23 Dec
Blog

Govee Immersion Kit Review: More Colorful TV On a Budget

The Govee Immersion Kit improves the content of the screen.

Govee Immersion Kit Review: How to Make TV a More Colorful Experience

RRP $ 150.00

"The Govee Immersion Kit is a solid option for someone who wants to enhance their home theater experience without breaking the bank."

benefits

  • Inexpensive

  • Easy to use and customize

  • Looks great when connected

  • Long enough to work with the biggest televisions

disadvantage

  • Tricky setup process

  • The camera is sensitive to light from other sources

I've always loved the idea of ​​immersive lighting. There's something about the way the colors displayed on your TV are reproduced that makes the content come to life, almost like it's bleeding from the screen and on the walls around it. When Govee asked if I wanted to check out his Immersion Kit with Light Bars, I took the chance.

The results blew me away. While it's not a perfect product, the lighting looks great and creates a cool effect on the wall. I don't know if it improves the viewing experience or not, but it definitely improves the look of my living room TV setup – especially when displaying content with strong color contrasts, like the first home screen from Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart or that great scene on End of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It definitely improves the look of my living room TV setup.

The Govee Immersion Kit improves the content of the screen.

What's in the box?

The Govee Immersion Kit contains a lot of the accessories you will all need. Take the time to set it up as it isn't the easiest process in the world.

The box contains two light strips and one LED light strip. It also includes a camera, sync box and mounting hardware. I installed it on the back of a 65-inch TV and the LED strip was still almost too long. It went over the top, down both sides, and over the bottom, almost to the edges of the TV. So it's not too short.

The setup instructions give you the option to mount the camera either on top or on the bottom of your TV. I decided to mount it at the bottom, but the instructions and all of the graphics still showed it from the top – that's a bit confusing, to say the least. The box also contains a set of orange adhesive squares that you attach to the four corners of your TV and then place a square across from the camera. These are used to ensure that the camera can capture the entire screen. They are useful because the way your phone looks at the camera is incredibly distorted due to the shape of the lens.

The instructions also warn against peeling the squares straight off to avoid damaging your TV. The question arises, if this requires temporarily mounting something on my screen that could damage it, is it necessary? I think the squares could be done without, but they actually came off easily. Just pull it sideways instead of straight back.

You place the light strips on either side of your TV. The light bars, LED strip, and camera cable all attach to a single hub that can be mounted to the back of your TV so that it is hidden from view. One cable supplies the entire setup with power.

All in all, it wasn't a difficult process to set up, but it was fraught with minor annoyances.

Light, sound, action

The Govee Immersion Kit works by capturing the colors on the screen and reflecting those colors through the lights. This does it pretty well, although the color accuracy felt multiple times. What the lights projected and what was displayed on the screen weren't perfect representations of each other.

Avatar: TLA shows ambient colors on a TV better than many shows.

The overall color also plays a role in how the lights are perceived. I tested it while watching Rosewood only to see that the lights were always yellow in color because the show itself is being shown with a sepia filter on everything.

Fortunately, the Govee app allows the lights to be adjusted and tweaked. The app allows you to choose custom settings for the lights. You can choose to have the entire setup display the predominant color no matter what you see, or you can choose to display each light bar in a separate color. You can also choose whether the light bars are segmented (each one being able to display multiple colors at the same time) or that each light bar is one color while the LED strip displays different colors.

If I could add a feature it would be to turn off the lights when the TV is off.

You can also adjust the frequency of color changes. The Dynamic setting results in more frenetic shifts, while the Quiet setting is a slow, gradual transition that works well for movies. If you really want to step up the stakes, turn on sound effects. The lights change based not only on the color shown on the screen, but also based on the volume.

Of course, you can also choose a separate color for the entire setup, entirely based on your preferences and what isn't on the screen. You don't need to use the camera.

The Govee Immersion Kit enhances your viewing experience.

