LIFX need it’s own hub relying on Wi-Fi is cool but not always if you have a multiple Devices under your Wi-Fi along with LIFX bulb your signal could reduce and may not listen to your command on hand at times. Then you can’t group them together like an example if you have a type of chandelier and you replace all your pubs with light fix you can group them to work it be under one setting in the gym together. It needs it’s own hub so it can have more control and have it own flex ability
I'm seriously starting to loose trust and faith in the Verge's ability to accurately inform with these reviews. They leave out so much info there no point in trusting them. I have 3 LIFX bulbs and there was no mention of how you can combine them to make colors or control them through you computer in windows 10 or how LIFX is known to have more accurate colors! When you leave out info why should i trust you, makes me wonder how much Philips paid for this video!
I haven't really trusted The Verge for awhile now they are easily the most biased reviews on RU-vid especially when it comes to Apple. They also didn't mention having to have the Hue Bridge to work those as a whole system.
LifX smartlights are much better and does everything phillips hue does and mor. Especially now with the recent software and firmware updates, you can use your mobile/cell phone data provider connection not just the wifi to control the lights and no need for a hub!
LIFX is by far the best. Its extremely bright (and dimmable) and the colors are literally the best available and they're also very bright. The only reason not to buy LIFX is the connection issues, however if you get a TP-LINK N300 and connect your bulbs to that it should work just fine (its only about $30)
So many times I've put in the search bar understanding the hubs and SmartThings that work with the Google home and yet this is the only video I found so far that kind of gives you a the information about what hubs do what things. Until this video I thought you had to buy a hub for Philips Hue a separate hub for the thermostat and another hub to work your TV like Harmony. Thanks a lot for the info much appreciated
I have the Philips Hue. Have had it for at least a couple years now. One thing to note is that the original kits with the hub don't work with HomeKit. And Philips also cut support for a third party standard that they were supporting for external smart light bulbs. So i have been hesitant with buying more of them for that reason. Plus the cost is pretty high per bulb.
I have a few LIFX Bulbs and I am very happy with them. What I really like is the openly documented LAN protocol (so you can write all sorts of apps controlling the bulbs yourself) and the HTTP API. The app to control them is ok but not really great in my opinion. You can still use them as regular light bulbs with your switches. They retain their last state, so when you set it to let's say blue, turn the switch off (= cut the power completely) and turn them back on again, it's still blue. They also don't require a hub, but as stated in the video spotty wifi might be a problem.
If you dont want to buy into a WiFi enabled Lighting system, and only want to use lighting in one room, i would suggest the Elgato Avea bulbs. I have 2 in my room and they are really well made. The responce time is only around a half second delay
+Benjamin Puna No, the hue light bulbs are just the best. I've tried several different ones and they are definitely the tip of the top, even their non-color bulbs. But you do pay a pretty penny for them..
Without a doubt , Nerd didnt even mention playbulb , or more importantly , Avea . I have the latter at home and it works flawlessly , but then , it is Apple , what do you expect ;)
I know this was a video about bulbs, but I strongly recommend Insteon by Smarthome if you are looking for a truly smart home. The key to a successful smart home is that you shouldn't need to do anything. Insteon and a little initial effort can get you to that point. Anything less is just a novelty.
I got lifx and it works way better than hue and is cheaper. Also the color quality and accuracy is way better, with deeper colors and more vivid tones.
I've had the exact opposite experience with Phillips hue. I've been inches away and it couldn't connect my lights to the bridge. so those lights won't change colors and just look like regular lights. the advertise thousands of colors and literally they might have 15 different colors and that's being generous. customers have had so many issues with hue lights that they actually made their own website for troubleshooting their hue lights. and the funny thing is is that Phillips actually refers you to the customer-made website to help you trouble shoot. that's terrible and I'm surprised to guys didn't mention any of that.
+Ornge Tabby I had a terrible experience with Life myself the kept getting disconnected from my Wi-Fi. I was really disappointed too because I really wanted to love the Life bulbs
If you switch the light off with the "hard" switch there is no power, so no smartbulb in the world will respond then. So that was an invalid con against hue.
I'm a big fan of the LiFX bulbs. It's nice that they don't have to have a separate hub to control them. I have great WiFi signal strength in my house, but rarely the LiFX bulbs seem to lose connection, the problem might be with the app though. That Samsung smart things sound interesting, but can't you just use Amazon Echo to control all your smart home lights, and devices?
It’s actually very easy to modify switches so people in the house can’t accidentally turn off your smart lights. You can bi-pass your switches yourself (if you know what you’re doing!) or get a qualified electrician to do it for you.
What he means is if you have a lot of money to spend go with Phillips Hue, but if you a curious about smartlight go with Tiktech the only cost $10 so knows if you going to like to use a smartlight anyways so why spend all the money just to try???
philips hue would be number 1 but the required hub hurts it in my opinion. I do not need another hub in my set up. I do not want a lights hooked to a hub to just hook that hub to another hub...
