As someone who uses the Hue light bar and strips on my monitor and theater setup, I absolutely love them. For my monitor I just like having the extra light becuase I stay more enganged with what I am doing and feel more relaxed overall, and for my theater setup I have the gradiant lightstrip which I find awesome for movies but also I run an emulation station on it as well and it really provides a great experience to some old classics and makes everything just feel more enjoyable overall. They are expensive and more of a novelty for most, but for those who spend a lot of time gaming or watching movies, you will have a blast!
@@Exlipse703 not that I have ever noticed, no. I've used the light bars, strips, bulbs, and even the gradient light strips and never have heard any static or buzzing.
this is the main reason im actually considering Phillips hue is for this feature. I know razor chroma has the ability to sync with games and whats on the screen using certain smart lighting products I'm just not sure what to go for. ik govee has gotten bigger and i want to check them out as well. My goal is seamless compatibility with these services and being able to sync my lighting with my desktop lights and headphone and mouse. Would you say it's worth going all in with phillips hue? are other brands may be able to achieve this? i know phillips hue is the biggest name but I'm doing research atm any advice helps!!
@cottoncandykeith if I had more expendable cash I would go with Phillips hue. I've never tried the others and was tempted too, but I just grabbed hue because the gradient light was what I knew I wanted and hue stuff has some decent discounts every so often. The UI is really good and all my lights are still going 3 years down the road. The quality is there, but the price holds it back from being accessible to me and there are some restrictions to lighting control from what I remember, but I already forgot what they were so I don't think it's much to worry about. The hue sync box is the biggest downfall with its price to get the lights to do anything without a computer (gaming consoles, tv, blu ray) but I get past this with a 25ft HDMI running from my PC to my home theater tv in the next room. If you mod consoles, you can also cast your console to your PC and the PC can use the hue sync app to show lights in my theater room while I play on the theater tv.
I’ve been using devices bought more than six years ago when we lived at our old house. All of it is still working. I now have over 60 different Philips lights and accessories around my new home.
I'm hoping Philips Hue continues to expand on the app and add new features, I really like the effects it provides. Expense seems to be the only downside from what I can tell. I had a bulb go out after buying it earlier this year and it was pretty easy for them to send me a new replacement no questions asked. Definitely paying for quality.
I LOVE the new candle and fireplace effects! I only wish you could change the color on them :( The fireplace is too orange, and it would be cool to change to green for instance on Halloween :P I also wish they would support more colors on the gradient strip instead of just three colors. At least it's good to see that they do change and add things to the app :D Cant wait to see what's next!
Hue Sync is to be connected to your OLED TV in the living room not your computer. That is why it has 4 HDMI inputs. That is where it makes sense. My family loves the effect. Never connected it to the monitor or PC ... makes little sense to me.
Thanks for sharing! You bring up a good point about entertainment on the TV. I might just be convinced to reconsider my Hue Sync thoughts some day soon.
@@EricWelander I second what Nuno said. Watching movies are just so much more immersive with the sync box. We’ve placed bulbs all around alongside the TV gradient light strip in our living room, giving us a “surround Lighting” in addition to surround sound!
@@EricWelander just a warning. The Hue Sync box its a money trojan horse. You buy the box but to work as intended you need to spend at least twice of that (gradient light strip or bar TV). Apart from that it creates a nice living room entertainment environment. I have it connected to my LG OLED C9. The TV detects the Hue Sync (HDMI Hub), so all the HDMI inputs become available from the UI ... changing inputs with the TV remote. Connected to it I have my Apple TV, TV Set-top box and Playstation. So get ambient light and syncing if desired for any kind of media in the living room. Wether at the rhythm of imaging or audio. Totally hands free operation (HDMI-CEC). For me the main drawback disabling and enabling light sync. In my case as I use Siri I need to use my phone for that. But if you use Google Home or Alexa you can configure it to respond to voice commands. "Ok Google, enable/disable light sync".
If you use Hue Sync with a PC it's more about controlling the lighting of devices (e.g. kboard, case) than bias lighting The Sync system needs an update to be compatible with latest release TVs (HDMI 2.1, etc...)
I recently replaced the vast majority of my bulbs with Philips Hue and they're the best I've used. Super fast to respond and no issues. The lutron dimmer looks awesome. Great video, Eric!
Hue Sync is GREAT for gaming, especially since it doesn’t require the sync box on PC. I also have my Razer keyboard and mouse light-synced, and it’s really an immersive experience. Great video!
Thanks! That does sound like a cool gaming setup and I bet it's nice how you can sync all your lights from your Razer accessories too. Your comment here is getting me to reconsider my ideas about Sync. We'll see...
@@EricWelander The important thing about sync is setting up your lights to do sync instead of just using the ones already in the room the experience needs to be crafted with the idea of sync from the start otherwise I find it to be meh but love my set up
👍 Same except that I use it not just for games, since my big computer display is used for everything (no TV needed in my appartement), you are right, it's so immersive, but you have to set it up the good way for it. And I do not use the lights he used behind his screen, I use the strip made for it , which transform your screen into an ambilight display system, not just a bicolor stuff. And also I use Google assistant for my smart home, I'm not into Apple at all. I don't use switches, it's all automatic or I use voice. Very occasionally I use my phone for control, or some Google assistant with displays here and there. When it's smart it's smart.
@@ultrawidepc I use those already in my room, but I had already 6 in my room. I prefer lights all around to make a better cosy ambiance instead of big things. And it make them easier to make surround light for the display since they are everywhere. If you tell the system correctly where they exactly are, it's really immersive. You are right inside the scene. The only light I bought on purpose is the light strip for the screen, capable of multiple colors simultaneously (not just one at the same time) corresponding to the display. This strip is the most pricey but it worth it.
@@EricWelander Definitely reconsider, but make sure to do a proper setup (with gradient light strip around the TV and maybe even play bars to the sides) 😅
Re the buttons. You can do different scenes with additional presses, and a long press dims or brightens the bulbs. However, I do tend to use them for simple places ie rooms which just need ‘on or off’ and next to the bed for a little convenient light switch.
I agree with the price being equivalent to the quality of the products. I tend to purchase during Black Friday, Hot Sale, Amazon Prime Day, and lother similar local discount days, and that has helped me to keep my system affordable. I now have up to 36 accessories connected to my bridge (between lights, switches and sensors) and I wouldn't trade my Philips Hue System for anything. I also have the Hue Sync Box connected to my TV and in conjunction with the TV led strip, it's been GLORIOUS! There's one thing that also comes with that premium Philips Hue price: reliability. There's nothing more frustrating for the smart-home owner than having bulbs and accessories go bonkers and stop working for no apparent reason. That happened to me with several Meross products. I traded them little by little for their PH counterparts and I've never looked back.
Have you ever tried or thought about Wyze bulbs? They're a lot cheaper, and I heard they flicker less/at a higher refresh rate; the flicker rate is important, because flickering lights can contribute to headaches and/or migraines. The reason I'm interested in Hue lights, is because they seem to have the best software. I don't understand why companies don't understand that the software is possibly _the most_ important part of smart electronics -- what does it matter if you have great bulbs if the software isn't as customizable, integrateable, or doesn't have the options to make the bulbs do what you want.
Yeah the price is crazy. But at least in modern times anytime I’ve bought a Philips anything it’s never broken on me. I have 5-6-7 ( not ever sure ) of Philips power saving but not smart bulbs I had in lamps since about 2010 that still work haha. I’m about to buy the HUE signe lamp from Amazon. So was trying to find info on it.
