Philips Hue adds TV-sync camera, cheaper 4K box and Nanoleaf

Signify has expanded the Philips Hue ecosystem with a camera-based television sync system, a cheaper 4K sync box, and an integration that brings Nanoleaf light panels into the Hue platform. According to Tweakers, the announcement also includes AI-driven lighting automations and new decorative lighting, with some products available immediately and others arriving later in 2026.

What happened

Tweakers reports that Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, has introduced the Play Screen Sync, a camera with a fisheye lens that sits on top of a television and reads the colours on screen to synchronise Ambilight-style lighting. Because the camera watches the display directly, the synchronisation works with all on-screen content, including built-in smart TV apps and video protected by digital rights management. Tweakers notes that this type of content was often a stumbling block for the existing Play HDMI sync box 8K and the regular version. The camera works with televisions up to 85 inches and supports every common screen technology, except curved televisions and projectors.

Alongside the camera, Signify is releasing the Play HDMI sync box 4K, a more compact model with a single HDMI 2.0 connection that supports 4K at 60Hz and audio passthrough. According to Tweakers, both the Play Screen Sync and the new sync box are available immediately. The Play Screen Sync is priced at 119,99 euro and the Play HDMI sync box 4K at 149,99 euro.

To light the back of a television, Signify is launching the Play gradient TV strip light in two variants. Tweakers reports that the standard version uses RGBWWIC leds and supports televisions from 55 to 85 inches, while the pro version is an OmniGlow strip without visible led dots that shows colour gradients more smoothly and comes in three lengths, up to 65, 85 and 100 inches. The standard strip can be cut every 16,7cm and the pro version every 12,5cm. These strips start at 99,99 euro and become available on 15 September 2026. Tweakers adds that both the camera and the new sync box can connect directly over Bluetooth to one compatible strip without needing a Hue Bridge.

Signify also announced a collaboration with Nanoleaf. According to Tweakers, users can add compatible Nanoleaf Shapes, namely Hexagons, Triangles and Mini Triangles, into their Hue ecosystem for scenes and entertainment, but this requires the physical Philips Hue Wall Light Module, which costs 39,99 euro.

On the software side, Tweakers reports two additions. Custom AI Behaviors lets users set up advanced automations using natural language, for example asking the system to activate a scene when it gets dark. That feature requires a Hue Bridge Pro and arrives in October through an update. Signify is also extending its Sonos integration so users can control Sonos speakers through Hue switches, having previously only supported the reverse. This requires a Hue Bridge Pro and arrives in November.

Why it matters in the Netherlands

Signify is a Dutch company, headquartered in Eindhoven, and Philips Hue is one of the most recognisable smart home brands sold across the country. For internationals living here, that means these products are widely available in Dutch electronics shops and online stores, and they sit at the centre of a smart lighting system that many households already own. The prices Tweakers lists give a clear picture of the cost of entry. The Play Screen Sync at 119,99 euro and the Play HDMI sync box 4K at 149,99 euro are the more affordable route into TV synchronisation, and the cheaper 4K box in particular signals that Signify wants to bring this feature to a broader group of buyers rather than only high-end setups.

For daily life, the practical appeal is simple. If you have moved into a Dutch apartment and want your living room lighting to react to films and games, the camera approach removes a long-standing frustration, because Tweakers reports it works with smart TV apps and DRM-protected video that the older HDMI boxes struggled with. That covers the streaming services most people here actually use. The Bluetooth connection to a single strip also means you can start without buying a Hue Bridge, lowering the initial cost, though the more advanced software features tell a different story.

The AI automations and the expanded Sonos control both require a Hue Bridge Pro, according to Tweakers. That is worth noting before you spend, because the headline features that make the system feel intelligent are gated behind additional hardware. Anyone budgeting for a full setup should factor that in rather than assuming the entry-level devices unlock everything.

For the Dutch tech sector, the release is a reminder of how much consumer smart home development still happens locally. Signify continues to build its ecosystem outward, now pulling a competitor’s hardware, Nanoleaf, into the Hue platform through a paid 39,99 euro module. That kind of integration shapes which products people buy and how locked into one platform households become, which matters for anyone weighing long-term smart home spending in a new country.

What to watch next

The immediate dates to track come straight from Tweakers. The Play gradient TV strip light arrives on 15 September 2026, so buyers waiting on the back-of-TV lighting will not have long to wait. The Custom AI Behaviors feature is due in October and the reversed Sonos integration in November, both delivered as software updates and both requiring a Hue Bridge Pro. If you already own a Bridge Pro, these updates should reach you without extra hardware spending.

It is also worth watching how the camera performs in practice compared with the HDMI boxes. Tweakers frames the Play Screen Sync as the answer to content that previously broke synchronisation, so real-world reliability with Dutch streaming apps will be the test of whether it lives up to that claim. Finally, keep an eye on the Nanoleaf collaboration. If Signify continues opening the Hue platform to third-party lighting, it could change how internationals here mix and match smart home brands rather than committing to a single supplier. For now, the practical takeaway is clear pricing, immediate availability for the core devices, and a small number of features held back for owners of the pricier Bridge Pro.

Source: Tweakers