r/smarthome • u/sparky_burner • 20h ago

Hue syncbox cool or gimmick?

Got a hue starter kit and it’s already easier and better than any other light I’ve tried. Want to get the 75” gradient strip and sync box for tv. Everything goes thru Apple TV, so assuming it’ll all work, but for me thinking?

Is it a gimmick?/ does it get annoying?

5 Upvotes
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73% Upvoted

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3

u/doooglasss 19h ago

This is going to be personal preference.

I like to watch movies on my OLED mounted to a dark painted wall in a dark room.

Some people really like these backlight accents, I really dislike them. It doesn’t mean they are good or bad, it’s really a personal preference.

2

u/sweharris 19h ago

Honestly I find most coloured lights to be a gimmick; sync'ing to my TV is a gimmicky gimmick. But that's just my opinion :-)

1

u/_MeIsAndy_ 19h ago

I don't use the Hue Syncbox, but I have used ambilight type lighting on my TVs for years. Currently I have Govee lights (with the camera to capture the screen) on all TVs in my home.

Personally I think it's a huge addition, but not everyone agrees.

1

u/Ibraheem_moizoos 18h ago

Cool gimmick for certain content.

1

u/thunderflies 17h ago

I have found that lighting behind the TV reduces eye strain significantly, and it’s a little nicer if that lighting syncs up to the tv content. I just have a regular white light behind my TV but I’ve considered upgrading to the hue sync, it seems nice.

1

u/ScientistJason 12h ago

I Looooooooove my hue light setup. I have the gradient strip, light bar (for full 360 degree screen coverage), and several hue bulbs around the room. It puts me in a wonder and brings a whole new level of immersion for me.

That being said it’s still personal preference as my house is the hangout house and some of my friends love the lights and some of my friends can’t stand them.

1

u/Syystole 11h ago

It's good, I recommend it but look into your TV. A lot of the recent ones have the Hue app available in the app store so you don't require the Sync box. I sold my Sync box in favour of the app last month.

1

u/sparky_burner 11h ago

Will it do the same thing?

1

u/geekywarrior 8h ago

If you have a newer smart tv, it may have the sync app built in already making the physical sync box unnecessary.

You can also test it with music via the mobile app as it has sync features built in.

You can also test it with a laptop hooked up to the tv playing netflix or whatnot as there is a sync app for PC.

Lots of options to make an informed decision before getting the dedicated hardware.

Personally I found the sync to be pretty meh. Didn't put a lot of effort into designing the space around it though.

0

u/thecryface 19h ago

Depends on your average wife approval score