Love your videos! I understand it's not for everybody, but I have the HDMI Sync Box with a "proper" setup of a gradient strip behind the TV, to evenly spread the light, and two Play Bars on the floor beside the TV table for extra effect, and I personally LOVE it. By far my favorite of all the Hue products. I'm very sensitive to light, especially if there is a high contrast between a darker environment and a light source (it's weird, I know), and watching TV has been awful on my eyes for years, UNTIL I got the Sync Box. It takes away the contrast in lighting when it matches what I see on screen (and for that only, it is worth it to me) AND I love how it adds to effects and "extends" the TV across my (white) wall. You have to find the correct setting and balance of sensitivity and brightness that works for you, but once you do, it's absolutely amazing. I don't use bulbs that are in clear view of my eyes as it can become very distracting. Another good tip for a better experience is to turn the brightness down to match the TV brightness (or just a bit lower) so it's less distracting, and keep the sensitivity to just above middle, so it doesn't go off when i'ts not supposed to 😁 You don't want the light to take away from what is happening on the screen! Thank you for creating such amazing videos 😊
It's not weird Xander. I have the exact same thing with my eyes. In the old days (without the sync box) after 1,5hr or so i would see double and had to squeeze my eyes for a "just enough"view. Now with the lights working with the tv it is completly over!! so great
Hue always works and is very dependable. And works great with homekit. That’s also the reason I got the Hue system because in the Netherlands where not many other options available back then. Now with other brands working well with homekit. Its worth to check out other brands as well. Since Hue is very overpriced compared to other brands
Welcome Back! So glad to have you back sharing your straight forward information/opinions...from a mother who also had twins and a spare....I know the struggle with finding time for just about anything when they're young!
I have a Philips Hue Smart plug and I thinks it's great. Currently I use it to control my fan. Being able to control my fan and my lights on the same app is really convenient.
Great intro to people unaware of Philips Hue. I was an early adoptor and I have lights close to 10 years old, still working like a charm! I use standard E27 lamps outside in freezing temperatures down to minus 10 celsius and up to 35 in summer time - no problem. One thing to meantion which I didnt see in this video, is the Ambiance products (where the lightstrip or lamp has severel light units). I use the Ambiance lightstrip behind my 49" Super Ultra Wide monitor for my pc and it is incredible immersive and changes the whole office / gaming environment. Using the two devices in this video, would understandably be pretty dull. I have a few of the ambiance lamps too and together with basically all other lights being Hue, this really makes it easy to program theft-prevention timers or throw disco parties that the kids loves. I also like the smartplugs and being the same eco-system as the rest totally makes sense. I even use them for other things than lights that I want rebooted on a weekly basis.
10:17 well Eric, you may have missed the part where it’s meant to be used in a living room setup as another commenter pointed out and also maybe you missed the announcement earlier in the fall where Philips is launching a different version specifically for your computer
We use the Hue Smart plugs for controlling our regular led fence lights. We also use the smart plugs for controlling Christmas tree lights. Lastly we also control our two portable Air-conditioning units with the smart plugs. So there are many useful options for these smart plugs.
I'm using a hue module and it's been great! As far as being in the wall is no big deal. Just pop out two screws, replace batteries and screw it back in. No contact to high voltage. It's great!
Love all my hue lights, switches, light strips, and motion sensors. We just bought a brand new Samsung 65” QN90B 4K TV. I was surprised to find it had the Philips Hue Sync built in. Pretty sweet to just download an app on the tv and sync lights. No extra box to plug into tv.
8:55 yeah this is great if you want to control a smart light where the switch doesn’t have a neutral wire, but then again I think the Lutron Aurora dimmer is a better solution here
The outdoor range is great. Sure not cheap but when you buy a few items at a time and add on, it transforms the outdoor space beautifully and works easily with a switch you can use to control (as well as your phone).
I guess you mean when power goes out to one or more of the devices? That can happen often for some people. Yes, the devices reset to "full power on" when the power comes back on. There is no algorithm in the Hue Bridge to account for that and reset previous program, if that's what you're asking. Try making a request with the Hue people, I guess it's possible they have not tried to fix that in years.
@@razoraz it’s actually under Settings, Lights under on this Hue Bridge and it’s called Power Loss Recovery. This isn’t an uncommon feature on other platforms. My LIFX and Nanoleaf lights have this feature and it works as intended.
@@theattorney6072 so my Lutron Caseta and LIFX lights function properly. Hue lights have a setting to remember power State but it doesn’t work properly.
10:15 - I finally got my sync box set up recently, and it's awesome 😊 Now, there are some caveats: - You need to look up which settings work best for your personal preference (mine are Intensity-2, Brightness-40) - It's best for animated content, can be distracting with dramatic content, and pretty pointless for sports - You may want to get an HMDI splitter and just setup the sync box as a "dead-end" if you use an AVR.
I've had excellent results with Philips hue! Great products. Only issue I have is sometimes when the motion sensor in the kitchen turns on the lights, the smart plug sometimes will activate and turn on the fan connected to it. Doesn't happen all the time. A little bug in the system somewhere. Other than that minor issue, Hue products have been bullet proof! Can't say the same for my Aqara camera and motion sensor. They never want to work all the time.
Ive had WEMO/ihome and other HomeKit smart plugs. I just purchased the Hue Plug to replace all of the as they keep disconnecting. I noticed anything that uses a hub as far as lights go IE Hue and Lutron have been the most consistent with reliability
I do like your video, and don't mean to be "that guy" in your chat, but clearly I will LOL. My suggestion to you is to try the Sync box with the gradient strip on the back of your TV, I also have two of the stand alone lights pointing down. I also have perimeter lights around the back of my room and sync everything together. It is expensive, however it is one of my favourite smart lights in my home. My only complaint is I can only sync 10 lights at a time. I know that might sound like a lot but I have my whole family room set up with the Hue bulbs including 6 GU10 ceiling lights. Just wanted to share my experience with that ecosystem because I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the video and appreciate your work.
The Wall Switch is great for rooms like the bathroom, where only 2 lights are in there. Especially if you want to adjust the light colors. Yes, these are not products that everyone needs. However, I'm glad they exist. They are therefore not bad or to avoid.
Hue makes high quality products, the newest version are bright with great color saturation. We tested a bunch of alternatives, and there are some more affordable options but philips hue really is the industry leader. If you've already got an entertainment space with a lot of Hue lightning and a decent sized TV, the sync box adds a cool effect, it'd be nice if they offered a package with the sync box, lightstrips and a couple of bars
I agree a package deal would simplify what people have to understand to get the sync setup, and I that's great to hear it's the best in the category. I guess I'm just not really into the category and I think it's easy, like I did, to get sold on the idea and then realize you don't like it after spending hundreds of $. There's always the option to return it though...
How do you make a timed smart plug foolproof? For example, the internet might fail momentarily when the switch is due to be activated. Also if you use Apple home, which device sends the signal to the smart switch?
I have no smart light at the moment. I have 2 buttons on 2 places but both for my living room. Do I need to replace both buttons with this or can I control both lamps with 1 hue dimmer?
If I had mislaid my phone (I live in the UK) I used to be able to power cycle the wall switch, (not Hue smart switch), on a off a few times and the HUE bulb would turn on full brightness. However, this no longer works since early 2024. Have the settings behaviour of the bulbs or bridges changed?
Not sure how old this video is. But can you use one dimmer switch as a master switch that will turn off all the lights in the house by the door for example? While still allowing room by room function?
Very comprehensive video as always! Hue was the first smart home product I purchased and I now have over 30 lighting products and it is the main lighting source throughout my home. It is very reliable and I really enjoy their accessory’s. This being said, if I had to do it over again, I would not choose Hue. While the hardware and software combination works very well together, I do feel that they are significantly overpriced, and I actually don’t find myself taking advantage of all that the software has to offer.
Have to agree, also have 30+ bulbs, light strips and smart plugs. These things do seem to be reliable but definitely way over priced. Would I buy again? Delends on the competition and their price along with features.
@@NurseAcrobat I can't say I would completely eliminate Hue from my set up, but I would definitely opt for smart switches as opposed to smart bulbs for my primary light sources. I do really like their control accessories, but I'm not so impressed with their actual lighting products.
@@myHomeKithome Hello, I don't understand it when you Say that you would opt for smart switches instead of smart bulbs. Aren't smart bulbs supposed to work with smart switches (both beeing hue or Any other brand with a bridge?)
