In the Netherlands, the Philips TVs are extremely popular, perhaps not always because of the image quality and image functions of the TVs, but especially for the special Ambilight function. Those who prefer to use a different brand TV can enrich the home entertainment experience with the HDMI Sync Box Wiz.
This smart box, which you place between your TV and media box, is an affordable solution to bring the Ambilight effect to almost every television. The HDMI Sync Box enriches the game and viewing experience with dynamic and content -driven lighting. We have tested HDMI Sync Box in combination with the Gradient Light Bars for you and you can read our findings in this review.
Wiz: alternative to Philips Hue
WIZ was founded in 2017 as a startup and taken over in 2019 by Signify, meanwhile the world leader in lighting and the company behind Philips Hue. WIZ develops an IoT platform for smart lighting solutions, using WiFi instead of a separate hub.
This offers the advantage that you can use all WIZ lamps immediately without having to be in possession of a central hub. As a result, expanding and especially getting acquainted with the brand is accessible. The WIZ ecosystem consists of software, cloud services and smart lamps and accessories, which can easily be operated via an app. This makes it a good alternative to Philips Hue.
Wiz HDMI Sync Box
The HDMI Sync Box Wiz is an innovative and affordable solution to enrich your home entertainment experience with dynamic, content-driven lighting. This accessory brings the popular Ambilight effect to almost every television.
With the help of the supplied LED strip, lightly projected on the wall behind the television, in colors that match what is displayed on the screen. As a result, the image is, as it were, extended to outside the screen, which ensures a more intense and compelling experience.
In the box
When you purchase the HDMI Sync Box Wiz you will receive a number of accessories so that you can get started right away. WIZ has brought two versions to the market; For 55 “-65” TVs and 75 “-85” TVs. The content is the same, but one LED strip is longer than the other.
- Wiz HDMI Sync Box
- Wiz LED strip
- Power adapter
- HDMI 2.0 Cable
- mounting clips
- documentation
In addition, we have added a set of Gradient Light Bars to the set-up to further expand the experience than just light behind the TV. The contents of this box is an adapter, two light bars, two holders to stick the lamps on the back of the TV and two holders to place them upright on a cupboard.
Installation LED strip
Attaching the Wiz LED strip is fairly simple if you can place your TV on a table or couch. The box contains mounting clips with which you can attach the LED strip to the back of your TV. The best thing is to place the LED strip a few centimeters from the edge inwards, so that you do not see the light source sitting from the side of the device.
The LED strip is directly connected to the HDMI Sync Box, this is a ‘mini -computer’ that you place between the TV and media box and is responsible for managing the LED strip based on the image that the TV processes. In the app you can easily adjust the brightness, intensity and saturation of the lighting.
Installation Gradient Light Bars
The installation of the Wiz Gradient Light Bars is simple: you place the light beams in the desired location, connect them directly to the HDMI Sync Box with the USB-A connection. You can also connect them directly to the power with the supplied adapter.
Link to the app
Once you have installed everything, you can link the Sync Box to the Wiz app. Bluetooth and WiFi are used for setting. Via the app you can connect directly to the box and lighting and add it to your home network. You can then operate the lighting immediately, set up scenes and synchronize with your TV. Linking with the app is very simple and is explained step by step in the app.
Smart Home Integration
Wiz products are Matter-certified, making them easy to integrate with Smart Home platforms such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. You can operate the lighting via speech assignments, set routines or make automation within your favorite smart home ecosystem.
One connection, 4K at 60Hz
The HDMI Sync Box Wiz has an HDMI 2.0 port that makes 4K at 60Hz possible. In addition, the box has support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, this allows you to connect an Apple TV to the Sync Box. Because the WIZ box has only one HDMI port, you can only use one device. If you want to use multiple devices, you must change manually or use an HDMI switch, even if the latter is not recommended weighing quality loss.
For comparison; The HDMI Sync Box from Hue uses HDMI 2.1 and therefore has 4K at 120 Hz or 8K with 60 Hz support. In addition, this Hue Sync Box has four HDMI ports for external devices.
