1. THE SHORT ANSWER After spending six years running a four-node Proxmox cluster in my Portland basement and testing over 200 devices for Home Assistant, I have come to a clear conclusion on which of these two displays fits a specific network ecosystem. Both are LED/QLED panels, not OLED, and both run proprietary OS layers […]
Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED vs TCL 6-Series R655: Which Should You Buy? Read More »
# Who Should Buy the Epson Home Cinema 2250 If you are running a Proxmox cluster to virtualize your media server duties, this projector is a viable option only if your primary storage is handled by a Synology NAS with sufficient bandwidth to stream 4K content without dropping frames. In my testing, this device shines
Epson Home Cinema 2250 Review: Is It Worth It? Read More »
THE SHORT ANSWER If you are running a Proxmox cluster like I do in my Portland basement, you need a smart baby monitor that supports local video storage and offers a dedicated mobile app, not just a generic security camera app. My top pick is the **Nanit Pro Plus** (or the Nanit Smart Cam for
Do I Need A Smart Baby Monitor Or Will Basic Work Read More »
Who Should Buy the SimpliSafe Smoke Detector After six years of running a four-node Proxmox cluster in my Portland basement, I’ve tested dozens of smart sensors to see which ones actually play nice with a self-hosted Linux environment. The SimpliSafe Smoke Detector is a specific niche product, and it fits only certain setups. 1. The
SimpliSafe Smoke Detector Review: Is It Worth It? Read More »
WHO SHOULD BUY THE Orbit B-Hyve XR If you are running a Home Assistant instance on a Proxmox node in your basement, this controller is a viable option, but only if you are prepared to live with its cloud dependency. In my testing, the B-Hyve XR works best for users who need advanced zoning logic
Orbit B-Hyve XR Review: Is It Worth It? Read More »
# 1. THE SHORT ANSWER **Buy Genie Aladdin Connect if:** * You want a dedicated, hardwired controller that integrates directly into the opener’s motor board rather than sitting on the wall, which is critical if you want to run a 4-node Proxmox cluster and offload garage logic to a dedicated thread. * You need firmware
Genie Aladdin Connect vs Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage Hub: Which Should You Buy? Read More »
THE SHORT ANSWER If you are running a dense smart home like mine in a Portland basement, where I host a four-node Proxmox cluster and a 24-bay Synology NAS, you need power density, not just capacity. My home lab runs 24/7 on a local power grid, but when I travel to conferences or power outages
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# Who Should Buy the Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 If you are running a Home Assistant instance on a Proxmox node and need a soundbar that plays nice with your local MQTT broker without demanding a cloud login for basic volume control, this Vizio M512a-H6 is a viable option. In my testing, it paired well with
Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 Review: Is It Worth It? Read More »
# Who Should Buy the Dynalink TV Box If you are running a multi-node Proxmox cluster and need a dedicated hardware node for lightweight streaming that doesn’t require a full-blown Linux installation, this box fits a specific niche. In my testing, it works best for the “thin client” user who wants to offload transcoding from
Dynalink TV Box Review: Is It Worth It? Read More »
1. THE SHORT ANSWER Buy Apple HomePod 2nd Gen if: You are already deep in the Apple ecosystem and your primary goal is high-fidelity audio that integrates natively with your iPhone and iPad without needing a bridge. You need a voice assistant that offers a more refined, lower-latency wake-word detection in a noisy Portland basement
Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo 4th Gen Hub: Which Should You Buy? Read More »
