Philips Hue configuration (API v2)

[awawa-dev]

HyperHDR v19 supports now Hue gradient light strips using new Entertainment API V2, which should also work with other types of Philips lamps. You will need Philips Hue app to configure your lights and the bridge first. For Android you can find it here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.philips.lighting.hue2

Philips Hue app configuration

Now we configure Philips Hue app: create a new entertainment group and position our lights (you just need to keep them separated / one light per each channel).

HyperHDR configuration

Exit Philips Hue app. Open HyperHDR configuration page.
If you are using multiple light sources, create a new instance, start it and switch to it using the menu in the top-left section.

Go to LED Hardware tab. In the controller type select philipshue and check both Use Hue Entertainment API and Use Hue Entertainment API V2

Your Hue bridge should be found. Otherwise you must put its IP address manually. Now click on the Create a new User and clientkey button. In the next step, you will be asked to press a button on the Hue bridge.

You should find your Hue entertainment group here. Click on the Use configuration ID button.

Now you can configure your lights (channels) position and size. You can also edit it more precisely in the next step. Save your configuration now.

If you are not satisfied with the position of the Hue lamp or the area of the screen it reflects, go to the LED Hardware tab then select LED Layout on the top. Click on the Zoom button to make the editor more accessible and readable. Right-click on the selected lamp. Now you can change its position, size and force identification (blinking).

[magic2910]

My Play Gradient Lightstrip only show a single color, no gradient.
What I am doing wrong?

[awawa-dev]

We don't know exactly how you set up philips hue and if you followed all the steps in the tutorial exactly, but the symptoms match not using the new Entertainment API V2 introduced in version 19 (only the old one, for example).

[pHarmG]

For a hue gradient strip, is there a way to assign which LED lights are in a specific section? It seems to be broken up into 3 major sections and that’s what is picked up. My problem is that the Tv and the strip do not align correctly so the TV sits ~25-90% of the strips length (parallel). That causes the middle segment to be mostly on the left side of the TV. Adjusting zones in the interface doesn’t help most likely because this is due to the HUE grouping of lights. Any suggestions?

[pHarmG]

Hi there, really appreciate your fast response! If I understand correctly, I tried to modify the sections previously.

1. Default Config
   

2. Updated Config 

The middle section of the strip is still using the same absolute number of LEDs. Please let me know if I am attempting this change incorrectly or perhaps not looking the right spot.

Kind regards

[pHarmG]

I seem to be having trouble uploading the second image in the response above so I had to reply again

[awawa-dev]

Can you take a photo or draw how the gradient led strip is attached behind the TV?

[pHarmG]

The part I couldnt convey very well is that the table and the TV are about 3 inches from the wall that's behind them.

[awawa-dev]

Thank you. I understand it now. In the LED designer you should shrink the middle (blue) section and extend the left one (purple)

But the result will not be perfect. On your last drawing your red (bottom left corner) will be a mix of red and a bit of yellow which will reduce the unevenness of the transition in the bottom-center/left section. As you probably know, the best solution is to center the bottom LED strip in the center of the TV (or move the TV to the center of the table).

[davethecripple]

I'm having trouble mixing the Hue Play Gradient strips (https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us/p/hue-white-and-color-ambiance-play-gradient-lightstrip-55-inch/046677560409#overview) and Hue Ambient Gradient strips (https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us/p/hue-white-and-color-ambiance-gradient-lightstrip-80-inch/046677570552), and am looking for some help.

I am trying to utilize both to cover the entire TV - Play strip covers left, top, right - the Ambient covers the bottom.

In individual Entertainment Zone assignments - they work fine with the v2 API - I will get the expected 7 channels with the Play Strips, and 3 channels with the Ambient strip. However if I move both the Play and Ambient strips into the same Entertainment Zone in the Hue App - and try to import into HyperHDR - only 8 total channels show - with 2 channels overlapping each other (e.g. Channel 0 will activate one part of the Play Strip, and one part of the Ambient strip at the same exact time). If I try to add the correct LEDs in the LED Layout tab, the additional 2 channels I should have aren't recognized.

I tried instead to create two instances in HyperHDR - one instance with just the Play Strips, and one instance with the Ambient Strip - however both instances will not run at the same time. I've tried using the same Hue Bridge client/password key in both instances, and also different client/password keys - but with no effect.

Was wondering if there might be any insight on how to set this up correctly.

Attaching some pictures and screenshots to help make this make sense:

[awawa-dev]

Hi
@davethecripple I think you may have encountered some limitations in the Philips Hue app described in the thread that developed the Philips Hue Entertainment API v2 support in HyperHDR: #471 To summarize: if two or more lamps have the same "color"/location in the designer => they share the same channel => we are unable to distinguish them (or at least currently we do not know how to do it). That's why the tutorial in this thread mentions that each zone/lamp must be separate: the exact position of the lamp in the wizard is not important, but each lamp must have a separate channel/color/location.

Philips Hue developers topic (need to register): https://developers.meethue.com/forum/t/stream-to-multiple-members-in-the-same-channel/6798

[davethecripple]

Gotcha - reviewing that thread makes sense - it does appear to be a limitation in the Hue App.

For some additional info (not sure if it will help in the future or not) - for the Play Strips and Gradient Strips (unsure about the lamps + bars) - there is some additional weird behavior does appear related to setup in the entertainment zone.

The Play Strip (one designed for the TV) - can only be anchored to the TV/monitor in the Entertainment Zone, and shows all colors - and thus you're unable to assign it a different location and color (and thus channel).
The Ambiance Strip - DOES appear to be important on how it's setup. The ambiance strip on setup in the Entertainment zone asks you if you are installing it horizontal or vertical. I found that if it's set to "vertical" - no additional channels appeared over the 7 Play Strip zones - aka each zone of the Ambiance strip became tied to the Play Strip. When installed "horizontal" - the additional zone appeared, and only 2 out of the 3 zones in the Ambiance strip became tied to the Play Strip.
Since you can't manually assign colors to the Play or Ambiance Strips - the locations in the room does end up mattering.

