How does the smart light system work?: we tested them in cinema, music and video game mode

When I was a child—a few years ago—I had a dimmer switch in my room that allowed me to adjust the intensity of the light from the spotlight. For me, it was a marvel. Although it was a fairly basic system, I was fascinated by playing with brightness and creating different environments, from soft dimness to completely intense lighting.

Years later, when I discovered the existence of smart light bulbs, I was completely excited. The possibility of controlling not only the intensity, but also the color of the light from my cell phone seemed truly wonderful to me. Today, the market offers a wide variety of smart home lighting products: spotlights, LED strips, bars, table lamps, floor lamps, and even systems designed to synchronize these devices with the television, console or virtual assistants. Precisely, these last items, along with a set of lamps and LED strips, are the ones that I have been testing recently.

Components and assembly: ease and versatility

The components that I have had the opportunity to test belong to Philips Hue, one of the most recognized brands in the field of smart lighting. Although, it is worth mentioning, there are many other options on the market, adapted to different tastes and budgets. For several weeks, I had an Iris table lamp, a pack of double light bars and some LED strips with their respective extensions. In addition, I included two key devices from the brand in the test: the Hue Bridge, which centralizes control of all the lights, and the Hue HDMI Sync, designed to synchronize the lighting with what is seen on the TV.

What have I been able to do with this game? Transform my house into a true entertainment center.

The Iris table lampIt is a fairly versatile device that can be carried anywhere in the house. Its design is quite sophisticated, white in color and with a transparent base, it looks good in both modern and more traditional environments. In addition, it can be located both in bedrooms and in the living room.

The LED pull It is a versatile classic that adapts to multiple uses, whether to illuminate bedrooms, living rooms, patios or even commercial premises. In my case, I used it to decorate the TV, installing it on the edges of the furniture in my living room with its practical adhesive tape, which maintains its adhesion even when you take it off and put it back on. Furthermore, if the length had been insufficient, an extension could have been added, which is integrated quickly and easily.

Lastly, I placed the double bars on the sides of my television. The packaging includes bases that allow them to be positioned both vertically and horizontally, and even fixed to the back of the television. It also has a power supply capable of connecting up to three bars simultaneously. With a minimalist design and compact size, these bars are easy to transport. In my case, I used them with both the television and the laptop, and on both occasions the result was excellent. The bars can be purchased individually, but also in packs. I had the duo pack.

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Among the accessories, the Hue Bridgeknown as the “brain” of the Philips Hue lighting system. This device allows you to connect and control up to 50 lights and accessories from a single location. It works as a command center that makes it easy to manage all equipment from the application, in addition to enabling voice control if it is synchronized with assistants such as Google Home, Siri or Alexa. Of course, its operation requires connection to the router via an Ethernet cable and internet access.

On the other hand, there is the Hue HDMI Synca small but powerful box where magic happens. Once all the lights are interconnected through the Hue Bridge, Sync is responsible for synchronizing the lighting with the visual content on the screen. It has HDMI ports to connect laptops, Blu-ray players, consoles and other devices. Its ultra-fast update technology ensures that the colors of the lights perfectly match what appears on the screen, offering support for content in 8K a 60 Hz y 4K a 120 Hzwhich guarantees a high-quality immersive experience.

Lights in action: cinema, gaming and music

If you are looking to considerably elevate your experience, whether watching a movie, listening to music or playing video games, these devices will surprise you. In the case of gaming, your room can be transformed into an authentic professional space, with lights that complement the action on screen. Even if you only need one lamp to adjust the lighting in your room, the lamp Iris offers a wide range of options that adapt to any need or environment.

It’s not just about controlling the intensity and color of the lights, but about taking advantage of a series of useful and fun functions available in the app’Philips Hue’. From this application you can manage all connected devices easily. Are you too lazy to get up to turn off the lights? Do it directly from your cell phone. Do you fall asleep quickly and don’t want the lamps left on? Simply program them to turn off automatically. And if you prefer to wake up early without being in complete darkness, you can set the time and intensity of the lights so that they greet you gradually.

You can enjoy a wide range of colors or experiment with the custom environments available in the app. But that’s not all: if you don’t have your cell phone at hand, you have the possibility of making adjustments using voice commands. To do this, you must first connect the Hue Bridge with assistants like Google Assistant, Siri o Alexawhich will allow you to control the lighting easily and practically at any time.

What is the gaming experience like? I’m not a big gamer, I admit it. Due to lack of time, I spend fewer hours playing than I would like. Although it sounds something boomermy sessions are limited to classics like Left 4 Dead 2 y Age of Empires 2. Despite being old games, The synchronized lighting experience was amazing. If I enjoyed these titles so much, I can’t imagine what it would be like to play more recent, visually advanced titles.

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Although I am not a big gamer, I am passionate about music. I enjoy sitting on the couch and relaxing listening to both classics and new music. Thanks to the synchronization of Hue Sync with services of streaming like Spotify, the experience reaches another level. The lights respond to the rhythm of the songs, creating an immersive atmosphere that transforms any space. Plus, if you don’t have your cell phone at hand, you can control the lighting using voice commands, which makes everything even more practical and exciting.

Not to mention watching movies. It was what I did the most. I tested the lights on both the TV in my room and the one in the living room, and the result was spectacular. The synchronization is surprisingly precise: the Hue Sync seems to “understand” what is happening on the screen, adapting the lights to create a totally immersive atmosphere in line with the narrative. It’s as if the system transforms your home into a personalized movie theater.

See the lights in action here:

Final considerations

One detail to keep in mind about the Hue Sync is its compatibility limitation. Currently, it does not synchronize directly with any television, being compatible only with latest generation Samsung models (2022 onwards). To connect it to other TVs, you need to use a streaming device, such as Fire TV, Roku, or Chromecast.

On the other hand, if you use a Blu-ray player or a console, you will have no problems, since syncing works perfectly across those devices.

In my case, since I didn’t have Roku or Chromecast, I opted for a simple but functional solution: I connected the Sync to my laptop and projected its screen on the TV. Although it is an effective procedure, it may not be the most practical or attractive option for all users. And that way I could see my platforms streaming favourites.