#Apple tv hue sync how to
#Apple tv hue sync update

A smart design detail is how the box can use the same wall plug as the Play light bars, as the plug has three sockets for a pair of light bars and the box. Signify has smartly painted it matte black, so light doesn't reflect off it and cause a distraction. The box itself is compact but reasonably weighty, giving it a premium and well-made feel. But when the box is switched off, your Hue lights return to however they were beforehand.

In other words, if you have a Hue switch configured to turn off every light in your home, pressing it won't work on the lights being controlled by the box. When the box is switched on, it overrides all other control of those Hue lights. You can add as many Hue lights as you like, and so could in theory have an LED strip or two on the back of the TV, or the new Gradient Light Strips, and various lamps throughout the room. In our setup we have a pair of Hue Play light bars pointing at the wall behind the TV.

#Apple tv hue sync how to

Knowing this will help the system decide exactly how to adjust each light. You can also tell the app if each light is on the floor, at TV height, or in the ceiling. This lets you pick which Hue lights you want to be controlled by the Sync Box, and tell the app exactly where they are positioned in relation to the TV and your sofa. Once you have everything connected the way you want, it's time to open the Hue smartphone app, add the box as an accessory, and follow the instructions to create an entertainment zone.

#Apple tv hue sync update

But because the Hue Sync Box can handle Dolby Atmos, HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision, these formats all remain intact when they reach your screen and speakers.Ĭompatibility for HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision (plus voice control through Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant) was added via a software update in May 2020. We can't provide a comprehensive guide on which option is best, as that will depend on your TV, sound bar and what devices you have. You can plug everything into your sound bar or receiver, then plug that on its own into the Hue Sync Box, or connect everything to the box and plug the sound bar into your TV's ARC-compatible HDMI socket. If you have a sound bar or AV receiver, setting things up gets more complicated, but not impossible. Plug all of your devices, like your game console, streaming stick and satellite box, into the former, then connect the box to your TV with the latter, using the included HDMI cable. The Hue Sync Box has four HDMI inputs and one output. It requires the Hue Bridge (if you don't have one already), which connects to your router and acts as a control unit for all Hue lighting in your home.

How to control your Hue lights when away from homeĪlthough named to fit into the rest of the Play range, the Hue Sync Box works with any color Hue lights, including all shapes of bulb and LED light strips.

Hue Play Sync Box gets voice control, HDR and Dolby Vision support.

Philips Hue Gradient Light Strips are the multicolored smart lights you've been waiting for.

However, it does not work with any apps installed on your TV – the content has to come through an HDMI cable. That means video game consoles, streaming sticks, satellite boxes, Blu-ray players, and anything else you consume video from.

It can be controlled by speaking to Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, and works with anything plugged into your TV using an HDMI cable. At its simplest, the $230 Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box – we'll go ahead and shorten that to Hue Sync Box – is a device that controls your smart lighting to match whatever is on your television.