The Sync Box has no battery: it runs from a supplied 12 volt power adapter on 100 to 240 volts mains, with a standby draw of about 0.8 watts and a power draw of about 7 watts, per Hue's specification page, and it operates from 0 to 40 degrees Celsius and 5 to 95 percent humidity without condensation. If it will not turn on, check the adapter is firmly in the box and the outlet works, and use only the supplied adapter.
The checks in more detail
A box that resets or drops signal may be on a loose or shared outlet strip, so plug straight into the wall. Heat is a factor: keep it in a ventilated place, not stacked under consoles or packed into a closed cabinet, since sustained heat can cause resets and lost sync. Independent guides advise restarting it by unplugging for ten seconds and starting up in order: TV first, Sync Box second and source last, which rebuilds the handshake from the display side.
A Sync Box that resets when the TV turns on may be reacting to CEC, so try switching CEC off. After a power cut the box needs a minute to restart and reconnect. If it stays dark with a known good adapter and outlet, contact Hue support under the two-year warranty. Feel whether the box is warm to the touch after an hour, since heat is a common quiet cause of resets. A hot room can cause the same resets as a closed cabinet, so check both.
Note the outlet and adapter you settle on. A box in a cabinet with a games console and an amplifier is in a hot pocket, so give it an open shelf or a gap on each side and see whether the resets stop. The box's adapter is 12 volts and the box is rated Class II double insulated, so use the supplied one and never a phone charger or a generic adapter with a different rating.
Differential
Likely causes of “Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K has power or battery problems”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A loose or wrong adapter
What separates it The box has no power because the adapter is loose or is the wrong one for the box
How to confirm Use the supplied adapter and make sure it is pushed in firmly at the box and the outlet
- 2
A bad outlet
What separates it The power comes and goes because the outlet or a power strip is faulty
How to confirm Plug the adapter into a wall outlet instead of a strip, and try a different outlet
- 3
Overheating
What separates it The box resets or the sync drops because it is overheating in a closed space
How to confirm Improve ventilation, keeping the box out of closed cabinets and not stacking things on it
- 4
CEC interference
What separates it The box resets whenever the TV turns on because CEC signals interfere with it
How to confirm Turn CEC off temporarily to test whether that stops the resets
- 5
A power cut
What separates it The picture and lights go dark after a power cut and are slow to return
How to confirm Wait a minute after power returns, since the box and TV need time to restart
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The adapter used and the outlet it is plugged into
- The temperature around the box and how well it is ventilated
- The order in which the devices were powered up
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the adapter
ReversibleCheck the adapter is pushed in firmly at the box and at the outlet, and that it is the one supplied with the box.
Use a wall outlet
ReversibleUse a wall outlet rather than a power strip, since a strip or extension can drop out and cause resets.
Improve ventilation
ReversibleImprove ventilation by keeping the box in the open and not stacking equipment on it, since heat causes resets.
Restart in order
ReversibleRestart in order, powering the TV first, then the Sync Box, then the source, so each device sees the one before.
Turn CEC off
ReversibleTurn CEC off to test, in the TV and box settings, and see whether the resets stop when it is off.
Wait after a power cut
ReversibleWait a minute after a power cut before you decide anything is wrong, because it takes time to restart.
Contact Hue
ReversibleContact Hue if the fault continues under warranty, having the model and the adapter details to hand.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Power
- 12 volt adapter, no battery.
- Heat
- Needs ventilation.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If it stays dark on a good adapter and outlet, contact Philips Hue support
- !If it overheats, move it and let it cool
- !If the resets continue even with CEC off, contact Hue about the adapter and the box
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Ports, formats, warranty and specifications.
HDCP, cables and Enhanced format.
Sync problems.
Sync fixes.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What adapter does it use?+
It uses a 12 volt adapter, which is supplied with the box, so use that adapter and not another one.
What is standby power?+
Standby power is about 0.8 watts, so the box uses very little when it is not syncing.
What temperature range?+
The box works in temperatures from 0 to 40 degrees Celsius, so keep it out of hot places.
What startup order helps?+
Powering the TV first, then the box, then the source, helps devices to see each other properly.
Can heat cause resets?+
Yes, heat can cause resets, which is why the box needs air around it and no stacking.
Can CEC cause resets?+
Sometimes, CEC can cause resets when the TV powers on, which is why turning it off is a good test.
What is an entertainment area?+
An entertainment area is a group of lights that follow the screen, set up in the Hue app.
Can one box sync two areas?+
No, each entertainment area needs its own Sync Box, so plan one box per area.
Can it sync music?+
Yes, the Sync Box has a music mode that makes lights react to the sound.
Does it sync games?+
Yes, it has a game mode with low delay so the lights keep up with fast action.