WiZ HDMI Sync Box and TV Backlight Review

Introduction

Signify’s WiZ brand may be lesser known than its industry leading smart light champion Philips Hue, but the brand is certainly on the up and there’s a lot more to it as of late than budget Wi-Fi bulbs. So it wasn’t a great surprise when, earlier this year, Signify used the experience of two generations of Hue Play Sync boxes to to roll out a more wallet-friendly option under the WiZ banner.

The WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight pairs a small control unit with an LED strip that sticks to the back of your TV, giving you that big-screen light show feel without breaking the bank.

Like the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K, WiZ’s effort avoids the awkward camera-on-a-stick setup that brands like Govee and Nanoleaf rely on. Instead, it reads the HDMI feed directly. At less than a third of Hue’s 8K box, this is the affordable way in, albeit with a few cutbacks to keep the cost down.

Design and setup

• Small box
• Single HDMI input

The Sync Box itself is tiny compared to Hue’s chunky option, but it definitely feels cheaper in the hand. That’s not a huge deal, though, since most people will hide it behind a console or tuck it away in an AV unit anyway.

It works by pulling the signal straight from whatever HDMI source you plug into it such as a games console, set-top box, or streaming stick.

There’s only one HDMI input, so if you’ve got more than one gadget you’ll need an additional HDMI switch. And because it only passes through devices connected directly to the box, it won’t sync with apps running natively on your smart TV, or anything else that goes into your TV such as terrestrial TV stations.

Setup is super straightforward. Inside the package you get the control box, the LED strip, power brick, HDMI cable, and a few extra clips to secure the strip in place.

The strip itself is three-sided and comes in two sizes: one for 55–65-inch TVs, and a larger version for 75–85-inch screens. I tested the smaller kit on a 65-inch set.

Connecting it to the WiZ app is done over Bluetooth. The app runs you through sticking the strip on and plugging it in. Each side of the strip has 3M adhesive, plus corner connectors linked with little wires.

This design makes fitting it far less fiddly than trying to bend lightstrips around corners, though it does leave tiny unlit gaps. Thankfully, you don’t notice once the lights are in action.

The app then runs a quick test, by simply beaming different colours to the sides, to check which way you mounted the strip, and then you’re ready to roll.

If you want to expand beyond the included strip, Signify also offers WiZ Gradient Floor Lights (£79.99 / $89.99) and Gradient Light Bars (£54.99 / $59.99), which you can position virtually in the TV Area section of the app.

The mapping isn’t as detailed as Hue’s equivalent, but it’s simple enough.

Features

• Multiple modes
• Works with Alexa and Google Assistant

When it’s time to sync, you get four preset modes: Cinematic, Vibrant, Relaxation, and Rhythmic.

They’re really just different mixes of brightness, saturation, and intensity and you can tweak them further if you like using the WiZ app.

Voice control works with both Alexa and Google Assistant, and there’s an optional WiZ remote too.
Specs-wise, the Sync Box handles 4K at 60Hz with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, which is fine for streaming, movies, and casual gaming. But it is HDMI 2.0 only, so if you’re looking to squeeze out 120Hz from a PS5 or Xbox Series X, this isn’t it. For that, you’ll still need the Hue 8K box (and much deeper pockets).

One downside is the app experience. Because WiZ’s app is built around regular smart lighting, the Sync controls feel buried. I’d like to see the whole Sync Box section made more prominent and easier to access.

Performance

I’m a long-time user of both generations of Hue’s Play HDMI sync boxes, and I’ll admit my expectations were high – maybe unfairly so – going into this review. I was ready to forgive some cut corners given the price, but honestly, the WiZ box surprised me.

No, it doesn’t deliver the same jaw-dropping precision as Hue’s high-end models. There were times when two colours blurred into a mix or smaller, but still prominent colours from a scene were missed – such as Happy Gilmore’s hoodie in the image below.

It also struggles to keep the pace with high-octane action shots with quick cuts, there was sometimes a noticeable lag between the colkours projected from one shot to the next.

But the overall performance was way better than I’d expected at this price. Plus, and it’s a big plus for me, unlike rivals with screen-facing cameras, you don’t have to deal with any calibration headaches, nor have a camera on sight all the time… I’ve always found that a major turn-off when testing those types of setups.

With my Hue Play Sync Box 8K, I usually dial back saturation and intensity because it can get a bit much. With the WiZ, I found the opposite; maxing everything out gave me the best results.

Bright, colorful content is where it shines. Animated films, sci-fi, and sports looked fantastic, with the glow adding an extra sense of depth. It also held up well for casual gaming. I tested a handful of EA Sports titles on my Xbox Series S, along with some family-friendly stuff, and the effect was great. Hardcore 120Hz gamers will need something beefier, but for most people it’s more than enough.

Of course, you can always use the strip as a regular WiZ smart light if you want, but let’s be honest. the sync mode is the whole point.

Should you buy it?