Nanoleaf's New 4D V2 Brings Zigzag Design and Better Colors to TV Backlighting

[MacRumors]

Nanoleaf this week announced the launch of the 4D V2, a product that's designed to provide ambient lighting that matches the colors on your TV set. The second version of the Screen Mirror and Lightstrip Kit offers more accurate screen mirroring for a more engaging viewing experience.

The Nanoleaf 4D V2 has a redesigned zigzag lightstrip that makes it easier to install on a TV set that's up to 65 inches. The lightstrip is able to wrap around the entire display, and there is no need for corner brackets due to the design. The lightstrip can be trimmed to fit any size screen.

The lightstrip pairs with a camera that analyzes the colors on the screen so the lightstrip can change colors to match instantly. Nanoleaf says that the 4D V2 offers improved color accuracy for vivid colors and bright whites that bring the screen to life with a glow. For music, there's a Rhythm feature that turns the 4D into a sound-reactive audio-visual experience where lights pulse to the beat of the music.

The 4D V2 kit is able to pair up with other Nanoleaf lamps for a unified lighting experience that mirrors what's on the TV, plus the product offers different levels of color variance. Nanoleaf's new product can be controlled with the Nanoleaf app, but it also integrates into HomeKit.

Nanoleaf's 4D V2 can be ordered from the Nanoleaf website for $100.

Article Link: Nanoleaf's New 4D V2 Brings Zigzag Design and Better Colors to TV Backlighting

 

[CalMin]

I think these look amazing ...in a YouTuber's studio. I can't say that I see the appeal myself on a day to day basis. It makes for a great photo but I think I'd find it all too distracting for my home office setup.

 

[Achillias]

In my opinion, anything that needs a camera just to detect colors is a DoD. It doesn’t look good, and there are better solutions, like the Philips Hue Play Gradient Strip.

 

[jz0309]

how does that help me watching TV or a movie?

 

[Donkey Man]

Who in their right mind, other than iJustine, random “influencers” or a bordello owner, would ever buy such horribly tacky nanoleaf lights?

 

[alexandr]

how does that help me watching TV or a movie?

It makes it immersive.

 

[alexandr]

A for effort — that camera is a joke. I have Hue's sync Lightstrip and that s—t is great! Has its issues, but at least there isn't a camera crowing my TV...

 

[klasma]

It makes it immersive.

It can actually have the opposite effect, because the surrounding color distorts the perception of the actual movie frame and can detract from its detailed contents. The distribution of colors and the picture composition is distorted, and movement outside the frame detracts from its contents. It’s similar to how a brightly lit movie theater with mirror walls is less immersive than a dark movie theater.

 

[alexandr]

It can actually have the opposite effect, because the surrounding color distorts the perception of the actual movie frame and can detract from its detailed contents. The distribution of colors and the picture composition is distorted, and movement outside the frame detracts from its contents. It’s similar to how a brightly lit movie theater with mirror walls is less immersive than a dark movie theater.

I disagree, but to each their own, I guess. If this is how you feel — this type of product isn't for you, that's all.

 

[ResolutionNZ]

In my opinion, anything that needs a camera just to detect colors is a DoD. It doesn’t look good, and there are better solutions, like the Philips Hue Play Gradient Strip.

Yes, but this product costs substantially less than the Hue solutions, $99 vs upwards of $500 depending on your screen size.

 

[yadmonkey]

It looks neat in pictures, but I want darkness around my screen when I'm watching a movie or playing a game.

 

[alexandr]

It looks neat in pictures, but I want darkness around my screen when I'm watching a movie or playing a game.

Boy, have I got a way you can save $100!

 

[mcled53]

In my opinion, anything that needs a camera just to detect colors is a DoD. It doesn’t look good, and there are better solutions, like the Philips Hue Play Gradient Strip.

So how does this gizmo know what color is on the screen?

 

[Vulkan]

Nanoleaf is dead to me after their horrible support they provided me where I have now 20 dead tiles that won't connect to their stupid app just sitting on the living room, because no matter what I do or how many times I send them reports of my network, they have no clue why it doesn't work.

 

[stevenshizzle]

I actually just ripped the V1 off of my TV after more than a year of pain with connectivity, falling off the Wi-Fi, being unable to pair to HomeKit after dozens of tries. There is zero chance I’m going to buy into their ecosystem. It’s a joke. Get Govee, Phillips, or FancyLEDs.

 

[flashpirate]

Looks like everybody came here to dump on this. Bias lighting is a lot easier on your eyes, a lot more immersive, makes games and movies much easier and more pleasurable to enjoy. I will never go again without bias lighting behind my TV, and everybody that's against it should try it.

