Are you doing anything with Hue?
- Thread starter CapitalOne
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I've got 4 and a Spot and I'm happy with it all.
She can be a bit dumb occasionally and I am interested in how the Google ones may be a bit smarter.. but my Echos are controlling Hue, Nest, Smartthings and a multiroom spotify setup and I'd give it a solid 8/10.
I expect the challenges with Echos is the same with anything like this, they can sometimes go wrong in odd ways that it's very hard to diagnose with no means of interaction other than an app.
So for example.. a few of mine are just about within earshot of each other or you in another room so they can sometimes seem to start talking to themselves in another room which can be a bit unsettling.
She sometimes forgets I have spotify and tries playing music from Amazon.. they can sometimes rename themselves to a generic name in the spotify multiroom app which doesn't stop it working but makes it confusing.. that could be Spotify though.
I put a lot of this down to having a fairly busy and constantly changing setup too as the rare hiccups have gotten worse the more Echos and other devices I've added.
Overall very happy.. wouldn't go back.
Got a question...
I'm planning on putting some of the B22 Philips Hue bulbs in a couple of rooms. As far as I know, when you turn off the light at the light switch in the room, the bulb turns off but apparently resets itself - Is that right?
Do you rely on using your smart phone/speaker etc. on turning the lights off? Or is there something else you can do to have the light switch act as normal?
Also - Do the white-only bulbs do different types of white? Or do I need to get the colour bulbs to get a different "warmth" ?
I'm planning on putting some of the B22 Philips Hue bulbs in a couple of rooms. As far as I know, when you turn off the light at the light switch in the room, the bulb turns off but apparently resets itself - Is that right?
Do you rely on using your smart phone/speaker etc. on turning the lights off? Or is there something else you can do to have the light switch act as normal?
Also - Do the white-only bulbs do different types of white? Or do I need to get the colour bulbs to get a different "warmth" ?
White ambience bulbs do the warmth, most Innr ones do too. Yes you need to leave them on all the time but they don't reset when you switch them off at the switch, we do that instinctively every now and then and none of mine (13 and counting) have ever reset when switched back on.
Do you have any suggestions for a different solution?
So do you just rely on the likes of an Alexa or something to turn your lights off as you leave the room?
Soldato
Have a read through this thread, there is info about the remote dimmer switches and motion detectors.
Can't say I have to be honest - but it's 22 pages long!...
So I guess you all just replace the switches for Philips dimmer switches?
I have a combination of smartthings motion sensors and an echo in pretty much every room.
I figure if you're doing smart home go all in.. I'd definitely suggest a voice assistant in the room with the lights, otherwise it's just less convenient than using the switch. Using your phone is longwinded.
Hmm maybe I need to rethink using these bulbs then... I don't want any Smart speakers at all.
I'll take a look at the dimmer switches though - I've also see the Logitech Pop things, they could do the trick...
Why do you want them?
I want to change all the lights to LED anyway, but being a bit of a nerd I thought I'd go smart because of... reasons.
I do certainly want the smart features in the living room at the very least - So I'm wondering now about just changing all bulbs to normal LEDs and just making the living room smart.
Looks decent and doesn't require a neutral wire.
Also significantly more complicated for the casual user.
I'm not saying it's bad and hue is far from perfect, just a point that there's a difference between installing a hub and bulb and changing a plug socket, even more so a light socket which I found to my cost when trying to install lightwaverf isn't always as straightforward as you might hope.
And until they launch anything more than 1 gang you can't control more than one light.
And there doesn't appear to be any voice assistant control which I may have missed.
So to be honest to claim hue is crappy and suggest this is an alternative is pushing it a bit IMO.. most folks want to plug and play.
I'm not saying it's bad and hue is far from perfect, just a point that there's a difference between installing a hub and bulb and changing a plug socket, even more so a light socket which I found to my cost when trying to install lightwaverf isn't always as straightforward as you might hope.
And until they launch anything more than 1 gang you can't control more than one light.
And there doesn't appear to be any voice assistant control which I may have missed.
So to be honest to claim hue is crappy and suggest this is an alternative is pushing it a bit IMO.. most folks want to plug and play.
Anyone use the Hue motion sensors and are they any good?
I bought a Smartthings hub a while a go to use with Xiomi sensors after seeing it being mentioned (by matt100 i believe), but the need to install device handlers to get them working isn't ideal. Other option is Smartthings own senors but the amount of bad reviews on Amazon is off putting, so just wondering if the Hue ones would do the job of automatically turning the lights on and off when going in and out of rooms when light levels are low enough?
Only other thing i think could work would be the Logitech Harmony hub and any compatible sensors.
I bought a Smartthings hub a while a go to use with Xiomi sensors after seeing it being mentioned (by matt100 i believe), but the need to install device handlers to get them working isn't ideal. Other option is Smartthings own senors but the amount of bad reviews on Amazon is off putting, so just wondering if the Hue ones would do the job of automatically turning the lights on and off when going in and out of rooms when light levels are low enough?
Only other thing i think could work would be the Logitech Harmony hub and any compatible sensors.
Seriously.. just use the samsung ones if you've bothered to get the hub? I have 3 running all my hallway light and they're fine. No issues at all.. I mean if one fails.. then get it replaced?
I didn't realise the Xiaomi ones needed handlers.. it's similar many things in tech I guess, people say "you can get this for half the price" and neglect to mention the half of the price you're missing is also half the soft useful stuff like plug and play.. Sorry for that, I assumed they just showed up in the app.
I didn't realise the Xiaomi ones needed handlers.. it's similar many things in tech I guess, people say "you can get this for half the price" and neglect to mention the half of the price you're missing is also half the soft useful stuff like plug and play.. Sorry for that, I assumed they just showed up in the app.
I plan to use a hue motion sensor for an outdoor light so I hope they're good.
Soldato
Ahh the old vapourware solution that’s better than years old tried and tested on the market solution and using the same backend, will be good if they wok with hue hub for sure
As much as I would love actual smart switches there must be some odd technical hurdle as no big company has got involved yet and there are plenty of very poor dumb sockets and switches so taking a punt on something as safety critical as sockets is a concern.
I hope they work, shockingly
)) expensive so I’m doubtful.