Customer Reviews

Philips 69143/60/48 LivingColors Generation 2 Translucent Changing LED Lamp with Remote

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Short version:
If it breaks out of warranty, there's no way to repair it. Philips offers zero customer support for the device--most divisions of the company don't even know it exists--and you can't find replacement parts for it.

Long version:
I bought this about two weeks after it first came out, during a trip to Amsterdam. (It wasn't yet available in the U.S.) I brought it home to the States and it worked perfectly. It's true that it's pretty dim, and the remote is kind of clunky and gigantic, but it's very pleasing in a small or darkened room.

Then about 16 months after I bought it, it stopped working.

I spent around 2.5 hours calling every Philips number I could find, both in the U.S. and in Europe, and NOBODY could help me. Most people I reached didn't even knew what I was talking about. I finally found a third party Philip replacement parts store in England and asked them if they sold spare remotes or bulb assemblies for this, and they didn't.

The official Philips websites for the lamp had no useful information at all regarding repairs.

So although I loved it, be warned that the support from Philips is abysmal, and there's no way to repair it if it breaks after your warranty period. It really soured me on Philips products because I ultimately felt that I paid way too much for a badly made product.

Fun lamp, eneded up at my bar, not very powerful so it does not color a room, just a corner.

Length:: 6:52 Mins

Earlier, I purchased a Multi-Color E27 LED Light bulb w/ Remote from Amazon and have greatly enjoyed it, but craved more -- it simply didn't shine enough. My creative play-work demands being "in the flow" and mood lighting augments my output superbly, giving a real cinematic feel to even routine tasks like email. Before, I thought playing epic trailer music while pressing Reply would be enough, but clearly, I hadn't experienced mood lights.

Months ago, I read reviews of LivingColors and am surprised they still seem very rare Stateside (compared to earlier availability in Europe). A curiosity rather than a commercial phenomenon. While part of this may be due to cost, we each weigh our own priorities, right? Still, I hope for widespread adoption of these colors which feel alive, not unlike how every house has common lightbulbs. Since I already had such a good experience with limited mood lighting, I became intent on expanding my palette.

My ownership has only been several (intense) days, but what I tentatively conclude so far is: like cats, having only one LivingColors feels terribly lonely. Even the full-size Philips 69143/60/48 LivingColors Generation 2 Translucent Changing LED Lamp with Remote isn't enough to really light up my workspace at night, and the dynamics of contrast with another color adds so much value and spice. So, I also have a Philips 818564 LivingColors Mini Changing LED Lamp, White (I actually got it first, since the Gen 2 wasn't in stock). With the two of them combined, as you can clearly see in this video, there's a lot of joy to be had.

A future feature I'd add is the ability to program custom lighting sequences. Is an iPhone app for this too much to ask? It'd be a natural extension of the current color cycling option, which smoothly cycles through the spectrum on both the Gen 2 and the Mini, and whose speed can be changed, but you can't limit the range or trigger events more specifically. This would open up possibilities to sync to binaural beats and other synesthesiac promises, fulfilling Philips' advertising of really setting the tone in your home. (Or elsewhere.)

There are a few niggles I have as shown in the video, but my chief constructive criticism is I wish these puppies were brighter. While they certainly overwhelm my webcam, as other pictures I've taken show, there's plenty of darkness to encroach upon.

LED mood lighting in the home still feels like it's an infancy -- not that we'd ever advance into a hippy-dippy psychedelia portrayed in so many 60s trip movies -- but I'd still consider LivingColors for enthusiasts and early adopters like myself, who consider it an important part of your daily life due to your eclectic proclivities, and not just a casual interest. I just hope they don't burn out on me anytime soon.

Here's looking to a brighter future with Gen 3!

Its a very interesting concept. I think the colors are pretty amazing. If It cost 40$ Id probably be giving it 4 or 5 stars, but at this price I just feel it it not a high star purchase unless you just feel like you HAVE to have it. On the other hand, it pretty much does what it says it will. Others have covered the lack of repairability and the brightness issues. I have it in a very dim 10x12 foot room firing into top back corner off a bookshelf. It does color the whole room during the night without additional lights, but during the day its def more of a highlight spot lamp. Phillips probably needs to double the possible intensity and drop the price to 70$ or this will remain a highly niche product. As it stands, in order to really light a room you will need 3 or more of these suckers. Still as a really versatile nightlight or backlight or mood builder it is definitely a cool fixture that people will ooooh and ahhh over. I think my review should just about indicate why I give it 3 stars. There is a 5 star product in here somewhere, but this isnt quite the performance/value match I would look for to deserve that rating.

