LED Lights for back of TV

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Soldato
Joined
21 Nov 2004
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Wishaw
Honestly best option is to get a Philips Ambilight it’s the only thing I regret about moving to a C1 and actually prefer using my old Philips LED for gaming as the ambilight really is immersive
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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10,042
If you need this sort of dynamic lighting then your TV is too small. :p

Huh. Its 50inch.
I did it as a novelty tbh, but it's grown on me. It really does make for better viewing, you don't notice it when you looking at the center of the screen, (i.e its subtle) but it's definitely an improvement.

I personally think this setup is better than an ambilight. It's a fraction of the cost, it has much better edge and colour detection. The ambilight puts out a large gradient and isn't very responsive to fast moving small section of colour.
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Aug 2006
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5,307
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Pembs, Wales
I have a hue sync box with 65 gradient strip around my C9 then 2 play bars upward firing from my AV stand below (TV is wall mounted about 2 foot above the AV stand) only had it set up for a day or so so still tinkering with it. Managed to get the sync box and play bars in the JL sales
 

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Soldato
Joined
13 Aug 2003
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21,184
Location
UK
The only best solution that I ever had was buying from them many years ago..

https://www.cinemaquestinc.com/ideal_lumesb.htm


Huh. Its 50inch.
I did it as a novelty tbh, but it's grown on me. It really does make for better viewing, you don't notice it when you looking at the center of the screen, (i.e its subtle) but it's definitely an improvement.

I personally think this setup is better than an ambilight. It's a fraction of the cost, it has much better edge and colour detection. The ambilight puts out a large gradient and isn't very responsive to fast moving small section of colour.

It's supposed to be 10% of light. Not a lamp.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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10,042
It's supposed to be 10% of light. Not a lamp.

I can control every tiny aspect, from colour tones, to brightness, saturation, which leds I want to turn on or off.
I can put it on TV input, effects mode, or solid color.
It's way way better than an ambilight.
 

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Soldato
Joined
13 Aug 2003
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21,184
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UK
By just watching that, that's really messing with how you perceive colour. The backlights dominating the brightness of the picture itself.
 
Soldato
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18 Oct 2002
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It really doesn't, it's just brighter because I wanted to show it on video, and it daylight, I could hardly put it on subtle mode as you wouldn't be able to see it.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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10,042
Ok.

Things you need to buy :-

1- A HDMI splitter - I bought this one for a 50inch tv but you'd need a lot less metres for a monitor- https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B097QSKDVF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2- Programmable LED strip of your choice. - I bought https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B078S6Z9KG/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3- A length of 3 core flex wire. I bought a few metres of a role at Wilkos because i needed to feed it up a length of chimney.
4- A HDMI cable
5- A Raspberry Pi of some kind (I had a Pi3b hanging about so i didn't need to buy this), but you could get a Pi Zero of ebay for like £20 ish.
6 - Some Pi Connector cables like this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07K8PVKBP/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
7 - An LED power supply (I believe it should be around 20amp) I bought this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TZNMD8K/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
to power the lights and eventually the Pi, but i think in hindsight its overkill (and it's huge) and it didn't come with cabling to plug it in (i had to make my own plug).

This is the Youtube video that I initially used to understand the concept. He uses super expensive components which aren't necessary and he always uses a lot of wiring that is also unecessary.

This is my diagram for the wiring diagram and basic setup.


Soooooooo

1- Run the led around the monitor using the stuck back plastic on the back of it, attach any remaining to back of Monitor.
2- Cut off the default connector that comes with the leds (if it has one, or your going to have to solder the wires on) leaving 3 cut cables which you crimp onto the 3 cables in the flex cable. Use the earth for the data cable and the usual brown/red and blue/black for the 5v + an -
3- Crimp a Pin cable connector (purchase #6) to the data cable from the LED's and attach to Raspberry Pi connection GPIO pin (in my case it was 18) The 6th pin from the right on the outside row (see video)
4- Connect the 5v + and - to the power supply, however you choose. The power supply i had, used screws so i used these things https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/qbkAAOSw~~Rft9Jm/s-l1600.jpg
5- Connect a Pin cable to the RPI's earth pin and to the earth of the power supply (this stops the LEDs blinking)
6- Add a hdmi from the device of choice into the input HDMI of the capture device, use a hdmi from the output of the capture device to the TV
7- Connect the USB cable from the capture card/splitter to the RPI usb port.
8- I am powering the PI from the micro usb cable atm but plan to use the power supply with pin connectors to the 5v + / -
9- In theory all of this can be contained in a box, or possible on the back of the monitor, but i warn you, it's a fair amount of stuff. I have yet to get around to modelling a box to contain it all. It's current a mess of wires on my fireplace shelf.

That's it for the wiring side of things

The rest of the setup is all to do with setting up Hyperbian on a RPI. I can run you through this also if you are up the challenge so far.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Mar 2005
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3,779
@ChroniC Thanks for sharing that. I'm planning on using it to run lights behind my gaming monitor attached to my PC so I will look at finding a way to run the software via the PC if possible, but if not I have a couple of old Pi's kicking about. Looks like a fun project!
 
Soldato
Joined
15 Dec 2002
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In a cowfield, London, UK
i have thought about the hue box but I haven't been convinced so far
It isn’t a easy as pie install either. The sync box experience is a complete headache if you have a soundbar or receiver as the most logical hdmi cabling setup may not work as in my case.

Then you have to deal with odd issues such as the SkyQ box and Apple TV 4K having a ruckus for your tv viewing thanks to CEC issues that didn’t exist previously. My sync box install wasn’t a smooth setup at all. I have it working now but it isn’t 100% perfect as I would like it but it works well.

Philips still have a lot of work to do on this and given how slow they are in general, I just can’t see it happening.

The Gradient strip quality is absolutely superb but in all honesty I wish there was another sync box alternative, as the existing ones are poor imitations excluding the diy Pi boxes as mentioned earlier in this thread.
 
Associate
Joined
20 Jul 2017
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It isn’t a easy as pie install either. The sync box experience is a complete headache if you have a soundbar or receiver as the most logical hdmi cabling setup may not work as in my case.

Then you have to deal with odd issues such as the SkyQ box and Apple TV 4K having a ruckus for your tv viewing thanks to CEC issues that didn’t exist previously. My sync box install wasn’t a smooth setup at all. I have it working now but it isn’t 100% perfect as I would like it but it works well.

Philips still have a lot of work to do on this and given how slow they are in general, I just can’t see it happening.

The Gradient strip quality is absolutely superb but in all honesty I wish there was another sync box alternative, as the existing ones are poor imitations excluding the diy Pi boxes as mentioned earlier in this thread.
That makes my decision easier. Thanks
 
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