A workaround that I think will be acceptable - moving the Ambiance Strip in the Hue App to be directly parallel to a part of the Play Strip such that the 2 "end" zones of the Ambiance Strip overlap to the 2 "end" zones of the Play Strip. This will cause a little bit of overlap - but allows the independent middle zone to still work. I will try this when I get home, but I don't think the location will be directly on the "bottom" of the TV if that makes sense. I find that when I import the Play Strip into HyperHDR - channel 0 defaults to being the Top of the TV - even though the first zone in the Play Strip is designed to be installed such that it's the bottom left/right of the TV [wherever you want the power plug to hang] - so there is some finagling needed to mentally rotate the strips around.

Or.... I just buy a strip of SK6812 RGBW LEDs to cover just the bottom of the TV and return the Ambiance Strip LOL. Running through WebOS and powering directly via the TV USB port and an ESP32 is amazing.

[awawa-dev]

Thank you for your feedback. This may be important information for other users who will want to configure a similar setup. Philips changes the Hue API functionality in the background from time to time so there is a chance that it will improve in the future. And API V2 is relatively new feature.

[awawa-dev]

Or.... I just buy a strip of SK6812 RGBW LEDs to cover just the bottom of the TV and return the Ambiance Strip LOL. Running through WebOS and powering directly via the TV USB port and an ESP32 is amazing.

Just one thing to keep in mind that a wired connection (esp/rp2040) is slightly faster than a Hue setup. I have HyperSPI with sk6812 on the TV and Philips Hue lamps at the bottom which have a slight lag compared to the LED. But at least for me it's not distracting.

[Gilgahmesh]

Hi @davethecripple ,

my issue is not entirely related with this discussion but I just read that you are powering your LED Stripe with the USB Port of your TV and an ESP32.
I have an LG CX and would love to do the same. Can you give me a hint which hardware I need to do that respectively which hardware you are using and what I have to do to configure the USB Port respectively?

[Tilgi86]

Hello, thanks for providing this awesome Software.
Would you or anyone who uses the Philips Gradient Lights Stripe together with HyperHDR mind sharing their exact settings?
I got everyting up and running last night but I find it a bit distracting, it is far away from smooth (even using the smoothing options), it seems a bit stuttering, no fluid color transitions.

My Setup:
LG OLED C9 (rooted) / Connected per Wifi
PIC Grabber App and HyperHDR both run directly from TV

Many thanks in advance :)

[awawa-dev]

you have to wait for HyperHDR v20beta1

[Tilgi86]

Hey Awawa, thanks for your quick answer. So this is a known bug / limitation with the gradient stripes? Then I will wait for v20beta1, glad to hear it is beeing worked on :) Last question: Can I Update to Beta Releases directly through the LG Homebrew Channel, or are there only the stable releases listed and I have to install a Beta Software from a different source, when it is available? Again, many thanks for your help.

[awawa-dev]

This is how rendering on Philips Hue devices currently works and has worked in the past, v20beta1 will change that (still it has a lot of testing ahead). At least on my lamps it works for most cases that may cause such rather minor jumps otherwise, but I don't use the gradient strip and they serve as an auxiliary rather than the main source. Unfortunately, I do not maintain WebOS releases or have anything to do with them.

[Tilgi86]

Okay, thanks for the info, then I will look forward to the next release :) have a nice weekend

[Tilgi86]

Just a short remark for everyone who might have the same problems I had (stuttering gradient lights when using LG TV with HyperHDR and PicCap running directly from TV).
The solution was pretty simple: I switched to a wired connection of my TV and now everything is way smoother than before, near perfect for me. So even if your Wifi is strong (my Router is right under my TV) using cable gives the probaby needed extra bandwith.

[awawa-dev]

Yes, of course using wifi can cause such unexpected side effects. When streaming Philips Hue or WLED, the UDP protocol is used for communication, which does not guarantee anything, in particular that the packet has reached where it should or will not inform about any more serious problems, e.g. a temporary connection interruption. In this case, it's about connecting the HyperHDR instance to the Hue bridge via WiFi. There is also a radio connection between the bridge and the lamp, but that is something else (although from what I have noticed it works much better, but there is no guarantee and, for example, a single packet with color information for 2 lamps that reaches the bridge will only cause the reaction of one of them).
Philips Hue communication is also "heavier" than e.g. WLED because it is wrapped in SSL, so the connection to the bridge must be REALLY good. In the context of incoming changes in v20beta1, I meant something else: using smoothing with Philips Hue.

[awawa-dev]

Changes are ready for testing: #691
In the past, there were two clocks responsible for rendering and smoothing, each had its own life and were not synchronized, which could cause small jumps/stuttering instead of a smooth transition for Philips Hue lamps

[liamharper2453]

Hello, just commenting to say I have tested this on my WebOS TV and is working much better with my gradient lights. Thank you!

[Tilgi86]

How did you manage to test it on your Web OS HyperHDR?
I am running the version from homebrew Channel on my rooted LG OLED.
Thanks on advance for advice :)

[liamharper2453]

Hey,

I forked https://github.com/webosbrew/hyperhdr-webos-loader and made the changes myself.

PR in-progress!

webosbrew/hyperhdr-webos-loader#21

[liamharper2453]

@Tilgi86 there should now be an update on the homebrew channel. You should now be able to test.

[Tilgi86]

You guys are really fast :D Thank you will give it a try this evening.