It works as advertised but hard to justify the price for the following reasons.1. Only supports HDMI 2.0 passthrough, any devices wanting to push more than 60hz at 4K isn't supported (HDMI 2.1)2. HDMI ports 2 and 4 are high bandwidth while HDMI 1 and 3 aren't. Had issues with HDR devices connected to HDMI 1 and 3.3. Every now and then the box would turn off and back on randomly, not a big deal as its only a couple of seconds but can be annoying when gaming and considering the price it shouldn't be like this.4. The included HDMI cable is garbage, found it was the culprit for causing frequent disconnection issues to the TV.5. Requires a separate app to change the settings (Phillips Hue Play app) whereas every other Hue product I have is controlled via the normal ... MoreIt works as advertised but hard to justify the price for the following reasons.1. Only supports HDMI 2.0 passthrough, any devices wanting to push more than 60hz at 4K isn't supported (HDMI 2.1)2. HDMI ports 2 and 4 are high bandwidth while HDMI 1 and 3 aren't. Had issues with HDR devices connected to HDMI 1 and 3.3. Every now and then the box would turn off and back on randomly, not a big deal as its only a couple of seconds but can be annoying when gaming and considering the price it shouldn't be like this.4. The included HDMI cable is garbage, found it was the culprit for causing frequent disconnection issues to the TV.5. Requires a separate app to change the settings (Phillips Hue Play app) whereas every other Hue product I have is controlled via the normal App.6. Total cost of ownership is close to $1000 once you've factored in the lights as well.Here are the Pros1. Enhances your TV experience, I thought it might be quite gimmiky but glad I took the leap of faith.2. Really simple to setup.3. The box looks sleek and it doesn't run hot4. The colour detection is pretty damn accurate majority of the time.5. The app gives you pretty solid customisation options e.g. (brightness, intensity, cinema and gaming modes etc)

Advertising for this was Great, Product is Trash

I waited a while when these came out before I bought one. Last year I took the plunge and got it. It worked great for about two months. After that, we have had nothing but problems with it. Sometimes the app picks it up sometimes not, just have to close the app and reopen and its fine. However, the biggest issue is the constant popping and static noise with the sync box and cutting the picture in and out. At first when this started happening, after about 30-40 mins of irritating crackling and picture going on an off it would stop. So got in the habit of turning the tv and sync on about 30 mins before I was going to watch anything. Now it does it all the time no matter what. Finally had to just pull the tv cable off the box, otherwise you couldnt use the tv at all. I ... MoreI waited a while when these came out before I bought one. Last year I took the plunge and got it. It worked great for about two months. After that, we have had nothing but problems with it. Sometimes the app picks it up sometimes not, just have to close the app and reopen and its fine. However, the biggest issue is the constant popping and static noise with the sync box and cutting the picture in and out. At first when this started happening, after about 30-40 mins of irritating crackling and picture going on an off it would stop. So got in the habit of turning the tv and sync on about 30 mins before I was going to watch anything. Now it does it all the time no matter what. Finally had to just pull the tv cable off the box, otherwise you couldnt use the tv at all. I bought new expensive HDMI cables and still doesn't work. After going to the internet and trying to research the issue, apparently it has been there for years which hundreds, if not thousands of complaints to Phillips about it with no response and no fix. Works fine as long as it's not connected to the TV and doing what it's supposed to do, now its just super expensive backlighting for the TV. We have several HUE products, and by far this is the cheapest piece of garbage they have made. One would think when you market a "high end," and I use the term loosely, product and market it towards people that spend money on higher end electronics, you might not make it out of bubble gum and wire coat hangers. Avoid at all cost until they fix it

