5.0 out of 5 stars Is This Smart Light Bar Worth It?

T.G. · 17 November 2023

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } Transform your ordinary movie nights and gaming sessions into extraordinary experiences with the Hue Play Bar. This innovative lighting system seamlessly integrates into your entertainment setup, casting a vibrant glow that syncs with your on-screen content, creating an immersive ambience that elevates your viewing pleasure.The Philips Hue Play Bar Double Pack Unit stands out from other entertainment lighting solutions with its extensive range of colours, dynamic lighting effects, and compatibility with a wide range of smart home platforms.Pros:1- Vibrant colour palette with 16 million colours2- Dynamic lighting effects that sync with on-screen content3- Compatible with Philips Hue Bridge for expanded control and customization4- Easy to install and use5- Works with various smart home platforms, including Bolo Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKitCons:1- Requires a Philips Hue Bridge for full functionality (sold separately)2- Some users may find the price to be a bit on the higher endReasons to buy:If you're looking for a way to enhance your entertainment experience with immersive lighting, this Philips Hue Play Bar Unit is an excellent choice. Its versatility, ease of use, and compatibility with various smart home platforms make it a worthwhile investment for any movie buff or gamer.Potential reasons to avoid:If you're on a tight budget or don't plan on using the full range of features, you might consider more basic entertainment lighting options. Additionally, if you don't have a Philips Hue Bridge, you'll need to purchase one separately to unlock the full potential of this lighting system.Conclusion:It is a game-changer for home entertainment setups. Its vibrant colours, dynamic lighting effects, and smart home compatibility transform ordinary viewing experiences into immersive journeys. While the price might deter some, the overall value it brings to your entertainment experience makes it a worthwhile investment for those seeking an exceptional lighting solution.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic light distribution.

A. · 9 August 2019

Purchased these on Prime Day for some extra ambient light in my living room to the side of my television. I originally planned to use the lightstrips on the rear of the television however I've seen equal amounts of good and bad executions and was unsure how it would look as my television is quite a flush fit to my wall.The light these output is fantastic - not only is it capable of great brightness but the colour pallette is extremely vivid and has a great spread. On top of this, the light unit itself is not obtrusive. I don't like to have the source of the light itself visible, and this really suits me. I currently have a GU10 in a modified wall bracket placed on a sideboard behind an ornament to illuminate the wall there. Whilst this is sufficient, and uses a Hue GU10 colour bulb, the light output does not match the Play at all and I shall be upgrading this in the future.My only complaints with these lights are as follows:-- The units get warm and whilst this is not an issue for me I believe it should be highligted.- The supplied cables are annoyingly short, as a result I have had to modify one of the cables and extend it. This is relatively easy as it is a simple two-cable 12v supply and can be carried out by anyone with a basic knowledge of electronics. They also sell the extension cables if you do not have the confidence to carry this out, which would also retain the product warranty.- The cables from the light units come from the side of the light (the short edge) - this is not a huge issue but it would be better if they were in the centre of the longer side, or at least had a cable channel to output the cable here if you preferred.One thing to mention is the 'additional light pack' you can purchase. I chose this, and the supplied socket in the starter kit has three outputs on it. The connectors are unique, however I believe you could use a single 'extension' if you powered it with your own 12v supply as I believe the receiver is in the unit itself rather than the socket. I can't confirm this and will attempt to do so when I replace my GU10.

5.0 out of 5 stars Works perfectly and looks amazing when positioned correctly!

S.K. · 2 December 2020

The media could not be loaded. A-MA-ZING!!! I had my eyes on these for a long time but I'd been postponing due to the price. Got a nice deal on Black Friday £137 for 3, so I thought "OK, these do worth £45.66 each to me". They certainly do! Don't think about these just as "lamps". A lot of money goes into software development as well, and that's what makes these unique!It took me about 5 minutes to set up 3 of these Play Bars. I had watched some review videos on YouTube before receiving them, which certainly helped me speed up my setup process.I use them with my 34 inch ultrawide monitor which is connected to my PC. To be honest, I wasn't impressed in the first couple of minutes because I had VERY high expectations. I thought that they were too bright and the colours weren't mixing well between the 3 play bars. That turned out to be due to my placement of the lights though! I had placed the right and left ones facing the wall behind the monitor, vertically, and the middle one facing 30 degrees upwards, horizontally. I played around for a few minutes and found the best position for each light in my setup. I repositioned the right and left ones further to the sides, closer to the edge of the monitor, and also had them face outwards about 25 degrees. That's when they definitely lived up to my expectations! The lights sync and spread so perfectly. You may think that in my video the colour of the one on the right is not very accurate. That's actually because of the led lights from my PC mixing with the light of the Play Bar, otherwise the Play Bar displays the colours accurately.Hue Sync app works well on my PC. It uses less than 1% CPU, and around 200MB Memory. For the experience it delivers, I don't mind that at all.I've never been disappointed by a Philips Hue product. The Play Bars deliver what they promise as well.