@@theattorney6072 not really. Smart switches allow all of the damn lights on that circuit to be controlled remotely and automated. Smart bulbs can do the same but if they are on a "dumb" circuit, if the light switch controlling that circuit is turned off, it kills power to the smart bulb. it is possible to control some smart bulbs with smart switches, but the instances are a few and far between and often redundant.
Hi there. Love Hue system but am stumped by a problem. I was forced to fully reset all three of my bridges as well as a full new Home in Honekit. Painful but I did it but can only manage to add one bridge to Homekit. I used to have three working and I just don’t know what to try to fix this. Sorry to put question here but I am desperate. Thanks.
I bought 4 GU10 "bulbs" to try it, and I'm now waiting for 2 additional GU10 and the bridge... I hate directional lights, but I don't want to change the current setup in my rooms.
Hi, thanks for the great content. I use sync on my computer via the hue sync app and 2 light bars. It works great for gaming as it lights up based on the colors on the monitor. However, I wanted to talk about the small hue button, it does have long press functionality and it is not limited to only hue products. I stuck mine to my bedside table and the long press function turns off all lights in the house including my lutron light switches. I am able to achieve this because it works with Homekit. If you don't use Homekit perhaps it is limited to only hue products.
I bought a 4 pack with bridge starter kit for $80 on Black Friday in 2016. I also bought an additional 2 pack of bulbs for $20. I haven’t changed my light bulbs since.
High quality video. Liked how you laid it all out. The one thing I would disagree on is the hue smart plug. Between hue and Caseta, you won’t find a more reliable smart plug. And it’s all about reliability with HomeKit accessories.
That's good to hear. Thanks for sharing! I find the TP-Link ones work really well for less $, but given how reliable my Philips Hue bulbs are I bet their smart plugs are too.
@@EricWelander I just installed a smart plug to turn on/off four cheap Phillips 1800lm LED Ledinaire "tubes" to light my 700sqf garage/workshop, controlled by a HUE motion sensor. Exactly what I wanted, works perfectly. So the plug is pretty decent, IMO.
I’m a little confused on the router requirement for the Hub. With a conventional router set-up, the router would broadcast the WiFi signal throughout the house. This also would provide for remote access. What if you don’t have WiFi, but you do have a router? Does the Hub coupled to a router broadcast the signal throughout the house? Of course then remote control usage away from the house would not be available.
Hi Eric, Just a few things to reconsider. Wall module: When installed you can add lights you want to control with the wall switch so not only the luminair that is original connected to the wall switch. The real thing they invented this module is the fact that it is not possible to cut off the electric flow to the luminair so if somebody accidentaly switch you are not able to use the app, you first have to witch it back. When using the module you never ever cut of the electricity. I have one myself and are more then pleased, Sync box: This is just great but the scene you showed is a very silly and indeed needless setup, that does not work, if you use these light bars they have to be close to the wall otherwise you do not see the light coming from them. Also only a lightbar behind the tv is not sufficient to have a good experience, it is best to have the gradient behind the tv (also close to the wall) and other lights divided thru your room, preferble all the lights in the same room. When the set-up in the app is done correctly (placement and height of the lamps) i guarante you will come back to your statement and even want to make a new video only about the sync box. Wall switch: believe it or not but not everybody has Apple products ;-) The switch is very handy if you want other devices beside light to remotely control via the Hue app or accesoires. For example i have connected my tv with the plug, now if i turn on my lights when i come home the tv automticaly turns on, same when all lights are turning off. So now my tv does not eat any electricity for standby mode.
Do you think that people will regret buying into this right now as thread becomes more of the standard? Or do you think it will be fine regardless? Will hue be able to update to thread with an over the air update? Or is it a hardware issue? Will Hue continue to work seamlessly in my home even when my Wifi is down?
I actually love the wall switch module. Sure it’s crazy that you need it to remove all confusion, and it means that the fixture is powered on at all times. But it idiot-proves the lighting.
Yeah that's the thing with sticking with one vendor like Philips Hue. You do have the lock in with the switch module, which I want to caution people about, but I can imagine how it makes things so much simpler if you are willing to commit to it. Thanks for sharing your experience here.
@@EricWelander Absolutely! It keeps me looking at Zigbee bulbs. Of course you can control it through HomeKit as well, but I’ve yet to try this. Mostly because I don’t appreciate having to use shortcuts for a simple button handle.
@@JustMe-sh8nd I know, sometimes my English is clumsy. I meant that it keeps me locked in to Zigbee instead of trying something like the Nanoleaf Essential bulbs.
You should check out the runlesswire switches. They have a dual rocker style, which allows up to 8 different functions per switch. Have them in every room, and work amazingly.
If i need to connect my extra Hue lights only to Phillips Ambilight TV, do i still need the "Hue Bridge?" Or Do I need "Phillips HUE HDMI TV SYNC BOX?" Or do I need the both? 🤔 thank you.
you dont need the hdmi sync box to use hue sync on a pc, you only need a hue bridge, hue sync compatible lights and an entertainment zone set up in the hue app I'd assume you only need the sync box for a TV or similar
Hmm. Good info, but I was looking for operational info. What colors does it support? How do you change the color? How does the phone app work remotely? etc.
Don't rely for his "better not to buy" products just like that. As you can see in many comments for example the sync box is just amazing (when enough lights are connected). Best to watch more video's from different youtubers to get a better understanding of what these products actually do..
Thanks for giving us the rundown on Philip Hue. I do agree with you about the sync box. I, purchased it a little while ago. I actually run a 5.2 Atmos surroundsound with receiver on my entertainment set up. And stream most of my content via Apple 4K TV. When you run the sink box through the receiver. You do have occasional hiccups. Like the screen will flash on and off. The only way to rectify this is in between all of the flashing. Try to access your Apple settings and adjust them. Which is almost impossible because your screen is flashing on and off rapidly. I finally just took it off. Even though I do like it. it sure wasn’t worth the hassle. I know if I run it on one of my TVs that do not have a receiver hooked to it. I probably will not have this issue. When searching the Internet. I have found that a multitude of people experience the exact same thing. One other thing that I had to deal with. Every time I turned everything off. As in my TV, Apple TV 4K, and receiver. Once I turned everything back on again. It always had a problem finding my video source. I would always have to unplug my Apple 4K TV. Wait 10 seconds. And plug it back on while everything else was left on. That usually fixed it. But it was a hassle. Keep up your awesome content.
Over the last 7 years I’ve bought cheaper alternative smart bulbs on Amazon because Hue was so expensive. I’ve used them over wifi with the smart home app. My third set of bulbs just started failing and I finally bought a bunch of hue things to dive into the ecosystem. They’re definitely way more expensive but I’m done with failed pairings (my wifi router is on a different floor), having to program every phrase through Siri to get it what I want to do (no Alexa or google built in), Siri sometimes not understanding the exact phrases I’ve said 100s of times etc. excited for everything to get here!
Got another Bridge. Do I have to connect it to a new account? I can manage it in the app at home but not from outside. When I try to connect to my account, I get a message that the login is already taken.
The lutron aurora dimmer looks like it may be the key to not having to rewire my ceiling fan in order to be able to dim the lights on it. I can't use a regular dimmer with a ceiling fan motor so I would usually need an extra wire to control the lights and fan independently. With the lutron I could leave power on, dim the hue lights, and control the fan with the pull chain as we've already been doing. Dimmer and hue lights ordered :-)
Yes. The only draw back is that you will need two separate email account for remote access via hue app. If you only concern with HomeKit, then you don’t even need hue cloud services as HomeKit can have as many bridges as you wish.
The Hue Hub is the most rock solid controller I've used. I've had it two years and it's never disconnected. I use third party switch modules, not the Hue ones, and never have to worry about people turning off at the switch. One product I wouldn't recommend are the new light strips. They are way too expensive.
