The Philips Hue Play gradient lightstrip can sync its colour output with your TV, Ambilight style

Many a bland bedroom has been jazzed up by a Philips Hue lightstrip, and now the company wants to give your TV the same treatment. Designed to be attached to the back of TVs 55 inches or larger, the Play gradient lightstrip can sync with on-screen content for an Ambilight-like viewing experience. You’ll need a Philips Hue Bridge and a Hue Play HDMI sync box to make the signal-reading possible, but if you’ve seen an Ambilight TV working its magic then you might think it’s worth the outlay. The Play gradient is also the brand’s first individually addressable LED strip, which means it can generate multiple colours at once. This is crucial for that dynamic colour-syncing effect. The new lightstrip will be available to buy from October 6 at three different price points. The £160 strip will fit TV sizes 55 to 60in, the £180 strip 65 to 70in, and the most expensive £200 strip TVs 75 to 85in.

Matt Tate Contributor

About

I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Spurs are going to win a trophy this season.

Areas of expertise

Video games, VR, smartwatches, headphones, smart speakers, bizarre Kickstarter campaigns