Philips to launch Ambilight successor Aurea

Consumer electronics manufacturer Philips will demo their successor to Ambilight -- the ambient lighting technology that generates light effects on the sides of a television -- at European expo IFA on August 30. The new technology, named Aurea, will be featured using a film by director Wong Kar called Seduction by Light. From early photos, the new sets incorporate the lighting directly into the frame, instead of using the previous method of a glass frame around the set.

[fischju @ Aug 15th 2007 5:54PM]

For something to be a "successor", shouldn't the original...be a success? Or are they saying that this one will be?

[AJ @ Aug 15th 2007 6:13PM]

No

[Brian @ Aug 15th 2007 6:26PM]

Hey! Stop trying to be funny. No one likes a smart a$$!

[Buck Q. Fitch @ Aug 15th 2007 7:53PM]

Ambilight was a huge success. I had a party and the TV stole the show:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4746886510425383239

Now I need a new wall for Aurea.

[Chuckles McGee @ Aug 15th 2007 8:46PM]

It's certainly ...Ambi-tious...

[Brian @ Aug 15th 2007 5:59PM]

So is this the next consumer electronics step once you get bored with your HD content (for shame!)?

Looks like a gimmick more than a gadget. As purdy as it looks, I imagine it to be more distracting than engaging.

[Zach Marshall @ Aug 15th 2007 6:02PM]

I'm kinda wondering, and maybe this is the exact idea, but how about the ambient light actually matches the show your watching, so essentially the program looks like its bleeding off the screen.

So like the Simpsons could be bleeding blue and yellowish. I think that'd look sweet.

[Michael La Framboise @ Aug 15th 2007 6:45PM]

Yes, that is the idea - that's exactly how the current generation model works. :)

[Steezus @ Aug 15th 2007 6:50PM]

The ambient light actually increases the perceived contrast ratio. It actually is not distracting and really helps create a better looking picture.

[MikeG @ Aug 16th 2007 8:47AM]

Where as samsung just uses a big black frame to increase perceived contrast ratio?

[jLynx @ Aug 16th 2007 5:08PM]

Yeah... right.

[glenn @ Aug 15th 2007 6:13PM]

did they mean Wong Kar Wai?

[Crayola @ Aug 15th 2007 7:12PM]

I believe it is another director, Mr Willy Wong Kar

[zxdxz @ Aug 16th 2007 4:24PM]

Yes it was form Hong Kong Director Wong-Kar-Wai
Engadget editor get it wrong...

seems Engadget mislead by the quote from Trusted reviews, which they got an errata when insert supportive information.

"...at IFA on 30 August when Philips will launch Aurea with a film by director Wong Kar (Incorrect Automobile? Self Love?) Wai called Seduction by Light."
---------^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^----

I don't blame editor, not everyone can know foreign director name.
I just wonder why not quote form Philips' PR...

[Shannin @ Aug 15th 2007 6:30PM]

they should call it epilepsy screen

[G @ Aug 15th 2007 6:45PM]

Philips needs to stop screwing around and just make a product which doesn't break in 6 months then take 12 more months to get repaired in the US. That would do more for sales than lame gimmicks.

[Michael La Framboise @ Aug 15th 2007 6:47PM]

umm... HUH? - I'm still yet to hear from any of my friend's, of their ambilight's braking in 6 month and it taking 12 month to repair it...

[fraggle_rocker @ Aug 15th 2007 7:14PM]

There is something i always wondered about these, do they work any good in a corner..

[Ken @ Aug 15th 2007 7:39PM]

Will it overheat just like its predecessor?

Before you try to call me out, take a number and talk to my 37" ambilight that has Eight 80mm fans hooked up to an ATX power supply running at full speed just to keep the thing on for 2 hours before the video cuts out.

Without the fans? lasts 10 minutes max.

[Ken @ Aug 15th 2007 7:43PM]

@Michael

www.google.com "philips ambilight overheat"

grab some popcorn and enjoy the horror stories. 42" and 50" plasmas, 32" and 37" LCD's (one of which I own) Some breaking in 2 months time.

[JQ Public @ Aug 15th 2007 8:15PM]

Actually, as the Ambilight *copies* the prevalent picture hues, their relative impact from the program on your eye is lessened. Want more "pow"? Then have the Ambilight project the inverse colors from those dominating the program. Actually, we color nuts paint the walls behind our sets a neutral gray (hard to find) and illuminate it with a low-power 6500-degrees-Kelvin fluorescent bulb. Supposedly, the whites and grays of a properly-rendered picture are rendered with that "color". BostonTom

[Sam @ Aug 15th 2007 8:53PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5uPQBKgqzA

It in action

[muaddib420 @ Aug 15th 2007 9:27PM]

i dunno. "aurea" sounds a lot like "areola"... can someone say "gipple?"

[Dan @ Aug 15th 2007 9:50PM]

This ambilight-aurea stuff seems like Philips' last gasp. The suits at Philips need a kick in the pants. We're STILL needing HD video eyewear, people!

[Tom @ Aug 15th 2007 10:34PM]

do you need to wall mount it for it to be really effective?

[Constable Odo @ Aug 16th 2007 12:18AM]

And exactly how is this useful for viewing TV in the daytime?

[Deluxe @ Aug 16th 2007 1:48AM]

Those who watch daytime TV gernerally arent the ones who can afford it.

[chase @ Aug 16th 2007 1:55AM]

why dont you just get a projector and put a gradient filter over the edges of the screen...then you have a HUGE image, and no border between the video and the "ambient light"...the video just faaaaades into the wall space...

[Matt @ Aug 16th 2007 5:17AM]

Ambilight is just awful. One of the things that makes LCD better than DLP is the fact that there's no "rainbow effect" seen (by many people) when you shift your eyes back and forth. Ambilight — due to the nature of the tri-color LED lighting used to implement the feature — actually ADDS its own rainbow effect to a perfectly good LCD panel.

The current Ambilight only casts its light behind the TV. Barring a major improvement in the technology, I can only imagine how god-awful THESE front-lit frames are going to look.

[Parker @ Nov 17th 2007 12:26PM]

I can not only imagine the troubles of the "rainbow effect" I can verify it.
I (sadly) own a Aurea, I'm trying to get the store to take it back, and can not look at it with the Ambilght on for more then 30 minutes. When I look longer at it a get terrible headache.
Strangely I most often only see blue and green / yellow flashes and only sometimes red.
I most say that it is much less then with the old Ambilight versions, with the CCFL first used, when in direct eye sight of the ccfl, I continuesly saw the red, green and blue flashes. I almost never saw the intended color effect.

So I now hope the store is finally going to exept it and take back the tv and returns my money.

[erik gomez @ Aug 16th 2007 10:25AM]

You would think it would get kind of annoying watching all the lighting when you're trying to watch 90210...sheesh.

[zxdxz @ Aug 16th 2007 4:31PM]

Ambilight got my interest, but "lighting directly into the frame"? it's annoying...

[tekdroid @ Aug 18th 2007 11:25AM]

the tv equivalent of vista's bling, and equally useless.