Viewing experience Wiz HDMI Sync Box
The most important thing is of course the viewing experience, and that can be intense for some users. The Sync Box has a compelling viewing experience as standard in which the colors of the screen are matched with the LED strip and follow the content on the screen. The brightness is adjusted intensively for this.
Especially because of the latter it is an effect that I can hardly get used to because it is fairly busy. A few years ago we had an Ambilight TV from Philips. Although it also translated the colors one-on-one, it is much dosing and quieter at Philips.
Fortunately, you can adjust the brightness, saturation and intensity via the app. This way you can better dose the synchronization mode, which results in a more pleasant viewing experience. It is not yet flawless, but you can coordinate it better.
Many TV programs and films have more subtle colors, these are not always lively and clear. For black shades, WIZ does not seem to choose no color as standard and the LEDs in this area are switched off. This makes it very restless because the LED strip is constantly on and off. In some cases, black dark red is displayed.
![Wiz HDMI Sync Box and Gradient Light Bars [DEMO]](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/-WfwInODLWc/maxresdefault.webp?w=685&h=385)
Trailer Monarch: Legacy of Samples on Apple TV+
If you adjust the intensity and saturation down, dark colors will be replaced by light shades. As a result, the lamps never go out during synchronization. In the video above you can see the difference between the standard and adapted display.
Detection of black beams
In the app you can indicate that the HDMI Sync Box Wiz must take into account black beams, something that often sees reflection in films and series. Via Library â–¸ Light synchronization â–¸ With Video â–¸ You can enable the ‘Detection of Black Balken’ option. The black beams along the edges of the video are then automatically excluded from synchronization.
Expand with Gradient Light Bars
Because our TV hangs against the wall fairly tightly, we had decided to also add the Wiz Gradient Light Bars. For example, you can place this on the cupboard next to the TV and fill the entire wall with color. I have to admit that they function better than the LED strip itself.
Gradient Light Bars will never be completely eliminated during the synchronization mode and therefore there is always light to see. This ensures a quieter viewing experience and prefer the light beams instead of the LED strip.
Other light effects
Of course you can buy such a HDMI Sync Box for the compelling viewing experience where the colors of the screen and the content are matched with the LED strip. However, you can also choose to use other light effects. This way you can play all kinds of static, color or dynamic light effects on the linked lamps such as candlelight, fireplace, romantic, pastel colors, etc.
The effects can be fully personalized in brightness, intensity and speed. This way you can also use the lamps when the TV is not switched on or when you don’t want matching colors while watching a movie.
Conclusion: Wiz HDMI Sync Box
Review Score
The HDMI Sync Box Wiz with LED strip is a smart solution if you would like to add extra dynamics to watching films and series. The colors are promoted at lightning speed on the LED strip, which ensures an intense and compelling experience. The light output is large and spreads well on the wall behind the screen. In addition, I recommend taking a set of Gradient Light Bars, which ensure a nicer viewing experience and distribution of the light effect.
The Sync Box works well without any delay, and thanks to the support of HDR10+, Dolby Vision and 4K to 60Hz you will not deteriorate.
In some cases the effect can be very busy, which can cause a restless viewing experience with many color differences, blinking lights and movements. You can solve this by adjusting the brightness, saturation and intensity of the colors.
Is the HDMI Sync Box Wiz a must? That is difficult to say. Are you looking for an Ambilight solution, extra effects while watching films and gaming? Then it is worth it, but you have to get used to the new way of watching TV. Do you prefer to keep it calm? Then you better stick a standard LED strip around your TV and choose an effect manually. Good to know: the Sync Box can be both.
- 4K 60HZ, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision Support
- Simple installation and easy app
- Works via WiFi, no hub needed
- Bright and deep colors
- Detection of black beams
- Syncrhonization mode, but also ‘normal’ light effects
- Gradient Light Bars spread light effects better
- Only one HDMI 2.0 port for an external device
- Dark colors switch out LED strip which can cause a restless effect
Wiz HDMI Sync Box buy
The HDMI Sync Box Wiz is for sale in two versions. A set for 55 “-65” TVs has a suggested retail price of € 89 and for the 75 “-85” version you pay € 109. The Gradient Light Bars have a suggested retail price of € 69.
