Govee has long been a brand associated with home lighting. In fact, over the past year and a half, Govee has time and time again refined their various product lines always pushing to create the best in class RGB lighting. The new Govee TV Blacklight 3 Lite aims to continue that tradition with this newest iteration of the TV Backlight Series.
Equipped with new RGBICW lightning, an upgraded camera with fisheye correction and increased brightness and color depth, the TV Backlight 3 Lite is designed to be the next evolution of their impressive lighting lineup. Having previously reviewed the DreamView T1 TV backlight, I was curious to see if the Backlight 3 Lite would be a noticeable jump in quality and improvement. After a couple of weeks of testing, it is time to see if the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is an improvement over previous iterations. So grab that coffee, kick back and check out our review of the TV Backlight 3 Lite from the good folks at Govee.
Specifications
- Current Price: $89.99 (Govee Site, Amazon)
- Model: H6099
- Suitable TV Sizes: 55-65inch
- Length: 11.8ft over 4 sections
- RGB: RGBICW
- Camera: Single Fisheye Camera
- Control Methods: App, Control Box, Voice Control
- App Connectivity: 2.4 GHz WiFi + Bluetooth
Smart Design, Easy Install
One of the hallmark characteristics of Govee products is their smart design. As with previous iterations, the Backlight 3 Lite is exceptionally well-designed. From the ground up everything is built for ease of use and even easier installation. The RGBICW LEDs are encased in a rubberized coating to protect them from unnecessary wear and tear. On the backside of the LED string is an adhesive strip that acts as the mounting system for the LEDs.
Installing the light strip itself is as easy as slowly uncoiling the light strip while pulling the protective coating off the adhesive strip. Simply run the lights along the edges of the TV and within a couple of minutes the whole strip is mounted. Govee also includes some handy clips that can be applied over the top of the ends of each section of the LED strip adding an extra layer of protection. This reduces the chances that a strip will begin to peel off. Like the light strip, the clips come equipped with a small adhesive pad. Once applied, the clips firmly secure the lights in place.
The camera sits atop your TV bezil at the center point of the screen. No adhesive is required and instead a small rubberized coating encases the mounting bracket keeping the camera firmly in place. This is a noticeable improvement over previous models that relied on an adhesive strip. While it did hold the camera in place, if adjustments were required, it meant disrupting the adhesive seal. The new design of the Backlight 3 means those adjustments are simple and do not require re-adhering the camera mount.
Finally, a controller mounts the back of the TV and acts as both the processor for the device and as a lighting controller if you would prefer not to use WiFi. Once everything is connected and powered up, the Govee app automatically detects the new device and asks you if you would like to connect it. If you’ve set up the app with previous lights the new Backlight 3 will join your existing setup as a new device.
Calibrating the Backlight 3 Lite is exceptionally easy. Like previous generations of Govee TV backlights, the 3 Lite comes with self-adhering foam markers that are placed at the corners and bottom center of your TV. From the calibration menu, the camera will capture a picture of the TV and allow you to adjust the parameters of what the Camera monitors. Once satisfied simply select okay and the Backlight 3 Lite is up and running.
Feature Rich
While setup of the Backlight 3 Lite is simple it doesn’t mean that the Lite is lacking in features. In fact, the Backlight 3 Lite comes packed with options and features to help customize the visual experience. While video mode constantly scans and adjusts the color to match the screen, there are a host of other modes to play with. Music mode will sync color and lighting effects to the beat of any music playing in the room while color mode allows for full control of each LED on the strip. Scene mode offers a vast array of preset color and light effect combinations including a few inspired by the upcoming Aquaman 2 release. These specific scenes are unique to the Backlight 3 Lite and offer some fun options. DIY mode is another creative part of the Lite offerings and allows you to program the lights to react and change based on specific commands.
The Backlight 3 Lite also includes a new black screen detection mode that can also be customized. Essentially it can be set to turn off the LEDs if the camera detects a black screen for a preset amount of time. This is a nice update from previous models that would simply dim when no active visual was present on the screen. Additionally, the Lite can be programmed to turn on and off on preset timers allowing you to program exactly when the lights will be used without having to open the app or use the controller. Finally, the Blacklight 3 Lite comes with full voice control thanks to Google assistance and Alexa.
Now In More Color
While the RGBIC technology has always been a part of the Govee ecosystem this most recent edition of the technology has seen some improvements. However, before jumping into all that's new a quick recap on what RGBIC technology is. The short version is that, unlike traditional RGB(3-in-1 LED; red, green, blue light) technology where all lights on a single strip must work in unison, RGBIC gives each light an independent control chip. This allows each individual LED to be controlled independently allowing for a much more complex and creative lighting control.
While this technology has allowed Govee to create incredibly customizable lighting solutions for consumers, RGB technology does have limitations regarding color brightness and even struggles to produce some colors. This is where the inclusion of RGBICW (red, green, blue independent Chip + white) helps raise the bar in RGB lighting. By including the 4-in-1 chips in the light strip, Govee can produce brighter and more color-accurate lighting solutions. For those wanting a little more information about all things RGB check out this blog post over at ecolorled.com
How does this all shake out in real-world tests? Quite noticeably. When running the Blacklight 3 Lite against the previous generation Dreamview T1, the Blacklight 3 Lite was the clear winner across the board. It was both brighter and offered a richer color experience while watching movies and playing games. Part of this is due to the aforementioned RGBICW. The other part is attributed to what Govee calls the Envisual technology, which, like the lights, has seen an upgrade. The camera is quicker to respond to scene changes and offers a beautifully rich color scheme each time. The result is an immersive, rich viewing experience.
Final Thoughts
The Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is a solid update to the already impressive TV light strip line from Govee. Updated camera control, the inclusion of RGBICW LEDs and a feature-rich software suite make the 3 Lite an excellent option for home theatre enthusiasts. Seamless integration with other Govee lights all wrapped up in an easy-to-set-up package makes the Backlight 3 Lite a no-brainer for those wanting to upgrade their home setup. Priced at $89.99, the Backlight 3 Lite is a powerful contender in home theatre lighting.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. This article contains affiliate links. Purchasing items through our links results in a small commission for the site. Authors are not compensated based on clicks or commissions in any way.
