TV Backlighting Govee T2 vs Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Who Wins?

I have been after a nice auto-responsive TV light strip that can do backlighting for my Samsung 65-inch TV.

There are a few options on the market now but many of them were only HDMI input. This means that TV backlighting for streaming shows such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+ would be difficult.

I needed a device that could make my home theater TV glow from behind it and change color depending on what picture was displayed. This is where TV bias lighting controlled via a camera comes into play.

TV Backlighting Types

TV Backlights create a dynamic lighting effect that extends beyond the screen and transforms your room into an eye-pleasing immersive environment.

The age of Realtime TV backlighting is upon us. There are basically 3 different types of color-changing TV backlighting.

• Static Color – You change the TV backlighting color via a remote.
• HDMI – The converter box detects the screen image colors via an HDMI input and sends the real-time color information to the TV light strips. (Won’t work for streaming)
• Camera sense – This is where a tiny camera detects the colors on the TV and sends a signal to the light strips to change colors in real-time. Each light strip is also able to display millions of colors in different positions along the whole length.

In this post, we will be reviewing the two best color-changing TV backlighting using cameras and how to set them up.

LED Backlight for TV that changes with picture

Brand	Govee	Nanoleaf
Model	Govee T2 – H605C	Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror
Light Strip	60 LEDs/m – RGBIC	30 LEDs/m – 275lm RGBIC
Camera	Dual Cameras	Single Camera
Connectivity Technology	Wi-fi and Bluetooth	WiFi (2.4 GHz b/g/n)
Suitable TV Size	55-65 inches – 11.8ft/ 4 Sections 75-85 inches – 16.40ft/ 4 Sections 98-100 inches – 21ft/ 4 Sections	Lightstrip up to 65″ TV 12mm*4.8mm @4m & 50g Lightstrip up to 85″ TV 12mm*4.8mm @5.2m
Control Method	Smart PhoenApp, Control Box, Voice Control	via Nanoleaf App, Voice, Controller
Power	Input Voltage 100V-240V PSU Output Voltage 12V-3A 12V-4A	Input Voltage 100V-240V PSU Output Voltage 12V2A Max Power Supply Power 24W
Cable Lenght		Camera: 1.5m Lightstrip: 1m PSU: 2m
Compatibility	Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, SmartThings, Razer Chroma	Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, SmartThings, Razer Chroma
Our Pick
Warranty	1 Year	2 Years
Where to Buy		https://nanoleaf.me

Govee T2 TV Backlight Review

My Govee T2 TV LED backlights adjust in real-time to TV content playing on the screen, such as TV shows, sports, and gaming sessions. Govee led lights for TV are competent to match the colors of any screen content.

It comes with everything you need in the box. Camera, light strip RGBIC, power supply, cables, sticky pads, control box, and the manual.

I mounted the Govee T2 light trips control box behind the TV and stuck it to the back with double-sided tape. This makes for a clean installation with the wires hidden.

I placed a small strip of double-sided tape on the camera just to keep it in place. I have young children and they sometimes can bump into the Govee T2 camera.

The cool thing bout this camera is that it has dual camera lenses. This way it can look at more of the TV screen for improved image decoding for the light strips behind the TV. Don’t worry it is not looking at you only the TV screen.

The light strips have self-adhesive backing and were easy to place around my 65-inch TV. You may have to take the TV off the wall if it is wall mounted to apply the light strips. I placed the light strips about 1cm for the edge on the back.

The T2 light strips are already can and joined with a small jumper lead this makes going around corners of the TV easy.

I found that the Installation is easy and only took me around 10 minutes. The calibration will take another 5 minutes. The camera should be mounted on the top of the TV but there are users that have mounted the camera on the bottom of the TV for a cleaner look. I will be experimenting with a bottom-mounted camera in the following weeks.

All you need to do is do the calibration with your phone upside down to pretend that the camera is on top. This way the software will work. It’s all back to front but once you go through the calibration it will make sense.

I really like the Govee T2 and so does the rest of the family. With a few options to choose from you will be able to get the correct length for your large TV. The funs starts when the LED backlight for the TV changes with the picture. Check out the video below of the Govee T2 in action.

If found the Govee T2 response time fast for this TV backlighting. It is in the milliseconds and is very smooth. The only time when you can detect it is when going from a solid color say blue to another solid color like red. Other responsive TV backlighting models are less smooth and tend to be blocky when changing from one color to the next but not Govee.

Govee T1 vs T2

The Govee T2 is an upgrade to the older Govee T1 model. The new light strip has brighter LEDs and a lot more of them. 60 LEDs per meter compared to only 30 LEDs per meter on the T1.

It does cost a little more but the upgraded light strip and improved controller make it a worthwhile investment.

The camera is also changed from a single camera setup like the Nanoleaf to a double camera. This makes the light strip more responsive and has better color accuracy as the dual camera is looking at more of the TV screen. Especially handy on very large screens over 65 inches.

Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Review

The Nanoleaf 4d screen mirror backlight is new in mid-2023. It uses a single camera setup but I like that it has a privacy lens cap that can be attached when you are not using the backlight setup.

Nanoleaf 4D is a screen mirror camera kit that syncs the colors on your screen onto the addressable gradient LED light strip mounted behind it.

I found the color effects to be vibrant and the backlighting will be sure to illuminate your space with 16 million colors from your favorite shows, movies, and video games. Plus streaming won’t be a problem as there are no HDMI cables you have to plug in.

Installations is the same as the Govee T2 except that the light stip is one continual length. Nanoleaf supplies curved bends that you need to stick onto the corners of the TV that the light strip will bend around.

Does the camera record any video footage?

As far as I’m aware the camera does not record, save, store, view, or send, anything to the cloud, your phone, or anywhere else. These cameras are simply used to input color data to your LED light strips to create the glow mirroring effect in real time. It looks like the camera is only activated during the initial calibration step, and after that, only when a screen mirroring mode is selected.

What’s better mounting the camera above or below the screen?

While both placements provide a great screen mirroring experience, sometimes mounting the camera above your screen can slightly improve color accuracy. If the camera is placed below the screen, make sure it is not in a high-traffic area where it is constantly being shifted as it can affect the accuracy of your screen mirror calibration.

Best TV Backlight

The Govee T2 is currently the best TV backlight that uses a camera. The extra LEDs on the light strip make it brighter than the competition.

I found the Nanoleaf 4d to be slightly cheaper but it only has 30 LEDs per meter compared to the Govee T2 which has 60 LEDs per meter. But it will all determine your budget and how your TV is mounted in your room. If it is hanging on the wall you could get away with a less bright system.

There are a couple of other options such as the Ailofy Smart TV LED Backlight with Camera and the Sengled Envisual TV Led Lights. Both must be used with a camera to get real-time TV color-changing backlights. They are both new and cheaper than the Govee T2. I like to see more competition starting to come into the home theater space.

TV bias lighting is good for the eyes. It reduces eye strain and makes it a pleasing viewing experience. These LED backlights for TVs that changes with pictures are a joy to view.