- Philips Rumored to Launch New Camera-Based Hue Sync Device for Backlighting its TVs
- Eliminates the need for an expensive Hue Play HDMI sync box
- The ‘Sync Screen’ would be the first camera in the Philips Hue Play system
Philips Hue could be working on a new device to sync your TV’s color palette with the backlight, giving you another option to brighten your entertainment setup
Hue Blog’s Fabian attended an online presentation hosted by Philips and discovered a new Hue Sync device with an integrated camera that looks strikingly similar to rival devices like the Nanoleaf 4D.
The new device could be called ‘Sync Screen’ and could be presented at IFA 2026 in September. We don’t know how much it will cost yet, but considering Philips Hue is a premium brand, the new device is likely to be priced higher than its competitors.
Like other camera-powered LED TV lights, Philips’ version mounts to the top of a TV or monitor and captures the color movements of the movie, show or game on the screen. This motion is then processed and synchronized with the backlights mounted behind the screen.
From the image shared by Hue Blog, it appears that the Philips Sync Screen camera will only have one lens, but it will likely be a fisheye lens to capture the entire TV screen, like those used by rival devices.
You’ll almost certainly still need a Philips Hue Bridge to connect the lights and camera together, but because the system works with the camera, you won’t need a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box or a subscription to the Hue Sync TV app, which could make it a more tempting proposition.
As mentioned, Philips isn’t the first smart home giant to offer TV lighting devices like this, which aim to make your TV and gaming experiences more immersive by extending the colors of the screen to the surrounding walls.
In addition to the Nanoleaf 4D light strips, the Govee StarPal Pro and the newer Govee TV Backlight 3 Pro models are camera-powered; the latter has a dual camera system to capture more TV or monitor screen.
Philips has already had a pretty eventful 2026. In March, the company introduced its new OLED TVs, which are also the first native models for Dolby Vision 2, as well as its beautiful but expensive ceiling light that mimics natural daylight. We are only two months away from IFA 2026 and I believe the best is yet to come.
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