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HyperHDR / Ambilight Project

This is a companion to my new HyperHDR / Ambilight Video. Please watch the video, then follow along this tutorial — preferrably on your PC or Laptop — as you build the project, using my hand-made Level Shifter:

▶ HyperHDR / Hyperion / Ambilight Video (November 2025)

If you have not watched the video yet, please do so before following this tutorial, as it is specific to the hardware setup demonstrated in the video.

All components needed to build this are linked on this page.

Also give the hardware page a quick read, as it covers a couple of things that are more up-to-date than the video. Especially read that page if you have ordered my Level Shifter with the Hyperion Bundle accessories.

This project works with either the WS2812B RGB LED strips, or the nicer SK6812 RGBW strip that adds a white LED to each pixel.

NOTE: If you see any differences between the video and this tutorial, use the TUTORIAL instructions -- this site will be updated if anything changes. The video cannot be updated easily, so this site will be the most up-to-date.

▶ It is best to use this tutorial on a Desktop PC (or Laptop), as there will be some parts you'll want to Copy & Paste. For much of the first part of this tutorial, it is not necessary to be in the same room as the TV or the Raspberry Pi, as long as you are on the same WiFi/Ethernet network.

For later parts (configuring the color settings, etc) I recommend a Laptop, or at least a tablet or phone, that you can use in the same room as the television.

Links to all hardware used can be found here.

Note: This project has now been tested on the Pi Zero W, as well as the Pi 3, 4, and 5 -- pick whichever fits your budget and needs best!

Installing Raspberry Pi OS

ANY TIME you see this dialog in Windows, DO NOT CLICK "Format Disk"!!!


First, you'll want to install the Raspberry Pi OS. Download the "Raspberry Pi Imager" from the official website for Windows, Mac or Linux (whatever your Desktop or Laptop runs).

Click or tap on any image below to expand.

You will be greeted with a screen asking to choose the Pi device.
Note: If you have a Pi Zero 2 W, you may need to scroll down.


Click on your Device, then click NEXT



On this screen, scroll down and select Raspberry Pi OS (other), then click NEXT



Click on Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-Bit), then NEXT



Select the device that corresponds to your SD card.

Please, PLEASE make sure to select the correct device here. It is best that you don't have any other SD or Flash devices connected to your PC, so that ONLY ONE choice will be available -- just to avoid any potential mistake here.



Now choose a hostname that you will remember. You may wish to write this down, as it will be important later.

Something simple like hyperhdr should be just fine.


This next dialog is not the easiest to navigate. The older version wasn't great but they somehow made it worse.

Please read below...

This dialog is NOT very intuitive in my opinion. At least on Windows, it makes it EXTREMELY difficult to navigate their drop-down selections.

They also decided to have you choose your Country Capital (not your State or Provice or other Capital), rather than simply choosing your Country.

This is important to get right, as WiFi regulations vary by country, and it will only show appropriate time zones once you choose the Country by Capital City...

Click on the drop-down, then type JUST the first letter of your capital (eg, "W" for Washington, D.C. if you live in the United States). DO NOT type additional letters. You will THEN need to use your UP and DOWN arrow keys to find the city.

The scroll wheel -- at least in my experience -- scrolls way too far, and in the wrong direction. It is a very confusing dialog...

Once you have found the capital city for your Country, and you see your Country name next to it, click on it, and then we move on to the next part of this dialog:


The Time Zone drop-down should now be populated with time zones for your country. Since they all start with the Country name, typing any letters does not help on this one.

If you're lucky, you'll be able to scroll and find your time zone; but if you live in the United States or other country with many multiple time zones, you might just find yourself using the UP and DOWN arrow keys again.

In my case, in the US, since it defaulted to New_York, I had to arrow UP until I found Chicago (for Central Standard Time). Click on this, and then you can choose your keyboard layout and finally...

Click NEXT



Choose a Username and Password that you will remember. Again, be sure to write these down as you will need them later.

Usernames and Passwords are CaSe sEnSiTiVe - I find it best to use all lower-case for the username.

These will be the username and password you use to log into the Pi -- NOT the HyperHDR username and Password.

After confirming the password, click NEXT



Depending on your system, the WiFi may already be filled in; however on the first run, sometimes it is not.

Make sure to type the SSID exactly as it appears in your router.

Hint: Hover over the WiFi Icon in Windows (near the clock) and it should show your WiFi name. Remember this is also case sensitive.

Then type and confirm your WiFi password, again, case sensitive. It is important to get this right, as if there is a mistake here, you will NOT be able to log into your Pi and will have to repeat the entire process.

Once you've filled this in, click NEXT



Make sure Enable SSH and Use password authentication are both selected, then click NEXT. Running for the first time, this is likely NOT already selected.



Raspberry Pi Connect is a cloud-based service that we DO NOT NEED for this, so make sure this is toggled OFF. Then click NEXT



Double-check everything on the screen, and click WRITE



Once again it will confirm that you are about to erase EVERYTHING on the selected device. Making sure you have in fact selected the correct device, click on the button to begin writing.



The writing process should begin. It may say "Opening Device" for a few seconds or longer, and then begin writing.

How long this takes depends on the speed of your SD card and the card reader in your computer. It may only take a few seconds or it may take many minutes. Simply let it complete.



Once it starts the Verifying process, it is best to let it complete. If you are impatient, you can skip this step if you trust your card reader and SD card... but it is usually faster than the writing process, and ensures no errors were encountered during the write.



Once you are at this screen, click FINISH, and you can remove the SD card, and go insert it into the Raspberry Pi. On the Pi Zero 2 W, the label side goes UP, since the slot is on the top of the board. On all other models, the label side faces away from the bottom of the board.

Now power up your Pi, having connected everything, and let it boot up while we move on to the next step:

▶ Next: First Boot & Logging In