Q: Can I extend Philips Hue strip lights?

It depends on which strip light you have: Flux strip lights: Yes, up to 20-meter with 2m, 5m, 10m extensions. OmniGlow strip lights: No. Essential strip lights: No. Essential Flex strip lights: No. Play gradient strip light for TV: No Play gradient strip light for PC: No Outdoor strip lights are not extendable due to their weather-resisitant properties.

Q: Can I cut Philips Hue strip lights to size?

It depends on which strip light you have. Flux strip lights: Yes. OmniGlow strip lights: Yes. Essential strip lights: Yes. Essential flex strip lights: No. Play gradient strip light for TV : Yes (only for new versions) Play gradient strip light pro for TV : Yes Play gradient strip light for PC : No Any outdoor strip lights are not cuttable in order to maintain their weather-resistant properties. Except for the Omniglow outdoor where you can cut and reseal the striplight with the resealing kit.

Q: Which Philips Hue strip light should I use behind a TV or monitor?

Philips Hue Play gradient strip light for TV was designed specifically for TV screens. It comes in different lengths, based on the standard TV sizes: from 55 inches up to 85 inches. The new versions of Play gradient strip light for TV are cuttable (the 65 inch and 85 inch), therefore they can fit any TV size up to 85 inches. The strip light also comes with dedicated mounting brackets to help you attach the strip light to the back of your TV. Philips Hue Play gradient strip light pro for TV was designed specifically for TV screens. It includes OmniGlow technology to create ultra-smooth, uniform wall-washing gradient effects. It comes in three lengths, based on the standard TV sizes: 65-inch, 85-inch and 100-inch. The Play gradient strip light for TV is cuttable, therefore they can fit any TV size up to 100 inches. The strip light also comes with dedicated mounting brackets to help you attach the strip light to the back of your TV. Philips Hue Play gradient strip lights for PC were designed specifically for PC screens. They come in three lengths, based on standard monitor setups: 24–27 inch, 32–34 inch, or three 24–27 inch for triple-monitor setups. However, new versions of Philips Hue Play gradient strip light and Philips Hue Play gradient strip light pro can be used behind a monitor as well. Trim the strip lights to size by cutting along the indicated marks.

Question 1

What is the difference between the types of Philips Hue strip lights?

Accepted Answer

There are different types of Philips Hue strip lights:

Philips Hue Flux strip light is a multi-color strip light with RGBWWIC technology and is designed to be concealed to give an indirect wall washing effect. Install behind furniture, under cabinets, or along wall coves. It comes in multiple lengths. The indoor version can be cut to size and extended up to 20m with 2m, 5m, and 10m extensions.

Philips Hue Flux ultra-bright strip light with RGBWWIC technology is designed to be concealed to give an indirect wall washing effect. It's ultra-bright lumen output not only makes it ideal for ambiance lighting, but also as functional lighting to support daily tasks. Install it along wall coves, under shelves, and in indoor spaces such as the dining room, kitchen, or home office. It comes in multiple lengths, can be cut to size or extended up to 20m with 2m, 5m, and 10m extensions.

Philips Hue OmniGlow strip light with RGBWWIC OmniGlow technology delivers multi-color gradients with seamless uniform light, and no visible LED dots, due to microLEDs enabled by CSP (Chip-scale-package). Designed to be on show and not concealed, this versatile strip light offers a huge range of lighting options. It comes in 3m, 5m and 10m lengths. It can be cut to size, but not extended.

Philips Hue Essential strip light with RGBIC technology is the simple and accessible way to bring decorative lighting to any space inside your home without compromising light quality. The Essential strip light creates a beautiful ambiance by washing walls with a gradient of colorful light. It can be cut to size, but not extended. It comes in 5m and 10m lengths.

Philips Hue Essential flex strip light with RGBIC technology lets you decorate with light playfully because of its bendable design and its neon light effect. It can be bent into any shape you can think of. It can't be cut and extended. It comes in 5m and 10m lengths.