Is there a way to fix it if u have a bolb that keeps coming on, I've got 3 setup in the light in my bedroom and every time I come in one of the bolbs is on and it's not even set to the color I had
Hello fellow Cortexen! Awesome video! Unfortunately, I am not an apple user. The video was generally informative for me, but your outro leads me to believe that you will not be what I personally need for my smart home/ lighting solutions. I will poke around a bit more though. Good luck.
You should check out the runlesswire switches. They have a dual rocker style, which allows up to 8 different functions per switch. Have them in every room, and work amazingly.
Can you make us an updated video for this year on the product that you tested or know about that work with Apple HomeKit? I have seen you’ve had one 2 years and it’s amazing. I think that would be great to be done again!
the Bluetooth can also be used with google home devices (such as google Nest smart speakers) to replace the Hue Bridge since the home device becomes the bridge instead and be good if you need a way to get started with philips hue
Eric, I couldn’t agree with you more about the Sync. Last year, I had Best Buy install Hue lights throughout my home which I’ve used with Home Kit. But I also had sync boxes attached to my TVs i the family room and master bedroom with the Hue Lightstrips. The sync boxes were a disaster. There were so many problems. They constantly lost connection to the internet. The TVs took forever to turn on because of them and in the case of the one in my master, took more than 2-3 minutes at times. I got rid of them a couple of weeks ago and everything works well with the TVs again.
i bought the hue light bulbs and bridge in 2013, had to buy the new bridge a few years later and by 2018 everything stopped working. The bulbs still work as bulbs but thats it, they don't have bluetooth if you bought them before 2019
Philips Hue noob here. Just moved into a new place and would like to get started with some home automation. Some people in the family never turn off lights so need to mitigate that to save energy. I know there are tonnes of eco systems out there but hue seems like I won't encounter a roadblock later on.
I have some hue bt bulbs that are no longer accessible because their new app upgrade is essentially a degrade. It only works on Android => 10 and Samsung doesn't provide that upgrade for my note 8..
Why I have a lot of respect for your knowledge and the videos you do I have to disagree with you on the Sync Box. With Covid shutting down theaters I had no choice to create my own. Using the Sync Box with 10 Hue lights has given me an amazing experience that enhances the shows I watch. I do agree it is not for everyone and it is definitely not cheap (my setup is $800) but when watching a movie and the effects I get I feel it was worth every penny.
I have the Hue Sync and it has never worked right. Random switching between inputs and not picking up active signals, and the latest thing its started doing is just randomly losing signal. The only real miss in my hue collection.
Need help, brand new hue setup, connect the bridge only the first 2 lights on and 3rd (internet connection) is off, had this problem setting up once and setting up for sister now, cannot get the internet connection light on the bridge to light up last time had to call support but cannot remember how they got it to connect, have tried switching ports and power cycling, I am trying not to call support again because I had to use a computer to assist them to get it to run, if anyone could help with how to get the new bridge to connect to the internet or if I am missing something would appreciate the help getting it to work! Again, this is a new first time setup and it is fresh out of the box!
Why is the Bluetooth Funktion bad? I don't have a Smart Home System and I don't really want one, so the bluetooth funktion souded like a good alternativ. Also the bridge is not cheap.
These are not to avoid, Eric did not know the exact working of these products. Regarding the sync box for example, the setup he showed... yeah that is useless indeed but not the way as intended (see a lot of comments here) als the module is a great thing. Do not rely on 1 person and check more videos to have a better understanding of functionalities.. It would be a shame if you missed some really cool features you would have liked
any one knows how to make the motion sensor have more settings? you can only choose 2 time windows. id like more, so day/evening/night have different settings
I waited till the Sync Box was $179 before I bought one. I love that it's basically a smart HDMI switch with wifi. Also? I don't have it connected to a computer. I feel like it's actually meant for main TV setups...not so much computer setups, cept for heavy gamers. Connected it into Home Assistant and it works pretty well for me.
That's a good point on the entertainment use vs computer use. I've heard it's fun for gaming too. Maybe some day I will come around on the idea but I'm still skeptical I would like it personally.
@@EricWelander I noticed that the lights on your monitor is not really meant to be used with the sync box(I have those lights too on my monitor). I have the gradient lights and the sync box on my tv and I love them! I just switched to Phillips Hue. Should've done it a while ago!
@@EricWelander The Sync Box is atually more to be used with a TV, as there is a free online Sync App for your PC (at least under Windows and Linux, so the Sync Box is wasted money in this case). The Sync Box also comes with a HDMI Wifi switch, as mentioned already by the Craig S.: When I want my oldschool TV to turn on without using the remote, I can now use voicecommand with Google or just tap "stream to device" in Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video etc and it will turn on. I can use it to toggle the video (e.g. "pause the video"/"reduce the volume"/"switch the channel") without touching any remote, it all works by voice.
I have literally zero Philips Hue products but man I don't think I could possibly agree with your take on the sync system. I opted for the Govee version back when that just released (so I have the crappy v1 system with the camera) and it was a complete game changer to the point of going beyond just a cool party trick. I can actually watch TV at night without getting having to choose between turning on my lights that are distracting, or a headache. It's definitely overpriced though especially if you're buying it as your first (or only) thing within their ecosystem, but if you've already bought into it anyway and have the bridge and everything setup, it's actually a very respectable option. Also they're supposed to go on your TV, not your computer. For my desk I like some static white LEDs because changing colors are distracting when you're working on things. Other than that though, this was a cool informative video, I was kinda looking around to see if there's any good info on the ecosystem as a whole, because I actually am looking to replace my old Govee sync thing with a Phillips one because Govee support with Homekit (and Home Assistant) is atrocious and I want something that's not gonna cause me a headache every other day lol.
As someone who uses the Hue light bar and strips on my monitor and theater setup, I absolutely love them. For my monitor I just like having the extra light becuase I stay more enganged with what I am doing and feel more relaxed overall, and for my theater setup I have the gradiant lightstrip which I find awesome for movies but also I run an emulation station on it as well and it really provides a great experience to some old classics and makes everything just feel more enjoyable overall. They are expensive and more of a novelty for most, but for those who spend a lot of time gaming or watching movies, you will have a blast!
Does the power supply make a static noise when on or when off?
@@Exlipse703 not that I have ever noticed, no. I've used the light bars, strips, bulbs, and even the gradient light strips and never have heard any static or buzzing.
this is the main reason im actually considering Phillips hue is for this feature. I know razor chroma has the ability to sync with games and whats on the screen using certain smart lighting products I'm just not sure what to go for. ik govee has gotten bigger and i want to check them out as well. My goal is seamless compatibility with these services and being able to sync my lighting with my desktop lights and headphone and mouse. Would you say it's worth going all in with phillips hue? are other brands may be able to achieve this? i know phillips hue is the biggest name but I'm doing research atm any advice helps!!
@cottoncandykeith if I had more expendable cash I would go with Phillips hue. I've never tried the others and was tempted too, but I just grabbed hue because the gradient light was what I knew I wanted and hue stuff has some decent discounts every so often. The UI is really good and all my lights are still going 3 years down the road. The quality is there, but the price holds it back from being accessible to me and there are some restrictions to lighting control from what I remember, but I already forgot what they were so I don't think it's much to worry about.
The hue sync box is the biggest downfall with its price to get the lights to do anything without a computer (gaming consoles, tv, blu ray) but I get past this with a 25ft HDMI running from my PC to my home theater tv in the next room. If you mod consoles, you can also cast your console to your PC and the PC can use the hue sync app to show lights in my theater room while I play on the theater tv.
I’ve been using devices bought more than six years ago when we lived at our old house. All of it is still working. I now have over 60 different Philips lights and accessories around my new home.
I'm hoping Philips Hue continues to expand on the app and add new features, I really like the effects it provides. Expense seems to be the only downside from what I can tell. I had a bulb go out after buying it earlier this year and it was pretty easy for them to send me a new replacement no questions asked. Definitely paying for quality.
I LOVE the new candle and fireplace effects! I only wish you could change the color on them :( The fireplace is too orange, and it would be cool to change to green for instance on Halloween :P I also wish they would support more colors on the gradient strip instead of just three colors. At least it's good to see that they do change and add things to the app :D Cant wait to see what's next!
