Philips - Hue Play HDMI Sync Box - Black

Name: Philips - Hue Play HDMI Sync Box - Black
Brand: Philips
SKU: 6371722
Rating: 4.1 (1955 reviews)

Model: 555227

SKU: 6371722

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Key Specs
- Works With: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Hue, SmartThings (Compatible with or able to be connected to other smart devices or applications.)
General
- Product Name: Hue Play HDMI Sync Box
- Brand: Philips
- Model Number: 555227
- Color: Black
Connectivity
- Product Group(s) Controlled: Lighting
Compatibility
- Works With: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Hue, SmartThings (Compatible with or able to be connected to other smart devices or applications.)
- Voice Assistant Built-in: No (A digital assistant built into the device that uses voice commands to answer questions and control smart devices.)
- App Compatible: true (The product can be connected to a program or software application on a mobile device, which then receives collected data from the product.)
Environmental
- Indoor Or Outdoor Use: Indoor (Indicates the appropriate environment product was designed to be used in.)
Power
- Voltage: 120 volts (Amount of power needed to support an electrical current.)
Dimensions
- Product Height: 0.9 inches (The out of box height of the item. Height is measured as the vertical distance from the bottom of the item to the top as it would be primarily used or placed.)
- Product Width: 3.9 inches (The out of box width of the item. Width is measured as the horizontal distance from one side of the item to the other as it would be primarily used or placed.)
- Product Depth: 7.2 inches (The out of box depth of the item. Depth is measured as the distance from the front of the item to the back as it would be primarily used or placed.)
- Product Weight: 0.5 pounds (The out of box weight of the item.)
Other
- UPC: 046677555221

The Philips Hue HDMI Sync box adds premium surround lighting to your home theater by syncing your Hue smart lights with movies, music and video games. Watch, listen and play with more wonder and excitement as your lights dance, flash, dim and brighten with your screen. Requires Hue color capable lights and a Hue Bridge (sold separately).

Sync your Philips Hue lights to your TV screen: Create an immersive media experience via the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, making your lights dance, flash, dim, and brighten in sync with the content on your screen.
Fast and seamless light experience: Experience no delay as your lights sync to the content on your TV screen. The effects are always in sync because the sync box receives data before it reaches your screen, unlike devices that react to the screen itself.
Sync up to 4 HDMI-connected devices: The sync box features four HDMI inputs that allow you to connect media devices like game consoles or streaming dongles. The sync box detects which device is actively playing on your TV screen and automatically switches to it.
Won't block your screen: See all of the action on your screen. The Hue sync box can be placed on a TV cabinet or shelf without blocking any part of your screen.
Easy to install, set up, and use: Easily connect to your Hue Bridge and use your sync box immediately with any TV and any HDMI device. Control your entertainment experience and sync box any way you want - via the app, on-product control button, or by programming your TV remote with custom commands.
Personalize settings in the app: Make your entertainment media experience your own. Use the app to change your light settings, such as the brightness and speed of the effects, as well as define default start-up settings.
Supports high-quality video formats: The Philips Hue Play HDMI sync Box is compatible with 4K, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, letting you enjoy the highest quality picture you can get at home — all while your Philips Hue smart lights sync to give you surround lighting.
Get started with Hue: To experience Philips Hue in your home with the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box connect to the Hue Bridge (required, sold separately), power your sync box and download the Philips Hue app to enjoy!
Build a brighter home: Continue to light your home smarter and easily expand your Hue system with your choice of indoor or outdoor bulbs, lightstrips, fixtures and accessories.
Do more with a Hue Bridge: Connect to a Hue Bridge to unlock the full power of Hue, including automations and out-of-home control, sold separately.

Whats Included

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box
HDMI cable
Power adapter and cable

Q: I've gone through 3 of these and they all crash/reboot on me, disrupting the light sync and ruining the affect. How does this not happen to everyone else? Customer support ran out of ideas to try.

A: I had the exact problem. I then found an article on Reddit that gave the fix. You cannot plug this device into a power strip. I highly recommend plugging this straight into the wall. It instantly fixed all our problems with our box. It works amazingly well!

