Interactive media design transforms mass media into home-based personalized communications, audio, video, and information systems. Media historically has been divergent and worldwide, creating a leap of human thought differentiating our current time from the previous ?industrial era,? that ended only a few decades ago. Interactive media design makes global communications technology private and confines it to personal space, giving all the advantages of instant access to information without the interference of the outside world. The key to this transformation has been home automation and networking technology, which serves as the hub of all home-based home theater, lighting design, and media and gives the user direct control over video, audio, communications, and remote Internet access via virtual private networks (VPN.)

There are many elements to interactive media design that fall into four main categories. They constitute a true synthesis of command and functionality combined with one-touch convenience. Each of these categories utilizes some form of media that enable homeowners to send commands to any number of automated subsystems with remotes or touch panel controls. These categories breakdown as follows:

Comfort through in house and remote climate control unties the environment with entertainment.

Interactive media design automates climate control by tying HVAC systems directly into the home automation network. Many people travel frequently, and as such are not always home to turn the AC down while away. While most lighting controls are very simple to use, pets and small children cannot use them. During summer months, when the heat becomes almost unbearable at times, homeowners can now log onto a virtual private network that connects their home automation central computer to the Internet through a secure location, and they can make any adjustments to the AC necessary to provide maximum comfort for all living things in the home.

As increasing numbers of homeowners of all income levels install security cameras around their property, interactive media design takes this new technology one step further. Security cameras monitor the front of the house and feed video back through the automation network to television screens and computer monitors. How is this accomplished? By the skillful blend of electrical design and sophisticated computer programming we have spent many years instilling in our finest technicians. Homeowners now can see who is coming onto their property without having to look out of windows or go to the door. If a person inside recognizes the visitor, he or she can activate the gate through the system and let the person enter.

Interactive media design by automation experts such as Houston's ILD further adds additional control options for home access by installing Panasonic phone systems that link to both the video feeds and the gate controls. If the person does not look familiar, the homeowner can pick up the phone and speak to the visitor through an intercom before granting access through a magnetic gate control activated by the phone buttons.

Decorum is of utmost importance when configuring a high-end, interactive media system. Most home automation clients invest as well in lighting design, so to make interactive media design truly impeccable and complete consultants should always include a decorative element in every project. By blending automation and interactive media design skills, security systems can be linked to the VPN so travelers can turn on the lights at random times to make it appear as though they are home. VPN access can also give homeowners remote lighting control over home theater rooms, and ?panic? lighting features can be added to the phone system so a person can call the police and turn on outdoor floodlights simultaneously.