This TV backlight promises simple setup and AI extras for a lot less than Philips Hue – and without an HDMI box

Camera based so no sync box required
TV synchronization and AI-based lighting designer
From $89.99 / £89.99 (approx AU$126)

If you fancy a Philips Hue-style light strip for your TV, but don’t want to splash out on a sync box or sacrifice light quality, Lepro might just have the strip for you. Its new STV1 lightstrip promises accurate color reproduction to extend your movie, show or game beyond the edge of your TV without complex installation or additional hardware.

I’m a big fan of lightstrips — I’m on my second Hue setup and use it daily for movies, TV shows, and games — but the combination of a sync box and a lightstrip or other synced lighting isn’t cheap. Lepro’s approach is simpler and considerably cheaper, with the 55- to 65-inch version coming in at a very reasonable $89.99 / £89.99 (about AU$126).

The difference is that this is a camera-based system, and Lepro says it has key features that set it apart from other camera-based light strips.

Lepro STV1 lightstrip: is this the perfect accessory for your big screen TV?

The STV1 has a two-in-one design that combines camera and controller in a single unit. The camera is a fisheye ultra-wide-angle lens with a very wide field of view – over 180 degrees – that makes it possible to capture colors from screens up to 85 inches. Lepro says it responds up to 36% faster than equivalent camera-based setups.

If you’ve used fisheye lenses, you know they distort shapes, but Lepro has thought of that. There is automatic distortion correction and zone mapping to get the captured image in the correct proportions, enabling the controller to deliver the right colors to the right parts of the light strip.

As well as synchronizing with the action on screen, the STV1 can also listen to music, creating wave-like rhythm lights instead of just flashing in time to the kick drum. It also comes with a prompt-based lighting designer that can turn your commands into lighting scenes that match what you plan to see.

The STV1 comes in two sizes: 55 to 65 inches for $89.99 / £89.99 and 75 to 85 inches for $109.99. Both versions are now on sale direct from Lepro and from retailers including Amazon in the US, although currently only the 55-65 inch version is listed on Lepro’s UK website.

I suspect this won’t be as accurate as a Hue strip (or an Ambilight TV), but from the videos Lepro has provided us, it appears to be nice and responsive across a wide range of colors. I’m a big fan of synchronized lighting and this looks like a much more affordable alternative to more premium priced products.