Nanoleaf isn’t new to the RGB lighting scene; they have been producing RGB bulbs, light strips, and wall panel kits for a decade. They are now expanding into the category of screen mirroring with the Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Camera and Lightstrip Kit (we’ll refer to it as Nanoleaf 4D or 4D kit going forward). This technically isn’t Nanoleaf’s first screen mirroring tech - you could screen mirror your PC screen to Nanoleaf’s Lines, Shapes, Essentials, and more - but this is their first attempt at a standalone unit, allowing you to screen mirror any TV or monitor regardless of what devices you have connected to it. I’ve been using the 4D kit for a couple of weeks now, and I can tell you that although Nanoleaf’s 4D Screen Mirror Camera and Lightstrip Kit isn’t perfect, it is ready to light up your life.
Specifications
- Price (Nanoleaf.com): 65” kit: $99.99, 85” kit: $119.99, Camera only: $79.99
- Lightstrip Length: Up to 65” TV: 4m (157.5in), Up to 85” TV: 5.2m (204.7in)
- Lightstrip Resolution: 30 LEDs per meter
- Camera Mounting Position: Top via mounting bracket, bottom
- Luminous Flux Per Panel: 275lm
- Lifetime: 25000 hours
- Communication Protocol WiFi 2.4 GHz b/g/n
- Input Voltage: 100V - 240V
- Max Power Supply Power: 24W
- Warranty: 2 years
Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Kit - What Is It?
Like many of the screen mirroring kits available on the market today, the heart of Nanoleaf’s 4D kit is a camera that sits above or below your TV. The 4D kit comes with a single camera, a controller, an addressable RGB lightstrip, a power cord, and mounting supplies. The lightstrips come in two different lengths, one that can fit up to a 65” TV and a larger strip that can fit up to an 85” TV. The two kits cost $99.99 and $129.99, respectively. If you want to forego the lightstrip altogether and just use the camera with your existing Nanoleaf lighting, the camera can be purchased separately for $79.99.
The camera captures the colors on your screen and then sends that information to a small controller. The controller processes the input data, which is then used to sync up with an addressable gradient lightstrip that is attached to the back of your TV, effectively expanding the colors beyond your screen to add additional immersion to your movies and games.
I originally thought the 4D name came from the kit’s ability to break the 4th wall and push the on-screen colors beyond the edges of the screen, but there is more to it than that. The 4D moniker also refers to the kit’s four distinct modes of operation:
- 1D - The addressable lightstrip will display an ambient white glow that matches the brightness of the content on the screen.
- 2D - The most dominant color on-screen will be emitted across the entire lightstrip.
- 3D - The camera takes multiple colors from the screen and spreads them across the lightstrip to create an effect that matches the screen without precisely mirroring the content.
- 4D - The lightstrip dynamically matches the colors on the screen to fully immerse you in the action.
The 4D kit also has additional functionality similar to that found in other Nanoleaf Smarter Home Kits. Just like any other Nanoleaf lighting, the lightstrip can also be used to display basic colors and scenes when the TV is turned off (or while it’s on if you want). Regardless of what mode you have the kit set to, the Rhythm setting can be turned on so that the lighting pulses to the audio from your TV or nearby sound source.
The final piece of new functionality for the 4D kit is Sync+. Using the Nanoleaf app, Sync+ allows you to virtually connect any other Nanoleaf lighting in the room to further extend the screen mirror effect across multiple displays with a surrounding effect based on each device's location in the room.
Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Kit - Installation and Configuration
Considering Nanoleaf’s quick start guide consists of only three diagrams, it’s a good thing that going from the box to lights on only requires a few intuitive steps. After wiping down the back of your TV with the included alcohol wipe, the lightstrip is attached to the back of the TV with double-sided tape. Since Nanoleaf’s lightstrip is a single piece instead of four individual strips like those found in other kits, four curved brackets can be attached via double-sided tape to help navigate the 90-degree turn at each corner.
Since there are only two kit sizes available - one for TVs up to 65”, and another for use on up to 85” TVs, Nanoleaf has opted to use a trimmable lightstrip so that any excess length can be cut off instead of potentially overlapping the ends. Not only does this create a clean install, but it also helps ensure that colors are displayed in the correct location.
Once the strip is in place, mounting the camera is next on the agenda. The camera can be positioned above or below the TV. To mount it above the TV, the camera is placed into a weighted mount that sits on the top of your TV’s bezel. Although I didn’t have any trouble with the mount staying in place, double-sided tape is included that can be used to hold the mount in place.
The camera can also be placed on a shelf or stand below the TV. The camera has a built-in swivel stand so that you can adjust the angle of the camera to suit your layout, but I found that with my shallow stand, it was very hard to position the camera at a spot where it captured the entire screen, leaving me with only the top mounting as a viable option.
Finally, the controller can be placed anywhere on the back of the TV, on the wall, or even just left sitting on (or attached under) a shelf on your TV stand. After plugging the cables running from the camera, lightstrip, and power cord into the controller, the system will begin searching for your WiFi signal (2.4 GHz only), and will automatically be identified in the Nanoleaf app once the connection is made.
