If you really want to peak behind the curtain instead of enjoying the wonder, continue..........

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In order to start.....

In order to begin this adventure, you must have good help. At the very least you must have helpers that you love being around and working with.

Next thing you need is have the support of your spouse. My lovely wife is 100% supportive of me and this habit/hobby. Not sure if it's really support or the fact it keeps me out of her hair, hmmm. Whatever, i'll take it!

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The Lights

The lights are 100% LED RGB pixels. On the house they are in a ribbon fashion and on the tree they are called nodes. Total number of LEDs.......I don't exactly know, around 4,600. RGB stands for red, green, blue. Each LED (light emitting diode) actually has 3 tiny but very bright LEDs inside of it; one red, one green, one blue. By varying the intensity of each R, G, B, I can make over 16 million different colors (255X255X255). When all the 3 colors are on, it makes white.

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Control

The lights have a certain language. 
The lights get commands from a controller.
The controller gets its commands by converting a DMX signal.
The controller gets its DMX via Ethernet from a computer.
The computer gets its commands from a program that runs the show.
The show program gets its commands from the "sequences" (songs)
The sequences are built in yet another program and exported over.

Without all listed above, the lights are 100% useless, they simply wont work.

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Power

With these types of LED lights, they use about 1/10 the electricity for twice the brightness. I really don't see a change in my electric bill. Smaller displays use more because they are on, full power, all the time. My lights are off more than they are on, even during a show.

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Music and radio

The music comes from my choice. I do not own a radio station! I transmit a weak signal that covers a few hundred foot radius.