:00 Hot tub and pool control projects

    00:17:00 Remote Canary Islands setup

    00:22:00 Zigbee vs Wi‑Fi in old homes

    00:27:00 Antennas and fridge sensor hacks

    00:32:00 Dashboards and tactile panels

    00:37:00 AI and heating optimizations

    00:42:00 Remote access: fiber and TailScale

    00:46:00 Multi‑site management and ideas

    00:50:00 Favorite automations and LLM Vision

    00:56:00 Home lab, IPTV, and Channels DVR

    01:00:00 2026 goals: energy, irrigation, WLED

    01:05:00 Shelly scripts and local‑first

    01:07:00 Community vendors


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com


    Clean My Mac

    Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off

    https://clnmy.com/ASSISTANT



    Products Discussed

    Shelly Bluetooth button/tile: https://amzn.to/4bJcvvy

    Orbit B‑Hyve irrigation controller: https://amzn.to/4bJcvvy

    HDHomeRun TV tuner: https://amzn.to/4klnoFU

    Philips Hue Outdoor Motion Sensor: https://amzn.to/4cf3r1p



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee


    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    1 hr 9 min
  • Hiding Smart Tech in a 1950s Home: Mike’s Home Assistant Journey

    Mike joins Phil and Rohan to share how he hides smart tech in a 1953 mid‑century home so it looks analog but works like magic. Plus: Roborock tricks, leak sensors that turn rooms blue, HomePod TTS vs Sonos ducking, Samsung Frame art‑mode headaches, and running full HA OS in a VMware Fusion VM on a Mac mini.


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA221


    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 Welcome

    00:03:00 Lighting gateway and Hue hack

    00:05:30 Sneaking tech and dance reveal

    00:08:00 From HomeKit/HomeBridge to HA

    00:10:30 Dashboards and camera setup

    00:12:30 Bulbs vs switches in 50s home

    00:14:30 Bathroom fan and comforts

    00:16:30 Homelab and Zigbee backbone

    00:19:00 LLMs and announcements

    00:21:30 Laundry alerts and Mac lab

    00:25:30 Presence sensing strategy

    00:28:00 Leak sensors and water safety

    00:31:00 Light signals around the home

    00:33:00 Roborock automations and hacks

    00:40:30 Bedroom presence routines

    00:43:00 Bayesian sensors and design

    00:49:50 Time Machine and Frame TV

    00:54:30 Pool fountain control

    00:56:30 Power and crawlspace cabling

    00:59:10 Party trick and outro


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.


    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Products Discussed

    Philips Hue bulbs and lightstrips: https://amzn.to/4k7paur

    Aqara T2 wall switch: https://amzn.to/4jUTZm1

    Samsung The Frame TV (43"): https://amzn.to/4t5mTnr

    Zigbee main water shutoff valve (generic): https://amzn.to/4aURldj

    Aqara water leak sensors: https://amzn.to/3Nest6A

    Aqara door/window sensors: https://amzn.to/49hmu9B

    Third Reality sensors: https://amzn.to/455ZR5F

    Ecobee thermostat with room sensors: https://amzn.to/4t4XYjO

    Bond Bridge (ceiling fan RF hub): https://amzn.to/3YAbHBm

    Aqara roller shade controllers: https://amzn.to/3O8ihwI

    Level Lock: https://amzn.to/3ZcU3Ug

    SwitchBot Lock (with keypad/fingerprint accessory): https://amzn.to/4a55H92



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    1 hr 2 min
  • Home Assistant 2026.2: New Home Dashboard, Apps & our CES2026 wrap

    We break down Home Assistant 2026.2: the Home Dashboard is now default, the new Command‑K command palette, a dedicated Matter dashboard, and add‑ons renamed to Apps. Plus: CES 2026 highlights, the Open Home Foundation device database and a Google Home outage.


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA220



    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:03:00 CES Highlights and Shoutouts

    00:06:00 Device Database and Open Home

    00:11:30 Cloud Outage and Local Control

    00:13:50 Listener Feedback and Tips

    00:21:20 2026.2 Release Overview

    00:23:20 Home Dashboard Becomes Default

    00:26:45 Command Palette and Shortcuts

    00:29:40 Matter Dashboard and Apps Rename

    00:32:40 Automations, Cards, and Buttons

    00:37:10 Music Assistant, Media, Sponsor Break

    00:41:10 New Integrations Roundup

    00:46:25 Breaking Changes: Groups, Tuya

    00:49:38 Closing Thoughts and Predictions


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.