Philips Hue Neon Outdoor strip light with RGBICWWIC technology delivers multi-colour light with a seamless neon effect and bright white light. Designed to be on show, it uses Chromasync color blending technology and has a weatherproof design for outdoor use. It comes in 3m, 5m, and 10m lengths. It can’t be cut or extended.

Philips Hue Play gradient strip light for TV uses RGBWWIC technology to create colorful wall-washing effects. Designed to be mounted behind the TV, it comes in different lenghts, based on the TV size : from 55-inch till 85-inch. the new versions can be cut to size to fit any TV up to 85-inch.

Philips Hue Play gradient pro strip light for TV uses OmniGlow technology to create ultra-smooth, uniform wall-washing gradient effects with no visible dots. Designed to be mounted behind the TV, it comes in three lenghts, based on the TV size : 65-inch, 85-inch or 100-inch. It can be cut to size to fit any TV up to 100-inch.

Philips Hue Play gradient strip light for PC produces multiple colors of light at the same time. Designed to be mounted behind a monitor, it comes in three lengths, based on monitor size: 24–27 inch, 32–34 inch, or three 24–27 inch for triple-monitor setups.

Question 2

What is the difference between Philips Hue Essential strip lights and other Philips Hue strip lights?

Accepted Answer

The key difference between Philips Hue and Philips Hue Essential lies in their technology and functionality.

Essential (RGBIC) uses RGB LEDs only, while Hue (RGBWWIC) incorporates additional white LEDs, enabling Hue to produce full-spectrum whites ranging from 1000K to 20,000K, whereas Essential creates white light using RGB LEDs alone. Both technologies feature individually controllable LEDs (IC).

Hue strip lights provide premium color quality with accurate color matching via Chromasync technology, whereas Hue Essential offers basic light quality.

In terms of dimming capability, Hue strip lights achieve a much lower dimming level of up to 0.1%, compared to Hue Essential’s 5%.

Hue is designed for superior performance and vibrant color representation, while Hue Essential focuses on foundational lighting features.

Question 3

How do I know which strip light I should choose based on my needs?

Accepted Answer

You can compare the different characteristics and specifications of each model of strip light here

Question 4

Can I extend Philips Hue strip lights?

Accepted Answer

It depends on which strip light you have:

Flux strip lights: Yes, up to 20-meter with 2m, 5m, 10m extensions.

OmniGlow strip lights: No.

Essential strip lights: No.

Essential Flex strip lights: No.

Play gradient strip light for TV: No

Play gradient strip light for PC: No

Outdoor strip lights are not extendable due to their weather-resisitant properties.

Question 5

Can I cut Philips Hue strip lights to size?

Accepted Answer

It depends on which strip light you have.

Flux strip lights: Yes.

OmniGlow strip lights: Yes.

Essential strip lights: Yes.

Essential flex strip lights: No.

Play gradient strip light for TV: Yes (only for new versions)

Play gradient strip light pro for TV: Yes

Play gradient strip light for PC: No

Any outdoor strip lights are not cuttable in order to maintain their weather-resistant properties. Except for the Omniglow outdoor where you can cut and reseal the striplight with the resealing kit.

Question 6

Can I connect different Philips Hue lightstrip types to each other?

Accepted Answer

No. Due to their internal electronics, all extentable Philips Hue strip lights can only be extended using extensions of the same type. For example, the Flux strip light can only be extended with the Flux extension.

Question 7

Which Philips Hue strip light should I use behind a TV or monitor?

Accepted Answer

Philips Hue Play gradient strip light for TV was designed specifically for TV screens. It comes in different lengths, based on the standard TV sizes: from 55 inches up to 85 inches. The new versions of Play gradient strip light for TV are cuttable (the 65 inch and 85 inch), therefore they can fit any TV size up to 85 inches. The strip light also comes with dedicated mounting brackets to help you attach the strip light to the back of your TV.

