At CES, Govee announces a direct competitor to the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box (test). The AI Gaming Sync Box Kit, as it is officially called, is connected between the player and the display like the Philips Hue counterpart, but supports a refresh rate of up to 240 Hz.
Synchronize image and light via HDMI
The aim of the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box Kit is to have RGB lights and lamps shine in a color matching the looped-through image signal, for which the image in the box is analyzed and the colors are adjusted according to the positions of the lamps in the room. For example, effects in games on the PC or console can be transferred to the lighting in the room in real time.
Compared to Ambilight retrofits with Govee Immersion and Govee Lightbar Flow Pro (test), where the colors of the TV or monitor image are filmed via a camera and the colors are adjusted accordingly, an HDMI sync box is very good at color analysis much more accurate, since it is not dependent on external influences and the color reproduction of the monitor. In addition, the delay is theoretically less.
Up to 240 Hz depending on the resolution
However, if you were hoping for HDMI 2.1, the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is missing, you will also be disappointed with the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box Kit, because this only offers HDMI 2.0. Depending on the resolution of the connected display, different refresh rates are supported. With the 4K resolution, Govee, like Philips Hue, ends at 60 Hz. If the WQHD resolution with 2,560 × 1,440 pixels is used, 144 Hz are possible – with Philips Hue 120 Hz are supported here. In Full HD, on the other hand, Govee can use 240 Hz.
Appropriate effects depending on the game
To calculate the colors, Govee relies on the “Govee-AI CogniGlow algorithm”, which analyzes more than 100,000 features of the image and the sound. Characteristics of the respective game should also be incorporated into the lighting, with League of Legends, Apex and Valorant being supported, for example. When a character is injured there, the light flashes red, and when it recovers, it changes to green. According to Govee, the CogniGlow algorithm achieves 161 FPS and will also be used in other company products in the future. The SoC in the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box is said to have an INT4 computing power of 14.4 TOPS. No data is transferred to the cloud during control, all processing takes place on the device – which, given the latency of a cloud, is not possible any other way.
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Govee AI Gaming Sync Box (Image: Govee)
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Other differences to the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box
Further differences to the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box become visible on closer inspection. If Govee offers three HDMI inputs, Philips Hue has four. HDR, Dolby Vision, CEC and ARC both support equally. However, there are differences when it comes to the maximum number of lights that can be controlled in conjunction with the Sync Box. If up to 10 lamps can be synchronized exclusively wirelessly via the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, with Govee two devices can be controlled by cable and up to 5 lamps can be controlled wirelessly. The support of Apple HomeKit is also reserved for the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, as well as control by remote control via infrared.
price and availability
The Govee AI Gaming Sync Box is scheduled to hit the German market in March. The price is expected to be EUR 299.99, with an LED light strip and two light bars already included in addition to the sync box.
Govee announces Matter support
In addition, Govee announced at CES 2023 that it would also support the cross-manufacturer smart home standard Matter with its own products in the future. The Govee LED light strip M1 (2m) will be available as the first product with Matter at the beginning of this year. More products with Matter will follow over time.
ComputerBase received information about this item from Govee under NDA. The only requirement was the earliest possible publication date.
