The Philips Hue Play Sync Box is one of those accessories that practically any user of the Philips Hue smart lighting system would want. The problem is that it's not easy to justify its €250 price tag. But what if we told you that with a Raspberry Pi you could have it for a much smaller investment? Let's take a look.
What is Ambilight
Before seeing how to make your own Philips Hue Sync Box, it is important to know what Ambilight is. If you are interested in the world of televisions, we are convinced that you already know what we mean and even without being a follower of all the news that is related to Smart TVs, it is likely that you are too.
Ambilight is a lighting system that Philips launched quite a few years ago. Initially, it was very basic, consisting mainly of a series of lights that changed intensity depending on the image being displayed, and only on a couple of sides.
Over time it evolved, and not only did three-sided Ambilight systems arrive, but also those that allowed adapting the intensity and color to create a much more immersive and attractive experience when viewing all kinds of content, from series to movies and even video games.
As the television was in charge of processing and analyzing the image, it did not matter what the video source was that could be enjoyed from this striking and attractive option.
What is the Philips Hue Play Sync Box
As Philips introduced new products to its portfolio of Philips Hue smart lights and the popularity of Ambilight grew, they thought it would be a good idea to offer something that would allow users to enjoy the experience without having to buy a Philips Hue television. .
First of all, because even though it was the ideal, they knew that it would not always be possible. And because the idea of ​​Ambilight could not only be used when viewing content, but also for very different occasions such as playing video games or having a party with friends.
Furthermore, with such a wide range of light bulbs, LED strips, indoor and outdoor lamps, etc., not taking advantage of that entire ecosystem of products seemed crazy. So the company recently launched the Philips Hue Sync Box.
This small box is designed to be placed next to the television, projector, or monitor you use to view your favorite audiovisual content. The video source connects to it via an HDMI cable, and then another HDMI cable connects it to the screen.
The video signal is analyzed within the box , which then manages how the connected smart lights will function. This, along with an app that allows users to select the lights and their position relative to themselves, creates a very interesting effect, offering a new way to enjoy multimedia experiences.
The problem is that this small box costs around €249 , a significant investment that's not easy to justify. Furthermore, if you add the cost of Philips RGB bulbs or even light strips, enjoying the Ambilight system or experience becomes even more expensive.
Of course, the experience that this box will offer you with the rest of the Philips products is clearly going to be the most satisfying of all. But if you make certain commitments, it may be worth everything you're going to save.
How to make your own Philips Hue Play Sync Box
Let's say you have some Philips Hue bulbs and you've heard about the Philips Hue Play Sync Box, but spending $249 isn't on your mind. Solution? Well, make your own box for the synchronization of your smart lights. And yes, thanks to the use of a Raspberry Pi plus some other additional component.
Required components
Along with the Raspberry Pi, you will need a series of additional components to be able to assemble your own Philips Hue Play Sync Box. If you already have a Raspberry Pi, the investment will be very low. And in the event that it is not, you will also save a significant amount of money compared to the official Philips solution.
The components you need are:
- Raspberry PiAlmost any model is worth it. Although you may be interested in a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with 2GB of RAM
- Various HDMI cables
- HDMI Splitter
- HDMI to RCA Converter
- usb video capture
- HDMI Switch in case you want to use it with different video sources
Now that you have all the necessary components, the next step is to download and install the software that will make all the magic happen: Hyperion. This will analyze the incoming video signal and then synchronize it with your Philips Hue lights at home.
Here it is necessary to clarify that, although the software officially only supports the original Philips Hue API, support for the new Philips Entertainment API can be added to improve the experience.
For the Hyperion installation process on Raspberry Pi, the best thing to do is consult the official documentation available on the project's GitHub page. It requires knowledge of English, although you can also use a translator, and with a little patience, you shouldn't have any problem following each step.
Once you have Hyperion installed on your Raspberry Pi, connect all the cables and the rest of the component depending on what you want. That is, if you want to take advantage of this substitute for the Philips Hue Play Sync Box, then use the HDMI Switch. From there, that HDMI output to the splitter.
The splitter will take out a cable for the screen that you are going to use (television, monitor or projector) and another when talking from HDMI to RCA, which in turn will go to the USB video capture connected to the Raspberry Pi. Yes, at first it may seem a bit confusing, but just follow an order and that's it.
When everything is ready, from Hyperion you can configure aspects such as the brightness and intensity of the lights, which ones you will use, etc. Once everything is over, you can forget about it and dedicate yourself to enjoying this very DIY alternative, but perfect for saving a lot of money and enjoying a very attractive immersive experience.
Hyperion also allows you to make your own Ambilight
Along with this option, Hyperion also lets you build your own Ambilight system , and all you need is a Raspberry Pi and an LED strip to place around your TV. You can see the steps and the result in the following video. So, don't say it's not interesting to do something like this.
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