Philips Hue FAQ

yoshimitsu · 05-03-2019 5:47pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

Have you tried a complete reboot, turn all electronics off, such as phones, WiFi, tablets etc.

Then reset the bridge and start from scratch.

I've rebooted the bridge and the phone, not the router. I can try that this evening (for the pure joy of my wife and kids!). will let you know how I get on

kuro2k · 06-03-2019 12:31pm

Hi all,

Has anyone experienced a buzzing noise from the power socket unit of the lightstrip plus with a lightstrip extension attached? The level of buzzing seems to reduce when I disconnect the extension but it is still present.

My oniginal lightstrip failed last December after 12 months use. I received a warranty replacement from Philips in January but I returned it immediately due to this buzzing noise. I just received a second replacement today, same problem.

Just wondering if anyone has experienced same before I get back onto Philips

Thanks

clintondaly · 06-03-2019 1:14pm

kuro2k wrote: »

Hi all,

Has anyone experienced a buzzing noise from the power socket unit of the lightstrip plus with a lightstrip extension attached? The level of buzzing seems to reduce when I disconnect the extension but it is still present.

My original light strip failed last December after 12 months use. I received a warranty replacement from Philips in January but I returned it immediately due to this buzzing noise. I just received a second replacement today, same problem.

Just wondering if anyone has experienced same before I get back onto Philips

Thanks

I have the strip with an extension attached and have never heard a buzzing.
Are you coming off an extension lead or directly from a socket ?
I would suggest trying to plug it in somewhere else and see if the buzzing continues.

kuro2k · 06-03-2019 2:21pm

clintondaly wrote: »

I have the strip with an extension attached and have never heard a buzzing.
Are you coming off an extension lead or directly from a socket ?
I would suggest trying to plug it in somewhere else and see if the buzzing continues.

Lightstrip Plus is plugged directly into power socket, I have tried a number of different power sockets in the house, unfortunately buzzing continues.

I never have an issue with the original lightstrip

AstraMonti · 06-03-2019 7:08pm

Has anyone used the Innr compatible bulbs? They are significantly cheaper.

NoeldeBournaix · 06-03-2019 9:42pm

kuro2k wrote: »

Hi all,

Has anyone experienced a buzzing noise from the power socket unit of the lightstrip plus with a lightstrip extension attached? The level of buzzing seems to reduce when I disconnect the extension but it is still present.

My oniginal lightstrip failed last December after 12 months use. I received a warranty replacement from Philips in January but I returned it immediately due to this buzzing noise. I just received a second replacement today, same problem.

Just wondering if anyone has experienced same before I get back onto Philips

Thanks

Yes. I have two light-strips, each with two 1 meter extensions attached, and they both give off the high pitched whine but only when on full brightness, but its not all the time either. Its a common enough problem unfortunately.

It doesn't bother me really as I keep them at about 75% brightness. You could try a new power supply, Philips should send you one, but no guarantees that will fix the issue.

RobbieTheRobber · 07-03-2019 11:18am

AstraMonti wrote: »

Has anyone used the Innr compatible bulbs? They are significantly cheaper.

I have one e27 innr bulb that I moved outside.
You cant use them in hue entertainment setup.
Colour wise my e27 is as good as the Hue B22/e27 ( really vibrant greens).

They dont instantly change colour but rather cycle through all the colours between their current setting and new setting(it is less than a second but i noticed it when compared to hue b22's).

My overall impression is its a good bulb much better than ikeas colour e27.
However i didnt find them signifcantly cheaper than hue bulbs(when bought on a deal). So I would probably prefer to get hue bulbs for the warranty unless innr were significantly reduced.

AstraMonti · 07-03-2019 11:28am

Thanks. I am actually looking for the GU10 as they are 40 pounds for 4, the Philips is 40 for two so it's massive saving for me as I need 16.

AndyBoBandy · 07-03-2019 12:05pm

AstraMonti wrote: »

Thanks. I am actually looking for the GU10 as they are 40 pounds for 4, the Philips is 40 for two so it's massive saving for me as I need 16.

