Philips Hue lamps can show millions of colors, so you have the perfect lighting for every occasion. You can do this manually, but with the new Hue Sync app for Windows and Mac you can also have the lights synchronize automatically with movies, games and music. Similar to Ambilight TVs. Read here how.
We assume that you have already installed a set of Hue lamps and that the Hue Bridge is in the same network as your computer. If you are not that far yet, it is advisable to invest in a Hue Starter Kit (approximately 160 euros). This consists of a bridge, a switch and three colored Hue lamps. You can then set this up via the Philips Hue app.
Create entertainment room
In the Hue app now tap Institutions, then on Entertainment areas. Tap the option here Create entertainment space. Choose one of the rooms that you have already set up during the installation of the lamps, and tap Get on. In the next screen, check the lights you want to sync within this room, followed by Get on and The lamps are ready.
Now drag the lamp icons in the right place, so that they correspond to where they are in your living room / bedroom / office. Tap on Test room to check if all lights are set correctly. Then tap Perfectly tuned and then on Understood to complete this part of the Hue Sync setup.
Install Hue Sync and sync lights
Now go to the Hue site and download the Hue Sync App for Windows or macOS. Follow the wizard to install the program, which will start immediately. click on Search for Bridge and wait for a while until the Bridge is found in your network. Agree to the terms of use and click To connect. Then walk to your Bridge and press the large, round PushLink button. Your Hue Bridge is now connected to your PC.
All that's left is to choose the entertainment space you just created in the mobile app. Then the Sync app opens and you can let the lamps color with the music you listen, games you play or the movies you watch. We take the latter as an example.
click on Video and then Start syncing. You will now notice that the colors of your Hue lamps are matched to the colors of the image. You can adjust its intensity in four degrees. When listening to music, you have an extra option, namely determining the color palette. You can choose from five different ones. click on Stop syncing when you want to get your lights back on as usual.
Finally, let's take a look at Institutions, top right. If your PC is not the fastest, you can General preferences determine how much CPU power the app is allowed to consume. You can also set here whether Hue Sync starts automatically.
Bee Display preferences you can turn to when you are dealing with multiple monitors/TVs, and below Shortcut keys you can - yes - set keyboard shortcuts for certain Sync functions. This way you can increase the brightness or stop the synchronization within a few keystrokes, handy!