For those who want to retrofit Ambilight without having to buy an expensive Sync Box or the entire Hue ecosystem right away, a new, more affordable option will be available starting in September 2026. Philips Smart Lighting, the former WiZ division of Signify, is launching Screen Sync, a camera kit that captures screen content via a fisheye lens and transmits it in real time to an LED light strip without the need for a separate box (Signify press release). At the same time, the company is expanding its product lineup with a new RGBIC string light for indoor and outdoor use.
Key Points at a Glance
- Screen Sync costs between 89.99 and 129.99 euros, depending on TV size, and replaces the classic sync box with a camera
- A separate Hue Play Screen Sync camera alone costs 119.99 euros, without the light strip
- The catch: Screen Sync only works with WiZ bulbs. Hue owners will still need the more expensive Hue version
- The new RGBIC string lights are available in three lengths (10, 15, 20 meters) for 37.99 to 69.99 euros, with USB-C power and music synchronization
- Both products will launch in September 2026 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Screen Sync: How the camera solution works
Instead of capturing an HDMI signal as with the Hue Sync Box, Screen Sync uses a camera with a fisheye lens mounted on top of the TV to optically read the screen content directly. This has a practical advantage: The system works with any TV source—whether linear TV, an HDMI device, or a streaming app—without requiring Philips Smart Lighting to support individual devices.
Calibration is handled via the WiZ app, which automatically aligns the Lightstrip with the edges of the screen. A built-in microphone also allows the lights to react to music, and there are preset synchronization modes for different types of content.
The flip side: Anyone who already has Hue bulbs in their living room won’t directly benefit from this new feature—see below. And from a technical standpoint, the Hue Play Lightstrip Pro, with its OmniGlow technology and separate warm- and cool-white LEDs, likely still offers better light quality. Screen Sync does not include these additional LEDs.
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Prices and Availability
| TV Size | Price (MSRP, incl. tax) |
|---|---|
| 40–50 inches | €89.99 / 90 CHF |
| 55–65 inches | €109.99 / CHF 110 |
| 75–85 inches | €129.99 / CHF 130 |
The catch: Hue and WiZ don’t work together
As tempting as the price may sound, Screen Sync works exclusively within the WiZ ecosystem. It cannot be used to control Hue lights, and conversely, the more expensive Hue Play Screen Sync is not compatible with WiZ lights. Hue and WiZ lights aren’t compatible with each other, even though both brands belong to the same parent company, Signify. So anyone who’s invested in Hue will continue to pay extra for the same feature or will have to fall back on the older Sync Box.
For anyone who hasn’t yet chosen a lighting ecosystem, the decision once again comes down to the original question: Hue or WiZ. Other manufacturers are now taking a different approach: IKEA is specifically building its smart home lineup around the open Matter standard so that lights from different brands aren’t mutually exclusive. Screen Sync makes WiZ a more attractive, lower-cost entry point into synchronized TV lighting, but it does nothing to change the fundamental incompatibility between Hue and WiZ.
New RGBIC string lights for indoor and outdoor use
In addition to Screen Sync, Philips Smart Lighting is introducing a new string of lights featuring RGBIC technology, capable of displaying millions of colors and several preset effects, including rainbow gradients, smooth color transitions, and twinkling effects. This product also features music synchronization via the app as well as voice control.
Convenient: The string is powered via USB-C and can therefore also be run off a power bank, making it independent of a fixed outlet. With an IP65 rating, the string lights themselves are suitable for outdoor use, but the included power adapter has an IP20 rating and is therefore designed for indoor use only. So if you want to use them in the garden or on the patio, you’ll need a dry spot for the power adapter or a properly protected outlet.
As with most WiZ products, you’re initially limited to the manufacturer’s own app. Anyone who prefers to control their lights centrally via an open system is already familiar with this problem from other brands—for example, when integrating Ledvance devices into Home Assistant. The press release does not reveal whether or how well the new string lights can be integrated into such systems.
Lengths and Prices of the String Lights
| Length | Price (MSRP, incl. tax) |
|---|---|
| 10 meters | 37.99 € / 38 CHF |
| 15 meters | 54.99 € / 55 CHF |
| 20 meters | 69.99 € / 70 CHF |
Signify lists bedrooms, parties, gardens, and patios as recommended locations, which makes sense given the product’s outdoor suitability and music functionality.
Conclusion: Is it worth upgrading your Ambilight with Screen Sync?
Mafalda Monteiro, Managing Director of Philips Smart Lighting, sums up the idea: With Screen Sync, you can enjoy movies, games, and live content beyond the screen without complicated setup. That’s exactly the target audience: people who want to try out the Ambilight effect but have so far been put off by the cost or the hassle of a Hue Sync Box.
Whether retrofitting Ambilight with Screen Sync is worth it depends heavily on whether you’re already using WiZ or just getting started. For existing Hue households, nothing changes for now, except that their own provider now appears noticeably more expensive than the company’s own secondary brand. On the other hand, for those who haven’t made up their minds yet, Screen Sync offers an affordable reason to start with WiZ right away.
The market for synchronized and music-reactive lighting is already in flux: Just recently , Govee unveiled the Sky Ceiling Light, an AI-controlled ceiling light that aims to achieve something similar. So anyone opting for smart lighting has a choice between several manufacturers who are currently undercutting each other and outdoing one another with new features.
Both products—Screen Sync and the RGBIC string lights—are expected to be available in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland starting in September 2026, primarily controlled via the WiZ Connected app.