Don't forget Philips Hue now have 3 versions of the GU10 bulb available;

White & Colour Ambiance - The main colour and all whites ones. (£40-£50 each)
White Ambiance - All whites (warm & cold) version - (£37-£40 for twin pack)
White only - warm white only - (£27.49 for a twin pack)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-8718699605537-5-5W-smart-lighting/dp/B07FYDS5SN/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1551956612&sr=8-7&keywords=hue+gu10

They were only released a few months ago, and are the cheapest Hue GU10 offering. Well worth the extra £15 per 4 bulbs to go Hue.

AndyBoBandy · 07-03-2019 1:14pm

Also to note, The White Ambiance ones (£40 twin pack), often form part of the 3 for 2 Hue deals on amazon, haven't seen one in a while, but in total I've bought 22 of those bulbs, but usually always part of a 3 for 2 deal, working out roughly £27 per twin pack (same price as the white only ones are now!). So if you fancy getting the white ambiance which do all the warm to cold whites for the same price as the warm white only ones, wait around for the next 3 for 2 deals that they are included in.

AstraMonti · 07-03-2019 1:34pm

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Also to note, The White Ambiance ones (£40 twin pack), often form part of the 3 for 2 Hue deals on amazon, haven't seen one in a while, but in total I've bought 22 of those bulbs, but usually always part of a 3 for 2 deal, working out roughly £27 per twin pack (same price as the white only ones are now!). So if you fancy getting the white ambiance which do all the warm to cold whites for the same price as the warm white only ones, wait around for the next 3 for 2 deals that they are included in.

Thanks again. I had bought a few in the black friday deal, but I now wish i had gotten a lot more. I ll be looking out in the next few days.

Luckycharms_74 · 26-03-2019 10:06pm

Anyone else’s hue offline. Tried logging out and back in but it’s not connecting to the bridge

Brian017 · 26-03-2019 10:31pm

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Anyone else’s hue offline. Tried logging out and back in but it’s not connecting to the bridge

It's an issue they are aware of

"If you are unable to successfully log in to your Hue account we apologize. We’re on the case and are working hard on a resolution. We'll keep you informed!'

Stillnotworking · 28-03-2019 6:01pm

Hi all, latest question, Thinking of getting the Hue lightstrip for the under the kitchen cabinets, the issue is that I have about 1m (2 presses) then the cooker hood and another 2m stretch (4 presses), is there a way to connect them all into 1 light strip and extn or how can I get them to go around the cooker hood, is there a dummy bit I can get for the middle and hide it behind tiles?

Any answers appreciated.
Thanks,
Owen

THE ALM · 28-03-2019 6:13pm

Stillnotworking wrote: »

Hi all, latest question, Thinking of getting the Hue lightstrip for the under the kitchen cabinets, the issue is that I have about 1m (2 presses) then the cooker hood and another 2m stretch (4 presses), is there a way to connect them all into 1 light strip and extn or how can I get them to go around the cooker hood, is there a dummy bit I can get for the middle and hide it behind tiles?

Any answers appreciated.
Thanks,
Owen

Have a look at the litcessory range of products, they have a extension cable that might work for you.

carq · 29-03-2019 12:19pm

Stillnotworking wrote: »

Hi all, latest question, Thinking of getting the Hue lightstrip for the under the kitchen cabinets, the issue is that I have about 1m (2 presses) then the cooker hood and another 2m stretch (4 presses), is there a way to connect them all into 1 light strip and extn or how can I get them to go around the cooker hood, is there a dummy bit I can get for the middle and hide it behind tiles?