Hey I understand not wanting to add another hub. There are some benefits though... 1) The hue bridge stores all your rules and routines and reacts to triggers... so your lights and lighting automations and switches etc... will work even if your wifi goes down or something goes wrong with homekit. 2) Also the hue devices communicate over zigbee mesh protocol, which is a very reliable network... again independent of wifi. 3) the problem with wifi bulbs is that every time you add a bulb you add another client to your wifi router every time degrading your wifi. With zigbee the more devices you add the more robust the mesh network becomes.
Also wink is a better smart home hub It doesn't need a hub! and it does everything the same and better as Samsung smart things!!! You can ask Google to trigger commands. Wink for the win!
I work third shift and I'm looking for a lighting solution than can gradually soon and produce sunset hues and sunrise. If anyone can tell me a solution they know works well please let me know. I got some cheap rdb bulbs and frustratingly cannot get this set up. Someone please help me
What about the elgato avea bulb? I would buy the philips hue but it's too much money and you need the hub to be connected to the Ethernet Abe since my room is to far away from that I don't want a really long cable from the Ethernet to my room. I want a bulb that can turn on without you having to turn on the lights, is $0-$70, and that can join groups so they do the same thing at the same time. Please help me!
Well. _Good quality_ led bulb is around 10 EUR/USD and I have found white Philips hue bulbs for 15,90 EUR/USD. Sure if you like to bulbs with crappy CRI (Color rendering index) you can find cheaper bulbs, but...
+The Verge Hi there. Can this work on an android phone, and most importantly, I am going abroad for two weeks (UK To India) will I be able to use the app on my phone to turn the lights on and off from so far away? Thanks.
So basically the only downside (1:40) for you with the Philips HUE Bulbs is, that they don't work when there is no current on the power line.... Are you serious? Are you also going to complain, that your iPhone isn't able to beam yourself to Paris, because it has FaceTime?
What about Yi light? I think Yi Light is the most affordable smart light bulb right now that actually works. Yi a branch of Xiaomi so you know it's legit
LIFX lights are better and you can use OK Google and Alexa to do different commands. They only mentioned that the Phillips hue can be controlled by Alexa. *cough *cough SPONSORED VIDEO
So the one thing that is wrong with Hue is that you can't use your normal switches with them. Funny LIFX DOES let you do this, and everything else that Hue does but you claim there's wifi problems so think it's not worth speaking about. Sounds like your WiFi problem, not LIFX's
Standard light bulb cost under $1.00, and you have everything you need already. Philips Hue starts at $30 as an addon to your $130 initial investment for a starter kit (2 bulbs and a hub and a switch). So, do the math, is it worth the investment of over 150 times the amount of money just so you don't have to flip a switch on the wall? Might want to save your money for something that would be more useful.
for starters, the $1 bulb is probably incandescent which is probably a standard 60w bulb.. And a standard lets say 6w LED cost $10-15 and has a life span of much longer than the incandescent.. In the long term, the LED is MUCH MUCH better than your $1 bulb in the reduction in energy use and lifespan.. then there is the value of being able to change the colours of the light... then the value of being able to automate them... then there is just plain cool factor.... don't get me wrong, HUES are friggin expensive.. but they aren't the only ones... I have a set of Elgato Bulbs I picked up off Ebay for $15 each and besides the automation advantage HUE has, they do the colour thing really well... and I can switch all the lights off lying in bed. I also backed the QUBE lights on Indigogo and they were $19 a bulb with some automation features (and will eventually support IFTTT) as well and no need of a hub.
Benjamin Puna " the $1 bulb is incandescent which is probably a standard 60w bulb" Hmm.. no, LED, www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-GVVLA6027ND-Great-Value-LED-Light-Bulbs-8.5W-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-10K-4-Pack/51497364 ".. then the value of being able to automate them" Use a switch save hundreds.. it's hardly worth wasting money on. " I can switch all the lights off lying in bed." Are you trying to be lazy? Is that why people like you go on diets? As an athlete it isn't much for me to flip a light switch. Maybe it is just too much work for you, and you want to throw money at a non-solution to a non-problem.
dude... there was nothing threatening or offensive about what I wrote.... don't be a keyboard warrior... "Use a switch save hundreds.. it's hardly worth wasting money on.'' Its a convenience thing.. I can afford it... perhaps you can't.. but thats fine.. ''Are you trying to be lazy? Is that why people like you go on diets? As an athlete it isn't much for me to flip a light switch. Maybe it is just too much work for you, and you want to throw money at a non-solution to a non-problem.'' People like me on diets... And you're an Athlete..... If your videos are anything to go by.. the only sport you look like you do is pulling your ''in Momma's Basement living, Peanut Butter stained Pyjama wearing ass out of your bunk bed....''