Philips Hue Play gradient strip light pro for TV was designed specifically for TV screens. It includes OmniGlow technology to create ultra-smooth, uniform wall-washing gradient effects. It comes in three lengths, based on the standard TV sizes: 65-inch, 85-inch and 100-inch. The Play gradient strip light for TV is cuttable, therefore they can fit any TV size up to 100 inches. The strip light also comes with dedicated mounting brackets to help you attach the strip light to the back of your TV.

Philips Hue Play gradient strip lights for PC were designed specifically for PC screens. They come in three lengths, based on standard monitor setups: 24–27 inch, 32–34 inch, or three 24–27 inch for triple-monitor setups.

However, new versions of Philips Hue Play gradient strip light and Philips Hue Play gradient strip light pro can be used behind a monitor as well. Trim the strip lights to size by cutting along the indicated marks.

Question 8

Do I have to use the Play gradient striplight only to sync with the screen?

Accepted Answer

The Play Gradient strip light and Play Gradient strip light Pro are designed to deliver an immersive lighting experience when used with a sync device, matching the colors of your on-screen content in real time.

However, you can absolutely use them without syncing. Simply control them through the Hue app to create your ideal atmosphere, whether you're watching TV, unwinding, or setting the mood. You can choose from any available scenes or dynamic effects in the Hue app.

Question 9

How should I start when installing the Play gradient strip light?

Accepted Answer

You can find all the instructions in the Philips Hue app! First, add the light to your Philips Hue system in the app, which will give you step-by-step instructions on the physical installation.

You can also follow the instructions in the manual or watch the how-to video for TV installation.

Question 10

How do I add a strip light to my existing Philips Hue system?

Accepted Answer

To add a device, including strip lights, to your Bridge, make sure your Hue app is updated to the latest version and follow these steps:

1. Gather the devcies you want to add and find their QR codes, located on the devices themselves.

2. In the Home tab, tap the three-dots (…) icon.

3. Tap Add devices and follow the on-screen instructions to scan the QR codes and add the devices to your Bridge.

Question 11

Can the power supply that comes with a Philips Hue strip light be used with other Philips Hue lights?

Accepted Answer

No, we recommend you to only use the powersupply that comes with the original light.

Question 12

Should I avoid the vents on the back of my monitor when installing the Play gradient strip light?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Try to place the Play gradient strip lights’s mounts around the vents as best you can. Blocking the vents could result in your monitor overheating.

Question 13

Should I buy a longer strip light that is long enough to cover the bottom of my TV or monitor?

Accepted Answer

The Play gradient strip lights are designed to line the sides and top of your screen. If you want even more light behind your screen, you can add a Play gradient light tube or Play light bar at the bottom of your screen.

Question 14

How do I mount the Play gradient lightstrip when my monitor differs from the sizes listed on the lightstrip’s packaging?

Accepted Answer

If your monitor is bigger than 24–27 in or 32–34 in, you can still use the Play gradient lightstrip. The distance between the edge of the monitor and the outside of the mounts should ideally follow the list below, but you can adjust the placement of the mounts so that the lightstrip sits closer to the center of your monitor:

24" monitor: 2.5 cm
27" monitor: 6.5 cm
32" monitor: 5 cm
34" monitor: 6.5 cm
Three 24" monitors: 4.5 cm
Three 27" monitors: 7 cm

Question 15

Why do I sometimes see a black screen when starting some video content?

Accepted Answer

The Play gradient lightstrip isn’t compatible with protected video content (DRM), which causes the screen to go black when streaming certain content.

Question 16

How does cutting or extending a Philips Hue lightstrip affect its lumen output?

Accepted Answer

The lightstrip will automatically adjust its lumen output when cut or extended to keep the wattage used consistent.

Strip Lights

Setup guide

How to videos

Release notes

FAQ list