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You’ve planned out your media wall for weeks, maybe even months. You’ve picked out the right wall panels, shelving is set, and the pièce de résistance - the TV - is on its way.

All that’s left is the lighting. You’ve gone for LED Strip Lights from WLED (great choice btw), and now you need it to be as easy as possible to control.

That’s what we’re going to discuss today - the best way to control your media wall lighting.

Why Does This Matter?

The lighting you choose is only as good as the level of control you have over it.

Granted, if you’re opting for a single colour LED strip light, and are wiring it directly to an on/off rocker switch or dimmer, then this blog probably isn’t for you.

Besides that, having full control over your media wall lighting gives you instant ambience, convenience and flexibility.

For example, it opens up options for you for things like one button “movie mode”, or full voice control.

Most importantly though, is being able to do so quickly and easily.

The Basics

No matter what tape you have (besides Pixel), or what kind of control you want, your tape setup will largely revolve around one product: our Easilight 5-in-1 Wi-Fi Receiver.

And for very good reason - it works with single colour, dual colour, RGB, RGBW, RGBWW and RGB+CCT tapes. On top of that, it works both online and offline.

Online use is easy - simply connect the receiver to your Smart Life or Tuya app, and your smartphone is suddenly your controller.

Offline use is even easier. Just pair a compatible remote control to it and off you go. So, while we’re on the subject…

Using A Remote Control

The simplest way of using the 5-in-1 receiver is by using it with an offline remote control.

Simply pair it, and off you go - and we’ve got remotes for every kind of tape, from single colour all the way up to RGB+CCT.

This kind of setup is great if you’re looking for something easy and simple, for general viewing in the evenings to enhance the general vibe.

Upgrade Option: Wallplates

One option that works in a very similar way to the standard remote and receiver combo is the wallplate and receiver combo!

So instead of having a remote control that can move around, get lost behind a sofa, and otherwise be subject to misplacement and practical jokes, you’d have a wallplate that mounts to your wall and stays there…much like a normal rocker switch!

There’s hardwired options for less faff with changing batteries, or battery powered wallplates that ensure you don’t need an electrician to come and fit them.

This is a really great choice for those who want a clean looking install, without taking your tape online. Those who do however can go for…

Smart Media Wall Lighting

After going through the relatively quick and simple process of pairing your Easilight 5-in-1 Receiver to your Wi-Fi network via the Smart Life or Tuya app, you open up a whole new realm of control through smart lighting.

First of all, your smartphone becomes your controller, which absolutely minimises the chance of you losing it.

The second huge benefit this gives you is that you can then use either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to control your lights, which means full voice control. All you need to do is say “Alexa, set my media wall to 50% brightness” or “Hey Google, switch my media wall to purple”.

Thirdly, this also means you can set up scenes, automations and routines. What are these? They’re essentially preset settings that you group together into a “scene”. All you do then is either hit one button or give your virtual assistant the right command to trigger it.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say you have your LED tape set up on your media wall, and you also have smart spotlights in your ceiling. When it’s time to watch a movie on a Saturday night, you can configure a “scene” called “movie time” where your ceiling spotlights are on at 20% brightness, and your LED tape is set to blue at 30% brightness.

You can then simply say “Alexa/Hey Google, movie time”, and all your smart devices will switch to the correct settings!

Another example is if you have dual colour or RGB+CCT tape. You can set your tape to be a bit cooler during the day (4000K or 6000K), but have it automatically change to 3000K at sunset. This is an example of an automation, in that this happens without you needing to trigger anything, it will just happen on its own.

What You’ll Need

This might begin to sound a bit confusing, but it’s simpler than you think. Here’s what you’ll need for each setup type.

Easilight 5-in-1 Wi-Fi Receiver - you’ll need this for all media wall installations, unless you’re going for an absolutely bare bones, basic setup with some tape hardwired directly to a switch on your wall. Otherwise, this is the cornerstone of controlling your strips.

Remote control - this is only necessary if you want to control your strips offline, without connecting your 5-in-1 receiver to your Wi-Fi network. If you are going for a smart setup, then a remote is optional, you can either have one or not.

Wallplate - same as the controller, it’s only necessary for offline installations, and is an option for smart setups.

Smartphone - while most people have one of these, it’s only necessary if you’re after a smart setup, even if that does sound super obvious. If you are going for an online installation, then you don’t need a separate remote controller, but you can have one if you want both options.

Need Any Advice?

Of course, controlling your tape is only one part of the equation. Determining which tape you need, where you want to install it and whether you need optional extras like Profiles is also part of it too.

Luckily, our team are available to guide you through your very own bespoke strip light install for your media wall should you need them.

All you need to do is give them a call on 0116 321 4120, or send an email to sales@wled.co.uk.

You can also reach out to us on our Facebook or Instagram pages too. For all other things LED lighting, you can check out our YouTube channel too.