- WiZ has launched a new device to rival the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box
- The WiZ HDMI Sync Box uses the same tech, but is less than half the price
- It comes with an LED light strip, and can be synced with extra lights too
WiZ makes some of the best smart lights for home owners on a budget, and now it’s taking the fight to Philips Hue with a new Sync Box that mirrors the colors on your TV screen, and mirrors them using a connected light strip or bars.
It’s the same principle as Philips Ambilight technology, and effectively ‘blurs’ the edges of the screen for a more immersive movie or gaming experience.
The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is the best Ambilight alternative around today, but it’s also the most expensive. The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K, which launched in September 2024, has a list price of $349.99 / £299.99 (about AU$520), while the 4K version is $249.99 / £229.99 (about AU$390).
That’s before you add the cost of the lights themselves, whether that’s a set of Philips Hue Play Light Bars, or a Gradient Light Strip to stick on the back of your TV.
There are several affordable options available from brands like Nanoleaf and Govee, but even the best Ambilight alternatives struggle to match the performance of the Philips Hue Play system. That’s because most budget-friendly color-mirroring systems use a camera mounted on top of your TV to monitor what’s being displayed on the screen, then replicate those colors.
Although this can work well, it often results in more latency than using HDMI, and can be affected by reflections and lighting conditions in the room. That can break the immersion, or even become a distraction.
More immersion, less cash
The new WiZ HDMI Sync Box uses HDMI input instead, which eliminates these problems and means there’s no need to spend time calibrating the system either.
The WiZ HDMI Sync Box supports HDMI 2.0 and video formats up to 4K, and unlike the Philips Hue Play Sync Box 4K it comes with a light strip included. To extend the lighting throughout the rest of your room you can also pair it with the WiZ Gradient Light Bars and Gradient Floor Light.
The WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV backlight is available in two sizes. The kit for 55-inch to 65-inch TVs is £79.99 (about $110 / AU$170), while the version for 75-inch to 85-inch TVs is £99.99 (about $130 / AU$210).
The smaller kit is available now in the UK and Europe, while the larger set will go on sale in September. Prices and release dates for the rest of the world have yet to be announced.
We’ll be testing the WiZ HDMI Sync Box very soon, and will bring you a full review so you can see how it compares with the pricier Philips Hue alternative, and decide which is the best companion for your home entertainment setup.
