“Discovering Ambilight: A Unique TV Technology”

Since the early 2000s, Philips has distinguished itself in the television market by incorporating a unique feature into its TVs – the built-in Ambilight technology. The concept of Ambilight revolves around extending the TV’s picture beyond its edges by utilising coloured lights at the rear of the TV’s frame that correspond to the colours on the screen, thereby projecting them onto the wall behind. This technology aims to captivate the viewer and create a more immersive viewing experience.

The evolution of Ambilight has been remarkable, with its initial introduction in 2004 in Philips’ high-end plasma and LCD TVs. Over the years, it has undergone significant advancements, including the introduction of different colours for different edges of the screen, the transition from fluorescent lamps to LEDs, integration with 3D and 4K technology, and the recent launch of Ambilight Plus.

Ambilight televisions feature a series of rear-mounted “intelligent” LEDs on each side that interpret the picture information being displayed and replicate the colours in the corresponding part of the picture in real time. According to Philips, this results in a more immersive and eye-friendly viewing experience, particularly in a dark room.

The benefits of Ambilight are diverse, as it claims to expand the screen beyond the TV frame, enhance the immersive quality of the picture, and alleviate eye strain. However, the effectiveness of Ambilight is subject to individual preferences, with some finding it more immersive and others finding it distracting. From our perspective, Ambilight creates a distinctive ambient lighting effect, particularly with certain types of content.

Ambilight is compatible with various forms of content, including movies, TV shows, games, and streaming services. It can even be utilised to synchronise with the music playing through the TV. The latest version, Ambilight Plus, offers a more dynamic and responsive lighting effect, representing a notable improvement over the standard version.

While Philips TVs are the sole devices that come equipped with built-in Ambilight, the offering has been expanded to include Samsung TVs through the Philips Hue Sync TV App. This app enables users to synchronise Philips Hue lights with the events on their Samsung TV’s screen.

In summary, Ambilight stands as a unique and innovative TV technology that has the potential to significantly enhance the viewing experience for some individuals, although not for everyone. It provides a striking ambient lighting effect and reduces eye strain, thereby adding value to the TV-watching experience, particularly during movie nights and immersive gaming sessions.

Given the swift evolution of Ambilight, it will be intriguing to witness the future developments of this innovative technology. Nevertheless, at present, Ambilight remains one of the most distinctive features of Philips TVs, setting them apart from competitors.