Raspberry Pi media center with DIY ambient light
Let There Be Light
© Lead Image © Nelli Valova, 123RF.com
Ambilight lights up the wall behind Philips TVs with LEDs mounted on the device to enhance the onscreen visual impression. With Lightpack and a Rasp Pi media center, every TV can be upgraded with ambient light.
The Ambilight technology, originally developed by Philips, lights up the wall behind the television set by monitoring the colors in the current image and generating the appropriate color to extend the image content beyond the monitor surface. The "extended" image is easier on the eyes, because the field of vision is enlarged for the viewer.
An Ambilight system basically comprises three components: at least three edges (left, right, and top) on the back of the TV for strips of RGB LEDs, a control unit that ensures the individual LEDs light up accordingly, and a signal to the control unit provided by software that continuously analyzes the video image.
If you don't want to buy a Philips Ambilight TV, but you already watch movies and TV series on the Kodi multimedia platform, you can upgrade to ambient lighting in a DIY project with either a Raspberry Pi with Raspbian, a Kodi distribution like Open/LibreELEC, or a Linux PC. Various preexisting solutions such as Lightpack [1], Lightberry [2], or AmbiLED [3] remove the need for further programming
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.