Hue Sync is to be connected to your OLED TV in the living room not your computer. That is why it has 4 HDMI inputs. That is where it makes sense. My family loves the effect. Never connected it to the monitor or PC ... makes little sense to me.
Thanks for sharing! You bring up a good point about entertainment on the TV. I might just be convinced to reconsider my Hue Sync thoughts some day soon.
@@EricWelander I second what Nuno said. Watching movies are just so much more immersive with the sync box. We’ve placed bulbs all around alongside the TV gradient light strip in our living room, giving us a “surround Lighting” in addition to surround sound!
I use my pc to play movies and games so I didn't have to buy a sync box. This comment is stupid...
@@EricWelander just a warning. The Hue Sync box its a money trojan horse. You buy the box but to work as intended you need to spend at least twice of that (gradient light strip or bar TV). Apart from that it creates a nice living room entertainment environment.
I have it connected to my LG OLED C9. The TV detects the Hue Sync (HDMI Hub), so all the HDMI inputs become available from the UI ... changing inputs with the TV remote. Connected to it I have my Apple TV, TV Set-top box and Playstation. So get ambient light and syncing if desired for any kind of media in the living room. Wether at the rhythm of imaging or audio. Totally hands free operation (HDMI-CEC).
For me the main drawback disabling and enabling light sync. In my case as I use Siri I need to use my phone for that. But if you use Google Home or Alexa you can configure it to respond to voice commands. "Ok Google, enable/disable light sync".
If you use Hue Sync with a PC it's more about controlling the lighting of devices (e.g. kboard, case) than bias lighting
The Sync system needs an update to be compatible with latest release TVs (HDMI 2.1, etc...)
I recently replaced the vast majority of my bulbs with Philips Hue and they're the best I've used. Super fast to respond and no issues. The lutron dimmer looks awesome. Great video, Eric!
Hue Sync is GREAT for gaming, especially since it doesn’t require the sync box on PC. I also have my Razer keyboard and mouse light-synced, and it’s really an immersive experience. Great video!
Thanks! That does sound like a cool gaming setup and I bet it's nice how you can sync all your lights from your Razer accessories too. Your comment here is getting me to reconsider my ideas about Sync. We'll see...
@@EricWelander The important thing about sync is setting up your lights to do sync instead of just using the ones already in the room the experience needs to be crafted with the idea of sync from the start otherwise I find it to be meh but love my set up
👍 Same except that I use it not just for games, since my big computer display is used for everything (no TV needed in my appartement), you are right, it's so immersive, but you have to set it up the good way for it. And I do not use the lights he used behind his screen, I use the strip made for it , which transform your screen into an ambilight display system, not just a bicolor stuff.
And also I use Google assistant for my smart home, I'm not into Apple at all.
I don't use switches, it's all automatic or I use voice. Very occasionally I use my phone for control, or some Google assistant with displays here and there. When it's smart it's smart.
@@ultrawidepc I use those already in my room, but I had already 6 in my room. I prefer lights all around to make a better cosy ambiance instead of big things. And it make them easier to make surround light for the display since they are everywhere. If you tell the system correctly where they exactly are, it's really immersive. You are right inside the scene. The only light I bought on purpose is the light strip for the screen, capable of multiple colors simultaneously (not just one at the same time) corresponding to the display. This strip is the most pricey but it worth it.
@@EricWelander Definitely reconsider, but make sure to do a proper setup (with gradient light strip around the TV and maybe even play bars to the sides) 😅
Re the buttons. You can do different scenes with additional presses, and a long press dims or brightens the bulbs.
However, I do tend to use them for simple places ie rooms which just need ‘on or off’ and next to the bed for a little convenient light switch.
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I am curious if in 2024 with all the options out there you would still go with the very expensive Philips products that are getting pretty outdated.
I have a Hue Sync with 10 colour lights including 2 gradient light strips. That's when its worth it ❤️ expensive though! But I love it
I started with one bulb , and I ended up with 90 Philips Hue light of all kinds. It is addicting
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Lol
I agree with the price being equivalent to the quality of the products. I tend to purchase during Black Friday, Hot Sale, Amazon Prime Day, and lother similar local discount days, and that has helped me to keep my system affordable. I now have up to 36 accessories connected to my bridge (between lights, switches and sensors) and I wouldn't trade my Philips Hue System for anything. I also have the Hue Sync Box connected to my TV and in conjunction with the TV led strip, it's been GLORIOUS! There's one thing that also comes with that premium Philips Hue price: reliability. There's nothing more frustrating for the smart-home owner than having bulbs and accessories go bonkers and stop working for no apparent reason. That happened to me with several Meross products. I traded them little by little for their PH counterparts and I've never looked back.
Thanks for sharing! I'm glad Hue is working reliably for you too. It sounds like you and I have had similar experiences with this stuff.
Have you ever tried or thought about Wyze bulbs? They're a lot cheaper, and I heard they flicker less/at a higher refresh rate; the flicker rate is important, because flickering lights can contribute to headaches and/or migraines.
The reason I'm interested in Hue lights, is because they seem to have the best software. I don't understand why companies don't understand that the software is possibly _the most_ important part of smart electronics -- what does it matter if you have great bulbs if the software isn't as customizable, integrateable, or doesn't have the options to make the bulbs do what you want.
@@EricWelander Can you use a smart led bulb in a 3 way lamp? Thank you
Yeah the price is crazy. But at least in modern times anytime I’ve bought a Philips anything it’s never broken on me. I have 5-6-7 ( not ever sure ) of Philips power saving but not smart bulbs I had in lamps since about 2010 that still work haha. I’m about to buy the HUE signe lamp from Amazon. So was trying to find info on it.
Love your videos! I understand it's not for everybody, but I have the HDMI Sync Box with a "proper" setup of a gradient strip behind the TV, to evenly spread the light, and two Play Bars on the floor beside the TV table for extra effect, and I personally LOVE it. By far my favorite of all the Hue products. I'm very sensitive to light, especially if there is a high contrast between a darker environment and a light source (it's weird, I know), and watching TV has been awful on my eyes for years, UNTIL I got the Sync Box. It takes away the contrast in lighting when it matches what I see on screen (and for that only, it is worth it to me) AND I love how it adds to effects and "extends" the TV across my (white) wall. You have to find the correct setting and balance of sensitivity and brightness that works for you, but once you do, it's absolutely amazing. I don't use bulbs that are in clear view of my eyes as it can become very distracting. Another good tip for a better experience is to turn the brightness down to match the TV brightness (or just a bit lower) so it's less distracting, and keep the sensitivity to just above middle, so it doesn't go off when i'ts not supposed to 😁 You don't want the light to take away from what is happening on the screen! Thank you for creating such amazing videos 😊
It's not weird Xander. I have the exact same thing with my eyes. In the old days (without the sync box) after 1,5hr or so i would see double and had to squeeze my eyes for a "just enough"view. Now with the lights working with the tv it is completly over!! so great
What is your opinnion on IKEAs Dirigera? It could be more budgetfriendly option for Hue?
Hue always works and is very dependable. And works great with homekit. That’s also the reason I got the Hue system because in the Netherlands where not many other options available back then. Now with other brands working well with homekit. Its worth to check out other brands as well. Since Hue is very overpriced compared to other brands
Welcome Back! So glad to have you back sharing your straight forward information/opinions...from a mother who also had twins and a spare....I know the struggle with finding time for just about anything when they're young!
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I have a Philips Hue Smart plug and I thinks it's great. Currently I use it to control my fan. Being able to control my fan and my lights on the same app is really convenient.
Great intro to people unaware of Philips Hue. I was an early adoptor and I have lights close to 10 years old, still working like a charm! I use standard E27 lamps outside in freezing temperatures down to minus 10 celsius and up to 35 in summer time - no problem. One thing to meantion which I didnt see in this video, is the Ambiance products (where the lightstrip or lamp has severel light units). I use the Ambiance lightstrip behind my 49" Super Ultra Wide monitor for my pc and it is incredible immersive and changes the whole office / gaming environment. Using the two devices in this video, would understandably be pretty dull.