Once that is complete, all that is left is to run through an initial configuration to calibrate the camera and identify the position of the lightstrip. First, you are asked whether the camera is mounted above or below the TV. On the next screen, you will identify each corner of the lightstrip by positioning a lit portion of the lightstrip at the chosen corner.
Up to this point, everything went smoothly. The next step, identifying the corners of my TV screen, became the bane of my existence. Since the camera has to capture screens up to 85”, the 4D kit uses a fisheye lens. As such, the edges of the screen are curved in the calibration image. For my larger TV, this made it extremely difficult to identify the position of the bottom corners. It took multiple attempts to get the calibration to a satisfactory level, and even so, the camera still has issues identifying the colors at the edge of the screen (more on that in a bit).
I also have a Nanoleaf Lines and a Nanoleaf Ultra Black Hexagons in my living room, so I took the time to set up Sync+. Sync+ allows you to set up your other displays in a generic 3D space in the app. Each display can be positioned in three dimensions relative to your TV, with their placement determining which part of the screen is used for the colors they display.
Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Kit - Impressions and Performance
When working correctly, the Nanoleaf 4D kit can have a major impact on your viewing experience. It can have an even larger negative effect when it isn’t working quite right, though. And over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had a mixture of both scenarios as I used the 4D kit in all four of its modes.
What can I say about the 1D mode? It does exactly what it is supposed to do: provide you with an all-white backlight for your TV. In truth, any single color can be used to backlight your TV by setting up a scene in the Nanoleaf app. Whether the pure white of 1D mode or displaying any other single, non-mirroring color, the 4D kit can add some ambiance to a room, but it doesn’t really do anything to enhance your on-screen visuals. Since the actual lightstrip is hidden behind the TV, this isn’t as in-your-face as other Nanoleaf displays, but it gets the job done for a much lower price point than any of Nanoleaf’s Shapes, Essentials, or other light panels.
2D mode is where you really start to see the impact the screen mirror kit can make. Although you aren’t getting a pure screen mirroring effect, the lighting changes can enhance whatever is taking place on the screen. A quick burst of flame or an explosion can instantly engulf your room with a fiery glow, adding to the immersion. But when things on screen really get hectic, the hue changes can be delayed and make things feel out of sync.
Because of that, I found that the 2D mode worked best with scenes filled with vast open spaces or slower-paced action. Dramas, or especially nature documentaries, bring out the best of the 2D mode. It is quite impressive to see the sandy browns of a desert or the blues of an ocean scene wash across your entire room.
When it comes to highlighting a heavy action scene, though, you really don’t want to go with anything less than 3D mode. Since the camera is constantly pulling and displaying multiple colors across the lightstrip, it is much harder to notice any lag between what is showing on your TV and the colors of the backlighting.
4D mode is where Nanoleaf’s screen mirror kit offers the most immersive experience, yet it also comes with the most complications. At its fullest glory, 4D mode is quite the marvel. The light strip shines and dims to the colors on the screen, accurately positioning the different hues along its length to truly extend the cinematic experience beyond the edges of your TV. You almost need a perfect environment for 4D mode to go off without a hitch, though. Just like any cinematic setup, a dark room with plenty of space around the TV will work best. A lack of obstructions will allow the camera to accurately catch the colors on the screen, and the more wall space you have, the more the lighting effect will spread through the room.
Unfortunately, my TV placement doesn’t match that setting. The TV sits on a dark stand near the right corner of the room, with a black curtain flanking the left side of the TV. It appears that the light reflecting off the wall is captured by the camera and can override the colors on the screen. And once that color bleed is caught by the camera, it takes a significantly brighter image on the screen to change that portion of the lightstrip back to a matching hue. This color bleed was only an issue when the edge of the TV was within a foot of the wall; moving the TV another foot to the left eliminated the issue.
My TV stand and curtain also diminished the lighting effect. The curtain pretty much stopped any light from spreading to the left of the TV, and even though the light glowed brightly on the surface of my TV stand, it still limited the spread of the light below the TV.
Even considering my room’s imperfect environment, the Nanoleaf 4D kit adds immersion to the viewing experience, and other Nanoleaf displays linked up through the kit’s Sync+ feature take it to the next level. Instead of simply extending the same mirroring colors of the backlight to my other lighting, setting up the 3D room space in the app actually determines which area of the screen will be mirrored. For example, while my Lines display above the TV mimicked the colors from the top of the screen, the camera fed colors from the middle of the screen to my Shapes Hexagons display located to the side and forward from the TV to give the visuals some added depth.
Final Thoughts
As I already said, Nanoleaf’s 4D Screen Mirror kit isn’t perfect, but all-in-all, the 4D Screen Mirror kit is a good addition to any cinematic or gaming setup, The more open space you have, the better the lighting will look. But even in my imperfect viewing environment, the kit can increase the immersion of any scene. The 4D kit also integrated seamlessly with the other Nanoleaf lighting kits I have near my TV, and the overall effect of multiple light kits is spectacular.
Even though better documentation could be included, setting up the kit was pretty straightforward. However, a larger screen makes calibrating the camera a pain in the butt. Another screen mirror kit I have been messing around with uses a dual-camera setup, and Nanoleaf would be wise to implement that in future iterations, at least for larger TVs. Once you get everything calibrated, Nanoleaf’s app is a simple yet effective means to control and adjust your setup to your personal preferences.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
