The Philips Hue Play Sync Box does provide an immersive media experience. However Out of the Box. it doesn’t really support Apple HomeKit. Now Thanks to this Homebridge plugin – we finally get that better HomeKit Support to unlock that full surround lighting experience.

NOW – Do you Remember the Hyperion Ambilight project video that I had done – Well – We really loved it However The only issue we had was that the HDMI splitter that was used in that project downgraded the video quality from 4k to 1080P  making the viewing experience not so great. 

Anyways I took the leap and purchased the Phillips Hue Play Sync Box that supports 4K & HDR-10 together with the hub, a pair of play bars as well as  a Gradient light strip that supports a 65 inch screen plus I already had 2 blooms with me which made sense to invest in the product. 

Now just for full disclosure …. I am happy to say that this video is not sponsored or affiliated with Philips by anyway. I mean why would they …

So, For all of this to work & integrate the Sync Box with Apple HomeKit we will need – 

  1. Philips Hue Sync Box
  2. Philips Hue Hub 
  3. Some kind of Philips hue lighting – Just for demo sake – I’ll be using a pair of Play Bars. I do have the LED strip however it will be used once I move into our new home which is currently under construction. 
  4. And to enable the integration with Homekit – we will be using Homebridge plus I also have videos on how to install the software and dont worry I have left links in the description. 

As always the video is broken down to chapters and feel free to jump to any one of them. So let’s not waste anytime and let’s jump into the tutorial. 

So First up – lets get an overview of what the plugin can do …

The Sync Box can be exposed as a lightbulb with the following features supported:

  • On/Off
  • Brightness

It can also be exposed as a switch. Supporting only the On/Off function 

Additionally You can also enable TV accessories that support:

  • Switching HDMI inputs
  • Switching modes
  • Switching intensity
  • Or even Switching entertainment areas

Last but the least – since they are recognized as TV accessories – you can use the iOS remote widget to control the sync box. Basically all of the functionality you were getting from the default Philips Sync app is now available in the Apple Home App. 

Now Before we go ahead and install the plugin – you need to extract the token so that the plugin will be able to communicate with the Box over your local computer network. There are 3 ways to do it – Using a Web Browser, a command line or a tool like postman. Basically you have less than 1 second to get the token once you hold the power button, you need to wait until the LED switches to green. Immediately release the button and make the request to get the token. It’s quite a juggle. It’s doable – it took me around 10 tries to get it. 

However I will show you another way of extracting it by using a simple python script. Basically once this script is executed, it runs in a loop until you press and hold the power button and release it once the led turns to green. The script then automatically captures the token. Easy !

So to extract it – Make sure the Sync Box is on and the synchronization is stopped. Next access your Router DHCP settings and take note of the assigned IP address. Dont forget to reserve the address as well. Now I am going to show you the token extraction process using firstly a Mac which will be the same for a PC and then followed by using a Pi. 

The Philips Hue Play Sync Box does provide an awesome media immersion experience. However Out of the Box it doesn’t really support Apple HomeKit. Now Thanks to this Homebridge plugin – we finally get that better HomeKit Support to unlock that full surround lighting experience. 

🌟 Looking for a Smart Home Advisor 📧 info@buildasmarthome.org

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️:
================
00:00 Intro
00:35 Opening
01:53 Sync Box Homebridge Plugin Overview
02:44 Hue Sync Box Token Information
03:47 Hue Sync Box Preparation
04:22 Mac or PC Token Extract
07:12 Linux Token Extract
08:46 Homebridge Plugin Config
12:14 Apple HomeKit Config
12:55 Philips Hue Play Sync Box Demo
13:14 Closing

➡️ Token Python Script – https://github.com/EddieDSuza/techwitheddie/blob/main/syncbox.py
➡️ Download Python – https://www.python.org
➡️ Download Sublime Text – https://www.sublimetext.com
➡️ 8 Awesome DIY Smart Home Apps That Will Make Your Life Easy- https://youtu.be/MfdVruBVVsQ

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🖥️ Homebridge Installation Links 🖥️
✔️ Install Homebridge in a Synology NAS DSM 6 – https://youtu.be/CTe-gSrzLFE
✔️ Install Homebridge in a Synology NAS DSM 7 – https://youtu.be/ai51lXT2zIA
✔️ Install Homebridge in macOS – https://youtu.be/Nqh2vSeTzC0
✔️ Install Homebridge in Windows 10 – https://youtu.be/5mxhAgryuVo
✔️ Install Homebridge in a Pi 4 – https://youtu.be/D0YfkdGAIhY

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#philipshue #homebridge #homekit #smarthomegadgets

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