Philips Hue lights

Floris · Mar 9, 2017

I've done it. I took some of my savings and purchased the Philips Hue lights starter kit.
The white & ambient gen3 set or whatever. Gosh I hope I got the right thing.

Anyway, I just placed my order and I am excited to change the lights in my bedroom and if I like it, I will get two more for the hallways and living room. And maybe a strip for below my desk for when the new system gets installed.

Hopefully this isn't a waste of money and actually a good experience. I feel like I am already way behind on these internet of things - things .. but I honestly do not know anybody in my life that has them, so I guess I am their beta tester.

I hope it goes well, getting it all connected to my network, letting my iPhone use it

Floris · Mar 10, 2017

They arrived, ohhhh snap, the package arrived on time, and the box is pretty, everything in good quality.
I unpacked it, replaced a few lights in my living room. Connected the bridge to the router and tried it out.
<insert wow here> I love it.
I am seriously going to replace every bulb in my apartment with this.

Floris · Mar 10, 2017

Installation was easy

I really recommend this to anybody. I regret not getting this ages ago

EDITED: 13+ Video

View: https://youtu.be/dP_g1gqxY1w

Mikey · Mar 10, 2017

I really want to automate my entire home now. Maybe when I get a one bedroom place I will be able to afford it

Floris · Mar 10, 2017

I put one in the bedroom, so i can have a almost no light yellow light on at night when i watch netflix on the ipad, this way i hopefully dont have this bright screen in my face, and the room still is dark enough (and not so blue light ish)

the living room has those 2 from the video, i am watching survivor on my imac right now, and i have it set to a purple hue and a brown one, giving it a subtle exotic look, but at like 25% .. there is just a bloom in the room that fits the episode..

i can't wait to use screenBloom app and match it to VLC or something, and maybe watch a horror movie and see how that goes

Floris · Mar 12, 2017

A couple of days later, and I have to say: Yep, yes yes, yep. I am sold. I love these things.
I think when April hits I will buy another bulb or maybe two. And use those for the kitchen and hallway.
And in a couple of months maybe two more, one for the bathroom and one for the other hallway.
And maybe in May two more, for the mini studio and the tech room.
AND MAYBE TWENTY MORE FOR EVERY OTHER PLACE I CAN ... ok, I have a problem. I shouldn't like tech this much.

Mikey · Mar 12, 2017

hey siri, lights.

Floris · Mar 13, 2017

Update, I had a big think about security and I think I have a semi solution.
More about that in the future.

Anyway, I have installed a few routines like leaving the house and coming back. And tests show that this works just great.
I can now also remote connect, without having to open the stuff on my router. So fingers crossed people don't guess the 32 char password. haha

IFTTT service helped with a few routines that are unique to my situation. I love that service.

And I think I want to get a motion sensor and a light strip or something and then put it below my bed - so when I get up the floor lights up a little bit and i can see where I walk. And then using the IFTTT service, just turn it off automatically after a few minutes.
(know bug: not cat proof)

Next thing I am doing is keeping an eye on massive discounts. Finally. something to look forward to on cyber monday or black fridays

The three lights I have now, I love their setup and how cool it is to just say "load the scene that i use for relaxing" and "lets brighten the place up, i am gonna do some diy stuff"

I still recommend this to everybody

Mikey · Mar 13, 2017

Floris said:
I have a semi

TEEHEE.

In all seriousness though, I do think I am going to invest in at least the starter kit when I am paid. Trouble is that I have two types of bulb in my room so it may be better for me to buy the bulbs and hub separately.

Floris · Mar 13, 2017

The e27 is the regular EU one (e26 for canada/us)
And the thicker ones are the normal ones. I dont think they offer a thinner one.
there is also gu10, which are 2 pointy things you push adn twist in, i dont think many ppl have those

Mikey · Mar 13, 2017

Yeah I need three gu10's and maybe 2 e27's just for this room alone!

Floris · Mar 13, 2017

You are the first person i know that has gu10
Maybe it is just that all i have is very old stuff

Mikey · Mar 13, 2017

They are halogen bulbs typically are they not?

Floris · Mar 13, 2017

Mikey said:
They are halogen bulbs typically are they not?

The gu10 are the ones you do not twist in by rotating them. No twirl? I dunno how to explain. They are two pointy things at the
End?

Mikey · Mar 14, 2017

Floris said:
The gu10 are the ones you do not twist in by rotating them. No twirl? I dunno how to explain. They are two pointy things at the
End?

YEP. those ones. horrible to get in.

Floris · Mar 30, 2017

My fourth light arrived, I put it in the kitchen. This way I can have a soft light during daytime, and dimmed at night so when I want something from fridge like a cold water, I don't have to turn any lights on, and the place doesn't light up super bright. And when I go cooking, I can put on a nice bright white at 60% and it doesn't bother my albinism eyes too much. And I still can see everything clear.

