Revolutionize Your Home Theater with the Transformative Philips Hue Play Light Bar
Philips Hue Play Light Bar: A Fun and Flexible Addition to Your Home Theater Setup
The Philips Hue Play Light Bar is a lozenge-shaped smart light that creates a similar effect to a Philips Ambilight TV, extending the colors from the edges of your screen and washing the area behind with matching light to make your movies, TV shows, and games more immersive. They’re flexible, easy to use, and a lot of fun.
What sets the Philips Hue Play Light Bar apart
The Philips Hue Play Light Bars have some key advantages over both Ambilight TVs and the best Ambilight alternatives, such as Nanoleaf 4D. First, you’re not limited to positioning them directly behind your TV, although you can do that if you wish. You can also place them above, below, or to the sides, and you can position them quite far away if you have enough space.
Color reproduction
Color reproduction with the Philips Hue Play Bars is excellent, even with subtle tones. They reproduce natural shades and skin tones very well, and colors shift smoothly, which avoids creating a distraction.
Connectivity and control
The Hue Play Bars connect wirelessly to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, which means they don’t suffer the same problems as lighting systems such as Nanolead 4D that use a camera to monitor and reproduce the colors on your screen. There’s none of the lag you might get with a camera-based system, and they’re not affected by reflections.
Specifications
- Wattage: 13.2W
- Maximum brightness: 500 lumens
- Colors: 2000-6500K Hue White Colour Ambiance
- Control options: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant (via Philips Hue app)
- Max lights per power supply: 3
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
- Size (L x W x D not including mount): 10 x 1.7 x 1.4in / 25.3 x 4.4 x 3.6cm
Price and availability
The Philips Hue Play Light Bar is available individually, or in packs of two or three. As with most Philips Hue products, you can also find them bundled with other lights and accessories, such as the Hue Bridge, which may be significantly cheaper than buying each component separately.
Should you buy the Philips Hue Play Light Bar?
Buy it if:
- You want to add a unique and immersive lighting experience to your home theater setup
- You’re already invested in the Philips Hue ecosystem and want to expand your lighting system
- You’re looking for a flexible and easy-to-use lighting solution
Don’t buy it if:
- You’re on a tight budget and can’t afford the individual price tag
- You’re not interested in smart lighting or don’t have a compatible hub
- You’re looking for a more traditional lighting solution that doesn’t require Wi-Fi connectivity
Also consider
Not sure about the Philips Hue Play Light Bar? Here are two other ambient lighting options that are worth considering:
- Nanoleaf 4D: A camera-based lighting system that uses AI to reproduce the colors on your screen
- LIFX Beam: A wireless lighting strip that can be controlled via the LIFX app
How I tested the Philips Hue Play Light Bar
I tested a pair of Philips Hue Play Light Bars, using them as part of a larger Hue lighting system including ceiling-fitted bulbs, an HDMI Sync Box, and Hue Bridge. I used them to sync content from my TV, and as standalone smart lights that I controlled via the Google Home app.
