Cheaper Ambilight Philips Hue Sync Box Alternatives
The sync box from Philips Hue is a great way to create immersive bias lighting on your tv at home, creating lighting effects that match the on screen action and colors this clever device can adjust your Hue lights accordingly.
To use this you must have Hue lights and light strips, and a second Gen Hue bridge, all this combined can create a costly set up, there Hue sync box itself is is over $200, however there are alternatives to the Hue Sync box.
Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box Alternatives
If you love the Hue Sync features but don’t have a Hue set up or want to consider alternatives to this, there are a few options.
Philips Hue HDMI LED Sync Box Alternatives include:
- Lytmi NEO HDMI 2.0 Sync Box
- Immersion TV LED Backlight
- MZUNLED Immersion TV LED Backlights
We take look at these in more detail, how they work and how they compare to the Hue HDMI box.
Lytmi NEO HDMI 2.0 Sync Box
The sync box from Lytmi is perhaps the closest thing to the Hue sync there is, it works in the same way, comes with everything you need and is a lot cheaper.
With this pack you get a sync box that connects your TV and has inputs allowing you to connect an Apple TV, games consoles etc. It also comes with a light strip that can be cut to suit your TV size, the upgraded light strip is now equipped with a special designed silicone cover, enabling the light to shine a larger area due to an illumination angle shift from 90° to 45°.
This Lytmi NEO HDMI 2.0 Sync Box works with all Lytmi White and Color Ambient bulbs or fixtures.
The downside with Lytmi is that although it can work on Dolby vision and HDR 10+, the light saturation is not so good. Just in the same way as the Hue sync Box works, this box also does not work with smart tv apps and must have a HDMI input into it for it to work.
This tv backlight works really well, although it is not compatible with Philips Hue, it comes with everything you need to set it up and make it work right from the box. It is just as good at a fraction of the cost making it a great alternative.
Immersion TV LED Backlight
This is another HDMI Sync Box that does not use a camera, it comes with everything you need just like Lytmi, there is the box itself with a HDMI input and output, sockets for the included lightstrip to be connected to and power cables.
It can change color to what is happening on screen, or dance to the sound of music changing and flashing different colors. You can use the app to adjust the settings and colors.
In the box you get a coil of LED light strip, with clips and adhesives, this 11.6FT light strip made up of 4 pieces can be installed firmly on all 4 sides of any 55-65 inch TV. There are also 4 sticky hooks included to help attach and fix to the back of your screen.
MZUNLED Immersion TV LED Backlights
Just like the other alternatives, this sync box has a single HDMI input, then a HDMI output to your TV, It can work with any HDMI games console, Apple TV or Amazon firestick.
The included lightstrip can be wrapped around the back of your TV and held in place by 4 corner hooks, the light strip can also be cut to remove any excess that may not be needed depending on the size of your screen. The length of the light strip makes it suitable for 40-70-inch TVs.
It doesn’t seem to support HDR or Dolby vision, and there is no wifi or app to control the contrast or brightness of the lights and settings.
While this is the cheapest alternative it still works really well, works straight out of the box and is easy to set up and use. It does feel basic compared to others however the output results is just as good.
Which to buy?
The downside with these alternatives compared to the Philips Hue Sync box is there is only single HDMI input compared to 4 on the Philips model. They are not as well made and the light strip is better again with Hue, there are also other lights you can use with the sync box and added to your entertainment area.
Although that all being said, it is a lot more costly and if you are looking for alternatives cost likely to be the main reason, there fore these 3 options which are a lot cheaper are great options.
The Lytmi NEO HDMI box is a great choice, it is well built, works really well, has a well built light strip that has great color, also via the Lytmi app you can control these lights too which is a great feature for setting and creating mood lighting or while listening to music.
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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