Astera: LED Lighting Solutions at IBC2024

A highlight of their presentation will be the newly awarded LunaBulb, a product that externally resembles a conventional lightbulb but is powered internally by Astera’s TitanLED engine. This engine provides full-color and wireless control across a range of applications.

Innovative Features of the LunaBulb

The LunaBulb, along with Astera’s NYXBulb, is the only LED-based bulb with built-in CRMX. It is available with E26, E27, and B22 fittings and can be screwed directly into an AC-wired bulb socket. A spring-loaded clip allows the bulb to change from a slimline shape to a conventional bulb form, maintaining aesthetic and practical value on both indoor and outdoor sets, thanks to its IP44 socket weatherproofness. It offers fully adjustable white levels (1,750 – 20,000K) and extensive color mixing (RGB, Mint, and Amber, with RGB, HIS, XY, and Filter Gel color selection options), providing beautiful, flicker-free lighting.

Compatibility and Control

The LunaBulb can be seamlessly integrated into the wider Astera ecosystem using their intuitive App, White and FX remotes, BTB link, or wireless CRMX. Configuration is easy with the Astera battery-powered PrepCase or PrepInlay for LunaBulb, which hold up to eight bulbs and allow for quick configuration, blue mode activation, and DMX address assignment on the go.

Positive Reception and Product Range

The LunaBulb has received significant praise from cinematographers, gaffers, and rental owners for its practical design and exceptional skin tone rendering. It joins Astera’s range of innovative lighting solutions, including the PlutoFresnel and LeoFresnel. These battery-powered, versatile, and portable LED lights can function as high-quality 15º to 60º Fresnels or Profile Spotlights with 16º to 36º zoom, gobo projection, and controllable blades. Drawing just 80W and 250W respectively, they are equivalent to traditional 300W and 1000W tungsten-based Fresnels, with the advantages of wireless operation, CRMX, and RGBMA color mixing.

Comprehensive Lighting Solutions

Astera’s lighting solutions, including the LightDrop, PixelPAR, PowerPAR, PixelBar, the Helios, Titan, and Hyperion tube lights, and the HydraPanel, are designed for flexibility and efficiency. The HydraPanel, a compact, battery-powered 1300 lumen light, can be mounted anywhere and is especially useful for nighttime scenes or background accents. It comes with six magnetic light modifiers and can be combined with DoPchoice’s Snapbag.

Holistic Ecosystem

Astera’s entire lighting portfolio operates as a holistic ecosystem, offering lower power draw, higher output strength, precise color control, a lightweight profile, and full installation flexibility. These features meet the specific needs of traditional and innovative lighting fixtures.

Statements from Astera

Ben Díaz, Head of Product Management for Astera, emphasized the importance of their IBC attendance: “Our attendance at IBC strengthens each year, and this year’s booth is set to be a must-visit for broadcast lighting engineers. We’ll discuss with potential customers the various ways Astera lighting, including the LunaBulb, has been used in film and television on major productions over the last decade. We have exciting broadcast case studies to share.”

He added, “LunaBulb is receiving a lot of attention and excellent reviews, but it’s only part of the picture. Our focus will be on demonstrating how Astera luminaires can make the lives of fast-paced broadcasting and film crews easier by streamlining setup times and providing precision, color excellence, and unrivaled wireless controls, which are crucial on broadcast sets where margins are often razor-thin.”