![]() The problem with the RGB version is that it's not quite as accurate, especially toward the white spectrum because you've got less lights to deal with. That's it! The performance is actually on par with the native strip, and it even fades in/out unlike other third-party bulbs. You can plug in the controller, and add it via the Philips Hue app's "Add Light" wizard, and it'll show up as "Extended Color Light" in the app. If your LED roll came with a connector on the end (it should, if you order from the above link), all you need to do is cut off the plastic port, strip the wires, and push them into the corresponding labelled hole on the controller while holding a screwdriver in the holes on top. The Gledopto controller does not ship with a power supply so you need a 12V, 3A+ power supply to use it, but I had one lying around. The controller arrived a few weeks later and I was fairly impressed: it's a simple little unit that takes a few LED wires on one side, and on the other, a power supply. I ordered the basic RGB version (read on for more about the options), which is cheapest, along with a roll of cheap RGB LEDs and waited. Recently, however, I came across a new brand: Gledopto, which is advertising Hue and Tradfi compatible controllers that require zero soldering or software hacking to get it working, which sounded promising. Easy, cheap, quick $2 LED strip + $15 Alibaba controller = Hue LED strips that don't break the bank /LhPu0k7bBhĮvery now and then over the last year I perused Aliexpress when bored to find a Hue-compatible controller with no luck. For $50, you can build your own strips end-to-end, without soldering anything, so read on for more. Many people have reported this option as working, but I think it's just not worth it at this price point unless you plan to drive a ton of LEDs off of this thing. This is a high quality controller, supposedly, that works with Hue, but it's almost the price of Hue's whole strip. The first option that kept coming up in my cursory searches for LED strips that aren't Hue's own was the FLS-PP LED ballast on Amazon for a whopping $50. Skill level: I know how to use a screwdriver I've explored a number of options, along with my friend Kees Plattel, and found a solid alternative that you can order today. Philips, unsurprisingly, has not updated its strip nor lowered the price, which is why we're here. Since the Lightstrip Plus was released, the RGBWW strips have come down in price dramatically and it's actually possible to find them right now for great prices with better performance than the Hue. This drives the price higher, but results in better accuracy across the spectrum. Philips uses a special type of LED strip called RGBWW (Red / Green / Blue / Warm White) which features a separate LED diode for the white colors, to produce the right hues of white, as well as great RGB colors. The reason the Philips Lightstrip Plus costs so much is it has great color accuracy and they are designed to color match with the Hue LED bulbs. Without further ado, here's the result: Quick background With all of this in mind, these are my results, at time of writing, so please don't consider this a guarantee! I've made four different versions of the cheaper pick, and am still very happy, but your mileage may vary. This had me wondering: why not just make them myself? Well, until recently, it was nigh impossible to get this to work properly for various reasons, but I've found a few great options for those who are eager to find a way to get cheaper, better Hue strips that work just like the official ones. I like the idea of all of my smart stuff working in the same place, but can't justify splashing out $60 to add more LEDs to the house. Meanwhile, I can get 50 meters of dense, bright LED strips on Aliexpress that perform just as well - but don't work with Hue. You pay $60 for two meters of low-density LED strip with poor brightness, but rich colors, and it has a number of limitations including how many you can join together.
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