Although any light will help alleviate the strain on your eyes while looking at a screen, there is a right and wrong type and location for the light to have the best effect. As mentioned earlier, bias lighting is placed behind your screen to establish a brighter field of view so that your eyes aren’t constantly trying to find a balance between light and dark. Bias lighting illuminates a room without creating glare or reflections on your screen, shining directly in your eyes, or affecting how you see contrast and colors. Other sources of light, such as ceiling lights or lamps, can do all of the above.

If light is shining onto your screen, there’s going to be a noticeable difference in how the picture appears. Colors won’t be as vivid, and the screen might be hazy. In an attempt to remedy the situation, you could adjust the brightness and contrast. However, these adjustments will decrease the life span of the bulb or LEDs in your screen. The adjustments will also result in increased energy consumption along with a higher electric bill.

Adding light behind your screen instead of in front of it will eliminate any color or contrast issues. Dark scenes or colors will look richer against a white illuminated background. The picture below demonstrates how dark colors are lost against a dark background.

howtogeek.com, “. . .  you want a bulb temperature that is as close as possible (if not identical) to the reference point used in the industry that both manufactures the screens you’re looking at as well as creates content for said screens and that’s 6500K.” He goes on to say that, “The bulbs (be they CFL or LED) inside your HDTV or monitor are calibrated to 6500K, the film and digital video shot is color corrected to have a 6500K white reference point, and the editing suites where content is edited and worked on have 6500K bias light.”

So what exactly does 6500K mean? Correlated color temperature (CRI). CRI refers to how accurately a light source reveals the true colors of objects, people, and surroundings and involves a distinct testing method with comparisons to incandescent light or daylight. A light source with a CRI close to 100 shows colors very similarly to how daylight or incandescent light shows those same colors. To get the best picture, you’ll want bias lighting with a CRI as close as possible to 100.

We carry LED strip lights that are great TV backlighting options and will help you achieve the best picture on your screen.

Our variable color temperature controller and remote. The strip also has a CRI of 91, which will show screen colors accurately. This strip can be purchased in 3.28- or 16.4-foot lengths that can be cut and connected where needed with strip light connectors.

Another great option is our 6500K LED strip with LC2 connector. It has a CRI of 79 and is available in 1.64-, 3.28-, and 16.4-foot lengths. The peel-and-stick strip can be cut and connected where needed with compatible strip light connectors.

A kit in cool white is also available and is a convenient bias lighting solution. It has a 6500K color temperature, 79 CRI, and includes everything needed for installation—power supply, dimmer, remote, connectors, etc.

The strip lights listed above have peel-and-stick adhesive backings and can be cut or ordered in lengths to fit every screen size; strips are marked with designated cut lines. If you don’t order a kit, you will need a power supply and can purchase a controller with remote for dimming.

An easy installation method is to use a continuous length of strip around the back of your screen. For a cleaner look, you can cut the strips at all four corners of your screen. If you plan on cutting your LED strip lights, you will need 4 connectors (already included with the kit). All compatible installation supplies will be listed under the accessories tab on each product page. The following instructions explain how to install LED strip lights by cutting them into sections. Note that installation methods will differ depending on the strip you choose.

1. Cut your LED strip lights into lengths that fit the back of your screen. Because we offer different lengths, you might be able to order separate strips that will fit all four sides of your screen.

The proud owner of a generator, whether for general use or use in an emergency, can rest assured that they have access to the power they need. But what if your generator isn’t quite up to the task? This can leave you with no means to perform normal functions at best, and at worst could leave you powerless in the face of a storm or other catastrophe. The certified experts at Kolb Electric have a strong history of handling generators, and today we bring you one of the most common complaints among generator-owners: power surges.

When it comes to communicating signs of disrepair, generators are actually rather talkative. It’s all in understanding the signs, the most common of which coming in the form of surging.

Surging refers to a generator (or other electrical component, machine or device) displaying clear fluctuations in behavior at intervals. These intervals can follow a clear pattern, or can be completely random. What exactly does this mean? Let’s use some examples.

A surging generator often will leave lights burning much brighter, then much dimmer rapidly, causing a sort of flicker back and forth. In machinery, this can also come as drastic changes in pace as well; such as a fan running faster and then slower for no obvious reason.

There are actually numerous causes for generator surging, including:

Bottom line; if your generator is experiencing surging there is definitely something wrong. The causes are myriad, but the solution stays the same. Seek professional assistance for your generator repair to ensure it’s ready and available when you need it most!