If I could add a feature it would be to turn off the lights when the TV is off. The Govee Immersion Kit camera is sensitive to light. When the TV is off, the lights will stay on, indicating any detected hue. Even in the middle of the night, when there is no other light on anywhere in the house, it glows pale blue. Since the lamps cannot be plugged into your TV's power supply, you will have to turn them on and off yourself.

This is of course easier as Govee connects to intelligent assistants. It is very easy to link and control the Govee Immersion Kit with Alexa or Google Assistant.

The Govee Immersion Kit is a fun, affordable option for an immersive lighting kit.

The sensitivity of the camera means that the brighter your TV, the better – especially when viewing content during the day or with the lights on in your home. Sitting down to see something while all the lights in your home are off (except for the Govee Immersion Kit, of course) is a pretty magical experience. The colors come from the screen and onto the wall around the television. I would recommend going for something particularly colorful, like a Pixar movie. It's a great way to experience these smart lights.

Our opinion

The Govee Immersion Kit is a fun, affordable option for an immersive lighting kit. The main drawbacks are the camera's sensitivity to outside light and the irritating set-up process. If the camera had a screen at the top that blocks all light except that from the television, this would improve color accuracy.

Is there a better alternative?

The Hue Play HDMI Sync Box will also match the colors on the screen, and probably more accurately, since the input is being fed through the box itself. However, it is a much more expensive alternative. The sync box alone is $ 230, and it doesn't include the cost of the lights.

The Govee Immersion Kit does a good job for a much cheaper price of $ 150.

How long it will take?

All components make a solid and robust impression. I have several Govee lights in my house and they all still work fine after over a year. Should something happen, the Govee Immersion Kit includes a one-year warranty.

Should I buy it?

Yes. Despite my complaints about aspects of the kit, overall it's great value for money that I look forward to every time I sit down to relax at the end of the day.

Editor's recommendations



09 Nov
Blog

Govee Neon Rope Light Review: Colorful Spaghetti Noodles

Govee neon fairy lights

Govee neon fairy lights

RRP $ 66.00

“Half the fun of setting up this light was testing all kinds of patterns. The possible forms are limitless. "

advantages

  • Bright, flexible light

  • Simple intelligent control via Alexa and Google Assistant

  • Strong glue and easy assembly

  • Thousands of different color configurations

disadvantage

  • The installation process might take some work

  • Not long enough to spell longer words

  • No possibility to extend the length

Govee has exploded into the smart lighting scene in recent months with a range of relatively inexpensive lamps and light strips, but their newest product stands out in several big ways. The rope looks like pre-cooked spaghetti noodles if these noodles had a light-diffusing cover over LED lights. The strip itself is divided into two sections: the lower half that hides all of the wiring and does not light up, and the upper section that houses the LEDs.

The Govee Neon Rope Lights are very similar to the Philips Hue Ambient Light Strip, but they are significantly cheaper at $ 66 compared to $ 180. They're also more flexible, allowing you to write messages on the wall or create a variety of different patterns to suit your personality. Best of all, these lights work without any external accessories and work over both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Thanks to the variety of colors, scenes and functions, the Neon Rope Lights are a great way to add a little light art to your home.

Assembly and installation

At first glance, I expected the installation process to be a lot more tedious than it was. The mounting hardware includes metal brackets that slide over the back of the lights and snap into a groove along the lower half of the rope. Holes are drilled through the bottom of each bracket that allow it to be screwed into the wall (and the drywall screws are included if you choose to go that way) luckily, each bracket comes with 3M glue on the back too . All I had to do was peel and glue to attach the lights to the wall.

Close up of the glue on Govee Neon Rope Light.

The brackets served as a guide for creating a shape. When I'm not writing, I have a small, gaming-focused podcast, so I positioned the strip so that it is in the camera's field of view when recording. I tried spelling out DDG for the show's initials, but trying to make legible text with the lights brought me back to my italic courses in elementary school. It didn't go well. Someone with more artistic talent might be able to form words, but I found it easier to just make a swirl pattern on the wall that resembles the Dreamcast logo. That said, half the fun of setting up this light was testing all of the potential patterns. The possible shapes are limitless.

