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Philips Hue FAQ

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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,349 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Uriel. In the Hue app you can name each individual Hue light and strip.

    Then in the Google Home or Alexa app, you have them search for smart home devices and they will find and import these lights with the names you gave them in the Hue app.

    In the Home or Alexa app you can then create Rooms or Groups of lights.

    In Google Home, in your example I'd create 3 "rooms" called:

    - Kitchen, for the 3 main lights
    - Breakfast bar, for the 3 over it
    - Sink (or something like that) for the other 6

    Amazon Echo can do the same.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,061 ✭✭✭Uriel.


    bk wrote: »
    Uriel. In the Hue app you can name each individual Hue light and strip.

    Then in the Google Home or Alexa app, you have them search for smart home devices and they will find and import these lights with the names you gave them in the Hue app.

    In the Home or Alexa app you can then create Rooms or Groups of lights.

    In Google Home, in your example I'd create 3 "rooms" called:

    - Kitchen, for the 3 main lights
    - Breakfast bar, for the 3 over it
    - Sink (or something like that) for the other 6

    Amazon Echo can do the same.
    Great thanks for that. If I created "breakfast bar" for example, do I need to record me saying "breakfast bar" to control via voice or is GH/Alexa able to figure out the text to voice(and vice versa) translation itself?


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,349 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Uriel. wrote: »
    Great thanks for that. If I created "breakfast bar" for example, do I need to record me saying "breakfast bar" to control via voice or is GH/Alexa able to figure out the text to voice(and vice versa) translation itself?

    It figures it out itself based on the text you named it, no need to record your voice.

    You can also control individual lights using their name.

    A couple of tips though, based on Amazon Echo (I haven't had a chance to play with it enough in Google Home yet):

    - Try and use unique names, "kitchen" and "breakfast bar" are better then "kitchen main" and "kitchen bar" the latter can lead to confusion.
    - Similarly don't use numbers, "kitchen lights 1", "kitchen lights 2", etc. just causes confusion.
    - You may need to play around with the names, if you find it doesn't understand your accent on a particular word. For instance I've a Hue lamp behind my TV for a splash of colour, I originally called it "TV lamp" but that only worked 50% of the time due to other commands using the word TV, I've since renamed it "Front lamp" and now it works 100% of the time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,039 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    bk wrote: »
    I've this on pre-order myself.

    It is 3000 lumens, which is extremely bright. To give you an idea, a 100 watt old style incandescent bulb is about 1600 lumens. So this is about equivalent to two 100 watt bulbs.

    It should have no difficulty in general filling a room of that size. Though no guarantees about shadows in corners, etc.

    bk am I missing something, done a price comparison on curiua.com and stumbled across what appear to be the same lights available with or without the dimmer for 70 euro without dimmer.
    The ones for pre order just looks like a re-hash of the living colour branded one or is there some difference in them.
    https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0020004XG/?tag=curiua0c-21&th=1


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,033 ✭✭✭OU812


    bk wrote: »

    Oh and another warning, if this is your first Hue product, you will likely fall in love with it when you get it and end up getting addicted to it like many of us do and end up changing all the lights in your house to Hue!

    Already have one colour and two white with another colour & a dimmer on the way. Gonna hold off until Black Friday/Cyber Monday before pulling the trigger on more.
    bk wrote: »
    Also remember, if you get Google Home or Amazon Echo eventually, you will also be able to control the Hue strips using voice commands. (e.g. "Hey Google, turn on kitchen strips", "Hey Google, set kitchen strips to blue").

    I'm hoping Apple have an equivalent in the works as we're a apple dominated household


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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,349 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    bk am I missing something, done a price comparison on curiua.com and stumbled across what appear to be the same lights available with or without the dimmer for 70 euro without dimmer.
    The ones for pre order just looks like a re-hash of the living colour branded one or is there some difference in them.
    https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0020004XG/?tag=curiua0c-21&th=1

    Wow, that is an awesome price difference. I'll cancel my order so and get this instead, thanks :D

    I can pick up the switch separately.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,039 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    bk wrote: »
    Wow, that is an awesome price difference. I'll cancel my order so and get this instead, thanks :D

    I can pick up the switch separately.

    Steady trapper, i'm not sure there the same thing, there listed on the philips website as a new product are the bulbs the same?Design definitely looks the same, same colour options etc. Maybe the upped the quality.
    That product I linked to is out a few years, the reviews are bad but when you translate them it looks like people bought them without the dimmer so there stuck on a low warm white. Also looks like some of them bought them from a warehouse and they were in bad order hence the bad reviews.
    Also wen to buy it there and the only option was the silver/white without the dimmer.
    I'm going to sit tight until the 15th and see what happens.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,270 ✭✭✭✭Skerries


    how do you affix the lightstrip to your wall?
    does it come with a sticky strip or do you have to use sellotape?


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,380 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Skerries wrote: »
    how do you affix the lightstrip to your wall?
    does it come with a sticky strip or do you have to use sellotape?

    Sticky strip on it. Make sure you clean the surface first , if it's dusty it won't stick.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭rolion


    FYI

    IoT worm can hack Philips Hue lightbulbs, spread across cities

    http://m.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/10/iot_worm_can_hack_philips_hue_lightbulbs_spread_across_cities/


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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    Can I put the bridge in my server rack and let all the bulbs connect to it via wifi? Or do all the bulbs have to talk directly to the bridge?


