Before you buy a bias light for your TV

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Bias lighting: It sounds really complicated but it's actually quite simple. Plenty of people much more knowledgeable than myself can explain how bias lightning works. I bought one for my TV and it didn't work out. Let me explain why.
Whether you're looking at buying a new TV, or you're thinking about buying a light behind your TV, think about how you'll want to turn it on/off. Ideally, the light would turn on and off with the TV. To do this, these anti-bias light will usually be an LED light strip powered from a USB port. They're pretty simple. However, each make/model of TV handles USB power differently. My TV in my living room is a Vizio E65-C3. In my office, I've got a Vizio D32-D1. Both have USB ports. However, the D32 powers off the USB port with the TV, while on the E65 the USB port stays on after the TV is turned off. This renders the bias light strip I bought for my living room essentially useless (or I need to come up with an alternate way of turning the strip on and off).

Before you buy a  TV, or buy an LED light strip for your current TV, plug your phone into the USB port on the TV while the TV is on. Your phone should charge. Now, turn off the TV, and if your phone stops charging, then you know that the USB port powers off with the TV, making it great for a USB light strip. If not, then the least you'll need to do is think about an alternate way of toggling power for your bias light.

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