Any answers appreciated.
Thanks,
Owen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MQCE4KG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

clintondaly · 29-03-2019 4:41pm

I have them cables and they are good

scamalert · 06-04-2019 6:12pm

just to throw this out here have Philips hue bridge 2.0 as a spare from christmas left when getting bundles with lights anyone know what is decent price to ask for it, never used has lan cable etc.
was thinking 50e or so to throw on local Facebook marketplace ?

as looked on amazon seems they go around 50quid, but to be fair most people would get it second hand cheaper or just buy a kit in the first place.

punisher5112 · 06-04-2019 6:15pm

scamalert wrote: »

just to throw this out here have Philips hue bridge 2.0 as a spare from christmas left when getting bundles with lights anyone know what is decent price to ask for it, never used has lan cable etc.
was thinking 50e or so to throw on local Facebook marketplace ?

as looked on amazon seems they go around 50quid, but to be fair most people would get it second hand cheaper or just buy a kit in the first place.

If it 50 on Amazon then 35-40 sell.

jones · 08-04-2019 1:30pm

Any hue aficionados buy any outdoor pedestals and use hue lights in them? I have basically filled my house with hue lights and want to get some outdoor lights.

I love the looks of the Philips Hue Lucca Garden Pedestal but its £80 on sale which is hard to justify. I was wondering has anyone bought any decent outdoor pedestals and just installed hue bulbs in them for much cheaper? If so where?

Cheers

scamalert · 08-04-2019 2:25pm

jones wrote: »

Any hue aficionados buy any outdoor pedestals and use hue lights in them? I have basically filled my house with hue lights and want to get some outdoor lights.

I love the looks of the Philips Hue Lucca Garden Pedestal but its £80 on sale which is hard to justify. I was wondering has anyone bought any decent outdoor pedestals and just installed hue bulbs in them for much cheaper? If so where?

Cheers

smth like that no mention of bulb fitting but seems generic eu one which getting hues for is cheaper https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEARCHLIGHT-LED-BOLLARD-OUTDOOR-GARDEN-LIGHTS-POSTS-PATIO-DECKING-DRIVEWAY-BNIB/291495437455?hash=item43de7b648f:m:mcBHxrnm4gBCHXZwavbGYAQ

as theres no point really paying 80quid for a stand and a bulb, id say finding place that supplies commercially etc would bring cost even lower, then it would be usual setup to tap into mains power and getting bulbs. def looks nice but not smth id put into front garden if not gated house etc. plus if doing right youd want to pour some concrete mold to have stable base.

WeleaseWoderick · 16-04-2019 4:29pm

Have started to use Google Home with my Hue setup but have noticed that if I just ask for the lights to come on, it will only put them on a 1% brightness so I am having to say "OK Google, kitchen lights to 100%" instead of "OK Google, kitchen lights on".

Has anyone else come across this issue?

DrZeuss · 16-04-2019 6:28pm

WeleaseWoderick wrote: »

Have started to use Google Home with my Hue setup but have noticed that if I just ask for the lights to come on, it will only put them on a 1% brightness so I am having to say "OK Google, kitchen lights to 100%" instead of "OK Google, kitchen lights on".

Has anyone else come across this issue?

You could use Routines in Home

If I say "Kitchen lights on" or "Kitchen on" or "I can't see a thing in the Kitchen"
Set Kitchen lights to 100%

Or something along those lines

I have a few setup like that for turning off lights/TV/smart plugs at night.

AndyBoBandy · 16-04-2019 7:07pm

All this talk of Google this or google that...

I have every room (every room thats used daily) on a routine, and of the rooms that would be used outside of these routine times, I have sensors.
In the last year I've probably used the app to adjust a light about 5 times!

For me, home automation means exactly that, it's automatic, and if I had to ask google/siri to turn lights on or off, I might as well just use dumb bulbs and light switches.

thecivvie · 16-04-2019 11:15pm

There is an update for the Hub

April 2, 2019

Firmware 1931069120 (Bridge V2):

Fixed a problem with Daylight Saving Time (DST) in Ireland that caused light-schedules to trigger at incorrect times. Big apologies to all the people in Ireland suffering from this problem.
Fixed a problem that sometimes the communication with the lights was not fully reliable.
Fixed a problem that sometimes a software update for a Hue device was displayed in &#8220;transferring&#8221;-mode forever in the Hue mobile app.
Fixed a problem that in some cases the Power-On behavior was not correctly picked-up by the light or did change &#8220;spontaneously&#8221; over time after configuration in the Hue mobile app.
For better security we slightly changed the way apps connect to your Hue Bridge.
We fixed an issue that for a limited number of people the Hue Bridge caused a crash of the mobile App when trying to set the home location or to create sunrise- or sunset routines.
Besides these, we have fixed a lot of other small things that will make the Hue Bridge more reliable.

