Govee is no stranger to solid smart lights, and its latest DreamView G1 Pro doesn’t disappoint. In essence, it’s an updated version of the company’s Flow Pro light bar, with brighter output, more accurate color replication, better build materials, and a more premium, less “scattered” overall look.
It follows the same concept as the Flow Pro light bar, where it has two light bars that go on either side of the computer monitor, combined with a fisheye lens camera that sits on top of the monitor . The camera looks for colors on the screen and tries to reproduce them outside the light bars.
Additionally, with the G1 Pro, you also get a tube-like LED light strip that attaches to the back of the monitor, which also replicates the colors on the screen.
Like most Govee products, initial setup is fairly simple. Generally, Govee products have a control box that acts as the brain of the operation, and all the wires of the lights and camera are directly connected to the control box. This time, Govee got rid of a separate control box and added its functionality to the fisheye camera, a welcome change that makes for a less cluttered look on your desktop.
The tube-shaped LED strip goes behind the monitor. Note: While the Flow Pro light bar can be used with a TV or monitor, the G1 Pro is specifically designed for small-sized screens, so it will only work optimally when used on a monitor. Also, Govee makes it very clear that the light strip will only fit perfectly on monitors with a flat back panel. I have three monitors and none of them have a flat back panel, so I decided to use it with my LG Ultragear monitor. The setup looks a little worn from the back, but it works nonetheless.
The package includes four corner mounting clips that clip onto the back of the monitor at each corner and the light tube goes through each of them, holding it in place.
Once connected, take those little orange foam blocks that are provided and place them in the corners of the monitor and let the Govee Home app do its thing. Once calibrated, these are the points the camera will look at to analyze the color of the screen and replicate them using the light bars and light tube attached to the back. Scanned blocks also help the camera register the edges of the monitor, so it doesn’t scan beyond those points.
The camera has a capacitive touch on/off button on top, though for all other controls you’ll use the Govee Home app. Govee has been consistently pushing solid smart lights for a while now, and I’d imagine that for a light that’s made exclusively for computers, they’d have a computer app, but this isn’t the case. While the Govee phone app is intuitive and the user interface very easy to use, especially since I’ve used the company’s lights in the past, I’d still like to see a desktop app with which I can control the lights, similar to Nanoleaf. and the Philips Hue PC apps.
App issues aside, the G1 Pro creates a very impressive light show. The light bars are stylish, but their light output is very bright and punchy, and so is the light tube attached to the back. Their brightness can be adjusted from the Govee Home app, and I doubt you’ll ever have them cranked up to a hundred. The app also lets you control the lights you want to use.
Video mode (camera mode) also allows you to set some light presets based on the activity you’re doing, such as “Game” and “Movie”. In Game, you’ll find presets like “Story”, “Action”, “Shoot” and “Racing”, which offer different light intensities and speeds. Whereas with Movie mode, you can specify whether you want the bars to display the same colors, different colors, display the same color throughout the bar, or have different segments of the bar display different colors.
The app also gives you the option to turn off one or both bars, keeping the tube light on, or vice versa.
In my experience, the video mode can be a bit choppy at times.
While it accurately replicates base colors, it messes up tones. For example, if the scene on my computer screen shows a landscape of light green grass, the light would normally come out green, mixed with some sort of yellow to give it the light green effect. Similarly, blues are often mixed with violets and reds with orange.
The mode is distracting in certain scenarios, such as when your attention should be on the screen, but during more casual use, the lights can add a sense of immersion, such as while watching an animated film or play casual games like Fall Guys or Fall Guys. Warner Bros.’ Multiverse.
Other app modes are the same ones I’ve come to love with other Govee products, such as a “Music” mode that changes the color of the light based on audio signals, “Color” mode, which lets you choose colors independently for the bars. and tube light, and a “Scene” mode with various presets.
It’s worth noting that unlike the Flow Pro lightbars, the G1 Pro only works with the camera, as the camera also doubles as a control box, so if you’re someone who doesn’t feel comfortable holding a camera pointed at the screen all day, you should skip the G1 Pro. Privacy aside, the camera also takes up the space normally reserved for your webcam.
In general, the lights produce a very immersive effect. While color replication can be a bit low at times when it comes to tones, it usually reproduces colors accurately and adds life to a regular desktop. The solid lights are bright enough to light up your entire room independently, and its compatibility with Google and Alexa voice assistants is a plus. The app itself is easy to use and offers multiple modes and customization to put you in control. However, its lack of compatibility with large-screen TVs or non-flat rear panel monitors may be off-putting to some, so if you intend to buy the G1 Pro, make sure you either have a compatible monitor or a scratched back tube. set up as mine.
The Govee DreamView G1 Pro Gaming Light appears to be sold out on Govee’s Canadian web store at the moment, however, it is available in their US store for $129.99 (approximately $166 CAD).