ADT partnership: ST-ADT touchscreen hub and devices (discussion thread)

Certainly there are, but not with SmartThings components. Control4, Crestron, ADT with ADT Pulse, and Xfinity Home all offer both home automation and monitored security, but with High upfront costs and monthly fees that most SmartThings customers don’t want to pay.

At a lower cost and with optional professional monitoring, you can look at abode security, but it limits you to less than 100 home automation rules and about 150 total Devices.

So as always different things work for different people.

my take was if you want in on the adt security, you would replace your old door, window, motion sensors. these adt security sensors can trigger home automation too. i thought i also read this would all work in the smartthings app we all love :wink:

Do you have a source for that? I haven’t been able to find it in any of the release materials. Just that the new sensors can trigger calls to the monitoring center.

I’m saying the same thing as @kevin, although I have nothing to base that on except common sense (to me at least).

If the new sensors can only work for the security monitoring but not home automation functions of this new hub, then ST will have managed to piss everyone off. Old users will have to buy a new hub and new sensors. New users would be buying the new hub and security sensors anyway, but then they’d also have to put another contact sensor on each door/window?

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While I get they need to make money pairing with adt I don’t think is the right company. I was with them and the contracts are terrible. They are to expesive for what u get. To get that 24.99 price you are probably locked in for three years.
They are not a great company and there cs is terrible.

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No long-term contracts with this offering, it’s just month-to-month:

low month-to-month rates and no long-term contracts.

Adt is still expensive, even without a contract. Unless they drop their price on the package & monitoring they will.nit get my business. If I’m buying double of certain things…I’m going to get the best baang for the buck…& it’s not adt.

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Which security/life safety alarm company with central monitoring (and no contract) is a better bang for the buck?

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Simplisafe looks good & ring just announced something. Alarm.com might be decent but I don’t know anything about them. Imho adt seems way to expensive.

these adt security sensors can trigger home automation too.

Do you have a source for that?

I think this covers it…

https://www.smartthings.com/adt#/how-it-works/door-and-window-detector

The reason ADT seems more expensive is because you’re basically spreading the cost of the system over time.

It’s the difference between a monthly contract on your cell phone vs. buying the phone up front at retail price and lowering your monthly bill.

You buy a system for $500 and pay $14.99 a month and you’re basically paying the same over the same 3 years as if you had bought a system for $0 and paid $30 a month.

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Alarm.com is vague about pricing because the website says their systems have to be installed by local dealers. But the FAQ suggests monthly costs are $40-60. And I don’t see anything about fire/CO monitoring.

Simplisafe seems to have both security and fire monitoring. They have two tiers to their central monitoring plans, $15 and $25.

It looks like the ring protect plan is $10 a month but I think that’s just security.

ADT has been in this business for decades. I’ve never had an alarm system with them (or any other company) but I’m pretty sure I’d trust them to be reliable.

I’m just not seeing how the cost of this new system is that far out of step with other options.

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The ADT system seems a little more expensive up front for a larger install with multiple open/close sensors. Most “packages” do not bundle proper coverage for the majority of real-world applications if you’re looking for security purposes. Monthly pricing is higher than some competition, but as you mentioned - it’s the ADT name.

What is absolutely more expensive is for an EXISTING SmartThings user with 40+ sensors (things) distributed throughout their home to now jump onboard with the ADT SmartThings system. It would be a heavy investment to “convert” over to their approved sensors.

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No argument there. I’m moderately interested in the central monitoring, but not with the up front expense required to convert to the security sensors.

I know the ADT name does not come cheap, but I still think its expensive. For a person who invested in smart things with a good amount of sensors, they are going to have a hard time justifying the cost…me included. If you have an always empty home then almost any monitoring cost is worth it, but if you have somewhat of an active home, like me, then the cost is not worth it…at least ADT pricing. If samsung can just get their act together and get some of the cameras (including ring) out there integrated nicely with smartthings, then I don’t think selling 2 platforms will be an issue.

Well I think the whole system is geared towards the people “on the fence” that want a security system and have been thinking about home automation. You have like 900 options nowadays, including getting a setup installed via Comcast that works through your TV, and is priced at about the same. But I’d be surprised if anybody at SmartThings really expects any “converts” from the current setup into the ADT fold, unless they have a barebones system.

With regards to the security aspect though, I have to disagree. Home security is a good idea when you have an empty house, but it’s an excellent idea when the house is occupied. This is the whole reason for “Armed Stay” and why (some) people turn on their alarm at night before they go to bed. Home invasions are a seriously scary business, even more so than someone breaking into my house when I’m not here.

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That can still be read both ways. It’s happened before with pre-release announcements (cough “local processing” cough).

That says you will receive alerts if the doors are open, which would be true just with an ADT system.

And it says you can set lights to come on “as people come and go.” Which could just be Geofencing.

It doesn’t say you can set the lights to come on when the ADT security sensor reports an event.

I’m not saying you won’t be able to do that, I’m just saying I have yet to see specific language or an example that says you can create an automation with an ADT security sensor as the trigger. Obviously it would make sense if that were true, but what makes sense isn’t always the same as what the system actually does. :wink:

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Agreed on the home invasion issue.

And fire detection is, in my opinion, also even more important for an occupied home. :sunglasses:

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Couldn’t agree more (ie disagree with @all4dom, with all due respect).

If there’s a break-in while no one is home, the burglars can essentially help themselves to whatever they can carry. I have homeowners insurance for that.

If people are home and there’s a break-in, or I’m not home and there’s a fire/CO alarm, then I definitely want to know about that ASAP.

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I understand what you guys are saying. I have nursing day & night for my daughter so thats what I mean by active house. I would tend to believe that a burglar would avoid a house like that but I know thats not always the case. Ill stick with smartthings and if i do invest in a security system, it would not be ADT unless they become a little bit more reasonable with there pricing. But it does stink that doors & windows will have 2 sensors & there will be 2 hubs and 2 apps will have to be used. I don’t think from what i read, you will be able to use 1 sensor for automation & security. @JDRoberts…question…Why can 1 sensors be made to cover both auto & security?