Philips Hue - Play Gradient Lightstrip

The Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip wraps the back of a television and shows several colours at once along its length, rather than one colour end to end.

• What the Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip does differently
• Check your screen size before ordering
• Two things you need that are not in the box
• Brightness, and living with it
• Gradient strip or Play bars

What the Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip does differently

An ordinary light strip is one colour along its whole length. Change it and the entire run changes together.

The Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip shows several colours at once, spread along the strip, and can move them independently. Wrapped around the back of a television it follows the left, top and right of the picture, so a blue sky at the top and a red car on the left both appear where they belong on the wall.

Check your screen size before ordering

This is the 75 inch version, just over three metres long, with the mounting clips shaped to hug the back of a 75 inch or larger screen.

Philips make separate lengths for 55 to 64 inch and 65 to 74 inch sets, and they are not interchangeable. Too short and it will not reach the corners; too long and it will not sit flat. Measure the television, not the wall.

Two things you need that are not in the box

A Philips Hue Bridge, which every gradient strip requires, and a Hue Play HDMI Sync Box if you want it to follow the screen.

Without the Sync Box the strip still works, and works well, as a colour light behind the television with scenes, schedules and voice control. It simply will not follow the picture. Plenty of people buy it for the light alone and add the Sync Box later.

Brightness, and living with it

1,200 lumens at 4000K, 1,110 at 2700K, drawing 20W. That is bright enough to be the only light on in a dark sitting room, which is generally how it gets used.

It cannot be cut, so nothing about the length is adjustable. IP20 and indoors only, rated for 25,000 hours, and it runs on Zigbee and Bluetooth with no Wi-Fi involved.

Gradient strip or Play bars

The gradient strip is the more convincing effect, because the colour moves along its length and follows the shape of the picture. It is also fixed to one television forever.

The Hue Play light bars are more flexible: they stand on a shelf, move to another room, and cost less to start with, though each bar shows only one colour at a time. Both need the same Sync Box for screen following. Philips list the range at philips-hue.com.