    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    52 min
  • Inside the Works With Home Assistant program with Miranda Bishop

    Miranda from the Open Home Foundation takes us inside the Works With Home Assistant program: how devices are tested, why the badge matters, and how vendors—from startups to big brands—can get certified. We cover Zigbee vs Z‑Wave vs Matter, badge misuse, regional device coverage, and Miranda’s own fun automations.


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA219


    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:03:20 Miranda’s path to HA

    00:08:00 CES stories and community

    00:14:30 Moving program to Foundation

    00:22:30 Fees, pushback, endorsement?

    00:29:30 Guidance, safety, and testing

    00:36:30 Zigbee, Z‑Wave, Matter realities

    00:43:00 Big brands, IKEA, relationships

    00:50:30 Cloud integrations, Genie

    00:55:30 Miranda’s home and automations

    01:03:30 Blinds, garden, robots

    01:10:00 Regional coverage and filters

    01:15:30 Badge misuse and enforcement

    01:20:30 2026 goals and wrap‑up


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.


    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Products Discussed

    Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 (Z‑Wave radio): https://amzn.to/3MfPzsP


    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    1 hr 23 min
  • From SimpliSafe to Matter: We’re re-visiting Aaron

    Aaron returns to share how his Home Assistant setup evolved from endless tinkering to a rock‑solid system that runs his family life. We cover Z‑Wave provisioning, ESPHome vs off‑the‑shelf reliability, RATGDO for garage doors, HA Green/Yellow, voice‑first routines, and the rise of AI‑powered helpers.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA218


    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Welcome, guest intro

    00:02:30 - Aaron’s Home Assistant dev journey

    00:06:30 - Life change and HA evolving

    00:10:30 - HA Green/Yellow setup ease

    00:14:30 - Proxmox vs appliance hubs

    00:18:30 - Remote radios and antennas

    00:22:30 - AppDaemon to UI automations

    00:26:30 - AI helpers and sensors

    00:30:30 - Dashboards vs default view

    00:34:30 - Voice and automation-first

    00:38:30 - Community ideas and sharing

    00:42:30 - Maintain vs rebuild strategy

    00:46:30 - Vacuum and dishwasher flows

    00:50:30 - Guest mode with Shortcuts

    00:54:30 - ESPHome vs plug-and-play

    00:58:30 - Z-Wave provisioning

    01:02:30 - Local-first hardware wins

    01:06:30 - Matter, cameras, standards

    01:10:00 - Open-source continuity, advice


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Products Discussed

    Home Assistant Connect Z-Wave (ZWA2) antenna: https://amzn.to/48PrphT

    Ubiquiti Protect cameras: https://amzn.to/4asHXxt



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    1 hr 13 min
  • Artem’s Energy‑Smart Automations Without the Chaos

    By day Artem works for JetBrains, developing coding IDEs for software professionals. But today we want to learn about his smart home, and how he is using Home Assistant to make it more energy efficient


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA217



    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Welcome, sponsors, guest intro

    00:02:30 - Developer life and new home

    00:06:30 - Shutters and first automations

    00:12:20 - Wi‑Fi presence and WAF/PAF

    00:17:30 - Cabling regrets and PoE lessons

    00:21:30 - Zigbee over Ethernet; IKEA fix

    00:25:58 - Dynamic tariffs, solar and battery

    00:33:20 - Smart appliance scheduling

    00:41:00 - mmWave presence sensors

    00:45:20 - Doorbell NFC and Nuki lock

    00:50:10 - Wishlist, Hue and wiring

    00:53:10 - Climate tuning and valve fix

    00:58:40 - Versatile thermostat and wrap‑up


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.


    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Products Discussed

    Ubiquiti UniFi Protect G4 Pro Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4aT1IhF

    Aqara FP2 mmWave presence sensor: https://amzn.to/4s4M4WM



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    This podcast contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    1 hr 3 min
  • Home Assistant 2026.1: SendSpin, new Home Dashboard improvements and presence using labels

    Rohan and Phil are here to break down the 2026.1 release. We’re talking Home Dashboard improvements, a new multi-room audio protocol from Music Assistant, and of course some Zigbee quirks thrown into the mix


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA216


    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 - New Year, housekeeping, sponsors

    00:03:00 - SendSpin: open sync audio arrives

    00:10:00 - Cross‑ecosystem sync caveats

    00:14:00 - Voice PE audio and DIY speakers

    00:16:00 - Listener Q&A and AI log help

    00:20:00 - 2026.1 mobile Home dashboard

    00:24:00 - Purpose‑specific triggers expansion

    00:27:00 - New integrations

    00:31:00 - Labels/templates for presence

    00:37:00 - Protocol hubs, Matter, graphs, devices

    00:41:00 - Breaking changes, EcoWitt PSA, CES


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.


