Philips HuePlay White & Color Smart Light Extension, Hub Required/NO Power Supply Included (Smart Lighting Compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit & Google Home)

I bought the Philips Hue Smart Play Light Bar Base Kit, Black - White & Color Ambiance LED to add some ambiance to my gaming setup. I have to say, I am very impressed with the quality and performance of these lights. They are easy to set up, sync with the Hue Bridge and app, and work with many games and apps that support Hue Sync. The colors are vibrant, the brightness is adjustable, and the effects are immersive. I love how they can create a dynamic lighting scene that matches the mood and action of the game.The only downside is that these lights are quite expensive compared to other LED strips or lamps. They cost around $130 for a set of two light bars, which is a lot for some mood lighting. However, I think they are worth it for the premium features and compatibility that they offer. They are also very durable and well-made, so they should last for a long time.If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, you might want to check out some of the third-party lights that are compatible with the Hue system. Philips has recently opened up its Hue platform to allow other manufacturers to make lights that work with the Hue Bridge and app. This means you can get some more affordable options that still offer some of the benefits of the Hue ecosystem. However, keep in mind that these lights might not have the same quality, reliability, or functionality as the official Hue products.Overall, I am very happy with my purchase of the Philips Hue Smart Play Light Bar Base Kit. They are a great addition to my gaming setup and they create a fantastic atmosphere. They are definitely on the pricey side, but they are worth it for the features and performance that they deliver. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to enhance their gaming experience with some smart lighting.

I have 2 sets of HUE play, it’s great.For many of you wondering how to get the HUE SYNC (pc and mac) to work with things like ROKU (Netflix), gaming consoles (PS4, Xbox, Switch)...etc etc, let me walk you through this extensive process of making it happen along with the devices you’ll need:******5/2/2019 UPDATE******(If you get confused, grab a piece of paper and draw it out lol)1) HDCP2.2 HDMI Splitter with at least 2 Outputs(Look for splitter that has auto step down to 1080 from 4K for second output)If your TV is 4k, then make sure the Splitter you get is 4k and HDCP2.2 ready. It must say HDCP 2.2 and not just 4K or HDCP1.4 in the description of the splitter! As For input side, you only need the amount of devices that you have (no you shouldn’t run multiple splitters into one splitter). For me, I have all of my devices going into my AVR, so I just need 1 input with 2 outputs HDMI Splitter (1x2). If you have just a ROKU, then that’s what you need. If you have ROKU and a XBOX/PS4, then you’ll need a HDMI switch that has 2 inputs and 2 outputs (2x2). No matter how many input you need, you must have 2 outputs and the second output has the feature to convert 4K to 1080. This is not a feature you need if your TV is 1080p, but very important for the 4K people because it’ll save you a lot of headache in adjustments.2) HDMI to USB Video Capture DeviceMost HDMI video capture only captures 1080p, there’s absolutely no reason for 4K just for HUE Sync if you are simply trying to pick up the color from the video capture. Connect the video capture device to the Output 2 of the HDMI splitter on one side via HDMI cable, and the USB side connect it to your PC/Mac.3b) STOP!Before doing anything else, download the Philips Hue smartphone app, and connect the lights you want to sync with your TV to the Hue Bridge first. Update everything and make sure it’s ready BEFORE you setup with the HUE Sync software on the PC/MAC.3c) On your PC/MAC, download “OBS Studio”, install the driver/software. I’m running Windows 10 here, so I don’t know if it will work with Chromebook or any other OS. With the OBS Studio software, what I did in the setting is to make sure the canvas screen is set to 1080 so the screen ratio of the video capture is correct. You don’t need high frame rates and you don’t need high resolution here! Lower left side of the OBS Software you’ll see the sources box, select + and select OEM Video capture. Set the PREVIEW screen to full screen, and make sure there’s no black cutoff portions.4) HUE SYNCInstall HUE Sync, there’s plenty of YouTube video telling you how to setup the HUE Sync on your computer, so just go ahead and do that and you’re good to go. What I did do is turn off music sync, intensity to subtle. NOTE: Under Settings/General-Preference/Background-lightning: Turn off background lighting. It messes with the HUE Sync with this low white light when the same section of the display is showing black.Optional: I bought a mini windows PC to run as a dedicated TV PC. Please install a CCleaner and run it automatically at start up so you won’t ever see the infamous Windows “slowing down” issues. In the HUE SYNC PC software, you can set specific buttons on the keyboard to start Syncing. I have to say, that I did end up buying 3 different mini PC and returned two of them because they simply can’t power 4K without freezing. I ended up getting a MSI cube n with a 5000N processor with 8GB ddr4 ram. I changed resolution down from 4K to 2048x1152, and refresh rate to 60Hz. It runs very smoothly all day without issue.If you do all of this correctly, you now can watch or play everything on your TV and enjoy HUE Play, regardless of the source.Remember to check your 4k setting in your Xbox/PS4 pro/ROKU to make sure it’s able to output 4K on your 4K tv. If the splitter you use or any parts you use besides the video capture is NOT HDCP2.2, you will not be able to watch 4K. If you force 4K output on your ROKU, it may work but the video capture will show a black screen. Make sure your HDMI are at least 2.0, amazon’s cable works fine, there’s no benefit with more expensive HDMI cables.I’ll take my 2 cents, thanks.

I was between this product and GROVE LED Lights, what made me purchase this product was the lights would have a higher maximum brightness and were supposed to be higher quality. Also I have a positive relationship with Philips brand over a variety of products, this was my first LED Light purchase.The lights come with a versatile and easy to use mounting system supported by 3M tape and allen key adjustment for the bases, you can arrange them in a variety of ways. The lights can be controlled via the Philips HUE app, and require a bridge to connect via ethernet to your internet router, the source of the app and the bridge connection must be on the same network in order for it to work. Other LED smart systems do not use wifi. Philips HUE offers a lot of connections up to like 72 lights per bridge.App is super easy to use when you have set it up, you can do a lot of stuff with it and anyone interested should seek out youtube videos showing the full features of the lights, after about 4 weeks with the lights I'm really happy with the purchase, I have the lights mounted on the back of my monitor. They come with great preset options for work, play, general browsing and different times of the day and settings, some of the color schemes you can get out of the bars are really great, the lights are also strong enough to provide solid lighting that you can really feel and benefit/enjoy during daytime. I only have the two LED Bars, but I am definitely considering purchasing more HUE products and specifically a third light bar.I do not think that this product is the best value for money available, especially because the bridge is not included in this kit and retails for $60. I was lucky I found the bridge on sale for around $25, which tipped the decision for me to purchase this product over others, if you're considering more budget options, you can definitely look at other products for similar performance, if you dont mind paying more, HUE has some cool beneifts.Be aware, cable management required!

Love the Hue systems by Philips. Takes home lighting to the next level. Have received so many compliments on these lights.