Best RGB BR30 bulbs

[drmark12pa]

I'm purchasing a new home in next month and likely updating the outside downlighting that uses BR30 can light type of bulbs.  Looking for recommendations on best RGB bulb for this.  I currently have been using LIFX bulbs in my current home.  The issue with C4 is the delay in response time to commands as well as the inability for C4 outlets to control the bulb itself as the bulbs have to have constant power of course to respond to commands or control via the LIFX app.

Any recommendations for RGB lighting in a house that seems to cooperate with Control4 the best?

[Matt Lowe]

Phillips Hue, has been great for me over the years. LIFX has also worked really well for on projects over the year as well so i am surprised that you are having such a noticeable delay. My suspicion is something may not be setup correctly. Also I wouldn't recommend have a switched outlet on the smart bulbs for the exact reason you are having trouble with them. 

[drmark12pa]

2 hours ago, Matt Lowe said:

Phillips Hue, has been great for me over the years. LIFX has also worked really well for on projects over the year as well so i am surprised that you are having such a noticeable delay. My suspicion is something may not be setup correctly. Also I wouldn't recommend have a switched outlet on the smart bulbs for the exact reason you are having trouble with them. 

I don't use the switched outlet typically (no avoiding the switch that controls the lights) and have been using the LiFX driver but there is clearly a delay between command response time.  If I program a remote button to decrease the brightness by say 20, the lights will not decrease rapidly if I keep tapping the button as an example.  There is a lag even acknowledged by Chowmain.

What I did was begin using a variable to control the light but this isn't without a lag as well.  Everything is set up correctly but the problem is the lag between the LIFX server and via Control4. I don't believe that is fixable.

I did have the Phillips Hue lights but those werent as responsive from what I remember and the LIFX seemed far more flexible.  

Overall the LIFX have been good just not as snappy as say controlling them via the LIFX app when Control4 is involved.

[C4 User]

On 2/9/2022 at 9:51 AM, drmark12pa said:

I'm purchasing a new home in next month and likely updating the outside downlighting that uses BR30 can light type of bulbs.  Looking for recommendations on best RGB bulb for this.  I currently have been using LIFX bulbs in my current home.  The issue with C4 is the delay in response time to commands as well as the inability for C4 outlets to control the bulb itself as the bulbs have to have constant power of course to respond to commands or control via the LIFX app.

Any recommendations for RGB lighting in a house that seems to cooperate with Control4 the best?

I do use the C4 switch on my LIFX and Hue bulbs. I just have the set to not switch the load directly and only via programming. This prevents family and guests from turning off these bulb without knowing.

[Matt Lowe]

25 minutes ago, drmark12pa said:

I don't use the switched outlet typically (no avoiding the switch that controls the lights) and have been using the LiFX driver but there is clearly a delay between command response time.  If I program a remote button to decrease the brightness by say 20, the lights will not decrease rapidly if I keep tapping the button as an example.  There is a lag even acknowledged by Chowmain.

What I did was begin using a variable to control the light but this isn't without a lag as well.  Everything is set up correctly but the problem is the lag between the LIFX server and via Control4. I don't believe that is fixable.

I did have the Phillips Hue lights but those werent as responsive from what I remember and the LIFX seemed far more flexible.  

Overall the LIFX have been good just not as snappy as say controlling them via the LIFX app when Control4 is involved.

interesting as the last time i set up lifx it was directly to the bulbs via ip. if you have to go through their service that can certainly be an issue. The same is true for hue that the driver talks to the bridge directly with ip. So they respond just as fast as any of my other c4 direct lighting devices.

I mean at most there should only be like a second or two of latency. However i am not current with lifx so this may not be true any more. You also should not have to issue the command more than once. to me it seems there is a network issue with that type of behavior.

 

[drmark12pa]

1 hour ago, Matt Lowe said:

interesting as the last time i set up lifx it was directly to the bulbs via ip. if you have to go through their service that can certainly be an issue. The same is true for hue that the driver talks to the bridge directly with ip. So they respond just as fast as any of my other c4 direct lighting devices.

I mean at most there should only be like a second or two of latency. However i am not current with lifx so this may not be true any more. You also should not have to issue the command more than once. to me it seems there is a network issue with that type of behavior.

 

The LIFX respond in a decent response time but you can't hit buttons repeatedly and expect a rapid response.  I think it has to do with Control4 talking with the LIFX cloud is you are wanting them to know what the other one is doing say for brightness level and such.

[drmark12pa]

On 2/11/2022 at 1:03 PM, Matt Lowe said:

interesting as the last time i set up lifx it was directly to the bulbs via ip. if you have to go through their service that can certainly be an issue. The same is true for hue that the driver talks to the bridge directly with ip. So they respond just as fast as any of my other c4 direct lighting devices.

I mean at most there should only be like a second or two of latency. However i am not current with lifx so this may not be true any more. You also should not have to issue the command more than once. to me it seems there is a network issue with that type of behavior.

 

I'm not sure how you set it up using IP address. There is the LIFX driver that links to LIFX but not directly to the IP address of the light bulb.  Do you know some other way of setting it up using the actual IP address of each bulb?

[C4 User]

On 2/11/2022 at 1:03 PM, Matt Lowe said:

interesting as the last time i set up lifx it was directly to the bulbs via ip. if you have to go through their service that can certainly be an issue. The same is true for hue that the driver talks to the bridge directly with ip. So they respond just as fast as any of my other c4 direct lighting devices.

I mean at most there should only be like a second or two of latency. However i am not current with lifx so this may not be true any more. You also should not have to issue the command more than once. to me it seems there is a network issue with that type of behavior.

 

@Matt Lowe which LIFX driver are you using? 

[Matt Lowe]

Might be part of the problem its been so long the driver was developed by Houselogix. and its by mac address not ip so i assumed it was local it could be cloud based but it was very snapy when i set it up.

 

[drmark12pa]

Is there a way to get the Houselogix driver?  I have the Chowmain driver and if the Houselogix driver is faster it might be worth trying out.

[drmark12pa]

On 2/13/2022 at 11:08 AM, Matt Lowe said:

Might be part of the problem its been so long the driver was developed by Houselogix. and its by mac address not ip so i assumed it was local it could be cloud based but it was very snapy when i set it up.

 

Is there a way to get the Houselogix driver?  I have the Chowmain driver and if the Houselogix driver is faster it might be worth trying out.

[Matt Lowe]

On 2/14/2022 at 1:05 PM, drmark12pa said:

Is there a way to get the Houselogix driver?  I have the Chowmain driver and if the Houselogix driver is faster it might be worth trying out.

Houselogix was bought by control4 and most of the drivers became available on the driver database. IDK if this is one of them