#Alternative to hue sync box Pc#
#Alternative to hue sync box tv#

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box review: Performance Similarly, Hue Sync is of no use whatsoever if you want to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Video from your TVвЂ™s built-in apps, as thereвЂ™s no way to route the signal through the Hue box.

#Alternative to hue sync box tv#

Standard HDR10 is a go, but if youвЂ™ve got a new TV that supports Dolby Vision, youвЂ™ll probably want that overactive lighting. There is one limitation that may well kill the HDMI Sync Box for some users: lack of support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

The final HDMI port is for connecting to your TV. Four of these are used to connect your source devices, and as the spec covers 4K video at 60fps with HDR and HDCP 2.2 copy protection, youвЂ™re good for anything from streaming devices to 4K Blu-ray players to the Xbox One X. The plain black box couldnвЂ™t be much simpler, with the front blank except for a single power/control button and the rear dominated by five HDMI 2.0b ports. Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box review: Design and setup Excluding some little-known alternatives such as the DreamScreenвЂ™s ВЈ190 4K box and LightpackвЂ™s $419 UHD Mini Set, thereвЂ™s basically nothing to stand in HueвЂ™s way. For others, itвЂ™s going to be half the cost of their new 4K HDR TV and more than theyвЂ™ll have spent on a soundbar, both of which are more important to the home cinema experience than some ambient lighting.Д¬ompetition is surprisingly thin on the ground here. ThatвЂ™s peanuts compared to their new OLED TV or 7.1 surround system. ItвЂ™s also worth noting that Sync doesnвЂ™t support third-party bulbs, so if youвЂ™ve scrimped by buying, say, Innr smart bulbs, know theyвЂ™re not going to play nice.ДЇor some, ВЈ300-ВЈ400 wonвЂ™t seem much much outlay to enhance their viewing and gaming experience. WhatвЂ™s more, if you havenвЂ™t already bought into the Hue ecosystem, youвЂ™ll need a further ВЈ45 to ВЈ65 for either a Hue Bridge V2 or a Hue starter kit. The box itself costs ВЈ230, so it really isnвЂ™t cheap, and youвЂ™ll also need a minimum of two Hue Play Smart Light Bars (ВЈ62 each or ВЈ110 for two) or two Hue Bloom lamps (ВЈ60 each) to have much impact.

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box review: Price and competition Suffice to say, if you donвЂ™t like the idea of multi-coloured pulses of light shooting out from behind your TV as you watch a movie, then the Sync Box probably isnвЂ™t for you. The SyncвЂ™s function is similar to that of PhilipsвЂ™ Ambilight TVs, only with the effects extending well beyond the screen itself, and the more advanced your Philips Hue lighting setup the more dramatic that impact will be. READ NEXT: Philips Hue review Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box review: What you need to knowДЄs an extension of the Philips Hue lighting ecosystem, the Sync Box aims to provide an immersive and highly customisable lighting experience that matches whatever youвЂ™re watching, playing or listening to.Д«est smart bulbs 2022: The best smart light bulbs for any budget Hook it up to your TV, plug your sources in and it transforms the content of the HDMI signal into a stream of instructions for your Hue lighting so that the colours sync up with what youвЂ™re seeing on the screen. The Hue Play HDMI Sync box is PhilipsвЂ™ attempt to fix this.

#Alternative to hue sync box Pc#

Sadly, this only worked when streaming video from a PC or laptop attached to your TV, meaning you couldnвЂ™t use the sources that would actually work best with lighting: Blu-ray players, games consoles, streaming sticks and set-top-boxes.

The system has long featured the ability to sync coloured lights in the room to video on your TV, replicating the experience of its Ambilight TVs. On that last count, however, Hue had one persistent weakness. Over the last few years, Philips has established Hue as the worldвЂ™s leading smart lighting system the one with the best line-up of bulbs, lights and accessories and the strongest range of automation, lifestyle and entertainment features.