Cool Idea, Not Yet Ready for Market

Pros:• It does match the color to what is on screen fairly well• It's a cool concept• The hardware is designed in a visually appealing wayCons:• Price (way too expensive for what it offers)• Latency - the lights are always quite noticeably behind the image on screen, even with the intensity all the way up. This is very distracting and makes the product unusable for me. There is no technical reason why the latency needs to be so high. Full uncompressed video signals can travel over a local network with unnoticeable latency. There is no reason why a single color message needs to take so long to travel over the network.• App - the app has a lot of bugs• Functionality - the sync box does not always work. It's hit or miss. Sometimes you will get what you ... MorePros:• It does match the color to what is on screen fairly well• It's a cool concept• The hardware is designed in a visually appealing wayCons:• Price (way too expensive for what it offers)• Latency - the lights are always quite noticeably behind the image on screen, even with the intensity all the way up. This is very distracting and makes the product unusable for me. There is no technical reason why the latency needs to be so high. Full uncompressed video signals can travel over a local network with unnoticeable latency. There is no reason why a single color message needs to take so long to travel over the network.• App - the app has a lot of bugs• Functionality - the sync box does not always work. It's hit or miss. Sometimes you will get what you paid for, sometimes it will choose not to work at all. This is especially true with Dolby Vision content, which the App has a special setting for. The Sync Box usually does not work correctly with this content (and if it does, it won't stay working).• Control - there is not enough control in the app. As a profession audio/visual engineer, I understand this is a consumer product, however I still feel it could have more control.

Do NOT Waste Your Money - This Is a Sham Product

This box is not 4k 120HZ supported. I have my cable box, PS5 and XBox Series X HDMI's plugged into this box and the only HDMI running into my LG OLED C1 77". So I have a great setup with next gen consoles, etc. The fact that it doesn't support 4k 120 hz is why I'm going to return this unless there's an update coming soon that will address this.Also, this product syncs automatically to my PS5 turning it on automatically whenever I turn on my tv which is not what I want since I watch a lot of cable and other things. I also have to use the streaming services (Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, etc) on my game consoles now instead of from my tv directly to get the lighting sync which also sacrifices the content quality too. Another deal breaker.Finally, the fact that I have to ... MoreThis box is not 4k 120HZ supported. I have my cable box, PS5 and XBox Series X HDMI's plugged into this box and the only HDMI running into my LG OLED C1 77". So I have a great setup with next gen consoles, etc. The fact that it doesn't support 4k 120 hz is why I'm going to return this unless there's an update coming soon that will address this.Also, this product syncs automatically to my PS5 turning it on automatically whenever I turn on my tv which is not what I want since I watch a lot of cable and other things. I also have to use the streaming services (Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, etc) on my game consoles now instead of from my tv directly to get the lighting sync which also sacrifices the content quality too. Another deal breaker.Finally, the fact that I have to use a separate app just to control this box is a huge inconvenience. Plus, when switching between inputs and starting the sync from my XSX to my cable box or something else will cause the sync to freeze on the same color as the first selected input. I try to stop and then re-sync it and it never is able to switch over back over to my XSX.Huge inconvenience and waste of money. So don't waste yours.Integrate the usage into one single app!Integrate 4K 120 hz streaming!Please return my money!

Does not work as advertised

This product does not work as advertised with Dolby Vision.Current setup (Both with High Speed HDMI Cables):1. Cat 6A Cable plugged into Apple TV from Router1. 4K Apple TV Plugged into HDMI Port 4 on the Sync Box2. Sync Box Plugged into HDMI 4 on Sony X90J TVProduct does not work unless Dolby Vision Enhanced Capability is turned on in Advanced Setting. When turned on, sync works but picture quality is severely degraded. Contacted customer support and the only information they were able to provide was that my setup is "not compatible." However, Phillips does not have a data base of compatible setups and/or TV's that work with the Sync Box. Spent over two hours on the phone with "tech support" with the same response each time. When asked about what TV's are ... MoreThis product does not work as advertised with Dolby Vision.Current setup (Both with High Speed HDMI Cables):1. Cat 6A Cable plugged into Apple TV from Router1. 4K Apple TV Plugged into HDMI Port 4 on the Sync Box2. Sync Box Plugged into HDMI 4 on Sony X90J TVProduct does not work unless Dolby Vision Enhanced Capability is turned on in Advanced Setting. When turned on, sync works but picture quality is severely degraded. Contacted customer support and the only information they were able to provide was that my setup is "not compatible." However, Phillips does not have a data base of compatible setups and/or TV's that work with the Sync Box. Spent over two hours on the phone with "tech support" with the same response each time. When asked about what TV's are compatible the only response was "your setup isn't compatible." No further information provided. Long story short, this product does not work as advertised. If anyone knowledgeable has troubleshooting steps would appreciate feedback.

