Skip to main content

Philips Hue gradient strip can enhance your home theater experience

Philips Hue is once again expanding its portfolio with a new range of lighting options that will bring even more convenience — and aesthetics — to your home. In addition to a new product, Philips Hue is updating its existing line of Iris table lamps and candelabra bulbs.

The first update is to the Philips Hue Iris. It will retail for $100 and put a new spin on the classic design. The Philips Hue Iris will have deeper, richer colors, lower dimming capabilities than ever before, and an overall increase in brightness. It will be able to reach up to 570 lumens when using white light, and it will also have a fabric-wrapped cord to give it even more aesthetic appeal. The Philips Hue Iris can be controlled via Bluetooth in a single room, but you can also link it with a Hue Bridge to unlock its full range of capabilities.

Recommended Videos

The next update is a minor, but useful one. The set of Philips Hue E12 candelabra bulbs have been updated to use Bluetooth, making it easier than ever to set up and begin using the bulbs to create the perfect setting in your home. These are available for purchase now.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

However, the main announcement is the launch of the Philips Hue Play gradient light strip. This LED strip attaches to the backside of TVs that are 55 inches or larger. If you pair the strip with the Philips Hue bridge and the Philips Hue Sync PC app, or the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, the light strip will mimic the colors that are on the screen. It will enhance your home theater experience, reduce strain on the eyes, and create more immersive content.

There will be three different sizes of the light strip available, starting on October 16. The first is the 55-inch strip that will retail for $200. The next size up is the 65-inch strip for $220, and finally the 75-inch strip for $240.

Philips says that prices may change before the final release. If you’re looking for a way to improve your viewing experience at home, the Philips Hue Play gradient light strip is worth checking out.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
How to save money with your smart home this winter
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat in stainless steel.

Keeping your home warm and cozy during the winter is a challenge. Homes equipped with a fireplace benefit from a frugal heating option -- though there's no doubt they can be messy and time-consuming to clean. You can also ramp up your furnace, but that's a quick way to spend a fortune on your heating bill.

Instead, consider using smart home gadgets to save money and keep your house at a nice temperature until spring rolls around. If you need some help getting started, here are a few smart home gadgets that can help you make it through the cold, dark winter.
Invest in smart blinds

Read more
How to create spooky Halloween effects with smart home lighting and sound
spooky halloween lighting haunted house

Smart home technology has expanded dramatically over the past few years, and there’s no shortage of cool tech available to help you with your holiday decorations. Halloween is a particularly great one for smart home gadgets to help with, as you’ll find a variety of products available that create unique lighting and sounds -- as well as a few ways to tweak them to create a spooky atmosphere.

With so many products up for grabs, it can be difficult to figure out where to start. If you need some help sifting through all the options, here’s a look at which smart home devices are best for Halloween -- and how they can make your home the talk of the neighborhood.
Light it up

Read more
Philips Hue adds support for cameras and sensors
The Philips Hue Secure Camera on a table.

After years of serving as a hub for smart lights, Philips Hue is officially adding support for security cameras and motion sensors. The news came during the annual IFA Convention, with Philips revealing several new classes of products that can interact with the existing Philips Hue lineup. This includes the Philips Hue Secure Wired Camera, Philips Hue Secure Contact Sensor, and Philips Hue Secure Floodlight.

The Hue Secure Camera boasts 1080p video capture, night vision, motion notifications, two-way audio, and the ability to sync with existing Hue lights to deter unwanted guests. It can also detect whether an alert is caused by a human, pet, or package without needing to access the cloud (resulting in enhanced privacy and security for your footage).

Read more