I enjoy the visual experience when playing a game or watching a movie, as the colors and ambiance can make a big difference to the theme and emotion. Fortunately, there are now more ways than ever to enhance your visual experience, such as with external lighting. So, it’s no surprise, then, that I was excited to get my hands on the Nanoleaf 4D kit and hopefully improve my viewing experience with some additional bias lighting and added visual effects. After all, there is something beautiful about adding to the already stunning experience when playing anything from immersive open worlds like Cyberpunk 2077 to action-packed thrill rides such as the recent Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Fortunately, the Nanoleaf 4D does not disappoint and will help take your visuals to the next level.
Design & Features
With Nanoleaf earning itself a reputation for quality lighting products, it only makes sense for them to create something to enhance the lighting and visual experience when watching films or playing games. It does this by first pointing a camera, connected to an LED lighting strip by a controller, towards your TV or gaming monitor. This then captures the colors on your monitor and sends that information to the LEDs, which then light up accordingly. If there’s a huge explosion happening on screen, the lighting will mirror that, turning red, orange, and yellow. There is no need to plug the Nanoleaf 4D into your TV directly or handle messy integrations, as the camera will take care of it all.
The Nanoleaf 4D enhances your viewing experience with its screen-mirroring capabilities. The app offers four settings: 1D, 2D, 3D, and 4D, each increasing the color variety and intensity. The 4D mode, in particular, provides a rich and dynamic color display that matches the on-screen action, adding depth and vibrancy to your viewing.
Whether watching movies, playing video games, or enjoying music, the Nanoleaf 4D adapts to the content, creating an immersive and interactive environment. To me, this is the real benefit of having the Nanoleaf 4D over generic lighting kits for ambiance. It worked especially well when playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder, as having the extension of the game’s already vivid colors via the screen mirroring made the cozy and colorful worlds feel more immersive and really pop.
One aspect of the lighting I noted was that the closer your TV or monitor was positioned against the wall, the better the light would reflect. If you cannot place your TV close to the wall, you may lose some of the brightness of the colors. Additionally, I found that the Nanoleaf 4D worked best in dark rooms. Unfortunately, bright and high-light areas took away from the depth of the colors. This was particularly noticeable when watching a movie and using the screen mirroring feature. Nanoleaf recommends positioning the camera above the screen with its included mount to remove the background light as much as possible. Nevertheless, regardless of the lighting conditions, the LED strips never fail to deliver vibrant colors.
Performance & User Experience
From a configuration standpoint, the Nanoleaf 4D supports several smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa and Google Home, allowing for easy integration into your existing smart home ecosystem. The Nanoleaf app also helps with the system specifics to align the camera positioning to the LED strips. I found this process very easy to set up using the app. Additionally, Nanoleaf has its Sync+ feature, which allows other Nanoleaf-compatible devices to extend the colors and ambiance of a room or area.
Once the configuration was done, it was as simple as using the app to determine whether I wanted to use the screen mirroring or my custom ambiance. There was an incredible array of different preset ambiance settings to use, as well as a cool generative AI feature that allows you to search an ambiance and have the AI suggest colors and styles for that theme. For example, asking for a campfire gave you warm colors and a nice pulsing effect.
The setup of the Nanoleaf 4D is effortless. You can mount the camera below or above the TV, depending on your preference and design. The light strip, available in two sizes for TVs up to 65 or 85 inches, is flexible and trimmable, ensuring a perfect fit for most TVs. The installation involves attaching the light strip with a tape backing around the back of the TV, using corner pieces for easier placement. You can cut the light strip to your preferred size if you need a shorter length. However, this is a one-way activity, as the cut light strip cannot be reconnected – so do this cautiously. Once installed, you connect the light strip and camera to the controller box and complete a few simple steps in the app to calibrate the system.
Value for Money
Priced competitively, the Nanoleaf 4D offers excellent value for its features. The complete kit, with the camera and light strip, costs USD 100 (AUD 189.99) for TVs up to 65 inches and USD 120 (AUD 229.99) for the larger version. This pricing makes it an accessible option for those looking to add an extra dimension to their TV setup without breaking the bank.
The Nanoleaf 4D is a beautiful product that brings a new level of immersion to your home entertainment. Its easy setup, compatibility with various smart home systems, and dynamic lighting capabilities make it a standout choice for anyone looking to enhance their TV viewing experience. With its affordable price and superior performance, the Nanoleaf 4D is a wise investment for tech enthusiasts, gamers, and movie buffs.
Please note: Game Crater was provided the tech for this review.