Now, Nanoleaf. V1 is great for the price compare compared with Hue, but rough edges. HomeKit was very finicky and a nightmare to pair, I ****ing hate their app and never want to use it, it wants to be the home app, and I do not want it to be, and we have to fight about that every time I open it.

The lights are beautiful, mounting it was horrible, they seemingly addressed that (I hope, the 3M tape came off of my TV repeatedly, I don't know what the backing was made of but I don't own anything that sticks to it, it's like Teflon).

I have nothing to sell you other than a great experience. Get whatever by a sliding you want, but try some.

 

[jchurchill]

It belongs in your freshman college dorm. And then it belongs in a box after first year, as you intended to use it again after your freshman year, but never getting the chance because your frat house doesn't have a place for it. And then it belongs in that box in your garage in the house you buy after graduation, but never get around to it because you're busy with life stuff. And then it belongs in the possession of your middle-age children as they go through your old stuff after you die, and they find it in that box with some complete useless Mac stuff, and they look at the strip of LEDs and the little camera, and they wonder what kind of crazy sh*t you were up to in college.

 

[Padriac]

The whole concept of “blast the wall behind the TV with colors from the screen” is so tacky. Worse than motion smoothing

 

[mentaluproar]

A for effort — that camera is a joke. I have Hue's sync Lightstrip and that s—t is great! Has its issues, but at least there isn't a camera crowing my TV...

The camera is definitely annoying but it’s how they try to work around the content protection HDCP stuff. They generally cant just sniff HDMI traffic because some content, like Netflix and Blu-ray, encrypt the stream. It’s possible to intercept and decrypt traffic, but it would have to be reencrpyted before being sent back out and require a special liscense to do and it’s just such a pain.

The simplest solution is to just have TV manufacturers throw some addressable LEDs on the back of the TVs. Super simple, super cheap, the signal is already decrypted and analyzed in the TV anyway…..but instead this exists.

 

[KeithBN]

Bias lighting is a lot easier on your eyes, a lot more immersive, makes games and movies much easier and more pleasurable to enjoy…and everybody that's against it should try it.

Tried it (at a mate’s house - not having that tacky nonsense at home thanks!) and as well as looking tacky, it is disruptive and takes the viewer out of the experience.
The changing abstract lighting just disrupts the viewing experience and makes it overall worse.

Let’s face it, if this really was such an awful d to enjoying an immersive experience, then cinemas would have rushed to implement it ages ago.
They haven’t.
Because it’s a distraction.

 

[space808]

I can't believe people still buy anything from Nanoleaf. Their app, firmware, support, cloud server etc.. is all third tier garbage. The hardware is nice, but so is the hardware from other brands.

 

[KilgoreTully]

Looks like everybody came here to dump on this. Bias lighting is a lot easier on your eyes, a lot more immersive, makes games and movies much easier and more pleasurable to enjoy. I will never go again without bias lighting behind my TV, and everybody that's against it should try it.

Now, Nanoleaf. V1 is great for the price compare compared with Hue, but rough edges. HomeKit was very finicky and a nightmare to pair, I ****ing hate their app and never want to use it, it wants to be the home app, and I do not want it to be, and we have to fight about that every time I open it.

The lights are beautiful, mounting it was horrible, they seemingly addressed that (I hope, the 3M tape came off of my TV repeatedly, I don't know what the backing was made of but I don't own anything that sticks to it, it's like Teflon).

I have nothing to sell you other than a great experience. Get whatever by a sliding you want, but try some.

"Everybody that's against it should try it."

This isn't Green Eggs and Ham, Jono...though, honestly, it'd still be a rude thing to say about actual green eggs and ham what with vegetarians and kosher/halal folks out there.

I think you are underestimating the viscerally negative reaction a lot of people have to this kind of gimmick. It's sold as a luxury, as it is inherently unnecessary, which already alienates a lot of people, but then it doesn't even fit with any refined sense of luxury or design. It screams young influencer or tech bro who got money before any sense of personal style.

You like the bias lighting, cool. That added value of an extra 2% enjoyment is worth it, fair enough. Just don't take a majority disagreeing with you as a call to proselytize.

 

[Jamie0003]

Nanoleaf is dead to me after their horrible support they provided me where I have now 20 dead tiles that won't connect to their stupid app just sitting on the living room, because no matter what I do or how many times I send them reports of my network, they have no clue why it doesn't work.

Same here but for the matter lights. And they have now completely abandoned matter and thread, why?

 

[arobert3434]

Philip has been delivering this functionality out of the box for over a decade with their Ambilight TVs. It's not for me, but some people really like it.

 

[macduke]

I prefer a uniform soft white glow behind my 77" OLED anyway. Perfect for movies, it's not distracting, has no glare since it's behind the display, and provides just enough illumination for dark scenes and movies to make it easy to find things and move around.