GE Reveal LED versus Cree TW: Light 'enhancing' bulbs

I recently purchased a Cree TW and GE Reveal led bulb. They appear to be targeting the same market with some sort of optical notch filter on the bulb envelop which filters out some light spectra. This makes some color more vivid (skin tones and the such) which can be valuable in some lighting situations (retail, near mirrors, kitches). It was a great outing for my hand-made spectrometer which clearly shows the notch filters at work.


Youtube video here: http://youtu.be/Y0aNzqRtvDk

CreeTW spectrum from Cree TW handy pdf.


electronupdate, can you switch your spectrum graph around so the blue is on the left?
Everyone else seem to be doing it that way.

Filtering away lumens seems like a step in the wrong direction. L-Prize from last year produced 940 lumens of 92 CRI light from only 10W.

I like to have my candy and eat it too

EngrPaul, that's what I thought when I discovered these. But at 60 lumens/watt, they still hold up fairly well, and still spank the incandescent Reveals.

I'm in L.A. but my L-Prize is in Vegas. I don't know when I'll get back to compare the two.

The funny thing about these is that in removing yellow like that, these have a net effect of pushing the hue to the pink side of the Planck curve. Many warm white LED's do that on their own as part of the tint lottery, and the bulk of mass-produced regular warm white LED lamps I have seem to be converging to the pink side. They look "correct" when by themselves, but turn out to be a bit pink when compared side-by-side with incan, which now looks yellower.

The really fascinating thing about neodymium glass is that it acts like a crappy light detector. In incandescent or higher quality LED light, it's pinkish/lavender in appearance - but under spiky flourescent sources that seem similar to the eye, it's an icy pale blue.

And then there's this: when I put two of these TW's in a fixture with a CFL in the third slot, that CFL looks greenish - just like they do in photos! I've never seen that effect "live" before.

EngrPaul said:

Filtering away lumens seems like a step in the wrong direction. L-Prize from last year produced 940 lumens of 92 CRI light from only 10W.

I like to have my candy and eat it too

Click to expand...

Except the L-Prize is expensive and complex ... and no longer on the market as people are not willing to pay the premium.

Semiman

SemiMan said:

Except the L-Prize is expensive and complex... and no longer on the market as people are not willing to pay the premium.

Click to expand...

I bought my stock of L-Prizes at $15 ea at Home Deep. Timing is the key. (thanks to THIS forum!) Wonder if a mfgr will EVER again match the Lum/W and CRI of beloved L-Prize.

As far as the power supply, is it REALLY that much more complicated than any other line filtered "like bulb"? They didn't cheat on quality components like cap's. Underdriving LED's a great idea. And remote phosphor is not unheard of. Kinda makes the light softer, without having to pay the penalty of diffusing as an AFTER thought. I think Philips really did their best in making an enduring, quality product.

I think with continued marketing, & overseas assembly, the bulb could still see success. L-prize is STILL SELLING on Amazon & Ebay for $40-60! People ARE paying the premium!

My question is why did Home Deep DUMP THEM (in non-subsidized areas) for $15? Great for resellers to buy & hold, I guess.

EngrPaul said:

940 lumens of 92 CRI light from only 10W.

I like to have my candy and eat it too

Click to expand...

I like to have my candy, eat it, AND sit on a few, too. Spares, my friend, spares.
And yes I keep them DEEP underground in a Faraday Cage!
brian

edit:
Oh and to EngrPaul I found a bunch of the 2W Feits that you like. A Safeway was closing and all lighting stuff 50% off! I don't notice the flicker. Amazing! One in each room for navigating and 80% of other activties.

I'm not an LED addict, I can quit buying them any time I want.

carnal said:

I bought my stock of L-Prizes at $15 ea at Home Deep.

Click to expand...

Still $50 for the preceding 12W here, I believe it was $75 the previous time I looked.

SemiMan said:

Except the L-Prize is expensive and complex ... and no longer on the market as people are not willing to pay the premium.

Semiman

Click to expand...

You would think Philips could make this type of light cost effectively, or that any manufacturer would continue developing their technology to stay on a high CRI path with efficiency. My point is that the bulbs reviewed are not moving in the right direction... efficiency is nearly half compared to the L-Prize benchmark. We as consumers have come to expect technology to double every so many years, not halve. Price should be half for the same technology after the passing of a few years.

EngrPaul said:

You would think Philips could make this type of light cost effectively, or that any manufacturer would continue developing their technology to stay on a high CRI path with efficiency. My point is that the bulbs reviewed are not moving in the right direction... efficiency is nearly half compared to the L-Prize benchmark. We as consumers have come to expect technology to double every so many years, not halve. Price should be half for the same technology after the passing of a few years.

Click to expand...

Absolutely they are moving in the right direction. 90CRI, 60W equivalent brightness, and a price point where even without subsidies there are many consumers that will buy them. With subsidies lots will buy them. I consider that a pretty major step in the right direction.

While you may think that Philips can make it cost effectively, there are things to consider:

- The L-Prize bulb is not considered esthetically pleasing limiting the total market
- Given it needs a different look, it needs a different optical design/mixing chamber ... which will have some cost
- It requires two sets of LEDs
- It requires a two channel driver (in a small space)
- It requires at a minimum temp compensation for the drive current


The market wants low cost LED bulbs, not high cost ones ... at least in the consumer space. That is simple reality. Philips is simply not interested in chasing a niche market ... they are not a niche player.

If it was so easy to do, many other companies would already have done it.

Semiman