Philips Hue Play White and Colour Ambiance Smart Light Bar Double Pack Base Unit, Entertainment Lighting for TV and Gaming (Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit), Black
| Weight: | 0.71 Kilograms |
| Dimensions: | 25.3 x 4.4 x 3.6 cm; 710 Grams |
| Model: | 7820230P7 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
Another great Philips hue light product. I got these behind my TV and they do a great job of backlighting. As with all hue products they are pricey but do a great job and easy to install and use
I am a big fan of smart systems and as I have used Philips hue lights for a long time (2011) when these came up on Amazon deals I snapped them up with these I now own ten smart lights but my only issue with these is a wish that the mounts was a little more flexible in mounting turning etc other than that they do everything you need them to and would happily purchase agai
As with the rest of the Philips Hue ecosystem, these are mega easy to set up, are totally reliable in operation, and have a phenomenal colour range. I operate mine through Alexa, and also through a Hue dimmer switch. You do need the Hue bridge though for both of these functions. With a dimmer switch, you can control the brightness and scenes of these bars in exactly the same way as you would do with a Hue light bulb.
These are so much fun for parties, and have some lovely effects such as candlelight and fireplace (as do all the Hue bulbs). Also by making each bar a subtly different colour you can truly transform the feeling of a room and give a warm, fun, exciting, spooky, or whatever feel you want.
Please be aware however that the illumination levels are not that bright. So while they’re adequate and perfect for filling the corner of a room with ambient lighting, don’t expect them to illuminate a whole room in any way. They won’t get anywhere near the brightness levels of a ceiling bulb.
I’m also not convinced they’re particularly great as TV backlighting if you have a large TV. I tried mine out with my 48 inch TV, but the illumination was a touch underwhelming, and too focused on only limited areas of the wall. I also found all the wires going into the back of the TV (HDMI cables, etc) just got in the way and ruined the overall effect of the lighting. I’ve switched back to TV led backlighting, which I’ve found to be a much more effective solution for TVs.
All in all however, I’ve been very happy with these bars. I love them despite the limitations. They are used on the bookcase of the family living room, and are perfect to use when watching films or relaxing in the evening. Great fun when friends come round. However you do need to consider that they seem to have quite specific uses, and shouldn’t be relied upon as part of your everyday room lighting. As stated, they won’t in any way replace the main ceiling light, or even a corner uplighter or table lamp. Thus, if you’re happy with these limitations, I do still totally recommend these.
Please let me know if you’ve found this review to be in any small way helpful. Thank you.
Keep an eye on model numbers as the newer ones have better capability than the older models
my whole house has hue lights and while bored one day i bought these for my tv and i love them, sets up a great scene, nice aura around my tv
We love our hue lights, look perfect behind our TV. We have them without the HDMI box to sync to the picture on the TV and are still really happy with them. Loads of different settings on the app to play around with. Bought a few more hue lights because of these.