From philips.com:

(Ambilight televisions project an halo of peripheral light around the television in different colors depending on what you are watching.)The development of Ambilight is illustrative of how Philips incorporates users’ experiences into the creation of new products. It also shows how those experiences can run from the general to the very personal.

With Ambilight, for example, the fundamental user ‘experience’ applies to humans in general: We are natural-born peripheral viewers.

If, Philips researchers proposed, people naturally take in more than just the screen when they watch television, why not put that extra space to use?

Feedback from prototype users also helped researchers at Philips make sure that the lighting projected by an Ambilight television is soft and unobtrusive. Pleasurable enhancement, not unwelcome intrusion, became an even greater priority.

Ambilight designers also learned in the tests that users like to retain control over their gadgets. Therefore, Philips built into Ambilight six preset colours and white tones as well as custom settings, allowing for complete personalization of one’s Ambilight viewing experience.

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