There's a new alternative to the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K for immersive smart lighting synced to your TV it's way cheaper, it still supports 4K 120Hz passthrough, it works with WiZ bulbs, and it comes from Philips

Date:
Thu, 14 May 2026 16:26:56 +0000

Description:
The new Philips Smart Lighting sync box works with your TV to mirror the on-screen colors in your smart lights, and it's a lot less than you'd pay for the Hue version.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Philips' new TV light sync box uses WiZ rather than Hue Includes 4K 120Hz passthrough, so you don't lose use of a key TV port 129 to 149 including lightstrip; US launch TBC Signify has launched a new Philips HDMI sync box, but it's not for the Philips Hue range: it's part of the Philips Smart Lighting range, and uses smart technology from WiZ instead.

That's good news, because Hue is positioned as a premium product with prices to match, and Wiz is much cheaper. My Hue Play Sync Box , while excellent, is also very expensive: it had an official price of 299 / $349 at launch, although it's widely discounted now. The new sync box is 129 to 149. The new product is called the Philips Smart Lighting HDMI Sync Box 2.1 and it comes with a bundled lightstrip in a choice of two sizes, one for TVs from 55 to 65 inches and one for TVs of 75 to 85 inches. Latest Videos From You may like IKEA just released a super cheap Philips Hue Play Light Bar lookalike A cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar with 4K 120Hz HDMI? This is a tempting upgrade Smoother and brighter, the Hue Omniglow has to be seen to be believed What's the difference between Philips Smart Lighting Sync and Hue Sync? The Philips
Smart Lighting HDMI 2.1 Sync Box isn't designed to work with any Hue system
or the Hue app. It's a purely WiZ affair, and uses WiZ's app. The only thing that isn't WiZ is the branding, presumably because Philips has better brand cachet.

In terms of what the box offers, it's much the same as the Hue I love so much (or one of Philips' Ambilight TVs, which basically have a smart lightstrip built in). You connect it to your TV and it changes the lightstrip to match what's going on on screen, making the image feel larger and more immersive.

I particularly like mine when I'm gaming: playing Horizon: Forbidden West was spectacular with in-game sunsets.

Signify is also expanding the Philips Smart Lighting range with other
products including gradient floor lights and bars, table lamps and multiple flexible strips, with models up to 20m long for the European market and in
the UK, models with 5m lengths. All of these new products are much more affordable than the equivalent Hues, so for example the cheapest lightstrip will be 23.99. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me
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The new products will all launch in the UK and Europe in June 2026. They'll
be coming to other countries too, but launch dates and prices haven't been announced just yet. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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