Hue sync box alternative install#
Hue sync box alternative full#
Hue sync box alternative tv#

The Sync Box is compatible with any Philips Hue white or color ambiance bulbs or fixtures, and Signify recommends pairing with its lightstrip, light bars, Go lamp and Signe table or floor lamps. The trickier part is setting up the lights. But it will work with basically anything that uses an HDMI connection, including a Blu Ray Player or Roku device.

Hue sync box alternative tv#

We set it up with an XBox One S, a Chromecast, a Fire TV and an Apple TV. (Note: It will only work with a device connected via HDMI, so you won't be able to use your Smart TVs built-in streaming apps with it).īesides the HDMI ports at the back there's also a power port, and at the front there's an IR receiver and a physical button that turns the box on and off and can manually switch between HDMI ports. which set top box is turned on and streaming. It's set to switch automatically based on which port is receiving power i.e. We plugged it in to the back of our Samsung TV using the HDMI out port and then plugged all our streaming boxes and dongles directly into the Sync Box's four HDMI 2.0b in ports. It's essentially an HDMI switcher, and works by being the command center for all your HDMI connected gadgets - so it can tell your lights what your TV is doing. The Hue Sync box is a small, black box, about twice the size of an Apple TV.

Hue sync box alternative full#

We've been living the Hue Sync Box and a pair of Play light bars for 3 months, read on for our full review. In the world of home theater however, that's pocket change. All in, you're looking at a $500 investment.

Of course, you'll also need a Hue Bridge and ideally a number of other Hue bulbs or lights scattered around your living room to really create a light show extraordinaire. The box itself is $229 and to get the most out of it you're really going to want a couple of those Hue Play light bars that are designed to be set up around your TV screen, which will set you back $129.

Hue sync box alternative install#

Plus, it's ridiculously simple to set up and install (unlike the desktop PC version of Hue Sync) and easy to control and use thanks to a new IR remote feature and voice control with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant.Īs with all things Hue, however, it's not cheap. With no lag and the ability to fine tune how your lights respond, from subtle to intense, this is the light syncing experience serious home theater geeks have been wishing for.

Plug this small, sleek box into your TV, sync it up with your Hue lights and sit back and enjoy the home theater/immersive gaming experience of your dreams as your lights magically sync with everything from The Avengers to Peppa Pig. With the newly updated Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box you can get your smart lights to sync with any content on your television screen - as long as it's piped in through an HDMI cable. Signify, makers of the Hue lighting line, has the answer: 'Surround lighting.' Think surround sound but for your smart lights. Color-changing smart bulbs are lots of fun, but if we're honest it can be hard to find a really good reason why you have to have them.