Unlike the normal AC Christmas lights, which run off of 120 volts, pixels are low voltage and run off of 12 volts. Each pixel has a microchip that controls the actual light source, which is capable of producing millions of different colors and each pixel is individually addressable, meaning every pixel on the same string can be a different color, unlike most LED's and traditional lights which are limited to the entire string being the same color.
Pixels also require a controller to send the signal to them and tell them what color and brightness they need to be at a particular time. And while the amount of time it takes to program an entire sequence can be overwhelming, the final result is a stunning show.