    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Products Discussed

    Roborock Q7 robot vacuum: https://amzn.to/4bkyEjo

    EcoWitt weather station: https://amzn.to/4jBcX0M

    Sonos One: https://amzn.to/4pmsz9H



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee


    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    43 min
  • 187 Automations, 300 Devices: Josh’s Smart Home Assistant Journey

    Josh from Josh’s Smart Home joins Phil and Rohan to unpack a 300-device Home Assistant setup running on Home Assistant Green. We dive into the move from SmartThings, building a reliable Zigbee mesh, energy automations with Tesla Powerwall and a smart pool pump and theatre room presence.


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA215


    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.


    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:01:22 - Meet Josh

    00:02:18 - Early smart home missteps

    00:04:12 - SmartThings and Lutron

    00:05:54 - WebCoRE ends, HA begins

    00:09:29 - Home Assistant Green setup

    00:09:34 - Zigbee mesh with Aqara

    00:12:55 - Theater gear quirks

    00:14:18 - Theater automation philosophy

    00:22:02 - Time-of-use energy automations

    00:23:00 - Powerwall + solar in HA

    00:26:31 - ROI and arbitrage

    00:28:28 - Tesla automations

    00:32:42 - Dashboards and voice control

    00:37:19 - Washer/dryer and doorbell alerts

    00:40:37 - 187 automations, time saved

    00:44:20 - Motion and humidity control

    00:48:56 - Measuring automation impact

    00:50:02 - Smart blinds convenience

    00:50:19 - Yarbo mower and snowblower

    00:58:43 - Security and utility uses

    01:06:59 - Starting Josh’s Smart Home

    01:10:27 - Automation content plans

    01:12:45 - Top new-build tips

    01:15:56 - Designing and building

    01:21:26 - Where to find Josh


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Products Discussed

    Reolink Video Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4a7LIId

    Apple TV 4K: https://amzn.to/4prsT7n

    Narwal robot vacuum and mop: https://amzn.to/3KgSaSK

    UV insect light traps: https://amzn.to/484CNEY

    Yarbo robotic core with mower/snow modules: https://amzn.to/3LOtOQV



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    This podcast contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    1 hr 23 min
  • From Alexa to Assist: NetworkChuck’s Smart Home with Frigate, UniFi, and AI

    YouTuber NetworkChuck joins Phil and Rohan to break down his real-world Home Assistant setup: migrating off Alexa, building a Home Assistant voice assistant (with a Terry Crews voice clone!), wiring Frigate to Reolink cameras, and using UniFi + AI to debug Wi‑Fi chaos. We also compare Node‑RED vs n8n, talk Plex vs Jellyfin and NAS headaches, inventory with Grocy, mmWave presence, ESP32 room presence, and how local AI stacks up against GPT/Claude for home automations.


    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA214


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    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Welcome

    00:02:30 - Network Chuck’s background

    00:06:30 - Discovering Home Assistant

    00:10:30 - Toilet paper saga automation

    00:14:30 - From Alexa to Home Assistant Voice

    00:20:30 - Frigate cameras and Reolink lessons

    00:27:30 - Face and plate recognition ideas

    00:32:00 - Local AI models vs cloud

    00:39:00 - Family adoption and analog rebounds

    00:43:30 - Presence, phones, mmWave, ESP32

    00:48:30 - Halloween thunderstorm and Plex fun

    00:52:30 - Node-RED vs n8n in automations

    00:58:00 - Plex vs Jellyfin and NAS woes

    01:05:30 - Grocy, inventory, and shopping hacks

    01:12:00 - Air quality, energy, and next steps

    01:18:00 - Enterprise talk and wrap-up


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.


    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com



    Products Discussed

    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs (dual GPU local AI rig): https://amzn.to/4a5Lf9w

    Smart locks: Nuki Smart Lock: https://amzn.to/47VH6nj

    Smart locks: Level Lock: https://amzn.to/3XtPdBz

    Smart locks: August Smart Lock: https://amzn.to/4id1ovK



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee


    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    1 hr 26 min

About Home Assistant Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Join hosts Phil Hawthorne and Rohan Karamandi as they explore the newest Home Assistant releases and the latest Home Automation news. Featuring guests who use or contribute to Home Assistant, the…

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