Govee’s TV backlights are an affordable way to give your TV a boost

If you want to take your TV time to the next level, Govee’s relatively inexpensive TV backlights are a fun, if hacky, upgrade. They’re also cheaper than usual now, starting at $63.99. Govee has made a name for itself (at least, among home theater tinkerers) with its fantastic backlights, which make it look like the colors from your TV screen are seeping through the bezels and onto the wall behind it.

After dismissing them as gimmicky for years, I was eventually sold by The Verge’s review of an older Govee model. As its video below illustrates, the backlights are great for high contrast content, and they work best in rooms where there aren’t multiple light sources that can be picked up by the camera.

A couple of Govee’s models are cheaper than usual right now, in case you want to try one of them out. Its base model, called the Envisual T1 for 55 to 65-inch TVs, is selling for 20% off at Amazon. Normally $79.99, the kit is $63.99. This is the model that I have, and the model that’s pictured in the image at the top of this post.

Govee Envisual

• $64
• $80
• 21% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This base model works on 55- to 65-inch TVs.

• $64 at Amazon

If you want to take the plunge on Govee’s pricier model that includes dual cameras for picking up colors on your screen faster and more accurately than the cheaper model, its Envisual T2 is $89.99, down from $139.99. We’re not sure how long this deal will last, but Govee typically has deals on these models every couple of months.

Govee Envisual T2

• $90
• $140
• 36% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This upgraded model works with 55- to 65-inch TVs.

• $90 at Amazon

Getting it running requires you to install the adhesive-backed LED strips along the rear edges of your TV, then connect them to its adapter. It knows which colors to show via an included camera that can perch on top of your TV, or placed on the bottom, looking up at the TV.

I enjoy turning on the Govee backlights for all sorts of content, but especially for games, movies, and TV shows in which I’m really trying to get lost. If you use a Google Home or Amazon Alexa smart speaker, the lights can be turned on by using your voice, or you can toggle a shortcut on your phone to turn them on or off via Bluetooth. From the Govee app, it’s also easy to adjust their brightness, white balance, and other effects to get them looking just right.