I have a few of the ambiance lamps too and together with basically all other lights being Hue, this really makes it easy to program theft-prevention timers or throw disco parties that the kids loves. I also like the smartplugs and being the same eco-system as the rest totally makes sense. I even use them for other things than lights that I want rebooted on a weekly basis.
bullshit
10:17 well Eric, you may have missed the part where it’s meant to be used in a living room setup as another commenter pointed out and also maybe you missed the announcement earlier in the fall where Philips is launching a different version specifically for your computer
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We use the Hue Smart plugs for controlling our regular led fence lights.
We also use the smart plugs for controlling Christmas tree lights.
Lastly we also control our two portable Air-conditioning units with the smart plugs.
So there are many useful options for these smart plugs.
I'm using a hue module and it's been great! As far as being in the wall is no big deal. Just pop out two screws, replace batteries and screw it back in. No contact to high voltage. It's great!
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Love all my hue lights, switches, light strips, and motion sensors. We just bought a brand new Samsung 65” QN90B 4K TV. I was surprised to find it had the Philips Hue Sync built in. Pretty sweet to just download an app on the tv and sync lights. No extra box to plug into tv.
8:55 yeah this is great if you want to control a smart light where the switch doesn’t have a neutral wire, but then again I think the Lutron Aurora dimmer is a better solution here
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The outdoor range is great. Sure not cheap but when you buy a few items at a time and add on, it transforms the outdoor space beautifully and works easily with a switch you can use to control (as well as your phone).
Eric, ever get power state to work during power outages? Annoying having all your lights turn on when power is restored. Thanks!
what does that even mean?
I guess you mean when power goes out to one or more of the devices? That can happen often for some people. Yes, the devices reset to "full power on" when the power comes back on. There is no algorithm in the Hue Bridge to account for that and reset previous program, if that's what you're asking. Try making a request with the Hue people, I guess it's possible they have not tried to fix that in years.
@@razoraz it’s actually under Settings, Lights under on this Hue Bridge and it’s called Power Loss Recovery. This isn’t an uncommon feature on other platforms. My LIFX and Nanoleaf lights have this feature and it works as intended.
@@Reihenmotor5 So it works fine with your lights ? It is a very important feature. I won't get into smart lights if it does not work properly.
@@theattorney6072 so my Lutron Caseta and LIFX lights function properly. Hue lights have a setting to remember power State but it doesn’t work properly.
Glad you’re back! You have one of the most informative channels
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10:15 - I finally got my sync box set up recently, and it's awesome 😊 Now, there are some caveats:
- You need to look up which settings work best for your personal preference (mine are Intensity-2, Brightness-40)
- It's best for animated content, can be distracting with dramatic content, and pretty pointless for sports
- You may want to get an HMDI splitter and just setup the sync box as a "dead-end" if you use an AVR.
Is this entire system Cloud based, and if so what happens if your Internet connection goes down?
So glad to have you back! Hope all is well!
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Great video. However, I do have the HDMI Sync box and gradient strip lighting behind my TV and it's my favorite of all my Hue products.
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Same!!
I have the gradient lightstrip around my desk which works perfectly while gaming. I'm a big fan of hue sync.
I've had excellent results with Philips hue! Great products. Only issue I have is sometimes when the motion sensor in the kitchen turns on the lights, the smart plug sometimes will activate and turn on the fan connected to it. Doesn't happen all the time. A little bug in the system somewhere. Other than that minor issue, Hue products have been bullet proof! Can't say the same for my Aqara camera and motion sensor. They never want to work all the time.
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Ive had WEMO/ihome and other HomeKit smart plugs. I just purchased the Hue Plug to replace all of the as they keep disconnecting. I noticed anything that uses a hub as far as lights go IE Hue and Lutron have been the most consistent with reliability
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I do like your video, and don't mean to be "that guy" in your chat, but clearly I will LOL. My suggestion to you is to try the Sync box with the gradient strip on the back of your TV, I also have two of the stand alone lights pointing down. I also have perimeter lights around the back of my room and sync everything together. It is expensive, however it is one of my favourite smart lights in my home. My only complaint is I can only sync 10 lights at a time. I know that might sound like a lot but I have my whole family room set up with the Hue bulbs including 6 GU10 ceiling lights. Just wanted to share my experience with that ecosystem because I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the video and appreciate your work.
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The Wall Switch is great for rooms like the bathroom, where only 2 lights are in there.
Especially if you want to adjust the light colors. Yes, these are not products that everyone needs. However, I'm glad they exist. They are therefore not bad or to avoid.
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Hue makes high quality products, the newest version are bright with great color saturation. We tested a bunch of alternatives, and there are some more affordable options but philips hue really is the industry leader. If you've already got an entertainment space with a lot of Hue lightning and a decent sized TV, the sync box adds a cool effect, it'd be nice if they offered a package with the sync box, lightstrips and a couple of bars
I agree a package deal would simplify what people have to understand to get the sync setup, and I that's great to hear it's the best in the category. I guess I'm just not really into the category and I think it's easy, like I did, to get sold on the idea and then realize you don't like it after spending hundreds of $. There's always the option to return it though...
Hello, is the newer version you talk about the 1100 or 1600 lumens ? Thx
How do you make a timed smart plug foolproof? For example, the internet might fail momentarily when the switch is due to be activated. Also if you use Apple home, which device sends the signal to the smart switch?
I have no smart light at the moment. I have 2 buttons on 2 places but both for my living room. Do I need to replace both buttons with this or can I control both lamps with 1 hue dimmer?
If I had mislaid my phone (I live in the UK) I used to be able to power cycle the wall switch, (not Hue smart switch), on a off a few times and the HUE bulb would turn on full brightness. However, this no longer works since early 2024. Have the settings behaviour of the bulbs or bridges changed?
Not sure how old this video is. But can you use one dimmer switch as a master switch that will turn off all the lights in the house by the door for example? While still allowing room by room function?
Very comprehensive video as always! Hue was the first smart home product I purchased and I now have over 30 lighting products and it is the main lighting source throughout my home. It is very reliable and I really enjoy their accessory’s. This being said, if I had to do it over again, I would not choose Hue. While the hardware and software combination works very well together, I do feel that they are significantly overpriced, and I actually don’t find myself taking advantage of all that the software has to offer.
Have to agree, also have 30+ bulbs, light strips and smart plugs. These things do seem to be reliable but definitely way over priced.
Would I buy again?
Delends on the competition and their price along with features.
What would you choose if doing it again?
@@NurseAcrobat I can't say I would completely eliminate Hue from my set up, but I would definitely opt for smart switches as opposed to smart bulbs for my primary light sources. I do really like their control accessories, but I'm not so impressed with their actual lighting products.
@@myHomeKithome Hello, I don't understand it when you Say that you would opt for smart switches instead of smart bulbs. Aren't smart bulbs supposed to work with smart switches (both beeing hue or Any other brand with a bridge?)
@@theattorney6072 not really. Smart switches allow all of the damn lights on that circuit to be controlled remotely and automated. Smart bulbs can do the same but if they are on a "dumb" circuit, if the light switch controlling that circuit is turned off, it kills power to the smart bulb. it is possible to control some smart bulbs with smart switches, but the instances are a few and far between and often redundant.
Hi there. Love Hue system but am stumped by a problem. I was forced to fully reset all three of my bridges as well as a full new Home in Honekit. Painful but I did it but can only manage to add one bridge to Homekit. I used to have three working and I just don’t know what to try to fix this. Sorry to put question here but I am desperate. Thanks.
Does the bridge have to be connected with cable to the router or can it be done wirelessly??
Hey, I have been facing a lot of connectivity issue. Could that be because I do not have a bridge?
is bridge and hub the same thing? just that Phillips call it bridge? or do you need a bridge and a hub?
