The things I review for the Newstalk ZB website can be loosely categorised under one of two headings; Tools or Toys.

Occasionally, if I'm lucky, there's a small intersection in the Venn diagram where the tool is so fun to use, it feels like a toy. I think that's what all tech should aspire to.

On the other hand, sometimes there's a gadget that doesn't really serve any purpose at all, but once I get in the habit of using it, I can't imagine life without it.  That's all very well until a) I'm somewhere where I don't have it or b) it doesn't work properly for some reason. Then I have to do life without it.

Stop being so oblique, Glenn. Say what you really mean.

Okay.

I really like having backlighting that syncs with my TV. Is that too much to ask?

Of all the gizmos I've ever reviewed, the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box might be the most overpriced - except for one important fact; nothing else works quite as well.

In 2021 it cost around NZ$550 and for what? To make your Philips Hue lights glow the same colour as whatever's on your TV.

To be clear, the lights are not included. The Philips Hue range features various options that can be paired to the sync box - not just bulbs but bars and flexible light strips too. The latter options can be positioned behind your TV, pointing at the wall, creating a kind of borderless effect to the image on screen.

So they cost extra.

Oh, and Hue lights need a Hue Bridge to connect to by the way - this keeps the traffic down on your Wi-Fi router but yes, that's extra too.

Even after all that. After hundreds and hundreds of dollars spent, what do you get? That's right. Pretty lights on the wall.

I could never argue that it's worth it. But I love it. I really love it. And I've been surprised at how many ways it's enhanced my viewing experience - not just providing extra atmosphere for when the cinematography gets artsy - but also extra fire and explosions, bigger skies and landscapes, even extending the size of sports fields way beyond the screen itself.

The most optional of optional extras and yet now, as I said before, I wouldn't do without it.

But the 4K version of 2021 had its limitations. I mean, it's 4K and my TV is 8K. The HDMI ports are HDMI 2.0 - not 2.1. It doesn't support devices that play at 120Hz refresh rate. And for some reason, when I run my Apple TV box through it, the remote won't turn my TV on like it's supposed to.

I know. Boo-hoo sucks to be me, right?

Thank god Philips now makes an 8K sync box.

First things first. There is no 8K content. Well, virtually none, anyway. However, that doesn't mean a TV like mine doesn't do a pretty decent job of upscaling what's being fed to it. This is also where the HDMI 2.1 ports come in. Just like USB cables, not all HDMI ports and plugs are created equal. The later versions have a dramatically higher data capacity and that ability to exchange more information faster is crucial when it comes to displaying higher definition video at a higher refresh rate.

As for that last issue, as far as I can make out, I'm the only person in the world this happens to. I push the home button on my Apple TV remote. My TV turns on like it's supposed to, I get a blank screen followed by the spinning buffer wheel for a bit, then I get a message that the source isn't powered on. Even though it is.

For those of you not quite following what I mean - and I don't blame you - the other spinoff benefit of using the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K is that you can plug up to four different devices into it - for example, perhaps your Sky TV box, a gaming console, a Blu-ray player and yes, maybe even an Apple TV. All this takes up only one HDMI port on your TV (which will have to be an HDMI 2.1 port for everything to work properly).

Switching between sources happens automatically - pushing the home button on your Sky remote will put that on screen, while the Xbox button on your controller will switch over to your console.

You can also use the Philips Hue app to select a source and start syncing manually - which is what I've been doing with my Apple TV. There used to be a separate Hue Sync app to set things up with but that's all been incorporated into one now.

Anyway, given most of my issues seemed likely to be solved by upgrading to the 8K version, I reasoned my last, weird, apparently un-Google-able issue might work itself out too, so I decided to give it a try.

Boom!

Well, first I had to figure out the position of the HDMI ports was different on the new box and I'd plugged some things into the wrong place but eventually...

Boom!

Improved high-def viewing. I could ramp up the refresh rate on my Xbox. And mysteriously, my Apple TV remote made everything work again. (Who really knows why?)

All this for just NZ$799.99!

Oh... did I not mention that? The new, 8K sync box costs a bit more. But come on, it's a bit bigger, has faster HDMI ports and four more K's... whatever they are.

It also now has a manual reset button if everything goes horribly wrong and you're unable to restore the device via the app. I can't imagine what that would be though because this thing works like a charm.

And in all seriousness, that's why Philips can charge a premium. There are other similar systems around but in my experience, none are as bulletproof as what Hue has to offer.

You didn't NEED this anyway. You may as well get the best.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K.