Alright, so I just pulled off something pretty cool and had to share—finally got my Aqara gear synced up with my home cinema setup and it’s a total vibe changer.
I’m kind of an Aqara hobbyist (read: gadget nerd), and I had this idea floating forever—use motion sensors and light strips to make watching movies at home feel more like a mini-theater experience. Took some tinkering, but it works!
Here’s how I did it (roughly, not a wiring guide lol):
When I hit play on a movie, the lights auto-dim via a scene in HomeKit. I’ve set my Aqara motion sensor to detect when someone enters/leaves the room after the movie starts, and it triggers a soft warm light if needed so no toe-stubbing happens in the dark. Also got the LED strip behind the TV synced so it gives that subtle color glow depending on the movie mood.
Bonus: I linked it with my IR blaster too, so my AC turns off quietly when the movie starts and then pops back on when it ends. Cozy level: unlocked.
Anyone else tried something like this—or thinking about it? Happy to bounce ideas. Would love to know if anyone’s managed to get dynamic lighting with audio (haven’t cracked that part smoothly). Let’s geek out.