Sync box

The easiest way to distinguish the sync box 4K from the sync box 8K is by looking at the back.

Sync box 4K has 4 HDMI input ports starting from the left.

Sync box 8K has a Setup button, Power, and USB connector from the left.

You can also tell if you have a sync box 4K or 8K by its appearance: the sync box 8K has a glossy ring at its top, while the 4K has a matte surface.

The following TVs have been tested and found to support Dolby Vision while syncing your lights with the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box:

Brand                                  Models 

LG                                        2017 and newer 

Sony                                    All 

Vizio                                    2018 and newer 

TCL                                      2018 and newer 

Panasonic                          All 

Philips                                All 

The following HDMI sources have been tested and found to support Dolby Vision while syncing your lights with the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box:

Source                               Model 

Apple TV 4K                      All 

Fire TV 4K                         All 

Chromecast Ultra            All 

Nvidia Shield                    2019 and newer

Xbox One S/X                   Apps only

Blu-ray players are not compatible with Dolby Vision while using the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box.

If you have the sync box, you can use the Philips Hue app to control it. The Sync desktop app is only used if you want to sync your lights to a computer screen. 

Follow these steps: 

1. Install Philips Hue color-capable smart lights and a Bridge with the Philips Hue app.
2. Connect the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box to your HDMI devices and your TV.
3. Open the Sync tab in the Philips Hue app and follow the instructions.

You can create an Entertainment area in the Philips Hue app, which illustrates how many lights you have, where and at which height the lights are located, and how your system should use them while syncing. 

For the best results, we recommend using several Philips Hue color-capable smart lights. Try Play light bars placed around your TV, a Play gradient lightstrip attached to the back of your TV, and lights such as the Go accent light or Signe floor lamp in and around your seating area.

Yes. The Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box functions as an HDMI splitter and transfer device, meaning that you can connect it to your receiver or soundbar.

If you have an audio receiver or soundbar in your media setup, follow these instructions to enable Music mode:

Setup 1: HDMI media device > sync box > receiver/soundbar > TV

Disable ARC bypass

Setup 2: HDMI media device > receiver/soundbar > sync box > TV

Enable ARC bypass. If Music mode doesn’t work, set your receiver’s audio output to both speakers and TV.

Setup 3: HDMI media device > sync box > TV > receiver/soundbar

Disable ARC bypass

No, because smart TV apps run directly on the TV itself, meaning there is no HDMI device to plug into the sync box. In order for your Philips Hue smart lights to respond to the content on your TV screen, the content must pass through the sync box via an HDMI input via an external device. 

If you want to use your smart TV apps, you may be able to use the Philips Hue Sync TV app , provided you have a compatible Samsung TV. The Philips Hue Sync TV app  is available on 2022 and newer Samsung QLED TVs in the Q60 or higher range. If your TV supports the Philips Hue Sync TV app, it will appear when you search for it in Apps. Alternatively, check the product specifications of your TV model on www.samsung.com. 

Yes, Dolby Atmos is supported in Pass through for all syncing modes. Light sync for Dolby Atmos content is supported for Video and Game mode, but not for Music mode.

Yes, but your lights will not sync to the screen. 3D content is supported in Pass through mode — your content will display on your TV screen, but your lights will not react.

Yes. HDR10 and HDR10+ are supported in pass through and light sync modes.

No, 8K is not supported. The 8K signal will be downgraded to a 4K signal. Keep in mind that in order to watch 8K content, both the content you watch needs to support 8K as well as the TV itself.

Restore your Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box to its factory settings with these steps:

1. Unplug the sync box from power.
2. While the sync box is still unplugged, press and hold the button on the front.
3. Continue to hold down the button while you plug the sync box back in to power.
4. When you see the LED indicator on the front of the sync box light up, release the button.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box has an LED indicator on the front. The indicator shows different colors for different things:

• No light: Powered off
• Purple: Booting up
• Red: Standby
• White: Passthrough mode (not syncing lights)
• Flashing white: Light sync mode (syncing lights)
• Flashing blue: Wi-Fi setup (this mode only appears during setup)
• Flashing yellow: Wi-Fi error

If you can't find your Wi-Fi network when setting up your sync box, try the following:  

• Make sure your Wi-Fi network is set up and functioning correctly. 
• Make sure your Bridge and mobile device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.  
• The sync box is only compatible with 2.4 GHz networks. If your Wi-Fi is operating on a 5 GHz network, switch to the 2.4 GHz network instead.  

The sync box 8K uses a different power supply than the sync box 4K, and are not interchangeable.

The cable that comes with the sync box 8k supports HDMI 2.1, which means it supports a higher resolution and refresh rate compared to the cable that is provided with the sync box 4K. The cable that comes with the sync box 4K is HDMI 2.0, and it's not interchangeable.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K support 8k at 60 Hz and or 4k at 120 Hz on all 4 input channels. If you want to use ARC bypass functionality, you'll need to plug it into HDMI input 4.

The sync box 8K supports your HDMI content — and it was designed to continue supporting it well into the future. It syncs with any HDMI device, supporting formats up to 8K at 60 Hz and 4K at 120 Hz. Whether you have the latest gaming consoles, streaming devices, or set-top boxes, the sync box lets your lights react to the action on your TV screen.

Additionally, the sync box 8K also supports HDMI 2.1, whereas the sync box 4K supports HDMI 2.0.

The sync box 8K comes with a 1-meter HDMI 2.1 cable. 

Yes! However, any device connected to the Sync box 4K will be limited to the maximum output of that sync box: 4K at 60 Hz and HDMI 2.0. 

Yes! However, you can only have one active syncing session at a time.