Philips Hue has presented the Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K during IFA, which supports 8K video via the HDMI 2.1 connection. The Sync Box 8K costs 349.99 euros.
At the end of July, a lot of information about the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K already appeared, such as that the new Sync Box would get four HDMI 2.1 ports. These ports are suitable for 8K video with 60 Hz or 4K video with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. According to that leak, the Hue Sync Box 8K would keep the same price as the current 4K variant, but that is certainly not the case. Philips Hue sells the new Hue accessory for 349.99 euros.
Improved viewing experience
Signify, the Dutch company that makes Philips Hue products under license, says the Play HDMI Sync Box 8K will provide even more impressive immersion in music, movies and gaming. You can also expect the accessory to add zero lag to your footage, with blazing-fast refresh rates thanks to its HDMI 2.1 ports.
In addition to supporting 8K images, the Sync Box 8K also works with Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Connecting the Sync Box should therefore not have any impact on the image quality of your TV. The 4K version of the Sync Box also seems to remain available for the time being. Unless you have an 8K TV or are a frequent gamer and want to use the Hue accessory for that, you can save a lot of money by purchasing the 4K version.
The experience of the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K is, apart from the HDMI connections, almost identical to the 4K version. By placing the Sync Box between your TV and a set-top box or other video source, your Philips Hue smart lights are synchronized with the TV. This gives you a kind of Ambilight experience, as Philips offers on its own TVs. A prerequisite for this function is that you use an external video source. Are you watching a YouTube video directly via your TV’s smart platform? Then nothing happens – the Sync Box analyzes the video signal to adjust the colors of the lights.
Multiple Hue Bridges per account
Philips Hue has also announced that its Hue app is getting a makeover. Soon, you will be able to link up to 10 Hue Bridges to your account. This will theoretically allow you to manage 500 lights in your Philips account. While this will probably never be necessary in a household, using multiple bridges is sometimes necessary for maximum range.
Just because they’re under one account doesn’t mean the bridges work together. Speaking of working together, if you have Hue security cameras, you’ll soon be able to connect them to Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Those platforms will let you monitor a Hue camera’s video feed, but also set up certain actions when the alarm goes off.