Back in early 2023 at CES, Signify and Samsung announced an interesting partnership that meant that people wouldn’t need to fork out $250 for a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box to get that ‘Ambilight’ effect, as the duo were launching a new app that does the job without the need for additional hardware.
However, it wasn’t all good news as there was still the need to cough up $130 / £115 for the Philips Hue Sync TV app. Which is a LOT for an app, right? Even if it did technically cut your costs in half.
Fast forward a year or so and – no comments on the uptake here – but there’s now a more appealing entry to the light syncing TV action, with a $2.99 / £2.69 monthly subscription on offer.
What the app does is essentially replaces the external Hue Sync Box hardware and powers everything from inside your Samsung TV instead, effectively meaning your Samsung TV can act as a Play Sync Box, offering a unique light syncing experience with anything you watch or play on your TV.
In fact, it’s actually a bit better than the Sync Box as, not only does it scan your TV’s HDMI ports to detect what visuals to compliment, it also works with the Samsung TV’s native streaming apps, such as Disney+ and Netflix. It also supports all image formats including 8K, 4K and HDR 10+.
Like the Sync Box, you will of course need some Hue lights to create the effects.
It works with a range of Hue bulbs – you configure the layout in the Hue app – but the best experience (in my opinion) is when you throw a Hue Gradient Lightstrip into the mix.
Whatever your setup, you’ll need a Samsung QLED TVs in the Q60 or higher range from 2022 onwards to get involved.
It also all ties in with the SmartThings ecosystem, providing users seamless control over the Sync TV app directly from their smartphones, alongside managing their other SmartThings-compatible devices and allowing people to create of multi-device automations, enabling users to curate the ideal home cinema ambiance with a simple tap.
There’s also a new Music matching mode launching on newer 2024 Samsung TVs, which will also hit 2022 and 2023 TVs in the Q60+ range later this year.
The new monthly subscription options and the SmartThings fun will hit all compatible TVs in the coming weeks.
