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Media walls are becoming ever more popular across the UK, as homeowners look to make their homes that bit more special.

Without being biased, a key component of a jaw-dropping media wall is lighting. More specifically, it’s like LED Strip Lights were made for media walls.

Luckily, we happen to be experts in all things LED Tape, so here, we’re going to explore everything you need to know about getting the right tape in your media wall.

Why Do I Need LED Tape In My Media Wall?

Put simply, the right lighting in the right place makes or breaks it. Can you imagine a Christmas tree without Christmas lights? Or a high end bar without illuminated shelves?

Lighting takes something that already looks good, and gives it a premium finish, so much so that it then looks incomplete without the lights. Media walls are no different.

In a practical sense, it helps create an ambient environment for movie nights, and makes the TV area look layered and exclusive.

Which LED Strip Lights Should I Use For My Media Wall?

We’d really, really recommend going for COB Tapes for any media wall. Largely because you don’t get any dotting effects with COB tape, and instead get a seamless stream of light - and this is important if your lighting is going to be in plain sight.

It’s worth noting at this point that all the COB Tape we sell at WLED comes in 24V.

The only other choice you’ll need to make for the tape itself is the colour option. Generally speaking, you can either go for static colours (single colour tape, which we’ll discuss in the next section) or colour changing (like RGB for example, that can emit dozens of colours).

This choice pretty much depends on the kinds of moods you’re looking to create. If you solely want ambient lighting, you can probably get by with single colour tape, but if you want to be able to chop and change depending on the mood, what you’re watching, or who you’re chilling with, then colour changing might be a safer option.

Our RGB+CCT strip lights for example allows you to emit ANY colour, thanks to dedicated 3000K and 4000K chips. Speaking of…

Which Colour Temperature Should I Choose?

Colour temperatures you say? What are those?

Simply put, colour temperatures refer to the perceived warmth of any given white light. Generally speaking, the ‘yellower’ the light, the warmer the colour temperature, and the ‘bluer’ it looks, the cooler the colour temperature. This is measured in Kelvins - the lower the rating, the warmer the colour.

We sell COB Tapes in three different colour temperatures: Warm White which is 3000K, Day Light which is 4000K and Cool White which is 6000K.

So which one works best for your media wall?

Well Warm White 3000K would give you a very chilled, relaxed vibe, perfect for creating a nice evening ambience for a movie night.

Day Light 4000K looks slightly brighter, but still works well for media walls, as it’s probably a bit more versatile than the Warm White - it’s still good for movie nights but has enough neutrality for other occasions too.

The Cool White 6000K option would give you a very bright, clinical look. We’d recommend this only if your general decor style is fairly bright, minimalistic and modern.

There are a couple of extra options if you’re undecided…

Our Dual Colour COB tape has both Warm White 3000K AND Cool White 6000K chips, letting you switch between the two, or to combine them and create a composite Day Light 4000K.

Finally, our RGB, RGBW, RGBWW and RGB+CCT tapes give you a full spectrum of colours in slightly different ways.

RGB lets you create any colour, along with a composite white by combining colours from all of the RGB chips.

RGBW is the same, except it has dedicated Cool White 6000K chips for a true white.

RGBWW does exactly the same thing, only it ditches the Cool White chips in favour of Warm White 3000K chips.

And our RGB+CCT is all the above rolled into one - RGB chips for colour, as well as dedicated Warm White 3000K AND Cool White 6000K chips. It’s all the tape you’d ever need to be honest.

How Bright Does My Media Wall Lighting Need To Be?

There’s a nice middle ground that you’ll want to hit here. If your lights are not bright enough, you won’t really notice them which goes against the point.

However, if they’re too bright, then they’ll create a distracting glare that will negatively impact your viewing experience.

So what would we advise?

In almost all cases, we’d advise overspeccing the brightness of your tape for one key reason: you can dim your strip lights if necessary (and we’d recommend this anyway for mood creation).

However if you buy a lower wattage tape, you can’t make it brighter afterwards without replacing the tape itself.

Just be aware that if you’re hardwiring your strips directly to your mains supply, you will need a dimmable driver for your tapes.

What Do I Need For My Media Wall Lighting?

For the full experience, you’ll need:

• The LED strip lights themselves,
• An LED Driver to power the tapes at 24V,
• A Receiver and/or Controller to be able to dim the lights, and/or change the colours,
• An Aluminium Profile and diffuser to give the tapes a nice finish and prolong their lifespan, though this is completely optional,
• Connectors or Core Cable if your setup needs them (for example if you have multiple runs, or if your tape needs to go round a bend).

Putting all this together might seem daunting if you don’t know what you’re doing, but don’t worry, our team can spec everything out for you, including any cuts or solders for your actual tape too.

Can My Media Wall Lighting Be Smart?

Most definitely. How cool would it be to simply tell Alexa or Google Assistant that you want to switch to movie mode, and all your lights dim down just like a cinema does?

And the good news is that it’s not even that difficult to do. All you need is to make sure that the receiver you use is our Easilight 5-in-1 Wi-Fi model. It connects directly to your Wi-Fi through the Smart Life app, which then integrates with either Alexa or Google Assistant.

From there, it’s just a case of setting up your automations and routines, and that’s it!

Where Can I Install My Media Wall Lights?

You’ve got some options with where you want your lighting to actually be situated. Here are some ideas:

• Directly behind your TV
• Behind your TV stand
• Recessed shelf lighting
• Recessed alcoves
• Inside wall panel gaps

And bear in mind that these are just ideas, there are other areas you could install them depending on your home, your media wall, and your general decor choices!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Will I see the strip light directly?

A) This depends. If you’re opting for a wall washing effect, then your strips will most likely be out of view, though if you’re putting them in the gaps in your wall panels for example, then they will be on show, which is why we strongly recommend COB LED Tapes for your media wall.

Q) Can I install them myself?

A) Again, this depends. If your setup involves the lights being plugged into a 3-pin socket, then there’s no reason why you couldn’t. We’d only recommend an electrician installing them if they’re hardwired, or if your setup has multiple runs and requires them to be connected together.

Q) How long do the strip lights last?

A) Our LED tapes are rated for over 50,000 hours of use, though this can be longer if you use them with an aluminium profile, as it will help channel the heat away from the lights. In English, let’s say you have them on for 5 hours every single day. They’ll end up giving you around 27 years of use.

Q) Can I hide the Driver?

A) Of course! There are plenty of hiding spots in media walls (recesses, TV stands, cabinets etc) which means that your driver, and your receiver, can remain out of view for a nice, clean looking install.

How Can I Get Started With My Media Wall Lighting?

Easy - our team of experts can do this in their sleep, and they’re just one phone call away.

Call them on 0116 321 4120, or send an email to them at sales@wled.co.uk.

You can also reach out to us on our Facebook or Instagram pages too.