LG OLED TVs can now integrate with Philips Hue lights, simulating the Ambilight effect while incurring a notable expense.
In this article, we'll discuss an innovative way to enhance the viewing experience on LG TVs, inspired by the Philips Ambilight feature. While the Philips OLED809 TV, a subject of a full review in this article, boasts an integrated Ambilight setting, LG TVs do not natively support this feature. However, you can create a similar immersive ambient light effect by using Philips Hue smart lighting products and the Philips Hue Sync app.
The Hue Sync app, available on the 2024 LG TV range, analyses the content on your screen and changes your Hue lights accordingly to mimic Ambilight. To set up this system, you'll need Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrips (or similar Hue Play modules) designed for TVs, which typically cost around £130 to £230 depending on size and retailer. Additionally, a Philips Hue Bridge, required for the Hue Sync setup if you don’t have one already, costs about £45.
The Hue Sync app itself is free to download and use, but you need a compatible PC or media device to run it. For a complete Hue Sync Ambilight-like setup on an LG 2024 TV (which has no built-in Ambilight), expect to spend around £150–£300 or upwards for the necessary Hue hardware.
Meanwhile, the Philips OLED809 TV offers a wide range of picture formats, including 8K and 4K resolutions, as well as HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR.
A separate review of the LG C4 OLED TV is also included in this article, but we do not discuss the Ambilight feature on this particular model.
Interestingly, Philips has launched its Hue lighting ecosystem on LG's webOS platform, and support for the Hue Sync app is expected for LG's 2025 lineup, including the G5 and C5 OLEDs.
It's worth noting that the Hue Sync App was previously launched on Samsung TVs in 2023, and it works with all content, including content streamed from the TV's built-in streaming apps.
For those interested, the Hue Sync App costs €130 / $130 (around £110 / AU$215), or €3/month, with a subscription allowing access on up to three devices. There is currently no word on the app launching on older LG models.
[1] Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-gb/p/hue-play-gradient-lightstrip [3] Philips Hue Bridge: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-gb/p/hue-bridge [5] Philips Hue Sync App: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-gb/p/hue-sync-app
- The Philips Hue Sync app, available on LG TVs from 2024, can create an ambient light effect similar to Ambilight by analyzing content on your screen and changing connected Philips Hue lights accordingly.
- To set up this system, you'll need Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrips, which typically cost around £130 to £230, and a Philips Hue Bridge for the setup, that costs approximately £45.
- Although the Hue Sync app is free to use, a compatible PC or media device is required to run it for an LG TV without built-in Ambilight.
- The Philips OLED809 TV, which is the subject of a full review in the article, boasts various picture formats like 8K and 4K resolutions, HDR10, and Dolby Vision HDR.
- The LG C4 OLED TV, another model reviewed in the article, does not have the Ambilight feature mentioned in this discussion.
- Interestingly, Philips has launched its Hue lighting ecosystem on LG's webOS platform, and the Hue Sync app is expected to be supported on LG's 2025 lineup, including the G5 and C5 OLEDs.
- The Hue Sync App costs €130 / $130 (around £110 / AU$215) or €3/month, with a subscription allowing access on up to three devices, but there is currently no word on the app launching on older LG models.