At Kolb Electric, we’ve been handling generator installation, repair and replacement for years, and we always bring our very best to any project. if you’re experiencing generator surges, don’t hesitate to contact us right away!

Did you know that your video game habit is an energy hog? The costs aren’t limited to the price of your console and games – the Xbox One and other gaming systems actually draw a large amount of electricity. In response to criticism about how much power the Xbox consumes, Microsoft is reaching out to help consumers cut down on their product's energy profile with one small change that could save gamers $250 million per year.

Power-Guzzling Standby Mode

The big problem with the Xbox comes during its standby mode. By design, the system is never actually off, which provides gamers with two major benefits: They can start it up instantly with no load time, and the device downloads updates in the background when the console isn't being used, so you never have to sit around waiting for that annoying status bar to finish loading.

Unfortunately, the “instant-on” feature uses a shocking amount of electricity – up to 40 percent of the total consumed by the Xbox, according to the National Resources Defense Council.

“While the device is reasonably efficient when playing a game, that is more than offset by its power-guzzling ‘Instant On’ standby mode that is enabled by default,” Noah Horowitz wrote on the NRDC blog.

Last year, the NRDC released a study which found that the energy consumed nationwide by the three most popular consoles – PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo's Wii U – reaches as much as 11 billion kilowatt-hours annually, enough to power Houston, Texas for a year.

Microsoft Responds

The criticism must have stung, because Microsoft is now making an extra effort to remind gamers of the console's energy saving mode, which does not have the same features as instant-on but can save consumers $6 to $15 per year. With 7 million consoles and counting in the U.S., that adds up in a big way.

"While we believe Instant-on provides the best experience for our fans, we also believe in providing consumer choice which is why we offered the ‘Energy-saving’ mode," Microsoft wrote in a recent blog post. “By providing multiple power states in Xbox One and empowering our fans with choice, we sought to balance energy efficiency and functionality. At the same time, we know many Xbox One fans are vigilant about their household’s energy consumption; after all, environmental leadership often begins at home.”

The company also previously made changes to reduce power consumption during instant-on mode by one third.

Look for Energy Savings

To change your Xbox so it uses the energy saving option, look in the “power & start up” menu under settings. Fifteen dollars might not sound like a lot, but with so many Xbox fans, the energy savings really add up.

If you really want to go the extra mile with your Xbox and other electronics, just unplug them when you aren't using them. That gets around the matter of stand-by mode altogether and can help you save a decent chunk of change by avoiding energy vampires.

Lighting technology around the world has come a long way from what it was a decade ago and many residential and commercial property owners are now opting for CBUS/Smart Lighting. This is essentially a microprocessor-based wiring system that controls the lighting on your property and the electrical appliances or devices you have there.

These controls can be used to switch on or off lighting circuits; they can also be used to switch off and on analogue-type controls such as the dimming of electronic fluorescent ballasts. A smart lighting system is able to control & automate almost any kind of electrical load. The system has an in-built microprocessor which ensures the operation of the system will be reliable.

Each device can be programmed individually through a PC-based software (point & click) or even via the “learn mode” that doesn’t need a PC at all. The information this system holds, lies within individual units and not one central point. While regular CBUS operation doesn’t really require a computer, the PC-based system provides added flexibility to those who require this control and is suitable for a broad range of applications such as:

Regardless of whether you are a commercial or residential property owner, you want to ensure your property is secure and sound. When you choose to get this system installed and integrate your security system into it, it provides you a higher level of security.

No matter whether you are out on a holiday or at work, your smart home system will ensure you get all the security information about your property. You can also set the lighting settings in such a way that the lights can get periodically turned on & off; this gives the impression that there’s someone at home.

Since the electrical and lighting systems on your property are cleverly operated by the CBUS system, it helps reduce power consumption; it does this by preventing your air-conditioning and lighting systems from staying on for much longer than required. These features make your property energy-efficient and smart at the same time.

For more information, simply speak with the experts at Allround Electrical and take their advice on various aspects of CBUS installations. The number to call is – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address. You may also reach us through this online contact form.

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If you want to take your lighting customization to the next level, try a new smart phone controlled LED light bulb. You can change this light bulb’s color temperature, along with its brightness, and even place it on a timer to help your kids learn how to fall asleep and wake up on their own.

3. Light Layers

Here’s where a bit more magic comes in. We always recommend using multiple light sources in whatever room you decorate. It adds visual interest, useful illumination for tasks, and helps make a space feel more inviting. In the the kids’ room, adding light layers the perfect opportunity to encourage self-expression.