If you're thinking about getting the Philips Hue Large Smart Light Tube and want to sync it with your TV, music, or gaming setup, you'll need both the Philips Hue Bridge and a Sync Box. These gadgets are key for getting that real-time light magic that can turn your room into a good extension of what's happening on the screen.
The manufacturer mentions that you'll have to buy the Hue Bridge and Sync Box separately. The Bridge is like the central hub connecting all your smart lights to your home network, which lets you control them in real time. The Sync Box, on the other hand, handles syncing the lights with whatever content you're watching on your TV or other devices.
That said, if you're mostly using it with a PC, there's a bit of a workaround. According to what we've found out, you can use the Hue Sync app instead of getting a Sync Box. This app lets your light tube dance in tune with the media on your PC, which can make gaming and streaming even more fun.
While the Sync Box isn't a must for everyone, it does make everything work more smoothly, especially in setups where a big TV is the main attraction. It's particularly handy if you want the lights to match and react to whatever's happening on your big screen.
Besides syncing, the Philips Hue Light Tube has millions of colors to choose from and can be controlled with smart home assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant, once you have everything set up with the right tech. This makes changing the lighting mode as easy as giving a voice command.
So, to get the most out of the Philips Hue Large Smart Light Tube, you'll want the Hue Bridge and ideally the Sync Box, unless you're mainly using it on a PC, in which case the Hue Sync app should do the trick.