Q: Will this work with streaming on a Vizio TV with smartcast built in? (No HDMI throughout as there is no streaming stick).

A: No, unfortunately, it only works with sources plugged directly into the Sync Box that pass thought to the TV. Devices such as a streaming stick, game console, Blu-ray player... Streaming from wireless sources (smartcast, mirrorcast, smartview...) are not currently supported, but maybe Philips will add wireless sources down the road.

Q: will this be able to integrate with my home theater system such as can I do the output of my receiver to one input of the box and back to my TV? If it doesn't work with the receiver I'm going to have to cancel that order.

A: Works fine with my denon. I had 3 devices plugged in to my receiver (Xbox one X, Nvidia Shield and my LG TV for ARC). I plugged in my devices to the sync box then plugged in the HDMI out (from the hue) to my receiver. everything functions like it did before.included CEC.

Q: I have a PS5 plugged directly into my LG CX series TV and can navigate the PlayStation directly with the LG Magic Remote that came with the TV. I'm assuming this is HDMI-CEC? If I stick the Hue Sync box between the PS5 and the TV will this still work?

A: It can be used with a PS5/Series X, but you would lose 120fps. The passthrough is only capable of 4K/60. You might be able to send a signal to the box using eARC from your CX though -- not sure on that. I run the sync box out of my AVR's second HDMI output and it works that way.

Q: i understand the sync box does not support dolby vision but if connected does not even change colors at all if the format is dolby vision?

A: Full Dolby Vision support has been added in the firmware update as of May 2020.

Q: I just bought the hdmi sync box but have a smart tv where Netflix and so on all apps are built in or downloaded to my tv. I only have a sound bar form the acr running. How or can I use the lights with out hdmi cable

A: You can't. You'll need to get a separate streaming device and use that instead of your Smart TV's built in apps. There's no way to make your TV output video to an external device over HDMI.

Q: Does it add latency in gameplay on consoles?

A: This does not add any noticeable latency to games as far as I can tell. If it does, I haven't noticed. I've played Fortnite on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, Overwatch on the Xbox One, and Black Ops 4 on the PS4.

Q: Should I hook the sync box up BEFORE the HDMI cable goes into the SOUNDBAR, or Connect the HDMI Out of the soundbar into the sync box then into TV?

A: If you are using your soundbar with a HDMI ARC connection from the TV, this product won’t work. This sync box wants you to plug in your cable box, gaming system, streaming box directly to the sync box, and send the output of the sync box to the tv. If your soundbar has multiple inputs and you are connecting your sources directly to your soundbar, put them in the sync box instead and use the 1 output of the sync box to the soundbar.

Customers are saying

Customers enjoy the immersive experience and ease of use of the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, praising its color accuracy and the generally smooth setup process. However, some customers find the price to be high and have reported compatibility and connectivity issues. A few users also mentioned occasional lag.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

