Best Ambilight Clones – Top Responsive TV Backlight Kits

The TV and movie watching experience isn’t completely universal. Even if you’ve got an incredible television or projector paired with a phenomenal soundbar or surround sound system, various factors affect your video watching. While on-screen visuals and audio are indeed important, your physical surroundings are crucial as well. Movies and TV shows are best viewed in total or near darkness. One of the best home theatre upgrades is a bias lighting system or a TV backlight. Check out the best Ambilight clones you can buy!

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box – The Best Ambilight Clone on the Planet

Not only does Philips offer Ambilight TVs, but it manufactures some of the best smart lights on the market. For home theatre use, the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box is an excellent solution for setting up a TV backlight.

The Hue Play HDMI sync box lets you connect up to four HDMI devices such as game consoles, Blu-ray players, streaming devices, and set-top boxes. Then, in the Hue Sync mobile app, add your compatible Philips Hue lights. After that, you can sync Hue smart lights with the content on your TV screen.

Using the Hue Play HDMI box, immersive lighting effects complement your movies, music, and video games. Since the Philips Hue Ambilight clone sends video and audio signals into an HDMI device, you’ll experience quick color changing.

The Hue Play sync box supports passthrough support for Dolby Vision or HDR10+ high dynamic range (HDR) standards complete with lighting effects. However, the Hue Play sync box is just that. A solitary HDMI box, sans lights. Therefore, you’ll need to add your own Hue lights, such as Philips Hue white and color ambiance LightStrip Plus LEDs. Since the Hue Play HDMI box works with virtually any Philips Hue lights, you’re not limited to strip lights placed behind your TV. Instead, you can add the Play Bar, smart lights, and the Hue Bloom for additional utility.

Audiophiles, note that the Philips Hue TV sync box does support lossless audio passthrough. As such, DTS-HD and TrueHD soundtracks can be transmitted to a compatible receiver or soundbar. In my testing, the Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box was able to send Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD from my Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player to my VIZIO SB36512-F6 Dolby Atmos 5.1 soundbar. However, only HDMI ports 2 and 4 are full-speed. Ports 1 and 3 don’t have as much bandwidth.

The main downside, apart from the lights themselves being sold separately, is price. As is the Philips Hue standard, the Philips Hue HDMI sync box is a costly investment. You’ll need the HDMI box, strip lights for the back of your TV, and a Hue Bridge. That will set you back a few hundred dollars. If you’re willing to shell out the money, you’ll bask in the warm glow of a true Ambilight kit that generates lovely colors and changes color quickly thanks to its HDMI inputs.

Pros:

• HDMI connectivity (4 HDMI inputs)
• Lovely color reproduction
• Fast color changing
• Philips Hue ecosystem
• Works with smart bulbs and other Philips Hue products besides strip lights
• HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR support
• Passes through uncompressed audio such as Dolby Atmos and DTS TrueHD

Cons:

• Pricey
• Light strip for TV backlight sold separately
• Doesn’t work with built-in smart TV apps
• Only HDMI ports 2 and 4 are full-speed

Best Ambilight Alternative Responsive TV Backlighting Option for Gaming – Lytmi Neo Sync Box 

Reactive TV backlighting that accepts an HDMI signal is more responsive than with a camera pointed at the screen. That’s because the video signal is processed directly in real-time rather than with a slight delay using an external webcam. While the Philips Hue Sync Box is a fantastic choice, it’s pretty pricey when buying the box itself plus lights and a hub. Moreover, Philips lacks HDMI 2.1 support. The Lytmi Neo Sync Box is a good Ambilight alternative with an HDMI 2.1 connector for a responsive TV backlight.

Because of its three HDMI 2.1 ports, the Lytmi Neo Sync Box boasts up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 120Hz refresh rate support. Additionally, you’ll get VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (auto-low-latency mode) support, both critical features for gamers. Therefore, the Lytmi Fantasty 3 HDMI 2.1 TV backlight kit is the best option for gamers seeking to connect consoles like the PlayStation 5 (PS5) or Xbox Series X/S as well as gaming desktops or laptops.