yoshimitsu · 17-04-2019 12:39pm

yoshimitsu wrote: »

Hi all,
I recently moved houses and I'm having issues reconnecting my phone to my Hue bridge v2 (square box). Philips customer support is taking a very long time to reply (it's been 10 days since I've opened a ticket) so I thought I'd try my luck here… I've read back 20-25 pages in the thread to look for similar problems/solutions but couldn’t find anything that works.
The issue:
- When I launch the app on my iPhone it searches for the bridge, it finds it, it asks me to push the big button and then it connects
- The app then goes to a page that says the bridge needs to update. I can only click on "update", there is no way to get out of it. I click on update, the progress bar barely gets moving (maybe 5-10%) and then a pop-up says that the app has lost connection to the bridge. It then brings me back to the initial page where it searches for the bridge, and I'm stuck in this loop
- The 4 lights on the bridge are on. In my initial conversation with Philips they told that the hardware seems to be working so it must be a software issue.
Things I've tried so far:
- Power cycle the bridge (30 secs unplugged)
- Factory reset with the pin hole in the back
- Un-installed and re-installed the app
- Tried connecting with the old version of the app (the one that shows the circular bridge in the logo)
- Checked that I'm on the same router frequency on the phone and bridge (I only have 2.4ghz active on my Virgin white router)

Does anything come to mind that I've missed or should I just wait for Philips to tell me my bridge is toast?
Thanks in advance

Just to give an update on this, it has taken roughly 5 weeks to get "closure" on this. Ultimately it is a software/firmware issue that prevents the bridge from updating and thus being usable. Philips customer service has been useless: even though I told them I had already tried the whole power cycle, reset, router reset etc they made re-try all of those things with about 4-5 days between every reply. Ultimately they admitted to the bridge being fried but provided no help or further assistance. They offered a free "gift" of 2 Hue products which are discontinued and have appalling reviews online (the LED candles and some non-connected battery powered Hue color light) but would neither provide a replacement or fix for the bridge nor the ability to buy a new/refurbished one at a discounted price. The bridge is exactly 3 months passed warranty period so technically they didn’t owe me anything but quite disappointing given that I've invested €350+ in their products and they're useless without the bridge. Fortunately I was able to pick up a "new" bridge on the recent amazon Warehouse sale for around £35
I've had a few "lucky"experiences with serious consumer electronics companies (Logitech, Microsoft, Yamaha) and I was given assistance even post warranty. E.g. Logitech sent me a new power adaptor for a 5 year old pair of speakers shipping included absolutely free. I will definitely reward that with future brand loyalty, cant say the same for Philips.
Sorry for the rant but felt somewhat betrayed.

AstraMonti · 25-04-2019 1:24pm

What's happening after we reach the limit? Second bridge?

punisher5112 · 25-04-2019 1:34pm

2nd bridge alright.

Alkers · 25-04-2019 9:09pm

AstraMonti wrote:

What's happening after we reach the limit? Second bridge?

That's a serious setup, care to give some details?

AstraMonti · 26-04-2019 10:21am

Simona1986 wrote: »

That's a serious setup, care to give some details?

I just replaced every single bulb with hue in the last 6-8 months. Thank heck for black friday.

14 spots in the kitchen + 3 e27 + 1 strip
8 spots in the living room + 1 strip + 1 pendant + 3 bloom ones
6 spots in the bathrooms
6 in the hallway
12 (ikea) in the garden bollards
5 e27 in the bedrooms
and 3 external hue lights as well.
All switches replaced with hue apart from 3 in the kitchen that are niko.
2 motion sensors

and I think this pretty much sums it up.

P.S. If anyone is selling a bridge please pm me.

Philips Hue FAQ

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