Customer Images

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars
The Next HDR or Atmos.. or maybe its 3d TV's
This is one of the coolest gimmicks you can add to your living room. I recently snapped and got fed up with the lack of light in our apartment. Since then I've slowly been adding hue bulbs, and now the little half ball lamps, this, and the play bars. Living room is currently the bars behind the tv, two standing lamps, and a half ball (they have three and the diffuse all over one has the best reviews online for color applications over regular lighting). The rest of the house has regular bulbs, though I'm putting in a lot of the hue led strip soon, so things will change. However at the moment, I have no complaints about how the work. It does EXACTLY what it says it does, and really does immerse you in the content. This brings me to my one problem. The price. To have my TV light my room and the content control the colors its far too expensive. I cannot in good conscience say that everyone NEEDS THIS PRODUCT. HOWEVER I am generally a creature of wants not needs when looking at things like this and oh ho ho is this something EVERYONE will want. Until they go to check out. Which leads me to the title of this. This product and what it does with smart lights has the POTENTIAL to be the next dolby atmos or HDR. IF content makers find a way to bake in object based lighting as atmos as done for object based sounds. If we can't get studios to adopt this technology I fear it will remain a gimmick and slowly go the way of the 3D tv or plasma screens. As for ease of use and all that, it is seriously easy to use. I mean a monkey could control it. If you have google home or something similar simply ask "start/stop hue sync" or the app to control it has a slider for brightness and 4 intensity options across a few content styles (movie, music, and game). A great thing to want to show off, but a horrible thing to pay to get. (If you have this setup and want to watch the video I used for these pictures its a fan video of EVE Online called "Do not go gentile into EVE Online" and features a large assortment of scenes, planets, nebula, ship battles, and more to show off eve and without meaning too just how vibrant these lights get.) [Also both pictures taken at 4pm with western facing sliding glass (with shades) just out of frame to the right]
Posted 4 years ago by Loxos
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Totally Dope. Sync movies with lights.
No one you know will know about this technology which is why YOU are the one that must get this. This sync’s any HDMI device such as AppleTV 4K, XBOX, PlayStation, Blu-ray but not your stupid Firestick. (I know you have one. Go get an AppleTV 4K and call your cable company to cut your cable. What are you thinking? Lol) The sync box will then take the video and sync in real time all of your Hue color changing lights to create an experience like you have never seen before in your theater or living room. This device requires someone techie to hook it all up right but even a techie would say it’s not that difficult to setup. The latest 2020 update brings this device completely up-to-date. Bring your theater to a new frontier of enjoyment. Lookup YouTube videos about this device to get a good feel and do your research. You can sync up to 10 different Hue lights. You need the Hue Bridge with this too and some of the lights come with it in the Starter Kit which saves some money. I got 4 Hue Play light bars, one for every side of the TV to create a very Immersive Experience. I put the bottom light bar beneath my entertainment cabinet which really worked best for me. Then I got two Hue color changing light bulbs and put them in my floor lamps and 4 Hue recessed lights. The recessed lights are a huge must have if you are looking for the best experience. If you’re still reading this... stop what you’re doing and put this in your cart. You’re welcome. Ps. You have impeccable taste.
Posted 5 years ago by SamsungAddict
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Great addition to home theater; complicated setup
I really like the Hue Play Sync Box, and if it were cheaper and easier to set up, I would likely have given it 5 stars. I did wait until the latest firmware was added so that remote control support was enabled. Pros: - Sync has worked really well, adding a very nice ambient light to the TV - No connection issues as of right now - Once I got it set up with my Logitech Harmony Hub remote, everything is super seamless - Quite adjustable - has 4 different levels of intensity and 10 levels of brightness. Personally, I really like the subtle effect of having it on the lowest intensity and 5 on brightness. - Latest firmware has added a lot of missing features - HDR10+/Dolby Vision Support, Remote Control Support, Smart Assistant Support Cons: - Expensive - Remote support requires IR training - Setup was cumbersome My Setup: I am using this with a pair of Hue Play White & Color Ambiance Light bars. I have a FiOS cable box, a roku ultra, and a Nintendo Switch going into the Sync Box and then into a Samsung TV. I also have a Vizio soundbar that is connected via the ARC-enabled HDMI port on the TV. I have a Logitech Harmony Hub remote controlling the whole system, and the Sync Box is connected to my wifi using Google WiFi mesh routers. You can set up remote support for the Sync Box with the latest firmware update by using the Hue Sync app. You'll have to "train" the box on IR signals to correspond with each command. You can set up signals for turning on/off, switching to specific inputs, changing intensity, changing brightness, and starting/stop sync. If you're using a Logitech Harmony remote, I strongly recommend finding a remote for a device not in your current setup that has buttons that switch to specified inputs, like you would find on a TV or receiver remote (I used a Denon remote I had for a receiver in a different room). This will let you add that device to your setup, and then all you have to do is add the device to Harmony and to your activities, and you can then set which input should be used for each activity so it switches seamlessly. I also set it up so the lights turn on and off with the start of each activity, and I added the "start sync" play button to fire at the start of each activity too. This lets me start it up and have it turn on both the box and the lights, switch to the right input, and have the sync start automatically.
Posted 5 years ago by Tristan