ISNOW Ambilight Alternative Test Report – buy cheap from 90€ (03/2023)

When rummaging around Amazon.de am i on the Isnow TGS Immersion LED Strip Found solution for the TV. Quasi another Amilight retrofit solution for little money.

The price is currently up Amazon.de at 89,98€.

That sounds like a pricing error

In terms of price, the LED set is quite interesting at the usual €130. However, there is also a regular €30 immediate discount before what this set then times on limp €99.99 reduced. Especially since the competition is well over 150€.

Apparently they want to increase sales. Just as not rare but you will find the already interesting price of €69.99 the always with a €30 immediate discount makes this set incredibly affordable.

Incidentally, the set for 75-90 inches is included 189,99€ with a €50 immediate discount. That briefly for the price classification.

I ordered the set directly, below you can see how it works.✌

Technical specifications

• For TV sets between 55-65 inches, optionally for 75-90 inches
• HDMI 2.0 Sync Box-4k, 60Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10
• WLAN 2.4 GHz, Amazon Alexa/Google voice input
• ISNOW APP

What does the set do?

The word Ambilight probably rings a bell for most people. There, the color content of the TV is beamed onto the wall or surroundings with LED strips attached to the back. That with explosions, bright lights or simple color changes. The sync box, which is also connected, records an HDMI signal, forwards it to the LEDS and another HDMI cable brings the picture back to the TV.

Fairly simple construction

The LED strips are glued to the back of the TV and then connected to the respective enclosed sync box. The small box must then be connected to another sync box. Add power and you should be good to go. There is also an app to be able to control individual functions better. The condition itself can probably also be carried out directly on the box.

Compatible with HDMI devices only

This means that the set can be used easily for external players such as an HDMI set-top box, Playstation 5, Xbox or Nintendo Switch, etc. Unfortunately, this does not work for content that runs directly on the TV via the Smarter interface.

Update: arrived

There were no problems with the order. The delivery arrived 24 hours later as usual. Let’s get straight to the contents of the package:

The structure or the gluing will be done later. At least I didn’t order Schmarn or get anything else delivered. So the all clear at this point. 👌

Test reports / experiences / opinions

Incidentally, the LED strips are prefabricated in 4 segments that can be glued directly to the TV, and there are long cable loops at the corners. Easy to install, but can’t be shortened that much.

(Lay the cable around the corner, but therefore not suitable for smaller TVs: it cannot really be shortened)

Installation am TV

The set is connected fairly quickly, on a 55 inch TV but it is already really one on the edge with the LED cables. The M3 tape holds as usual gut stuck at the back.

(Attaching the LED strips is quick and easy)

The two sync boxes are right quickly clamped, Unfortunately, the larger of the two is not labeled, so that one does not know exactly where the input HDMI port of the image source and the output HDMI port to the TV are. Good, here the instructions will help. Otherwise, turn on the power and set the slider on the side to “On”, or press the Power button on the side of the small box.

(A few cables too many, but who cares..)

A Kabelwirrwarr can hardly be avoided. This is also reflected in the reviews on Amazon. A sync box would definitely have been enough other manufacturers get it that way too.

First function test

Then I turned on the TV and the xBox. The green boot logo the One S shone on the Display also on the back via the LED strips. The green is even richer than on the TV display. Wonderful! A game chosen and also here was the respective color is played at the edge via the LED strips. So far so good.

(This is how it looks from the back of the TV)

I’ll get back to it over the weekend and continue testing the setup and the app. I left that out now.

Test video there Function

The used TV had permanent image and the LEDs that are still on the TV radiate, radiate correctly. Below is a small video with a first impression.

I liked what I saw then. The Colors seem well received to become that change clean, and quite fast. In direct comparison with the Lytme solution, however, there is one here small minimum latency or the color changes are not super smooth and appear minimally jerky. The set does not always react sensitively enough to newly appearing content, sometimes it takes a second until the green surge is recognized, as can be seen in the video above.

But let’s be honest: who expects a perfect, working system for €39? I am consistently very satisfied with the built-in setup. 😎

However, if you concentrate on what is happening on the respective screen as usual, this is less important. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching a movie or playing a game.

Disadvantages?

At the moment I don’t really notice a lot of negative things, the 4k display with 60Hz or HDR works without any problems. Yes, here and there it takes a touch longer than with the much more expensive competition. There is no access to HDMI 2.1, so the refresh rate will probably be limited to 60Hz. But I can’t test it due to lack of equipment. But there were no problems on my Playstation 5.

(Playstation 5, everything as it should be)

However, it is also often due to the HDMI cable used, which is actually the maximum possible. With another cable lay though [email protected] before, but HDR could not be activated or was not recognized.

App not absolutely necessary

You can download the app from the Google Store and then connect the strips to your smartphone. Unless you want to select the music mode or various pre-made effects, you don’t need the app. You also have to register. I can’t do anything about the saturation of the colors, brightness or calibration for a more correct display anyway. The app is only interesting for the connection of Amazon Alexa or Google.

assessment

A disadvantage is that there are two boxes and both also want electricity. That seems unnecessarily complicated. However, the consumption is just around 30 watts. Lytme’s alternative consumes 47 watts. However, the setup still works well. There is a very slight latency, and the movements/color changes didn’t seem quite as smooth. But if you only look at the TV screen as usual, you won’t notice it.

A review speaks of a worse picture. It is difficult for me to judge whether this is actually the case.

Overall, I am very positively impressed by the set. Set-up and start-up are nothing dramatic and the cheap set does exactly what I expect: to be the cheapest Ambilight alternative with Sync Box. The functionality is there, even if the transitions don’t seem so smooth or a minimal latency can sometimes be seen when switching.

But let’s be honest: you shouldn’t expect a perfect setup for so little money. Conveniently, I just hooked up the Lytme Sync Box in the living room. Let’s see who does better. 😜