It’s available in four different lengths to fit 27-50-inch, 55-60-inch, 65-70-inch, 75-80-inch, 85-90-inch, or 95-120-inch screens. This impressive range of sizes means you can hook the Lytmi Fantasty 3 Pro up to a diverse set of devices, from gaming monitors and TVs to projector screens. The Lytmi Fantasy 3 is compatible with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision for 4K Blu-rays or streaming. There’s an app for light control along with several modes like screen, music, and fun. In our testing, we appreciated the Lytmi’s affordability, excellent color-changing performance, and 4K with HDR video passthrough.

Unfortunately, the Lytmi HDMI 2.1 sync box lacks CEC, or Consumer Electronics Control, which lets you control your TV or projector with other device remotes and vice versa. CEC is great for controlling your television or projector volume with the remote from your streaming box, and navigating a streaming stick with the remote from your TV. It’s a convenient feature for folks with lots of daisy-chained devices, such as streaming boxes, Blu-ray players, sound bars, or receivers. In the end, the Lytmi Fantasy 3 Pro fosters an immersive atmosphere with fast, responsive HDMI TV backlighting on a budget.

Pros:

• Excellent value
• 3 HDMI 2.1 inputs for responsive, video-reactive ambient TV LED backlighting
• Up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 120Hz video
• Great for gaming — supports VRR and ALLM
• HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision passthrough
• Easy to set up

Cons:

• No CEC

Govee LED Backlight – The Best Ambilight Alternative on a Budget

Although Ambilight clones can be pretty pricey, Govee offers an affordable TV backlight kit. This bias lighting array touts Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa connectivity for smart home functionality. Therefore, you can turn on your TV backlight with voice commands. A music mode takes advantage of its mic for lights that adjust to audio.

Whereas many budget-oriented bias lighting systems simply arrive as a strand of LEDs affixed to the back of your television, the Govee Wi-Fi TV backlighting kit features a camera mounted to either the top or bottom of a monitor. Then, the camera processes the on-screen image and automatically changes the color of its LEDs.

Because Govee doesn’t rely on a capture device such as an HDMI input, it’s compatible with any input. So long as your TV displays the image, the Govee will read and process the image.

However, this comes with a few disadvantages. Primarily, since Govee opts for an external camera rather than an HDMI connection for video signal processing, there’s a slight color-changing delay.

Additionally, functionality heavily relies on proper camera installation. At times, the Govee Ambilight alternative struggles to handle multiple colors on-screen. And as image processing is reliant on a camera, there’s going to be a visible webcam on your TV. This might be an eyesore for some users.

Still, it’s incredibly affordable at under $100. Easy to install, fairly responsive, and featuring bright, vivid LEDs, the Govee bias lighting kit is a phenomenal augmentation to your home theatre.

Pros:

• Bright, vivid LEDs
• Affordable Ambilight alternative
• Easy to install
• Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa connectivity
• Automatic color processing via camera
• Music mode

Cons:

• Occasional slight delay changing colors
• Sometimes has difficulty processing multiple on-screen colors
• Requires camera mounted properly to the top or bottom of a TV or monitor

Best Value Ambilight Clone With HDMI – Smart Ambient TV LED Backlight

Outfitted with an HDMI 2.0 input, this sync box is a great value. It features 4K 60Hz support with Dolby Vision HDR compatibility. There’s CEC for controlling the sync box with your TV’s remote so long as your television or projector also has CEC. It’s available in a range of sizes, varying from 32-120 inches.

Aside from matching the video passed through via HDMI, this nifty device includes a built-in microphone for color changing with music. You’ll also find connectivity with platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings.

Unfortunately, there’s only one HDMI port, so if you want to run multiple devices through the sync box like an Android TV box, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Blu-ray player, or game console, you’ll either need an HDMI switch or to run everything into a soundbar or receiver with several HDMI inputs. Additionally, it only includes HDMI 2.0, not HDMI 2.1, so you’ll miss out on advanced features such as 4K 120Hz for gaming, ALLM, and VRR. Nevertheless, if you want a great device with a pleasing television backlight that doesn’t break the bank, this HDMI 2.0 smart sync box is it.

