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Guide to the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip

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Philips have released a new gradient light strip for their Hue lighting range perfect for entertainment areas that can be used behind your TV. The lightstrip can be bought in varied lengths depending on your TV size.

Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip

The Hue Play gradient light strip takes lighting to a new level, create bias lighting for your home TV and making an impact with the on-screen action. 

What is a Gradient Lightstrip?

The standard Hue light strip would just show a single color long the whole length of the strip, however the gradient light strip has zones allowing it to display multiple colours at the same time, hence the gradient name. The Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip is designed for use with large flatscreen TV’s where it is attached to the back and will show color around the screen to match the onscreen colors. 

Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip

The Philips Hue Play gradient lightstrip comes in three different sizes:

  • 55-inch (fits TV sizes 55 to 60 inches) 
  • 65-inch (fits TV sizes 65 to 70 inches) 
  • 75-inch (fits TV sizes 75 to 85 inches) 

For smaller screens, you can use the smallest strip and wrap it under, and for larger screens that 75-85 inches, you can move the strip into the center more to cover the screen edges. 

The Philips Hue Play gradient lightstrip comes with its own power supply and TV-mounting accessories, which allow for easy installation.

It has an overall brightness of 1100 lumens and a lifetime use of 25,000 hours. 

How does the Gradient Lightstrip work?

The Philips Hue Play Gradient LightStrip does not have Bluetooth and must be connected via a Hue bridge, using it as a normal lightstrip the light can only be one color, just like the current lightstrip. 

“Every detail of the new Philips Hue Play gradient lightstrip has been designed to provide an optimal effect, offering a 45-degree light projection and a perfectly blended gradient of light. This is made possible with a series of individually addressable LEDs — all of which can produce white and more than 16 million colors of light. Mirroring whatever content you watch, play, or listen to and using the colors from the entirety of the screen, colors flow naturally into one another along the led strip, blending them together seamlessly and casting them against the wall for a unique effect behind your TV. The lightstrip is easily and optimally placed to the back of your hanging or free-standing TV with specifically designed mounts, guaranteeing the best light experience.” – Press Release

This light strip comes to life when connected to a Hue Sync box or Sync app where the light strip can light up in 7 colours at one time, allowing the strip to have multiple colours along the whole length, giving different lighting when wrapped around the behind of your tv.

George Yianni has already announced that they want to enable the gradient function with a software update at a later date even without the HDMI Sync Box.

How does it compare to the current Light strip?

The light strip is longer, but cannot be cut or extended. The LEDs are closer together and are better diffused giving a better effect when in use.

FAQ

Common questions regarding the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip.

What is needed to use the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip?

As there is no Bluetooth support you must have a Hue bridge. To use the gradient color effects, the light strip must be integrated into an entertainment area, which in turn can be controlled by the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box or the Hue Sync App for Mac and Windows.

Can you use Hue Gradient Lightstrip without sync box?

The Philips Hue Play gradient light strip requires a Hue bridge but can be used without a sync box, but used with the Hue Sync app on your computer. If you wish to use the light strip on your TV and games console is is better and easier to use the Hue Sync Box. 

How do you attach the strip to your TV?

The lightstrip comes with 5 mounts that can be stuck to your TV in the corners and edges allowing the light strip to be held in place.

Does the strip not cover the bottom of the TV?

No, deepening on the TV it may not work very well, so the light strip only covers the top and sides where it would work well and on all TV screens.

Can I use this light strip with our lamps in my entertainment area?

Yes. You can have 10 lamps in an entertainment area, and although this shows multiple colours it is classed as one lamp, so you can have 9 others too.

How will the Play Gradient Lightstrip be placed in the entertainment area?

In contrast to other Hue lamps, the Play Gradient Light strip can only be placed at a fixed position in the entertainment area and cannot be moved.

Does this work with Bluetooth?

Unlike other hue lamps that have been updated with Bluetooth, this does not and will require a bridge to use. 

How many color zone are there?

The light strip has 7 zones but you can choose only 3 colours via the hue app, those 3 colours will then be shared in the 7 zones along the strip.

Can you cut Philips Hue gradient Lightstrip?

No, this cannot be cut or extended. 


Founder & Editor

Mike is the founder of Hue Home Lighting, a huge Hue fan with far too many lights, covering home and garden. A smart home gadget addict and also enjoys the odd bit of DIY

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