[Interview] Samsung and Philips Hue Make Home Entertainment Including Games and Movies More Immersive Than Ever

Samsung Electronics is spearheading the era of “Bringing Calm to Our Connected World,” where customized experiences aim to enhance users’ lifestyles in ways never before seen. An effective smart home ecosystem gives consumers limitless opportunities for personalized experiences. There are now countless devices that are seamlessly synchronized and easily controlled by the TV.

In line with this goal of seamless connections, Samsung has expanded the hyperconnected experience by partnering with Signify, formerly known as Philips Lighting, to incorporate the Philips Hue Sync TV app into Samsung TVs. These technologies work in perfect harmony to make content more immersive and add a cinematic quality to any home theater set up.

To dive deeper into the collaboration, Samsung Newsroom sat down with AJ Cho from the CX team at the Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics and Yoojin Hong, Product Marketer of Hue at Signify Korea, to share insights into the partnership’s origin and setup tips to optimize your home entertainment experience.

▲ Philips Hue, synced with Samsung QLED TV, offers an immersive viewing experience that transcends the screen

Industry Leaders Create the Ultimate Entertainment Experience

The partnership between Samsung and Signify goes back to 2020. Philips Hue, known for its smart lighting system that allows users to adjust brightness and color, had just launched the Play HDMI Sync Box in 2019.

“We noticed how the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box could sync lighting with the brightness and color according to the content being played on the screen. This significantly enhanced the viewing experience in a way we had never seen before,” said Cho. “At that moment, we knew we wanted to partner with Signify for a collaboration that would make our two products as cohesive as possible.”

“With years of research into lighting’s impact on human perception and psychology, Philips developed Hue, a sophisticated and intelligent lighting system offering not just adjustable brightness and color temperature, but also a spectrum of 16 million colors,” said Hong. “Teaming up with Samsung, a market leader in TV manufacturing, allowed us to take full advantage of our advanced lighting system. It was clear to me that this collaboration would lead to innovative solutions in home entertainment.”

▲ AJ Cho from the CX team at the Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics (left) and Yoojin Hong, Product Marketer of Hue at Signify Korea

As a result of this partnership, Samsung TVs were the first in the world to support the Philips Hue Sync TV application. Now, when Philips Hue is paired with a Samsung TV,¹ the content is not just on the screen. It envelopes the entire room with lighting that harmonizes with each scene in real-time.

It’s also never been easier to set up. Simply install the app from the app store, attach the light to the back of your TV and pair the light to the TV. The light can be paired with the TV without a separate sync box, instead leveraging the Samsung Smart TV platform.

▲ Philps Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip attached to the back of a TV. The Philips Hue Sync TV app eliminates the need for a separate Sync Box, allowing for a cleaner and easier setup

“Previously, the Sync Box synchronized the lights only via the HDMI cable. In contrast, the Philips Hue Sync TV app allows content and the lights to sync. This means our consumers can enjoy this feature with everything from streaming services to video games,” said Cho. “It’s not only easy to install but also keeps the TV setup clean, with no need for additional cables.”

Smart Lighting Enhances Gaming, Movies, Live Sports and Much More

The Philips Hue Sync TV app supports a wide variety of content, including both game and video mode. The app will automatically use lighting optimized for the game you’re playing or the video you’re watching, synchronized in real-time to the content.

▲ An on/off comparison of Philips Hue Sync (Game Mode) on a Samsung QLED TV

“I strongly recommend using the lights on game mode, which provides immersive lighting based on the genre of the game you’re playing,” said Cho. “Whether it’s a simulation, FPS(First-Person Shooting), or racing game, the extra lighting pulls you in. Players can adjust the intensity of the light based on their preference as well for a highly customized experience.”

▲ An on/off comparison of Philips Hue Sync (Video Mode) on a Samsung QLED TV

Philips Hue also works well with movies or television shows. Cho’s personal favorite is pairing it with a horror movie. “Switching to Video mode with a horror movie transforms the room, immersing the viewer in a chilling, ominous atmosphere that truly elevates the viewing experience.”

▲ An on/off comparison of Philips Hue Sync on a Samsung Smart Monitor

Avid sports fans will also appreciate the synergy between Samsung TV Plus² and Philips Hue. This combination became especially exciting with the recent launch of the FIFA+ channel³ on Samsung TV Plus. Samsung TV Plus is Samsung’s free, ad-supported streaming TV service. The FIFA+ channel features an extensive collection of FIFA Originals, archives, and highlights from both men’s and women’s soccer.

Cho noted, “Using Philips Hue truly enhances the thrill of watching a game at home. Paired with superior sound and picture quality, the TV and the lighting combination creates a stadium-like atmosphere right in your living room.”

Maximizing Realism in Home Entertainment With Philips Hue

There are a number of key factors which influence how immersive content on screen can be. While the significance of picture and sound quality cannot be overstated, Hong believes that lighting might be the final piece needed to elevate the overall experience.

▲ Philips Hue Sync TV app, available on compatible Samsung Smart TVs, helps automatically sync the smart lighting according to various types of content displayed on the screen including videos and games

“Philips Hue harmonizes with Samsung Smart TV, adjusting its colors in real-time to reflect on-screen content and maximizing a sense of realism on screen,” said Hong. “Whether it’s a movie, TV show, or gaming, Philips Hue is able to precisely catch the changes on screen, intensifying the immersion of the content.”

Find the Perfect Philips Hue Setup for Your Samsung TV

Philips Hue offers a wide lineup of options to suit any home theater set up. Based on their experience, Cho and Hong have handpicked specific Philips Hue products designed to optimize the viewing experience.

▲ Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip (left) and Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Tube (right)

Cho selected the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip, which can be attached to the back of a TV. “Similar to the way different colors are mixed to make the perfect shade of paint, this light strip uses different shades of light to create the desired ambience,” said Cho. “With its 45-degree beam angle and seamless connectivity, the Play Gradient Lightstrip allows your content and lights to be perfectly in sync.”

Hong prefers the Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Tube. “It’s versatile, easy to install anywhere around the TV, and its greatest strength lies in its customization,” said Hong. “The light tube can be rotated up to 340 degrees, allowing you to direct the lights precisely where you need it in any setup.”

¹ The Philips Hue Sync app is available on Samsung Neo QLED and QLED TV models Q60 and above released after 2022. A software update is planned for Q70B and Q700B 2022 models to support the app by the end of 2023.
² Samsung TV Plus is a free, go-to source for entertainment and sport, available to Samsung Smart TV, Mobile and Tablet customers. Samsung TV models manufactured after 2016 and mobile devices with access to Android 8.0 or higher will have Samsung TV Plus already built in. If your device is compatible, you will be able to download it directly from the Galaxy and Google Play store. Samsung TV Plus is available on Samsung Family Hub refrigerators and the web on select regions.
³ Samsung TV Plus is only available in South Korea, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Brazil and Mexico. The mobile app is only available in South Korea, United States, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and India.