Wiz Takes On Hue With Cheaper Way To Sync Your TV Smart Lights
The new Wiz HDMI Sync box provides a real-time light show for your TV action
Signify's Wiz, the more wallet-friendly sibling of Philips Hue, has officially entered the HDMI TV syncing arena, with the new Wiz HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight; and it's an attractive option for anyone chasing immersive lighting who have been put off by Hue's high price tags.
Launching globally in May, the Wiz setup offers much of the same core magic as Hue's more expensive Play HDMI Sync Boxes, albeit with a few caveats, but without the eye-watering price-tags.
Like the Hue top-dogs - of which the 4K model went live in 2020, followed by an 8K version in 2024 - Wiz's box reads the HDMI signal directly from your device (like a console, set-top box, or streaming stick), analyzes what's happening on-screen in real-time, and pushes that color data to your lights.
No calibration, no camera… just plug, stick, and go.
You get a three-sided RGBIC LED strip in the box, with two size options available: one for TVs between 55–65 inches, and another for larger 75–85 inch sets.
The system supports 4K at 60Hz and plays nice with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. There's only one HDMI input and you shouldn't expect HDMI 2.1 or 120Hz passthrough; that's firmly Hue's territory.
The sync experience isn't limited to the backlight that comes in the box. You can link other compatible Wiz lights via Wi-Fi.
Out of the box, there are four sync modes to choose from - Cinematic, Vibrant, Relaxation, and Rhythmic - or you can tinker with brightness, saturation, and color intensity to fine-tune the vibe. There's also a built-in mic for syncing lights to music, making it equally handy for parties.
At $89.99 for the standard model and $109.99 for the larger one (which will be available in September), it's a fraction of the cost of Hue's HDMI Sync Boxes, which can push $350 before you even add lights.
Of course, there are trade-offs: the Wiz box has just that solitary HDMI input, so you'll need an external switch if you want to bounce between devices.
Gamers chasing high frame rates will also miss HDMI 2.1 support. But for movie nights, streaming marathons, and casual gaming, it nails the essentials at a much more approachable price.
The new Wiz HDMI Sync box provides a real-time light show for your TV action
Wiz is also rolling out two new gradient lighting options with the Sync Box in mind: a slimline Gradient Floor Light ($89.99), designed to splash multicolor lighting into corners, and the Gradient Light Bars ($59.99), which can be mounted horizontally or vertically and offer the same vivid segmented color control.
Both support video and music syncing when paired with the HDMI Sync Box, and both are Matter-compatible, meaning they'll slot right into Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit setups.
Wiz, despite being playing 2nd-fiddle to Hue in the Signify hierarchy, is fast emerging as a top smart light contender.
Aside from these new TV syncing options, the brand has also introduced features like SpaceSense, which uses Wi-Fi to detect presence; and RGBIC Matter-enabled lightstrips with music syncing.
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Tom's Guide
a day ago
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Business Insider
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LG's new G5 TV delivers nearly perfect picture quality. Here's what makes this premium OLED so special.
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If you have a Game Pass membership, this app lets you stream Xbox games so you can play them without needing a console. The quality isn't as good as playing a game directly through a system, and playability is heavily reliant on the stability of your internet connection, but it works well enough for casual gaming. I also tested the G5 with a PS5 using a 4K/120Hz connection, and it delivered excellent image quality and smooth motion. I didn't see any flicker or ghosting with VRR active, which is something I've seen on some QLED TVs. Some flicker did show up when I pulled up the TV's settings menu while playing games, but this went away as soon as I closed the window. However, I've seen some user reports of banding in certain games when using the TV's HDR Game mode, even after the latest firmware update released in June. But outside some subtle bands in the sky when playing "Cyberpunk 2077" and some slight contouring in menus, I didn't encounter any egregious banding when playing various HDR titles, including "The Last of Us Part 1," "Spider-Man," "No Man's Sky," "Dragon's Dogma 2," and "Baldur's Gate 3." LG's webOS adds some new AI features, but they're mostly unnecessary Like all LG TVs, the G5 uses the webOS smart TV system. The platform is easy to set up, as LG guides you through some basic housekeeping items. The interface has access to all of the best streaming services, though it's missing a few niche apps that some other platforms support, like the Criterion Channel. General navigation is smooth, and I didn't encounter any major lag when moving through services. That said, the interface's design could annoy some users. By default, webOS displays a banner ad at the top of the homepage, and the screen prominently features a row for shopping recommendations. 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Over time, these glitches stopped popping up, and voice search worked consistently. That said, I found the TV's voice recognition to be less accurate and slower than some competing systems, like Roku and Google TV. On the plus side, the G5 does have a new voice feature that's actually pretty cool. It's called AI voice recognition, and it automatically switches user profiles based on who speaks to the TV. So, if your spouse was using the set and you both have different profiles, once you speak to the TV, it will switch to your personalized home screen with your preferences and recommendations. Should you buy the LG G5 TV? Few TVs have left me as utterly impressed as the LG G5. Some competing high-end sets from Sony and Samsung offer better performance in certain aspects, but when looking at picture quality as a whole, the G5 is the best premium display I've seen. Panasonic is set to release a similar TV later this year, called the Z95B, so I'm curious to see how it stacks up. But for now, the G5 is the reigning king of premium TVs. Though picture performance isn't flawless, the TV's combination of pixel-level contrast and high brightness is unmatched and outweighs any shortcomings. LG's webOS interface isn't my favorite, and I did run into some software issues that ironed out over time, but it gets the job done. The new AI voice recognition feature is also a cool addition. The G5 is expensive, so it's only suited for big picture quality enthusiasts and those willing to spend extra for high-end design flourishes that you can't get on cheaper TVs. But if you fit that bill, the LG G5 TV earns my highest recommendation.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I just gave my home the ultimate smart light upgrade — and I can control it all with my phone
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