Dolby Vision Issues Ruin a Great Product

About 90% of what I watched on my LG Oled is not Dolby Vision, but it was important to me that the Hue Sync box support it. However, there's so much mixed messaging from both Philips and users online about what this box supports and doesn't support.When you read the details, you find out Philips added support for Dolby Vision passthrough, but light syncing is only available when coming from specific sources (not Blu Ray players, for example). Philips has really failed here. Folks spend too much time and money on their entertainment setup to have this product added in and require a downgraded experience. "If you want the light sync - you can do it with HDR but not Dolby Vision."I've given it two stars because using it with normal television, or standard HD, it's ... MoreAbout 90% of what I watched on my LG Oled is not Dolby Vision, but it was important to me that the Hue Sync box support it. However, there's so much mixed messaging from both Philips and users online about what this box supports and doesn't support.When you read the details, you find out Philips added support for Dolby Vision passthrough, but light syncing is only available when coming from specific sources (not Blu Ray players, for example). Philips has really failed here. Folks spend too much time and money on their entertainment setup to have this product added in and require a downgraded experience. "If you want the light sync - you can do it with HDR but not Dolby Vision."I've given it two stars because using it with normal television, or standard HD, it's a fun add-on and looks great. However, the Dolby Vision issue is a big one and I almost returned the box due to it. I don't know if this a technical issue or just bad technical design on Philip's end, but they 100% need to do a better job of telling people what this box supports and what it doesn't support.

Great concept! Poorly executed.

Of you don't care at all about having the best sound and picture, and eARC/ARC compatability then this works fine. This needs another way to work, perhaps via USB into the display and reading everything from that (fyi, does not work with smart TV features.. all video must come from an external source to work). My set up: PS5/ video devices>AVR>sync box>display. Thing is, it stops eARC and HDMI control functions from working between components, it also causes the tv and UHD players to constantly recalibrate HDR anytime the syncbox is turned on/off, sometimes removes all audio, and sometimes causes image to darken. Also gets in the way of VRR and introduces signal delay. That this is still sold with such glaring issues, at this price point is shocking to me. I've ... MoreOf you don't care at all about having the best sound and picture, and eARC/ARC compatability then this works fine. This needs another way to work, perhaps via USB into the display and reading everything from that (fyi, does not work with smart TV features.. all video must come from an external source to work). My set up: PS5/ video devices>AVR>sync box>display. Thing is, it stops eARC and HDMI control functions from working between components, it also causes the tv and UHD players to constantly recalibrate HDR anytime the syncbox is turned on/off, sometimes removes all audio, and sometimes causes image to darken. Also gets in the way of VRR and introduces signal delay. That this is still sold with such glaring issues, at this price point is shocking to me. I've completely disconnected mine after trying multiple configurations. The closest I got was using a 4k hdmi splitter to give it its own source, that created other issues.

