See it live
The tactical case that ends up deciding most consultations
Four live RGBWW strips, 128 LEDs total, set on your own driveway and run from an app in your hand. This is the demo case Thraxel brings to most consultations, and it usually settles the question faster than any brochure could.
What is actually inside the case
The case holds four strips of the exact RGBWW pixels that would go on your roofline, 128 LEDs in total, each one individually addressable and each one capable of the same 16 million colors plus the true 2700K warm white the full system runs. It is not a simplified demo version, it is the real hardware.
Because it travels in a tactical hard case, it sets up on your driveway in under a minute, no outlet hunting, no extension cords strung across the lawn.
The IP67 marine-grade silicone housing and 16-gauge wire that protect the finished system are the same components sealed inside the demo strips, so what you are seeing is also a preview of how the hardware is built to survive an actual Western PA winter.
Why a photo or brochure does not cut it
Screens compress color and washed-out camera exposure makes warm white look yellow or orange depending on the device. A picture of somebody else's roofline at night tells you almost nothing reliable about what your own house would look like.
The demo case sidesteps all of that. You are looking at actual diodes producing actual light in front of your actual house, at dusk or after dark, in the same conditions the finished system would run in.
It also settles the warm-white question specifically, since RGB-only systems fake white by mixing red, green and blue and it reads slightly off. Seeing the dedicated 2700K diode next to that blend is a difference most people notice immediately, once they are looking at it in person rather than a listing photo.
What we run through during the demo
Tyson typically starts with Everyday Warm, since that is the scene most homes run on a normal Tuesday, then moves into a color scene like Game Day black and gold or a Halloween orange and purple, so you see the contrast between the true warm-white diode and full RGB output.
If you have a specific event in mind, a Steelers game day, a July 4th cookout, a Christmas display, ask to see that scene specifically. The app controlling the demo strips is the same Thraxel Lighting app that would run your finished install.
There is also nothing stopping you from asking to see a scene not on the standard list, Valentine's Day pink, St. Patrick's Day green, or a custom color entirely. Since the app can produce 16 million colors, most requests take a few taps to show.
- Everyday Warm, the default night-to-night scene
- A color scene of your choosing, from Halloween to game day
- Side-by-side of true 2700K warm white against a plain bulb
What the demo does not replace
Seeing 128 LEDs on your driveway is not the same as seeing 168 pixels wrapped around your actual roofline, which is why the render mock-up still matters. The demo answers what does this light look like. The render answers what does my house look like with it installed.
Together they cover both questions before you spend anything. Full detail on the render process is at thraxel.com/blog/the-48-hour-render-mockup-explained/.
It also does not answer sizing questions like how many pixels a specific roofline needs, since that depends on actual linear footage measured on site. The demo is about light quality and control, not the final fixture count that ends up on your quote.
The moment it usually clicks
Most people decide within the first thirty seconds of scrolling through colors on their own phone. There is something about controlling the light yourself, rather than watching someone else demonstrate it, that turns an abstract product into something you can picture on your own house.
It is also the easiest way to explain individually addressable pixels without a technical diagram: watch one strip go warm while the next runs a color, and the concept stops needing an explanation.
For households debating between permanent and seasonal lighting, this is often the deciding moment too. Seeing the range a single roofline could produce, beyond one warm December look, tends to shift the conversation toward permanent for anyone who wants the house lit more than one month a year.
Requesting the demo
The demo case comes standard on most residential consultations, so you typically do not need to ask for it separately. If you booked a phone-only estimate somewhere else and never saw live hardware, that is a fair thing to notice.
Book a consultation with the demo case included at thraxel.com/quote/, or reach Tyson directly at 724-859-4390 to set a time.
Evening or near-dusk appointments show the demo best, since daylight washes out color contrast the same way it does with the finished install. Tyson will typically suggest a time window that gives you the clearest look.