Pros:

• HDMI 2.0
• 4K 60Hz with Dolby Vision passthrough
• Works with Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, and Amazon Alexa
• Built-in microphone for music reactivity
• Extremely affordable
• 32-120 inch screen sizes supported

Cons:

• Only 1 HDMI input
• Not HDMI 2.1 – miss out on VRR, ALLM, 4K 120Hz

Best Cheap Responsive TV Backlight – Nanoleaf Shapes

Nanoleaf Shapes are an attractive solution for adding a video reactive backlight to televisions and computer monitors. Instead of an LED strip like most ambilight clones come with, Nanoleaf Shapes feature LED panels that change colors. You can find an array of different panels such as hexagons and triangles, and Nanoleaf Shapes are available in kits with varying numbers of panels.

You can manually control the color of Shapes panels. Additionally, Nanoleaf Shapes can react to touch, dance in sync with music, or match video signals with screen mirroring. For screen mirroring, Shapes is only compatible with a PC. Therefore, to enjoy a TV backlight that responds to on-screen video signals, you’ll need to either hook up a computer to your television or cast from a PC to a smart TV, streaming box, game console, or another device.

Setup isn’t quite as easy as an ambilight alternative with an HDMI input. What’s more, certain video sources like Blu-ray players won’t connect. In theory, you could run a Blu-ray player or game console into a capture device connected to a PC as a workaround for video responsive TV backlighting from HDMI sources. But Nanoleaf Shapes are best for home theatre PC (HTPC) enthusiasts or PC monitor backlighting.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Lots of shapes
• Touch reactive
• Dance to music
• Video reactive with screen mirroring
• Lots of integrations including IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and more
• Over 16 million colors

Cons:

• Screen mirroring only available from PCs

Best Audio-reactive Ambilight Clone – Sengled Smart Wi-Fi LED TV Lightstrip

Sengled makes some of the best smart bulbs on the market, and its smart Wi-Fi LED TV lightstrip is an excellent Ambilight solution. But instead of offering a television backlight that changes based on the color of the on-screen videos, this LED lightstrip relies on audio. A built-in microphone syncs with audio in real-time.

Different modes such as a Movie Mode, Game Mode, and Music Mode let you select from a range of pre-sets. Or, you can create your own color themes and rhythms. You’ll find lighting effects for special occasions and holidays. Plus, there’s manual control for choosing the color temperature which allows for up to 16 million different colors.

You can configure schedules and routines from the Sengled Home app. Comprised of six segmented LED lightstrips, the Sengled smart TV LED backlight fits TVs ranging from 45-inches to 72-inches. Unfortunately, you can’t set the Sengled backlight to change based on video, only audio. While this might be a downside for some users, it does simplify the installation process since it doesn’t require routing video through a capture device or a webcam mounted above the television.

Pros:

• Audio-reactive lightstrip
• Wi-Fi onboard for app or voice control
• Multiple pre-sets (Movie Mode, Game Mode, Music Mode, holidays, special occasions)
• Up to 16 million different colors with manual color temperature control
• Six segmented LED lightstrips for multi-zone lighting
• LED lights are bright and energy-efficient

Cons:

• Not video-reactive – don’t change based on the video source, only audio

DIY Ambilight Kit – Build Your Own Raspberry Pi Ambilight, Adalight, and More

Although many off-the-shelf Ambilight system, from budget-conscious TV backlights that process TV images with a camera to full-fledged HDMI connected bias lighting systems, there’s always the DIY method. You can build your own Raspberry Pi Ambilight with a Raspberry Pi board, LED light strips, and a smattering of components. While it’s easy enough to buy everything separately, the Adafruit Adalight kit offers an Arduino-powered Ambilight project that includes virtually everything needed to cobble together a gorgeous bias lighting system for behind your TV. Going the DIY route is cost-effective.

However, despite its relative ease, there’s a bit of advanced work so it’s not necessarily for beginners. Moreover, do-it-yourself Ambilight projects rely solely on software for video playback, eschewing HDMI capture. As such, you’re limited to color changing for video sources such as Windows or Linux PCs.