Love more than annoyed relationship

There are a couple of ways to approach this; PLEASE WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEOS to get an idea of how the product works. There are many video reviews of how to set-up, what to purchase, pros/cons, etc. The first thing I want to mention; yes this entire eco-system is expensive. It's a premium product!! If you want a cheap, ugly set up, go buy GoVee lights.You will need a Hue bridge and this Hue sync box to start off before buying any type of lights. Yes, I know together that is $310 alone. Again, premium product y'all.Some negatives... I will agree that it is annoying that you can't use the sync box with pre-installed apps on your TV and that you need an external streaming device like Roku or Apple TV. Is it the end of the world? Eh. Second, I will also agree that two ... MoreThere are a couple of ways to approach this; PLEASE WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEOS to get an idea of how the product works. There are many video reviews of how to set-up, what to purchase, pros/cons, etc. The first thing I want to mention; yes this entire eco-system is expensive. It's a premium product!! If you want a cheap, ugly set up, go buy GoVee lights.You will need a Hue bridge and this Hue sync box to start off before buying any type of lights. Yes, I know together that is $310 alone. Again, premium product y'all.Some negatives... I will agree that it is annoying that you can't use the sync box with pre-installed apps on your TV and that you need an external streaming device like Roku or Apple TV. Is it the end of the world? Eh. Second, I will also agree that two separate Hue apps, one for Hue lights and one specifically for Hue Sync, is silly as well. Philips - just make everyones life easier and put them together. Third, there are some glitches when I try to toggle between PS5 and Roku. I don't know, it's just not as seamless and smooth as one would think. Lights might stall and system takes some time to recognize the change between HDMI's. Then you have to go onto the app and make sure you switch from video game sync to TV sync. There are quite a few steps that you become numb to. Fix it Philips.NOW, even after those short comings, THIS THING IS SICK!! It's the easiest set up; get bridge working, Sync Box HDMI goes into TV HDMI 1, and then ALL other external devices plug right into Sync box (I have Roku and PS5 connected). I purchased 65" light strip, and two other lights and got those set up (along with Sonos Beam speaker). When you sit back and see everything work, its WELL WORTH the investment. People's jaws just drop when they see the light show and how immersive it is. All in, I spent about $900 and after a year I still think it was worth every penny.Some people want more specs and ease of use, which I understand for the price point, but this product is only going to get better and better. Even though I want to give 5stars, I think 4 is appropriate for now.

One of my favorite things ever created

I used to use the desktop PC app but it was always a little inconvenient trying to get it to work well with a tv. I thought that they would never develop the actual hardware but thankfully I was wrong and they delivered a one of a kind product for avid Hue fans. This is one of my favorite things in my house whether i’m alone or with company. It works great and I’ve never had any issues that would change my satisfaction. Is it perfect? No… it’s a little pricy like all Hue products and sometimes there are some minor compatibility issues with resolution/frame rate across devices. It’s a 1st generation piece of hardware and it receives regular updates via the web so it’s continuing to improve. For me, 99% of the time it works exactly as expected with no issue ... MoreI used to use the desktop PC app but it was always a little inconvenient trying to get it to work well with a tv. I thought that they would never develop the actual hardware but thankfully I was wrong and they delivered a one of a kind product for avid Hue fans. This is one of my favorite things in my house whether i’m alone or with company. It works great and I’ve never had any issues that would change my satisfaction. Is it perfect? No… it’s a little pricy like all Hue products and sometimes there are some minor compatibility issues with resolution/frame rate across devices. It’s a 1st generation piece of hardware and it receives regular updates via the web so it’s continuing to improve. For me, 99% of the time it works exactly as expected with no issue whatsoever. I recommend this to people who truly appreciate the potential use cases. There’s nothing else out there quite like this and it’s totally worth it.I don’t understand how so many people can buy this without realizing that they’re going to feel “distracted” by it. There are so many demo videos and all you have to do is watch one to understand what it does.Tl;drIf you have an ounce of patience and maybe 2 ounces of technology skills I would definitely recommend considering this.

Very cool!!

Great little machine. The light effects are outstanding when watching a movie or playing a game. Makes the TV seem a lot bigger and really enhances the viewing experience. Very happy I have this and use it all the time now, day or night.It works quite well as a HDMI switch and the app is very easy to use.Does not effect the picture quality at all with 4K or 3D movies and the PS5 looks great still.First one I got had issues with snow and black screens, but JBs replaced it on the spot and has not missed a beat since.While I am very happy with the unit, I think the price is way too high for what this does, especially with the cost of the dynamic lights on top, but if it is on sale then very worth it.