Philips Hue Play Smart Wall Washer Review

Philips Hue launched the Play Wall Washer again in June and is outwardly designed to switch the Play Lightbar.

It is a multi-purpose ambient mild, however it can probably be fashionable with these desirous to create ambient lighting results for TVs, and this could be an ideal addition for the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Field.

Purchase From Philips Hue

Associated Opinions

Specification / Options

Unboxing / Design

The Wall Washer single-piece aluminium development feels substantial at roughly 700 grams, offering confidence in long-term sturdiness.

The general look of the Wall Washer is unremarkable however inoffensive. It’s designed to sit down going through your wall, so all you actually see is a black or white tubular-shaped object.

On the entrance facet, the Wall Washer has three distinctive LED sections, which look a bit odd when confronted at you, however you shouldn’t ever see them.

Three small rubber toes on the bottom guarantee secure positioning on clean surfaces. The toes present enough grip for typical utilization eventualities.

The facility lead runs out underneath the LED facet, which appeared odd at first, nevertheless it makes hiding the cable simpler when it’s wall-mounted.

The included energy adapter stays unchanged from earlier Hue generations. I’d adore it is model like this adopted USB-C to supply some extra flexibility, plus the facility adaptor is sort of cumbersome for a low powered gadget.

Set Up

Integrating the Wall Washer into your Hue system is similar as most Hue merchandise. I went into the settings so as to add a brand new mild, scanned the QR code, waited for Hue to seek out it, then chosen the sunshine and assigned it to a room.

Putting in the Play Wall Washer is simple in case you are already within the Hue ecosystem. Utilizing the Hue app, scan the lamp’s QR code, the sunshine is routinely detected, and after assigning it to a room, it’s prepared for fast use. When you would not have a Bridge, pairing by Bluetooth can also be attainable, although this limits entry to superior automation and results.

The sunshine should be plugged in, so proximity to a socket is important. Setup took only some minutes, and the lamp was shortly built-in into bigger scenes with my different Philips Hue lights, together with ground lamps, mild strips, and bulbs throughout a number of rooms.

The angle and place are key to attaining the perfect impact. I used to be solely despatched one Wall Washer, however a two-pack would probably be higher for many eventualities. For a TV setup, I’d ideally have two wall washers on both facet of the display to realize the perfect mild unfold, avoiding darkish shadows above or beneath the TV when used at the side of nook lamps and light-weight strips.

For my state of affairs, I used the Wall Washer in two totally different locations. I began with utilizing it behind a speaker in my workplace, with it offering a nice ambient mild. I’m very delicate to mild, so I favor to keep away from any vibrant lights pointing straight at me, so this set-up is good for me.

I later moved the wall washer behind my TV. It’s in all probability not the best location, however it’s the finest compromise for a single gadget.

Efficiency

Brightness and Mild Distribution

The Wall Washer’s 1,035-lumen output delivers genuinely spectacular outcomes throughout various lighting eventualities. In fully darkish environments, the gadget supplies enough illumination for snug navigation while sustaining the oblique, non-glaring traits important for ambient lighting functions.

Mild distribution patterns exceed expectations, notably when positioned 20-30 centimetres from goal partitions. The three-LED association creates clean protection extending from ground stage to typical ceiling heights, with depth remaining remarkably even throughout the projection space. This efficiency represents a transparent enchancment over Mild Bar configurations, which frequently create hotspots and uneven protection patterns.

The ColorCast expertise’s effectiveness turns into obvious when biking via color transitions. The place competing merchandise show seen banding or abrupt color adjustments, the Wall Washer maintains clean gradients even throughout speedy color biking. This technological benefit proves notably beneficial throughout TV synchronisation, the place frequent color adjustments may in any other case create distracting visible artifacts.

TV Synchronisation Efficiency

Testing with the HDMI Sync Field reveals the Wall Washer’s capabilities in residence leisure functions. Latency stays imperceptible throughout regular viewing, with color adjustments monitoring on-screen content material precisely throughout various content material varieties. The three-zone configuration permits extra nuanced color illustration in comparison with single-zone alternate options, creating extra plausible ambient results.

Nonetheless, the Wall Washer’s vertical orientation limits optimum positioning choices for TV setups. Not like horizontally mountable Mild Bars, the Wall Washer should stand upright, limiting placement to surfaces beside or behind viewing positions. This limitation usually necessitates buying a number of items to realize complete room protection, considerably growing complete system prices.

The gradient impact works notably effectively with panorama content material – nature documentaries, movies with outstanding sky parts, and comparable materials profit from the vertical color transitions. Content material with predominantly horizontal color parts might not showcase the Wall Washer’s capabilities as successfully.

Ambient Lighting Purposes

Past leisure functions, the Wall Washer excels as a basic ambient lighting resolution. The flexibility to dim to extraordinarily low ranges while sustaining color accuracy makes it appropriate for bed room functions, notably as a wake-up mild different to devoted merchandise just like the Twilight.

Wake-up automation sequences show the ColorCast expertise’s sophistication. Gradual transitions from deep purple via orange to vibrant white create convincing dawn simulations. The three-zone association permits refined color variations that improve the pure impact past what single-zone units can obtain.

Temperature vary spanning 2000K to 6500K supplies versatility for various instances of day and actions. Cool white output at most brightness proves enough for informal studying when positioned appropriately, although the Wall Washer shouldn’t be thought-about a activity lighting resolution.

Value and Different Choices

Purchase From Philips Hue

The Philips Hue Play Sensible Wall Washer is obtainable as a person unit for £170 or a two-pack for £299.

Merchandise from the Hue vary, which you’ll use for comparable functions, embody:

• Play Mild Bar for £120 for a two-pack
• Play Gradient Mild Tube compact for £170
• Play Gradient Mild Tube giant for £190
• Iris Desk Lamp for £95
• Signe Gradient Flooring Lamp for £280

There should not actually any like-for-like different choices, however Govee has some night time merchandise that paint partitions with mild, together with:

• Govee Uplighter Flooring Lamp for £150
• Govee Torchiere Flooring lamp for £98

General

The Philips Hue Play Sensible Wall Washer is one other welcome boost to the Hue product lineup. When used with a TV, I’d say I undoubtedly favor it to the older Mild Bar, as it’s simpler to place, considerably brighter, and produces higher lighting results with a wider mild unfold.

As all the time with Philips Hue, the Wall Washer has a premium price ticket for what you’re getting, however I’ve but to make use of a wise residence lighting ecosystem that comes near Philips Hue.

General, in case you are already invested in Philips Hue and are in search of a formidable ambient lighting expertise, then the Wall Washer is a superb selection and is ideal for TV and gaming setups.

I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Keen about all issues expertise, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cellular, wearables, and sensible residence units.

As a health fanatic who loves operating and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related expertise, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My various pursuits enable me to carry a novel perspective to tech running a blog, merging way of life, health, and the most recent tech traits.

In my tutorial pursuits, I earned a BSc in Data Methods Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing. This superior research additionally included Cisco CCNA accreditation, additional demonstrating my dedication to understanding and staying forward of the expertise curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has persistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many high expertise blogs within the UK. With my dedication to expertise and drive to share my insights, I intention to proceed offering my readers with participating and informative content material.