Half the fun of setting up this light was testing all possible patterns.

The box also includes a set of alcohol swabs to wipe the surface before using the glue. The assembly process was easy; The only real downside was sliding the strip into the mounts. It fits tight and often I had to slide the bracket open anywhere and then pull the strip through until it reached the point where I needed it. Since the adhesive is a one-time use, the screws make it possible to reuse the fastening material and readjust it if necessary, albeit with a little extra effort.

Mounting bracket on the Govee Neon Rope Light.

The only headache came with adding the strip of light to the Govee app. The app does not automatically recognize new devices. Instead, you'll have to scroll through a list of products until you find the product you want to add. Govee goes out of their way with naming conventions, so your best bet is to look in your box and look for the model number. It's a minor inconvenience, but it seems out of place when it comes to modern smart home devices.

App and functions

If you've used a Govee light before, you already know the options available. The Neon Rope Light has the same functions as other Govee light bands and the same color options.

The Neon Rope Light offers more than 16 million colors and 15 different light segments to choose from. Each segment can be controlled individually, from color to relative brightness. You can also choose whether the segments should be well defined or should blend in between each other on a gradient. With this level of customization, you can create a nearly endless number of scenes that adapt to the mood of your room.

The Govee app contains 64 dynamic scenes to choose from. These are broken down into categories, including Natural, Festival, Life, and Emotion. Personally, I found the fall scene under the Of course category to be one of the best options. Even if you have other govee lights, these are the same categories and scenes available for them.

The Govee Neon Rope Light gives your wall a touch of style.

If you have multiple Govee lights in a room, you can use the app to select the Smarts tab and group multiple lights together. In one of these groups, you can set up specific schedules and "plans" that allow you to choose which devices to turn on, what color that particular device is, and much more. Unfortunately, while the Smarts tab gives access to a few pre-made scenes, it does not provide access to all of them. However, it suggests plans and even allows Govee's AI. Suggest color samples. You can even upload a picture and it will try to match the general color of the room to that photo.

Govee Neon Rope Light on the floor showing design.

In addition to these features, you can sync the lights with music. There are four different modes to choose from, but I found the sudden flicker more distracting than anything else.

Intelligent control

The Govee Neon Rope Light works with both Alexa and Google Assistant. Alexa automatically recognized the light and added it to the network. With the Google Assistant, I had to link my Govee account to my Google account. After that, it was so easy to pick each light and choose the room to add it to. From the wizards I can set up schedules, timers, and more. I can also ask Alexa or Google Assistant to change the colors, modes, and more. Alexa even offers access to all of Govee's built-in scenes from the Alexa app, but the Google Assistant does not.

Our opinion

Govee has made many trails in the smart lighting space, with everything from indoor strips to smart lights and more. The company even has other lesser-known smart devices to choose from. The Govee Neon Rope Light will add a touch of style to your wall in the form of a word or a pattern.

While it doesn't add much in terms of colors or features, its flexibility and potential uses are considerable. The marketing material makes it seem like the strip is much longer than it is, but a kit is only 3 feet long – and there doesn't seem to be any way to add any extra length to the strip.

Is there a better alternative?

The Philips Hue Ambient Light Strip is a similar product, but its higher cost and the need for a hub make it less attractive. You could also consider the Twinkly Flex for just $ 100. It serves a similar purpose, can be arranged in writing, and has a number of different color options to choose from. On the budget front, however, it's tough to beat the $ 65 Govee Neon Rope Light.

How long it will take?

Govee's products aren't thin, but neither do they feel like the most durable items on the market. I was worried that if I put the brackets in place, I would scratch the lights. There is no guarantee, but Govee promises to replace defective devices. These lights probably don't move a lot so they should last quite a while provided you take care of them.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. Govee is a high quality budget brand. Although there are a few hiccups here and there, the lights work well and are easy to integrate with smart assistants. It won't revolutionize your smart home, but the Neon Rope Light is a great addition to add a bit of style to any room.

Editor's recommendations