Sure, we recently got a glimpse at CES of what home technologies will greet us in 2012—but that didn’t stop the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) from peeking into its crystal ball to forecast what our high-tech home lives will be like in 2016 and beyond.

With the rate that technology changes today, making forecasts even a few years ahead is a tricky—if not a discouraged—prospect. But CEDIA’s senior director of emerging trends Dave Pedigo took a crack at a report prepared by CEDIA’s Technology Council for a recent webinar titled “ESC of 2016.” (An executive summary of the white paper is here.)

What awaits us? Networking and data speeds will be blazing fast, video will be 4K resolution, home systems will know where we’re at in a home and respond accordingly, automatically adjusting a room’s systems to our preferences when we enter. Energy efficiency will be everywhere and digital home health services will be more important than ever.

Here are some highlights to look forward to.

Steven Castle - Contributing Writer

Steven Castle is Electronic House's managing editor. he has been writing about consumer electronics, homes and energy efficiency topics for two decades. He is also the co-founder of GreenTech Advocates.