Pros:

• DIY
• Lots of different options
• Complete kits available
• Cost-effective

Cons:

• Not as easy as an Ambilight kit ready to use out-of-the-box

What is Ambilight and Why Should You Use Bias Lighting?

Ambilight, or more correctly, Philips Ambilight, is a portmanteau of ambient and light. Essentially, it’s just a TV backlighting system. Because a bias lighting system reduces the perceived brightness level of a TV screen by illuminating the space surrounding it, lights behind a monitor or TV thereby alleviate eye strain. Most bias lighting come in the form of LED lights behind TV sets. Sometimes these are simple strings of LED light strips behind a TV controlled by a remote or an app. Other times, you’ll find Ambilight alternatives that feature HDMI connectivity.

An Ambilight TV kit is an excellent addition to any home cinema. You’ll appreciate a more pleasing picture that drastically reduces eye strain while increasing the perceived contrast and blackness of the on-screen display. While Ambilight is a proprietary Philips technology, you’ll find tons of Ambilight alternatives that you can install to augment your media consumption.

Is Ambilight a Gimmick?

Although a responsive TV backlight may seem frivolous, it’s actually not a gimmick. While not essential for a viewing experience, an ambilight TV kit provides a pleasing illumination on the wall behind a TV, monitor, or even projector screen. By providing ambient lighting behind your viewing source, bias lighting reduces eyestrain and eye fatigue. As such, despite not being a mandatory part of television watching, ambilight kits are totally worth it and can take your movie watching to the next level.

How Does an Ambilight Kit Work for Providing a TV Backlight?

There are a few different version of bias lighting systems. Philips Ambilight TVs and monitors feature lights baked into the panel itself. As such, any video signal sent into the TV via HDMI. Performance is superb since a video signal is processed in real-time with little to no lag when generating backlight colors.

Ambilight alternatives, however, function as a simple set of LED lights installed behind a TV. Whereas many budget Ambilight clones are merely strands of LEDs adhered to the back of a monitor or TV that can change color manually, others automatically adapt to on-screen colors. Often, these use a webcam attached to the top or bottom of a TV. But back-of-TV lighting to HDMI kits more closely emulate Ambilight kits.

Because a video signal is processed quickly with HDMI connectivity, color-changing happens much faster. For a true Ambilight clone, I recommend either a TV bias lighting kit that features an HDMI hook up, or one with a camera. That way, your on-screen picture is processed and the TV backlight automatically changes.

Ambilight clone types:

• Manual LED TV backlights
• TV backlighting kit with camera for automatic color changing
• TV ambient bias lighting with HDMI connectivity

Can You Add Ambilight to Any TV?

Whereas a Philips Ambilight television set features LEDs baked into the back of the screen, a responsive TV backlight kit lets you add Ambilight to any TV. You’ll just need to make sure you’ve got the right length of LED strip for your monitor. The beauty of an ambient bias lighting system is that it works on most TV sets and even shows up on dark walls. Although it’s best to use a behind-the-television LED strip parallel to your wall rather than in a corner, even a corner-located TV stand should work just fine. And if you want to turn off your ambilight, that’s totally possible too.

The Best Bias TV Lighting Kit for a Pleasing TV Backlight – Final Thoughts

Something as simple as placing LEDs behind your television really spruces up your TV or computer monitor. Bias lighting, by shining lights around your screen, reduces eyestrain while increasing perceived brightness levels. Thankfully for those without a Philips Ambilight TV set, tons of Ambilight clones allow for easy installation of LED lights behind your TV. Govee makes hands-down the best budget bias lighting kit. Sure, the camera doesn’t process on-screen images nearly as well as an HDMI responsive TV backlight that changed with the picture. However, it retails for much less.

If you spring for a premium television backlight that changes colors based on the video on your screen, the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box delivers extreme versatility. Nanoleaf Shapes are great for PCs, while Sengled’s color-changing LED strips work well with audio. And for DIYers, a Raspberry Pi Ambilight project or the Adalight kit both allow you to make your own ambient LED lights behind a TV.

Your turn: Which Ambilight alternatives do you recommend?