FabianEquipping a second TV in the house with a Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box is not as easy as it might sound. The big problem is not even the price, after all, even the “old” Sync Box costs at least 200 euros and then there’s a good 150 to 200 euros for the Play Lightstrip on top of that. There is an even greater difficulty: the Philips Hue Bridge only allows one sync at a time. If a Sync Box is already in use on the first TV, the second Sync Box cannot be used at the same time.
A possible solution to this problem would be a second Hue Bridge, but this would involve additional costs and effort. The Hue manufacturer Signify now offers a simpler and significantly cheaper solution with its second brand. WiZ officially presented the HDMI Sync Box today. And the price of this new product is more than interesting.
WiZ HDMI Sync Box starts at 89.99 euros – including light strips
WiZ starts at a price of just 89.99 euros. And for that you not only get the WiZ HDMI Sync Box, but also a matching light strip for TVs from 55 to 65 inches. If you use a larger TV with a size of 75 to 85 inches, the bundle costs 109.99 euros. This is also significantly cheaper than Philips Hue. The light strip covers the left, top and right side of the TV.
The WiZ Sync Box supports all video formats up to 4K at 60 Hertz with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. You will therefore have to do without 8K or 4K at 120 Hertz, as is possible with the expensive and new Philips Hue Sync Box.
Probably the biggest limitation: the WiZ Sync Box only offers one HDMI input to connect external players such as an Apple TV. If you want to operate several devices alternately, you will need an additional HDMI splitter. Personally, this wouldn’t bother me on the TV in the bedroom, for example, where we only use an Apple TV.
Additional accessories for the WiZ HDMI Sync Box
In addition to the light strip, the WiZ Sync Box, similar to its Philips Hue counterpart, can include other light sources in the synchronization. There is no maximum number, but they must of course be WiZ lamps or lights in the same WLAN. WiZ has also introduced two new products to match.
For 59.99 euros you can get the WiZ Gradient Light Bar in a double pack. This model is comparable to the Hue Play Lightbar, but with a gradient function. In addition to a stand, an adhesive mount is also included, for example for mounting on the lower back of the TV.
With the WiZ Gradient Floor Light, the light spectacle can be enlarged to the left and right. The floor lamp can simply be placed next to the TV for a wall-washer effect. The price for a single floor lamp is 99.99 euros.
Unfortunately, the new products are not yet available on Amazon. The official launch is planned for May.
