Smart pixel controllers compare how to#
Smart pixel controllers compare software#

You'll find several brands but after considering the options and risk of piecing together incompatible pieces I went with the Holiday Coro pre-tested package.ДЇor my needs I needed only 100 + 50 lights so 2-4 outputs was enough for my needs. Like I said at the start, the biggest difference for Pixel RGB lights is the need for a controller. Most people only recommend the Pi solution if you have previous experience with it. Speaking of Raspberry Pi there is an entire community / solution called Falcon Pi Player (FPP) where you can upload the show to a Pi and run it from the Pi instead of a computer. Side Note: based on my research it seems possible that you could take a wi-fi enable Raspberry Pi and wire that to a light controller but the general consensus in the pixel light show community is that wi-fi may not have enough bandwidth and may adversely affect the light effects/timing. Again Holiday Coro was a huge help getting started as they specified a table indicating the light limits with or without power injection. There is another logical limit determined by the controller used and how many channels it can address: in my case that was 680 lights per output. The reason for injecting power is to ensure the color remains white and the signal reaches every bulb which is determined by the amount of power. The only tricky part is determining how many lights can be connected together in one line without 'injecting' power. In my opinion a lot of the placement is common sense. I picked a location just above my garage where I could run the 100 lights across my house from a single connection and then the 50 lights across my garage in the opposite direction on a different output. Plan the location of the controller(s) / power supply(ies). You obviously need electricity but you will also need a hard-wired Ethernet connection (to each controller)!

Smart pixel controllers compare how to#

If you want a deeper dive into any of these topics their How to Outline a House is thorough and complex, yet I highly recommend it. It's worth noting there is a wealth of information on regarding what setup will work or not. I sort of lucked out with having simple roof lines that are nicely divisible for these strings but you can customize for your own needs including picking other light styles/types. The strings were about 34 feet long each but since I spaced each light at 6' the lighted length was 25ft each. The 'dumb' lights I was replacing were spaced about 6' so I went with 3 strings: 2 for the house roof line (50 ft) and 1 for the garage (25 ft).

3 strings of 4' spaced lights = 50 feet.

2 strings of 8' spaced lights but mounted every 6' = 50 feet.

1 string of 12' spaced lights = 50 feet.The lights I picked ( C9 bulb) came as 50 bulbs spaced either 4', 8' or 12'. The roof of my house measures 52 feet (624 inches) and the garage measures 25ft. Ideal setups have the Ethernet plugged in directly to the computer and not on your home's networkДЇor how things turned out on my house check out this short video This will require a computer on the same network as the light controller.

Smart pixel controllers compare software#

You will need to use light sequencing software to turn the lights on/off.

Careful planning is required for how many light strings can be connected because there is both a power and number limit depending on the type and voltage of light string.

You will need Ethernet connection to the controllers from a computer (or Raspberry Pi but only recommend the Pi solution if you have experience with them).

My total cost for 'dumb' LED lights would have been about $280.

3 strings of 50 lights at $50 each + controller/power supply/outdoor enclosure at $180.

My total cost for 150 Pixel lights was about $350.

From my experience the cost will add up when you need multiple controllers (~$100+ each) and/or power supplies ($25 each) and potentially additional cords ($10-$20).

Cost compared to 'dumb' LED lights could be more expensive.

However, diving into the world of smart pixel LEDs is a steep learning curve but take heart - you can do it! If you find yourself looking for lights somewhere between the off-the-shelf and the overly ambitious neighbor with thousands of lights synchronized to music then you've found yourself in my situation.