A recent slip-up on the official Philips Hue website has revealed that a new, high-end television light strip is on the way. An updated FAQ section on the company website casually mentioned a yet-to-be-released device called the Philips Hue Play Gradient Strip Light Pro. This subtle mention confirms that an upgraded version of their popular television backlighting system is currently in development.
Why This Matters for Your Living Room
If you enjoy syncing your television screen colors to the lights behind your screen, this leak is exciting news. The current generation of the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip already paints the wall behind your television with colors that match the on-screen action. However, the current models have some limitations.
A Pro version suggests we will see hardware improvements that address common user requests. Right now, the standard strip only fits televisions up to 75 inches. If you own a massive 85-inch or 100-inch television, the current strips simply do not reach all the way around. A Pro model could finally bring custom backlighting to ultra-large screens.
What to Expect from the New Pro Strip
While Philips Hue has not released the official specifications yet, we can look at their recent technology developments to see what is likely coming next.
- Brighter Colors and Smoother Blends: Last year, Philips Hue introduced a new lighting technology called OmniGlow. Think of OmniGlow like upgrading from a standard box of crayons to a massive professional art set. It packs more individual LED lights into the strip and produces significantly brighter colors. It is highly likely that the new Pro strip will use this OmniGlow technology.
- Full Wrap-Around Lighting: The standard Hue TV strip only covers three sides of the screen (the top and the two sides). Many users want a four-sided option that illuminates the bottom edge as well. Given that a sister brand to Philips Hue already sells a four-sided strip, the new Pro model might finally offer total 360-degree lighting.
- A Cheaper Syncing Option: The leak also hinted at a new Hue Play Screen Sync TV camera. Currently, you need an expensive separate sync box to make the lights match your television screen. A dedicated camera would point at your screen and tell the lights what colors to display, which is generally a much more affordable setup method.
If you are currently planning to upgrade your television area with smart lighting, it might be wise to wait a few months to see what this new Pro model officially offers.
For more details on the original leak, you can check out the Source Article at Hueblog.
Image Credit: Signify / Philips Hue