The lamp arrived in okay condition, but the packaging could be better. The wall transformer was not packed very well, so it rolled around in the box. The electrical prongs scratched the finish, even though the lamp was held in a satin bag. The lamp itself is smaller than I thought it would be, but it looks very modern and stylish. Initially, I was not happy that it was so small, but later I figured it was actually a good thing because the smaller size allows it to fit very well on a shelf or tucked away somewhere.

The main problem I had with the lamp was with the remote. I had a REALLY difficult time getting it to respond correctly. The lamp only works with the remote. After going though the troubleshooting guide, resetting and re-pairing the two, I traced it to a conflict with my WiFi. The instructions clearly say that there may be connection problems if you have a WiFi access point too close to the unit. It does not say how close is too close. I live in a small apartment, so anywhere in the apartment might be too close. I turned off the router, PS3, computer, smartphone, and TV WiFi dongle, and then I was able to use the remote, until my neighbors used their computer.

When I did occasionally get the lamp to respond, even at the brightest settings, the light output was poor. I would need at least four lamps to light up the living room. Two lamps on one side might provide a bit of mood lighting, but it would not even come close to the living room lighting display shown in the promotional video and photos. This lamp is suppose to have 50% more light than the original. Maybe generation 4 or 5 will be a success.

Imagine being able to change the mood of any room in your home. That's the Philips LivingColors Lamp. I was skeptical to buy the generation one model of this because some people complained it wasn't bright enough - so I waited until this generation two model with "50% more brightness" (apparently) came out. It was worth the wait.

What this lamp does to a room is what movie directors try to do when they add a color tint to their shot - it helps define the scene, and moves the audience accordingly. I might also compare this lamp to music, which could put you in certain moods depending on the song.

Put simply, this light sets the mood - in a big way. Whether you're cuddling in a room with a loved one, adding pizazz to a party, or amplifying a rainy day, this is the light to do it.

I love this lamp - I only wish it worked during the day; but alas, the physics of light has me beat on that one.

This light has been breath taking. It really does a great job of setting whatever mood I want. I use it against a white wall in the office area.

It has multiple options, including depth of color, whiteness level, brightness level, and a ton of colors. (although I think a million is an exaggeration)


Would definitely buy again.

I work with a LOT of LED lights for my concert production work. The LED technology changes every few months. They are making them more powerful and more affordable at a rapid pace. LED lights are not inexpensive but this Philips product is way too expensive for what you get. The link below shows a simple LED bulb and remote control. You can screw the bulb into any light socket and plug it into the wall with no adapter. You don't need a fancy fixture. I have these bulbs and they work very well. NO they are not spotlights but one will color wash a corner or wall if placed correctly. NO they won't color a wall well if the room is lit up by conventional lighting. You would need a lot of lighting horsepower to do that. You have to put some distance between the light and the area you want to color. The farther away the wider the coverage and the less the color intensity. You have to balance the two. You can use several lights for brighter results. The remote will allow the light color to be selected or scroll through a rainbow of colors continually. You can even use the remove to select different colors on each bulb, at the same time. There is no hum or noise with these. I have had mine for several years and have used them on the road for concerts as a small background color wash. Philips has put the technology in an attractive and costly package. It is how a company makes money. I think a few people expected more from the product because they did not understand lighting physics or LED capability. Sure, you can buy a LED fixture that will completely color your wall. But that unit will cost between one and two-thousand dollars and may require you to learn DMX programming.
For my money I prefer buying the screw-in bulbs and placing them in small can-like fixtures (cheap) which I can position on the floor or shelf. This is much more versatile in my opinion.




Multi-Color E27 LED Light bulb w/ Remote

As utility lamp, the gadget is overpriced. As a way to play with programmable, color changing LED technology that has a substantial cool factor, the product can't be beat! And it works great as a bounce light lamp too! Keep it away from small kids unless you find a custom fitted rubber sleeve. I'm waiting for a similarly programmable LED strip to put under cabinets or above molding. Now that would be cool!

pretty cool but way too expensive. you can buy 4 or 5 colored bulbs for about $4 apiece and have almost the same thing. save your money. not very bright either. i regret this purchase.