Hi Eric, are you familiar with the new feature added to the hue system that allows multiple bridges on one account?
I bought 4 GU10 "bulbs" to try it, and I'm now waiting for 2 additional GU10 and the bridge...
I hate directional lights, but I don't want to change the current setup in my rooms.
Hi, thanks for the great content. I use sync on my computer via the hue sync app and 2 light bars. It works great for gaming as it lights up based on the colors on the monitor. However, I wanted to talk about the small hue button, it does have long press functionality and it is not limited to only hue products. I stuck mine to my bedside table and the long press function turns off all lights in the house including my lutron light switches. I am able to achieve this because it works with Homekit. If you don't use Homekit perhaps it is limited to only hue products.
Bought my first light bulb in 2012, still works great!
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I bought a 4 pack with bridge starter kit for $80 on Black Friday in 2016. I also bought an additional 2 pack of bulbs for $20. I haven’t changed my light bulbs since.
So do I need to bridge if I have the dimmer? The bridge can only be hard wired, right? Or can I connect it through WiFi?
May I ask you about the brand of the standig lamp behind you?
Can i use the motion sensor with my 2 philips hue lights in my office without a bridge?
High quality video. Liked how you laid it all out. The one thing I would disagree on is the hue smart plug. Between hue and Caseta, you won’t find a more reliable smart plug. And it’s all about reliability with HomeKit accessories.
That's good to hear. Thanks for sharing! I find the TP-Link ones work really well for less $, but given how reliable my Philips Hue bulbs are I bet their smart plugs are too.
@@EricWelander I just installed a smart plug to turn on/off four cheap Phillips 1800lm LED Ledinaire "tubes" to light my 700sqf garage/workshop, controlled by a HUE motion sensor. Exactly what I wanted, works perfectly. So the plug is pretty decent, IMO.
I’m a little confused on the router requirement for the Hub. With a conventional router set-up, the router would broadcast the WiFi signal throughout the house. This also would provide for remote access.
What if you don’t have WiFi, but you do have a router? Does the Hub coupled to a router broadcast the signal throughout the house?
Of course then remote control usage away from the house would not be available.
How many volts (DC) the Bridge is inside?
good to see you back men, greetings from Chile
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Just commenting to show appreciate or all the time u ou put into this video, it's exactly what I was looking for!
Hi Eric, Just a few things to reconsider.
Wall module:
When installed you can add lights you want to control with the wall switch so not only the luminair that is original connected to the wall switch. The real thing they invented this module is the fact that it is not possible to cut off the electric flow to the luminair so if somebody accidentaly switch you are not able to use the app, you first have to witch it back. When using the module you never ever cut of the electricity. I have one myself and are more then pleased,
Sync box:
This is just great but the scene you showed is a very silly and indeed needless setup, that does not work, if you use these light bars they have to be close to the wall otherwise you do not see the light coming from them. Also only a lightbar behind the tv is not sufficient to have a good experience, it is best to have the gradient behind the tv (also close to the wall) and other lights divided thru your room, preferble all the lights in the same room. When the set-up in the app is done correctly (placement and height of the lamps) i guarante you will come back to your statement and even want to make a new video only about the sync box.
Wall switch:
believe it or not but not everybody has Apple products ;-) The switch is very handy if you want other devices beside light to remotely control via the Hue app or accesoires. For example i have connected my tv with the plug, now if i turn on my lights when i come home the tv automticaly turns on, same when all lights are turning off. So now my tv does not eat any electricity for standby mode.
Do you think that people will regret buying into this right now as thread becomes more of the standard? Or do you think it will be fine regardless?
Will hue be able to update to thread with an over the air update? Or is it a hardware issue?
Will Hue continue to work seamlessly in my home even when my Wifi is down?
I actually love the wall switch module. Sure it’s crazy that you need it to remove all confusion, and it means that the fixture is powered on at all times.
But it idiot-proves the lighting.
Yeah that's the thing with sticking with one vendor like Philips Hue. You do have the lock in with the switch module, which I want to caution people about, but I can imagine how it makes things so much simpler if you are willing to commit to it. Thanks for sharing your experience here.
@@EricWelander Absolutely! It keeps me looking at Zigbee bulbs.
Of course you can control it through HomeKit as well, but I’ve yet to try this. Mostly because I don’t appreciate having to use shortcuts for a simple button handle.
@@andreasb4kken uuhm... Hue bulbs are Zigbee.. thats the communication method of Hue
@@JustMe-sh8nd I know, sometimes my English is clumsy. I meant that it keeps me locked in to Zigbee instead of trying something like the Nanoleaf Essential bulbs.
You should check out the runlesswire switches. They have a dual rocker style, which allows up to 8 different functions per switch. Have them in every room, and work amazingly.
If you have a bunch of Phillips Hue bulbs and various types of lights in a room, are they all controlled by ONE remote? Or separate remotes?
You can configure it either way
Any Philips Hue bulbs with a proper CRI rating, like >90?
If i need to connect my extra Hue lights only to Phillips Ambilight TV, do i still need the "Hue Bridge?" Or Do I need "Phillips HUE HDMI TV SYNC BOX?" Or do I need the both? 🤔 thank you.
I haven’t used an Ambilight TV but some quick Googling looks like you need a Hue Bridge to integrate it with other Hue lights.
Some lights are coming up as Royal Philips hue electronics. Can't get the to work. Why
you dont need the hdmi sync box to use hue sync on a pc, you only need a hue bridge, hue sync compatible lights and an entertainment zone set up in the hue app
I'd assume you only need the sync box for a TV or similar
Hmm. Good info, but I was looking for operational info. What colors does it support? How do you change the color? How does the phone app work remotely? etc.
Amazing thorough review! I am looking to start my Phillips Hue collection within the next few years. They’re expensive, but look and work so good.
Don't rely for his "better not to buy" products just like that. As you can see in many comments for example the sync box is just amazing (when enough lights are connected). Best to watch more video's from different youtubers to get a better understanding of what these products actually do..
Thanks for giving us the rundown on Philip Hue. I do agree with you about the sync box. I, purchased it a little while ago. I actually run a 5.2 Atmos surroundsound with receiver on my entertainment set up. And stream most of my content via Apple 4K TV. When you run the sink box through the receiver. You do have occasional hiccups. Like the screen will flash on and off. The only way to rectify this is in between all of the flashing. Try to access your Apple settings and adjust them. Which is almost impossible because your screen is flashing on and off rapidly. I finally just took it off. Even though I do like it. it sure wasn’t worth the hassle. I know if I run it on one of my TVs that do not have a receiver hooked to it. I probably will not have this issue. When searching the Internet. I have found that a multitude of people experience the exact same thing. One other thing that I had to deal with. Every time I turned everything off. As in my TV, Apple TV 4K, and receiver. Once I turned everything back on again. It always had a problem finding my video source. I would always have to unplug my Apple 4K TV. Wait 10 seconds. And plug it back on while everything else was left on. That usually fixed it. But it was a hassle.
Keep up your awesome content.
Over the last 7 years I’ve bought cheaper alternative smart bulbs on Amazon because Hue was so expensive. I’ve used them over wifi with the smart home app. My third set of bulbs just started failing and I finally bought a bunch of hue things to dive into the ecosystem. They’re definitely way more expensive but I’m done with failed pairings (my wifi router is on a different floor), having to program every phrase through Siri to get it what I want to do (no Alexa or google built in), Siri sometimes not understanding the exact phrases I’ve said 100s of times etc. excited for everything to get here!
I’m pretty sure I have out of home control set up on the bridge but can’t see ‘out of home control’ setting my iPhone app
Got another Bridge. Do I have to connect it to a new account? I can manage it in the app at home but not from outside. When I try to connect to my account, I get a message that the login is already taken.
