#Hue sync for mac movie#
#Hue sync for mac tv#

To prevent the lights from going off entirely when the screen shows scenes that are black, the minimum brightness setting should be activated to keep a minimum light level. There's an option to set a minimum preferred brightness level and there's an important setting in the 'Advanced' section for minimum brightness.

#Hue sync for mac tv#

By the way, using Sync mode requires activation in the app, though there is an option to do it on the box itself if that's closer (mine's behind the TV so the app is easier). I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between the video, music, and game modes, because there are no clear explanations in the app, but selecting these did tweak the colors somewhat between modes.

#Hue sync for mac movie#

For a few colorful films I did experiment with the High and Extreme modes and it can make a movie more fun, but these aren't settings I'd want to use all the time. In general, I preferred to watch with the settings on Subtle for regular usage because the other settings were just too much shifting between colors. In High and Extreme modes, the colors change rapidly and it can be a bit distracting depending on what you're watching. Subtle and moderate are the smoothest with fewer transitions that are ultimately less distracting. There are three different sync modes for video, music, and games, along with three intensity levels: Subtle, Moderate, High, and Extreme. I had mine set with a Hue Lightstrip, a Hue Go, and a few standard Hue bulbs that are located close to the TV in my office, which worked well, though I imagine it would be even better with a Lightstrip and a few of the Hue Play Light Bars. Setting up the Hue Sync requires designating an Entertainment Area, which is basically selecting the lights that you want to change in tune with the colors on the TV. It technically works with any Hue lights, but some of the older bulbs don't have blues and greens that are particularly saturated, which can detract from the setup. Using the Hue Play Sync Box requires an existing Hue light setup (and Hue Bridge) around a television set, and it works best with the Hue Play, the Hue Lightstrip, the Hue Go, and other Hue lights bulbs that are deeply saturated and offer rich colors.

Though most Hue products show up in HomeKit, the Hue Sync isn't a ‌HomeKit‌ device, it's a standalone option that's just for Hue-branded lights. In fact, when the Hue Sync is turned on (which can be done in the Hue Sync app) you're not able to control your lights with the standard Hue app. Using the Hue Sync Box requires a separate Hue Sync app, and it doesn't work with the standard Hue app. Setting up the Hue Sync was as simple as plugging it into my TV, plugging my devices into the box, connecting it to my existing Hue Bridge (on a 2.4GHz network) and then downloading and opening up the dedicated Hue Sync app. The box is basically passing video signal to the TV while also detecting the colors. It's just a black box, and nothing special to look at, because it's meant to be tucked away on an entertainment unit.Īny console or set-top box can be plugged into the Hue Play Sync Box, allowing it to analyze the colors and tune them to a Hue light setup, shifting colors and brightness to match the content on the TV screen. It has a power port (and an included power supply) along with four HDMI ports that are designed to accommodate HDMI devices like Apple TV, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and more. The Hue Play Sync Box is a simple black box that plugs into a TV with an HDMI cable. In the past, there have also been limited run light syncing features for '12 Monkeys' and 'Sharknado 2' that were pre-programmed, but before the Hue Play Sync Box, there was no simple solution for on-the-fly syncing of Hue lights to content on a TV set.

There's already a Hue Sync app that lets Hue lights be tuned to Macs and PCs, but it's limited to computers. Signify, the company behind the Philips Hue lights, in September announced a new Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, which brings a capability that many Hue users have wanted for years now: the ability to sync Hue lights with content that's playing on the TV for an immersive home entertainment experience.