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How to Set Up & Sync your Philips Hue Lighting With your Apple TV

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As a user of Apple TV, you can now sync Philips Hue lights with your TV screen’s content thanks to the Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box. This allows your hue lights to sync depending what you are watching through this device, this could be an app on there such as Youtube, or a film from Apple TV. 

How to connect Hue Sync with Apple TV

The native Hue smartphone application is an excellent option for lighting control, and it remains to be the gatekeeper for adding as well as deleting Hue accessories as well as creating and editing lighting scene scripts. However, when it comes to the Apple TV control, you will require seeking for an app such as Hue TV. Therefore, in this article, we shall be discussing how to connect Philips Hue with Apple TV.

What you require to start syncing Hue lights with your Apple TV

It should not come by surprise that some of the best and popular lighting systems can be controlled with much ease while using Apple TV. After all, most of these products offer mood lighting that is ideal for use at night with your family and the living room. In addition to that, it provides a romantic stay-at-home getaway in your bedroom.

If you have an Apple TV, then you should consider using this application to in setting your mood in whatever way that it will best suit you. However, before syncing your Hue lights with your Apple TV, you will require the following;

  • The Philips Hue Bridge
  • Philips Hue full color smart lights 
  • Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box
  • TV with HDMI port

You will need an entertainment area to set up the regular Hue TV application before getting started. However, you should note that using the Apple TV application is relatively easy for the Philips Hue users. You will be able to control all the Hue lights with the use of Apple TV and the Siri remote. In addition to that, you can as well turn the lights off and on, control individual bulb or all lights, change the color as well as brightness level of your light.

Step 1: Install the sync box and the official Hue Sync mobile app

Start by downloading the official Hue Sync mobile app before proceeding to install your synch box. Visit the official app store on your mobile device to download the app. Type the name of the app on the search box provided; in our case type ‘Hue Sync. Once you have the app installed on your smartphone, you can plug your sync box to a power outlet using the power cable provided.

You can then connect your TV to the synch box using an HDMI cable. Now, the LED integrated into the front of your sync box will turn red when appropriately connected. Open the installed app on your smartphone and follow the prompts provided. The on-screen instructions are easy to follow, and you should be done within a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Connect the sync box to the Apple TV

Connect your Apple TV using an HDMI cable to your sync box. Now, there are numerous HDMI ports that you could use to set up this connection. This means that your TV won’t be directly connected to Apple TV anymore. However, it should be connected to power during the process.

Open your Hue Synch mobile app once more to check whether the Apple TV has been connected to the sync box. The Apple TV will be detected by your sync box under ‘HDMI inputs.’ The good news is that you get the chance to rename your Apple TV to whatever you want. You also get to assign an icon to your Apple TV, thus ensuring that you can quickly identify it.

Step 3: Start your Apple TV

You can now proceed to turn your Apple TV on once you are done with the steps above. Once the Apple TV is turned on, you can start playing a video. You then need to click on the ‘Start’ button located at the bottom of your Hue Sync mobile app. Understand that your smartphone is vital when linking your Philips Hue lights to your Apple TV.

Right on your Hue Sync mobile app, you can adjust several settings, including the brightness and speed of the lights. You also get to control how the synch box communicates with the different HDMI inputs. There is a specific setting that lets you enable automatic HDMI switching once you power on the Apple TV.

You can set up your Philips Hue lights to sync immediately the Apple TV is turned on, which is spectacular. The best part is that you get to create a customized and captivating media experience using your synch box.

Using the Hue Apple TV App

If you have Apple TV HD, Apple TV 4K, or the older Apple TV box, having the Hue-capable application on your big screen will offer additional convenience as well as movie-time automation perks. This is the case with the Hue Apple TV; it is a $2.99 application developed by Ole Mikkel Sjolie. Hue TV application features a well-crafted interface for Hue lighting of all sizes, and it can be controlled with both swipe and tap gestures while using the Apple TV Siri Remote.

If you do not have a Philips Hue light, the company offers a starter package that comes with Hue lamps as well as the Hue bridge; these are all you require to get started. However, if you have a Hue bridge, you might consider Hue Play lights, light bars that are designed to be mounted alongside or behind your TV screen, offering you a great movie night lighting scenes experience.

Setting up the Philips Hue Apple TV

The Hue TV application will require the presence of Philips Hue Bridge at home. Furthermore, if your Hue Bridge is already installed in place, configuring your Hue TV application will only take one or two minutes. Once you tap on the setting button in the Hue TV app, you should then tap on Pair Hue with a new bridge button and then pass the link button on top of the Hue Bridge. When the Hue TV locates the Hue Bridge, you will just confirm the setting, and you will be connected to the screen, allowing you to control your lighting with a click of a button.

Controlling individual lights or all lights using Hue Apple TV app

Hue TV application has been designed to enable granular control of individual Philip Hue lights using the individual light tab or en masse all the lights present on the tab. The simple on and off switches makes it more convenient to control your light; in addition to that, you might consider selecting several lighting colors for Hue light with the color capability and adjust its intensity from zero to a hundred percent. With the on button behaving like those on a native Hue iOS application, the lights will be coming on with the same color as well as intensity as they always do.

Scene control on the screen

Philips Hue ecosystem is equipped with various lighting scenes, all of which they can be enacted from your Apple TV with the use of the Hue TV app. The scene tab helps to display all scenes that are defined in a Philips Hu application along with the favorite scenes that can be tapped and added to the bottom of all lights tab. 

In addition to that, all custom scenes you create can be displayed here as well.

For example, you can create a scene known as Netflix Binge that helps in lowering lights to the right level for watching movies and series for an extended period. With a simple tap from your Siri remote, you will be able to set your brightness level to the perfect level that best suits your watching experience.

Apple TV is not just for watching films and TV shows and playing games. The device also plays a significant role in your home. With the Philips Hue application, you can transform your watching experience significantly. The Philips Hue Apple TV application has been designed to offer smooth operation when watching.

Furthermore, the app is fully responsive; this means that the lights and scenes react instantly once you tap on the button on your Siri remote. When you Apple TV control the Philip Hue lighting is perfect, the Hue TV application will be working smoothly and very reliable. As we conclude, the Hue Apple TV application is worth a look, and it has earned a place in our home screens of all the Apple TV boxes available in the market. 


Founder & Editor

Mike is the founder of Hue Home Lighting, a huge Hue fan with far too many lights, covering home and garden. A smart home gadget addict and also enjoys the odd bit of DIY

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