Astera has announced the NYX Bulb, which they are claiming is the first color-tunable LED bulb for professional film, stage and event productions.
It may not be the first color-tunable bulb, but it is the first one you can actually buy. Aputure’s MC7 Light Bulb was announced more than a year ago and it still isn’t available.
The NYX Bulb is 14W and it uses a standard E26/E27 fitting. The bulb weighs 240 g (0.53lb).
It contains a CRMX receiver as well as RF and Bluetooth modules for use with the AsteraApp. The range for control is:
- UHF: 100m | 110 Yards
- CRMX: 100m | 110 Yards
- Bluetooth: 3m | 3 Yards
The light can produce white light from 1,750K up to 20,000K. It can be operated in CCT, RGB & HSI modes. It can also produce digital filters.
It can be powered via a standard lamp socket or with a standard power bank so you get the best of both worlds. This lets you utilize mains power or run it from a USB power bank if mains isn’t available.
According to Astera it uses the same Titan LED engine so it is capable of displaying precise colors and white tones with ultra-high CRI and TLCI.
Key Features
Talkback+
Detect all available lights, set them up, check their status, configure DMX addresses, and DMX profiles.
Seamless Runtime
Set the length of your production and be sure that your lights won’t run out while still getting the maximum brightness.
TruColor Calibration
Individually calibrated lights lead to 100% color consistency and exact color reproduction of color temperature and filter gels.
Effects
Quickly build programs out of colors and effects, trigger them, or make them match a beat.
Flicker-Free
Scrambled PWM technology to avoid flickering when filming.
Green/Magenta Correction
Adjust green/magenta during content creation to reduce postproduction work.
Scheduled StandBy
Switch lights into power-saving standby and schedule them to wake up when the production starts.
Dynamic PowerBoost
This exclusive feature makes the light able to display the maximum brightness at all times and intensify non-white colors.
Emergency Lights
Switches to white light when AC power is cut to keep your event save
DJ Feature
Auto BPM analyzes the beat and matches programs to it, flash buttons can trigger special effects while being held down.
Firmware Updatable
The AsteraApp is packed with many additional items and new features will be frequently added via software updates.
Claimed Photometric Data
Optional PowerStation (Battery Pack & external display)
You can connect the integrated cable to the bulb’s DC connector to power it up. While connected, the Power Station acts as a remote display to program DMX addresses and settings which the bulb will store in its memory. It can also set colors, effects, brightness, etc which the bulb will continue to display when in a powered lamp socket or connected to a power bank. Apart from its backside magnets, the Power Station features an airline track to attach mounting accessories such as Babypin and Single Stud Ring.
Price & Availability
The NYX Bulb is now available to purchase for $130 USD. This is pretty expensive for a 14W bulb, even with the feature set it has.
