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- Camera-based so no sync box required
- TV sync and AI-based lighting designer
- From $89.99 / £89.99 (about AU$126)
If you fancy a Philips Hue-style lightstrip for your TV but don't want to splash out on a sync box or sacrifice lighting quality, Lepro may have just the strip for you. Its new STV1 lightstrip promises accurate color reproduction to extend your movie, show or game beyond the edge of your TV without complex installation or extra hardware.
I'm a big fan of lightstrips — I'm on my second Hue setup and use it daily for movies, TV shows and gaming — but the combination of a sync box and a lightstrip or other synchronized lighting isn't cheap. Lepro's approach is simpler and considerably less expensive, with the 55- to 65-inch version coming in at a very reasonable $89.99 / £89.99 (about AU$126).
The difference is that this is a camera-based system, and Lepro says it has key features that differentiate itself from other camera-based lighting strips.
Lepro STV1 lightstrip: is this the perfect accessory for your big-screen TV?
The STV1 has a two-in-one design that combines the camera and controller in a single device. The camera is a fisheye ultra-wide-angle lens with a very wide field of view – over 180 degrees – that enables it to capture color from screens up to 85 inches. Lepro says it responds up to 36% faster than similar camera-based setups.
If you've used fisheye lenses you'll know they distort shapes, but Lepro has thought of that. There's automatic distortion correction and zone mapping to get the captured image into the correct proportions, enabling the controller to deliver the right colors to the right parts of the lightstrip.
In addition to syncing with the on-screen action the STV1 can also listen to music, creating wave-like rhythm lighting rather than just flashing in time to the kick drum. It also comes with a prompt-based lighting designer that can turn your commands into lighting scenes to match whatever you plan to watch.
The STV1 comes in two sizes: 55 to 65 inches for $89.99 / £89.99, and 75 to 85 inches for $109.99. Both versions are on sale now directly from Lepro and from retailers including Amazon in the US, although at the moment only the 55-65 inch version is listed on Lepro's UK site.
I suspect this won't be as accurate as a Hue strip (or an Ambilight TV) but from the videos Lepro's given us it looks to be nice and responsive across a wide range of colors. I'm a big fan of synchronized lighting and this looks like a much more affordable alternative to more premium-priced products.
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