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,349 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    jester77 wrote: »
    Can I put the bridge in my server rack and let all the bulbs connect to it via wifi? Or do all the bulbs have to talk directly to the bridge?

    The bulbs talk to the bridge/hub over Zigbee wireless mesh, not over wifi.

    Where is your server rack? In your home? Then it should be fine. I've mine hidden away in my equivalent of a server rack in my study. If you have connectivity issues due to distance between the server rack and bulbs (e.g. lighs at the other side of the house) then just try putting a bulb somewhere half way between them, as it uses wireless mess technology, each bulb acts as a repeater, sends every command along to the next closest devices.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    Server rack is in the basement, I've strong access points on the first and third floor as wireless does not go between floors so good. Don't plan on putting any hue devices in the basement, wanted to try out a few things on the second floor, but unless the signal is seriously strong I can't see it being able to get up there from the basement. Wii need to rethink what I want to do a bit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,033 ✭✭✭OU812


    Sound so like you need to put it somewhere on the second floor so it's in the middle.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,349 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    jester77 wrote: »
    Server rack is in the basement, I've strong access points on the first and third floor as wireless does not go between floors so good. Don't plan on putting any hue devices in the basement, wanted to try out a few things on the second floor, but unless the signal is seriously strong I can't see it being able to get up there from the basement. Wii need to rethink what I want to do a bit.

    Yeah, that might be a little too far, but you could try. One bulb/lamp on each floor would probably bridge the gap. You wouldn't need any Hue devices in the basement other then the hub.

    Alternatively you could hang the hub off the access point on the first or second floor, use a cheap ethernet switch if needed.

    BTW While Zigbee uses less power, it also uses the 868MHz frequency, which is much narrower then 2.4Ghz wifi and thus travels further and penetrates walls better then 2.4 wifi. Thus you might find they work in places where your wifi doesn't


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,620 ✭✭✭Roen


    jester77 wrote: »
    Server rack is in the basement, I've strong access points on the first and third floor as wireless does not go between floors so good. Don't plan on putting any hue devices in the basement, wanted to try out a few things on the second floor, but unless the signal is seriously strong I can't see it being able to get up there from the basement. Wii need to rethink what I want to do a bit.

    Well it's a mesh network, so the furthest away bulb doesn't have to reach the bridge. It only has to talk to a bulb that talks to a bulb that...etc etc talks to the bridge.
    The bridge is so you can talk to the bulbs via app or website etc, the bulbs act as a receiver and transmitter.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,620 ✭✭✭Roen


    So, has anyone got a way of getting e14 bulbs onto the Hue system. Best way without using an adaptor seems to be Osram Lightify. Bit of a waste to buy the Osram equivalent of the bridge just to update the firmware on the lights so you can hook then up to the Hue bridge.

    Anything I am missing out there?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,183 ✭✭✭mel123


    If anyone sees any black Friday deals on these you might post here for those of us looking to nab a good deal.

    Muchas Gratis :-)


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,039 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    We missed the boat yesterday the starter sets dropped to 100 for a few hours.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,183 ✭✭✭mel123


    We missed the boat yesterday the starter sets dropped to 100 for a few hours.

    Aw no 😢


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,620 ✭✭✭Roen


    In addition to the e14 bulbs. Does anyone have a Hue Being or a Hue Still ceiling light? Thinking of getting two for the hall. Hard to find a review for them anywhere.
    R.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,270 ✭✭✭✭Skerries


    We missed the boat yesterday the starter sets dropped to 100 for a few hours.

    damnit! Camelx3 didn't let me know as I had an alert set up


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,349 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Skerries wrote: »
    damnit! Camelx3 didn't let me know as I had an alert set up

    Sometimes the deals come up and go faster then camel notices :(

    However the same deals often come up again over the two weeks of the sale.


  • Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1,331 ✭✭✭J.pilkington


    Uriel. wrote: »
    Great thanks for that. If I created "breakfast bar" for example, do I need to record me saying "breakfast bar" to control via voice or is GH/Alexa able to figure out the text to voice(and vice versa) translation itself?

    Do you already have hue products and are your questions aimed at deciding on the echo?

    If so Echo works the same as Siri(for iPhones) so you could test the functionality here. As BK said it works in conjunction with your hue set up so using Siri simply say "turn on sitting room light" and Siri does the rest.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,039 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    bk wrote: »
    Sometimes the deals come up and go faster then camel notices :(

    However the same deals often come up again over the two weeks of the sale.

    Did you light ship on the 15th, all showing out of stock across europe.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,349 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Did you light ship on the 15th, all showing out of stock across europe.

    Actually I decided to cancel the order when I got last months credit card bill and saw how much I had spent on nice HA toys! Specially with Christmas and all the Black Friday sales coming up.

    This item isn't urgent for me, it is a nice to have rather then a most have.


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    bk wrote:
    Actually I decided to cancel the order when I got last months credit card bill and saw how much I had spent on nice HA toys! Specially with Christmas and all the Black Friday sales coming up.
    Is this the equivalent to making yourself sick after polishing 2 big Macs?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,880 ✭✭✭stesaurus




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    So, eh, I know I want it because it's a gadget, but do I need it, would I use it?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,183 ✭✭✭mel123


    If it was down to 100 the other day, might be worth holding out im thinking.....


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