Govee’s latest TV lights are the Ambilight alternative I’ve been looking for
TV upgrade kit adds a sleeker camera and more colourful LEDs
Ever since Philips debuted Ambilight, it’s been the go-to for anyone wanting their telly’s onscreen action to spill out into the wider room. My 4K TV is from a different brand, but that doesn’t mean colour-changing LEDs are off the table: Govee’s TV Backlight 3 Lite can add equally awe-inspiring effects, and doesn’t require an engineering degree to install.
The camera-based system has been around for a few generations now, but Govee has redesigned it for 2023 with a slimmer, more subtle cam that suits ultra-slim TVs, including OLEDs. The gravity suspension design means I don’t have to think about screwing in brackets, and the unit doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb perched on top of the screen – something I’ve found distracting with other TV light strips.
The processing tech has been improved with better fisheye correction and black bar detection, which promises to produce colours that are more accurate to what’s onscreen. Adding white LEDs to the mix should mean the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is able to be more granular with its hues and saturation.
The stick-on LED strips are long enough for 55in-65in TVs, and Govee has a larger set in the works for anyone with a bigger screen. They’ll automatically adapt to the onscreen action, or can be customised with different lighting effects if you’re after a specific ambient lighting look.
Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Homekit integrations are all on board, with the latter three offering voice control. It’s the first time you’ve been able to do that through Apple Home. Matter support is coming early next year, and of course it works seamlessly with other Govee kit using the DreamView mode built into the smartphone companion app.
The Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite for 55-65in TVs is on sale in the US right now, for $90 directly from the Govee website and via Amazon. It’ll be hitting the UK and Germany later this week. Americans with larger 75-85in TVs will have to wait until the 18th of December, and pay $110 for the larger set.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