The lutron aurora dimmer looks like it may be the key to not having to rewire my ceiling fan in order to be able to dim the lights on it. I can't use a regular dimmer with a ceiling fan motor so I would usually need an extra wire to control the lights and fan independently. With the lutron I could leave power on, dim the hue lights, and control the fan with the pull chain as we've already been doing. Dimmer and hue lights ordered :-)
The surround lighting (hdmi sync) is the best part of Philips hue. Why would you get all those lights if you don’t unlock their best feature?
Can you go to the set up for two Bridges?
Yes. The only draw back is that you will need two separate email account for remote access via hue app. If you only concern with HomeKit, then you don’t even need hue cloud services as HomeKit can have as many bridges as you wish.
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@@howardzhao4685 And is it possible to have mets Say a hue bridge on one floor and another brand bridge on another ?
The Hue Hub is the most rock solid controller I've used. I've had it two years and it's never disconnected. I use third party switch modules, not the Hue ones, and never have to worry about people turning off at the switch.
One product I wouldn't recommend are the new light strips. They are way too expensive.
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Hello, which wall switches do you use ?
@@theattorney6072 They are called Stitchy switches. They may only work in Australia
Is there a way to fix it if u have a bolb that keeps coming on, I've got 3 setup in the light in my bedroom and every time I come in one of the bolbs is on and it's not even set to the color I had
Hello fellow Cortexen! Awesome video! Unfortunately, I am not an apple user. The video was generally informative for me, but your outro leads me to believe that you will not be what I personally need for my smart home/ lighting solutions. I will poke around a bit more though. Good luck.
Good stuff Eric. I was pleasantly surprised to get the Notification of another new video on your channel. 😁
5:00 Phillips Hue doesn't have just replacement switches? This way you still end up with a switch on the wall you have to tape up or something.
You should check out the runlesswire switches. They have a dual rocker style, which allows up to 8 different functions per switch. Have them in every room, and work amazingly.
Can you make us an updated video for this year on the product that you tested or know about that work with Apple HomeKit? I have seen you’ve had one 2 years and it’s amazing. I think that would be great to be done again!
Thanks for the suggestion Adam. I think my video coming on Saturday is close to your idea and I will keep this suggestion in mind for future videos.
I have the hue sync box, amd gradient strip for the TV and no longer use it with my ps4, I can't figure out how to just sync it to my TV by itself
should be able to tell the app not to use the other lights. and just use the tv.
It won’t sync with the smart apps on your TV, it needs a third device to sync with
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the Bluetooth can also be used with google home devices (such as google Nest smart speakers) to replace the Hue Bridge since the home device becomes the bridge instead and be good if you need a way to get started with philips hue
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Finally! Someone who’s honest about the sync box
Eric, I couldn’t agree with you more about the Sync. Last year, I had Best Buy install Hue lights throughout my home which I’ve used with Home Kit. But I also had sync boxes attached to my TVs i the family room and master bedroom with the Hue Lightstrips. The sync boxes were a disaster. There were so many problems. They constantly lost connection to the internet. The TVs took forever to turn on because of them and in the case of the one in my master, took more than 2-3 minutes at times. I got rid of them a couple of weeks ago and everything works well with the TVs again.
i bought the hue light bulbs and bridge in 2013, had to buy the new bridge a few years later and by 2018 everything stopped working. The bulbs still work as bulbs but thats it, they don't have bluetooth if you bought them before 2019
Philips Hue noob here. Just moved into a new place and would like to get started with some home automation.
Some people in the family never turn off lights so need to mitigate that to save energy. I know there are tonnes of eco systems out there but hue seems like I won't encounter a roadblock later on.
I have some hue bt bulbs that are no longer accessible because their new app upgrade is essentially a degrade. It only works on Android => 10 and Samsung doesn't provide that upgrade for my note 8..
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Why do you use hue in the kithen?
Why I have a lot of respect for your knowledge and the videos you do I have to disagree with you on the Sync Box. With Covid shutting down theaters I had no choice to create my own. Using the Sync Box with 10 Hue lights has given me an amazing experience that enhances the shows I watch. I do agree it is not for everyone and it is definitely not cheap (my setup is $800) but when watching a movie and the effects I get I feel it was worth every penny.
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I have the Hue Sync and it has never worked right. Random switching between inputs and not picking up active signals, and the latest thing its started doing is just randomly losing signal. The only real miss in my hue collection.
Need help, brand new hue setup, connect the bridge only the first 2 lights on and 3rd (internet connection) is off, had this problem setting up once and setting up for sister now, cannot get the internet connection light on the bridge to light up last time had to call support but cannot remember how they got it to connect, have tried switching ports and power cycling, I am trying not to call support again because I had to use a computer to assist them to get it to run, if anyone could help with how to get the new bridge to connect to the internet or if I am missing something would appreciate the help getting it to work! Again, this is a new first time setup and it is fresh out of the box!
Why is the Bluetooth Funktion bad? I don't have a Smart Home System and I don't really want one, so the bluetooth funktion souded like a good alternativ. Also the bridge is not cheap.
Great video! Being new to Hue, I appreciated the "products to avoid" part the most. Thanks so much!
These are not to avoid, Eric did not know the exact working of these products. Regarding the sync box for example, the setup he showed... yeah that is useless indeed but not the way as intended (see a lot of comments here) als the module is a great thing. Do not rely on 1 person and check more videos to have a better understanding of functionalities.. It would be a shame if you missed some really cool features you would have liked
Thanks @@JustMe-sh8nd! Also a good tip! The sync box I would def investigate further. :)
Would love to see a shoot out with the Belkin Wemo Thread vs Eve Energy Thread vs TP Link Kasa HomeKit.
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any one knows how to make the motion sensor have more settings? you can only choose 2 time windows. id like more, so day/evening/night have different settings
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I waited till the Sync Box was $179 before I bought one. I love that it's basically a smart HDMI switch with wifi. Also? I don't have it connected to a computer. I feel like it's actually meant for main TV setups...not so much computer setups, cept for heavy gamers. Connected it into Home Assistant and it works pretty well for me.
That's a good point on the entertainment use vs computer use. I've heard it's fun for gaming too. Maybe some day I will come around on the idea but I'm still skeptical I would like it personally.
@@EricWelander I noticed that the lights on your monitor is not really meant to be used with the sync box(I have those lights too on my monitor). I have the gradient lights and the sync box on my tv and I love them! I just switched to Phillips Hue. Should've done it a while ago!
@@EricWelander The Sync Box is atually more to be used with a TV, as there is a free online Sync App for your PC (at least under Windows and Linux, so the Sync Box is wasted money in this case). The Sync Box also comes with a HDMI Wifi switch, as mentioned already by the Craig S.: When I want my oldschool TV to turn on without using the remote, I can now use voicecommand with Google or just tap "stream to device" in Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video etc and it will turn on. I can use it to toggle the video (e.g. "pause the video"/"reduce the volume"/"switch the channel") without touching any remote, it all works by voice.
I have literally zero Philips Hue products but man I don't think I could possibly agree with your take on the sync system. I opted for the Govee version back when that just released (so I have the crappy v1 system with the camera) and it was a complete game changer to the point of going beyond just a cool party trick. I can actually watch TV at night without getting having to choose between turning on my lights that are distracting, or a headache.
It's definitely overpriced though especially if you're buying it as your first (or only) thing within their ecosystem, but if you've already bought into it anyway and have the bridge and everything setup, it's actually a very respectable option. Also they're supposed to go on your TV, not your computer. For my desk I like some static white LEDs because changing colors are distracting when you're working on things.
Other than that though, this was a cool informative video, I was kinda looking around to see if there's any good info on the ecosystem as a whole, because I actually am looking to replace my old Govee sync thing with a Phillips one because Govee support with Homekit (and Home Assistant) is atrocious and I want something that's not gonna cause me a headache every other day lol.
The benefit of Hue plugs is Zigbee - they just have such a great range. I’ve a TP-Link smart plug in the garden and it’s got such weak range.
Does anyone know how to connect my hue lights to Spotify? Is a bridge necessary? Thanks!
Awesome video, Eric! Glad you’re making content again! 👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Larry! It's great to be back.