If you’re new to Hue, watch this vid.
Simply put, Hue is a wireless lighting solution for your home that can be controlled from anywhere. The controls go far beyond a typical on/off switch. With Hue, you can create millions of color options that can be set to scenes, timers (turn off lights at sunset), connected to security/fire devices, etc. The good news is that Hue is very simple to setup.
Gotta wifi router? check
Have a smart phone? check
Have electricity? check
Have lights in the house? check
OK. Want to get your feet wet? I recommend starting with the solution below assuming you don’t have other Smart Home automation solutions like SmartThings. If you do, I’ll talk on a later date on how to integrate Hue into your existing Smart Home.
Start with the Hue hub. You can buy it stand alone for about $60. Or, you can buy it as part of a kit.. Just get the kit that includes 2 bulbs. It’s about $70 and includes 2 white bulbs. You can get a kit with color bulbs, too. Make sure you get Hue 2.0 to take advantage of new features – the hub will be square instead of round (1.0).
Now that you have a kit with bulbs, hook the hub to your router, screw in your bulbs and BAM, you’re there. You’ll need the app and all that stuff, but it’s super easy.
The last step – get a Hue motion sensor. I recommend this because it allows you to start getting comfortable with the idea of using multiple devices to trigger activities. That’s the basis for Home Automation and creating a Smart Home.
Play around with the motion sensor and light kit. Once you’re hooked (addicted), start thinking about a hub that allows you to integrate tons of manufacturers and devices… as of today, I recommend SmartThings.
Have fun.
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