Monday, November 24, 2014

3 Important Lighting Metrics: Explained



There are three promoted figures related to brightness of LED fixtures; LED power, Lux, and Lumen, and these are all related in some way but many LED lighting manufacturers mis-communicate the advantages of each.

LED Power

A high wattage LED power doesn’t necessarily mean a high brightness. It depends on the quality of the LEDs and the Lumen efficacy. A common assumption is that a 3W LED is brighter than a 1W LED, but this is often not the case as it depends on the quality of the LED, the beam angle, and the color range. Astera has very high power LED spotlights (up to 135W), but also manages to retain high brightness with its use of Philips and Cree LEDs.

Lux

Lux is the unit of measurement for luminous emittance (light emitted from a surface) and breaks down as the amount of Lumen per meter squared emitted from that surface. Many manufacturers quote a high Lux figure but they do not mention two important pieces of information;
  1. The distance of the light from the subject
  2. The beam angle of the LED light source.

As a consumer, these are needed in order to prove the brightness (and if these are not present, the manufacturer is probably trying to hide something).

In order to get an accurate Lux reading, an area of 1m² needs to have light shone onto it. For example; a light source with a 15 degree beam angle needs to be placed 4.3m away, and a light source with a 30 degree beam angle needs to be placed 2.1 meters away, for them to both cover an area of 1m². Pay attention to this when comparing Lux values as there are many tricks that manufacturers play.

Lumen


Lumen is the measurement of light and its sensitivity to the human eye. The Lumen scale describes the amount of light, or brightness, that the human eye perceives from a light source. Apart from straight-up lying, there is not much that manufacturers can mis-communicate here. It is measured using a light sphere and spectrometer. When a color is not stated, assume it is 6000K Cold White. Every manufacturer will use this as it gives them the best chance of getting a higher lumen value.


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Astera LED Technology

Sunday, November 9, 2014

The Mystery of Amber



Many lighting fixture manufacturers are now adding amber LEDs to their RGB or RGBW fixtures. The benefit of adding amber LEDs is improved color mixing and better color emittance from brown and orange surfaces.

For example, using an RGB light source to illuminate a brown surface with orange light will produce a red or reddish orange. Using amber LEDs will correct this issue, and an RGBA fixture will display orange as true orange regardless of which surface it is shone onto. Furthermore, having amber LEDs in your fixtures will produce nicer warm whites instead of RGB mixed versions, which can look fairly cool.

Nowadays, many weddings and corporate gigs feature gold, orange and peach as their main colour, and amber LEDs significantly help towards creating the ambience desired by the client. RGBA or RGBAW fixtures are much more expensive than the standard RGB fixtures, but it is generally worth it for the added benefits. For theatre and stage lighting, having RGBAW fixtures is a requirement as it helps with skin colours.



The SpotMax™ (AX10) features RGBAW LEDs. These LEDs are Philips manufactured and, as the AX10 can be used as a stage light and an event/DJ light; it really makes sense for it to feature the 5-in-1 ability.

We have already mentioned why it’s important for stage lighting to have amber LEDs, but it’s also very useful for DJs as it adds professionalism to their proposition. We have heard many times how having the added amber ability gives DJs and wedding organisers many more options in today’s very selective and demanding wedding market – and even though many brides choose colour schemes that an RGB set can reproduce, having a wider selection is exactly how they appeal to the more finicky, high-end weddings. It gives DJs the upper hand when comparing to just RGB fixtures.


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Astera LED Technology

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Benefits of TruColor™ Calibration



TruColor™ Calibration is the process of making all light fixtures consistent in terms of the colors emitted. This technology will allow all fixtures to produce the same color temperature regardless of batch or model.

Example: A user can choose 6000K White from an AX3 Lightdrop, and then choose 6000K White from an AX10 Spotmax, and both whites will be identical. The same applies to all colors and color temperatures.

Process

With TruColor™ Calibration, every single fixture is tested by a modified spectrometer which is attached to an integrated sphere, and every color is measured against the color index and adjusted accordingly. An extensive algorithm, written by Astera R&D specialists, automatically calibrates the brightness of each LED to ensure the fixture matches the standard index colors. Once the calibration is stored within the fixture, all fixtures from all batches will produce consistent colors. Astera has achieved complete color consistency. 

Currently, there are only a handful of companies that have similar technology, and thus, most other LED companies will deliver inconsistent colors.

Features

The difference between the colors of light produced in one batch of Astera lights compared to another is so minute that it is not noticeable to the human eye. Astera can produce any color in the color spectrum and can automatically match any color temperature.


With TruColor™ Calibration there are also dynamic power-boost and controlled-runtime features which support the application of the TruColor™ technology. Dynamic power-boost increases the power output of each light (making it brighter) while making sure the color point remains unaffected. Controlled-runtime is a feature designed to automatically adjust the brightness of each fixture to ensure optimal operation for any period set by the user.


Please use the comments section below if you have any questions regarding TruColor™ Calibration. Alternatively, you can contact marketing@astera-led.com






Astera LED Technology