YOUR TV CAN LIGHT UP THE WHOLE ROOM WITH THE COLOURS OF WHAT IS ON SCREEN
Your TV can light up the room with the colours on screen: a Raspberry Pi, an LED strip, an HDMI grabber and free open-source software.
HomeDisplays
Built withRaspberry Pi
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a weekend
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE3,874 stars
●●●○○ · a weekend · MIT · 3,874 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
Hyperion samples the picture in real time and drives an LED strip on the back of your TV, so the wall glows with the colours at the edge of the frame. It runs on a Raspberry Pi (or similar SoC) with a WS2812B or SK6812 strip and works with any HDMI source — console, streaming box, PC — through a capture device. Commercial ambient lighting systems only work with their own hardware; this one is MIT licensed and free. The software side is well-documented and the web interface is multi-language, but the project assumes you know how to wire an LED strip and choose a compatible HDMI grabber. There is no official parts list or build guide, so the first hour of your weekend will be spent cross-referencing forum threads to find a capture device that works on your OS and does not add lag. Once the hardware is sorted, the rest is configuration rather than soldering. The built-in effects are scripted, not adaptive, but they cover the common cases. If you have a spare Raspberry Pi and a TV on a wall, this is worth the weekend — just buy the capture device first and test it before you stick anything down.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —MIT licensed, no restrictions on commercial use.
- —The repository contains the software, documentation, and configuration examples.
- —Software installation is documented step by step (plus a ready-made Raspberry Pi image, HyperBian), but there is no wiring diagram — you plan the LED hardware from the supported-devices list and community posts.
- —The documentation lists supported LED chip types (for example WS2812B, SK6812, APA102) and controller types, but it does not recommend a specific HDMI grabber or seller.
- —A supported HDMI capture device is required; the repository does not recommend one.
- —About 3,900 GitHub stars and active commits as of October 2026.
Parts to buy
4 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Full community build guide by Everything Smart Home; the Hyperion team itself supports users through its docs, forum and Discord.
More builds like this
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the documentation (The README and wiki cover installation, supported hardware, and configuration — start there before buying anything.)
- 2.Choose and test an HDMI capture device(The project supports many grabbers but does not recommend one — search the forum or Discord for recent working models on your OS.)
- 3.Flash and configure the Pi(Install the Hyperion image or package, then open the web interface to set LED count, layout, and capture source.)
- 4.Wire and test the strip(Connect the LED strip to the Pi GPIO, power it separately, and run a test pattern before sticking it to the TV.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- The HDMI capture device is the single point of failure — cheap no-name grabbers often add lag, drop frames, or do not work on Linux. Buy from a seller with a return window and test it before proceeding.
- There is no complete wiring diagram for a TV build: the docs give pin mappings for some controller types, but you still need to plan how to power the strip separately from the Pi.
- LED count and layout must match your TV size and strip placement exactly, or the colours will map to the wrong zones. Measure twice.
- Some HDMI sources (especially DRM-protected streaming apps) will not pass through a capture device. Test your actual use case early.
- The strip needs enough power — a 2-metre WS2812B at full white draws more than a phone charger can supply. An underpowered strip will flicker or dim at the far end.
- The software has no official mobile app — all configuration happens through the web interface on your local network.
Does it work with Netflix, Disney+, or other streaming apps?
It works with whatever your HDMI capture device can see. Some streaming apps block HDCP-protected content from passing through a grabber; test yours before building.
Can I use it with a projector instead of a TV?
Yes, as long as the projector outputs HDMI and you can place the LED strip around the projection surface. The software does not care about the display type.
What LED strip length do I need?
Measure the perimeter of your TV where the strip will run and buy a little extra. Check the supported LED devices page in the Hyperion docs for your chip type and controller before ordering.
Does it add lag to the picture?
It can. The Hyperion software itself has a low CPU load, but the HDMI capture device adds its own delay, and cheap grabbers vary a lot. Test your grabber before you commit to it.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Nearly 3,900 stars and a long list of supported LED chips, but the capture device is still the gamble — which HDMI grabber actually worked for you without lag?
Hyperion Project
Hyperion is an open-source ambient lighting project maintained by the Hyperion team and community. hyperion.ng ('Next Generation') is the actively developed successor to the original Hyperion, with a multi-language web interface, a long list of supported LED devices and grabbers, a forum and a Discord.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the official documentation at docs.hyperion-project.org covers installation on Linux, Windows and macOS, the ready-made HyperBian image and an overview of supported LED hardware per chip type, and the project runs a Discord. The linked video is a community guide by Everything Smart Home rather than an official one. hyperion.ng is the actively developed successor to the original Hyperion. The make-or-break decision is the capture side: finding an HDMI grabber that works on your OS without adding visible lag. Buy that first and test it before you buy the strip. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.