The coupon code for $15 off they gave me was used, but I tried it and it still works, so instantly ordered another one, it should arrive today. I want to put it in one of the hallways until I go turn the little room into a little work studio this summer.

Still very happy with these lights, and kinda happy I went for the colored ambience ones. Their variety just allows for full control. Quite happy indeed.

Watching movies with a "mood" in the apartment made by the lights, is just a tad more immersive, so good.

Floris · Mar 30, 2017

Oh gosh, the frustration.. But it arrived. Thankfully it was a nice sunny day. But boy do I hate waiting. If they know they will be late, why even give me a time frame? I could have done other things away from home or sleep all day. But I stared at the door basically waiting for the bell to ring, just for them to show up at 7pm. PFFF..

But whatever, the light arrived, I plugged it into the hallway, and there we go. All set. yay.

Mikey · Apr 3, 2017

I have only set up silly scenes, like I can say "Red Alert" and it will turn my lights Red! That's some cool shit right there.

What is this $15 off coupon you speak of? I dont think I got one of those!

Floris · Apr 3, 2017

The dutch site i ordered gave me coupon code for being new customer writing first review. They approved review and i got 15 euro off. I got to use it twice, then they realised it and made it invalid (or it simply expired).
If you order here you probably have to pay 15 euro extra just for shipping from the NL :P

I made a movie scene for the living room as well. Well, two. One for a bit dark blue setup to get a mood for a movie - and a more green blue that's lighter for comedy, tv, and other stuff i watch.

Mikey · Apr 6, 2017

The new Hue Labs is pretty awesome. i have my lights cycling through colours and my LED light bar behind my mac and pc also cycling through colours.. I LOVE IT.

Floris · Apr 6, 2017

Mikey said:
The new Hue Labs is pretty awesome. i have my lights cycling through colours and my LED light bar behind my mac and pc also cycling through colours.. I LOVE IT.

I have signed up for everything they offered, and they noticed during my chat with them (i keep bothering them with feature request questions and report back issues with the app hehe), they said if I am up for it I could get some stuff maybe sent to my house end of summer to try before it gets released. I said "yeeeep, I am in"' Would be cool

We will see.

The Labs is pretty nifty, some are gimmicky, but the rotating lights are nice. I figured out you can sorta tweak it a bit and I finally learned how to edit the actual scenes haha. It is a bit more subtle now, and doing it over a longer time. So it creates different moods, rather than just a disco that is slow (once a minute).

Mikey · Apr 6, 2017

Floris said:
I have signed up for everything they offered, and they noticed during my chat with them (i keep bothering them with feature request questions and report back issues with the app hehe), they said if I am up for it I could get some stuff maybe sent to my house end of summer to try before it gets released. I said "yeeeep, I am in"' Would be cool We will see.

The Labs is pretty nifty, some are gimmicky, but the rotating lights are nice. I figured out you can sorta tweak it a bit and I finally learned how to edit the actual scenes haha. It is a bit more subtle now, and doing it over a longer time. So it creates different moods, rather than just a disco that is slow (once a minute).

Damn, I should talk to these guys and get free stuff!!

iso · Apr 7, 2017

I absolutely love my hue lights. I got some this winter as a gift from my SO on xmas. I think the best thing is the wakeup routine. I can set it to turn on intense blue lights (fade in) in the morning before my alarm goes off. It makes it so much easier to get up. A complete game changer!

I also set up an evening routine for going to bed, so it makes (slowly dimming) red/orange-ish light for about 30 minutes before it ultimately shuts off. So much easier to ease into sleep.

Floris · Apr 7, 2017

iso said:
I absolutely love my hue lights. I got some this winter as a gift from my SO on xmas. I think the best thing is the wakeup routine. I can set it to turn on intense blue lights (fade in) in the morning before my alarm goes off. It makes it so much easier to get up. A complete game changer!

I also set up an evening routine for going to bed, so it makes (slowly dimming) red/orange-ish light for about 30 minutes before it ultimately shuts off. So much easier to ease into sleep.

I have to manually start them, but with the recent hue labs, i have a switch for this now.
Yeah, I put the 'nightlight' for the home-1 on, and this turns everything off, except the kitchen and the hallway. The rooms I am in have a bloom effect because of it. and the kitchen/hallway have a little bit of light, but nothing that shines into the bedroom. When i am up at night, it doesn't even feel like lights are on, and i can find my way.

Then before i go sleep, the bedroom light goes from normal to that yellow, to dimmed to off. And the opposite in the morning.

Philips Hue lights

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