Govee AI Sync Box 2 review – Ambilight to go, or why I don’t regret buying it despite minor hurdles

1 - Introduction, Accessory and technical Data 2 - Installation, smaller Issues and Conclusion

I’ve been using a camera-based Govee solution since I put my LG OLED on my desktop and yet I’ve never been happy with it. However, the Philips retrofit option is too expensive and the first Govee Sync Box was a technical disaster. The second generation of the Govee AI Sync Box now brings noticeable improvements based on user feedback from the first version, although it’s still not perfect. The functionality and image quality in particular have been improved to finally offer a more convincing experience.

Reason enough for me to give myself another present at the end of the year. But this time, too, it wasn’t entirely without ifs and buts, so I simply made an article out of it. After all, there were still a few challenges that I had to consider and that I should definitely write about. Yes, you can definitely do that and all in all I “only” paid 240 euros, because with the original I would have paid twice as much, including the proprietary strips that had to be purchased separately, because for Ultra HD, 120 Hz and HDR you have to buy the 8K version, pay 100 euros more and still don’t have a single LED strip. So you’d rather have the feel-good package, right?

One of the key developments is support for HDR and Ultra HD. While I often had problems with brightness and color accuracy with the first version and therefore sent it back, version 2 is finally much more mature. The processing of HDR content is now more precise and the color reproduction looks more natural in both dark and bright scenes. Govee has obviously worked on the signal processing so that the synchronization of the LED strips with the image content is even faster and more accurate, even if it is still a little slower than the original reference TV. But this noticeable improvement finally raises the visual experience to a usable level, especially for home theater applications and gaming.

Whereby gaming…. Keyword FPS. The issue that remains relevant with the new version is signal processing for very fast image changes. While the delays have been minimized compared to the first generation, the LED strips may still lag slightly in rare cases. However, this is mainly noticeable in extremely dynamic scenes and should not affect most users in everyday life. Unless you play extremely fast shooters.

The new version also offers optimized hardware. The HDMI ports have been expanded to support a larger number of playback devices simultaneously, which significantly increases the flexibility of the system. Users who use multiple consoles or streaming devices will benefit from this adjustment. In addition, support for HDMI-eARC has been integrated, which is a great advantage especially for users with modern sound systems. This shows that Govee takes the needs of a tech-savvy target group seriously and tries to align itself with industry standards.

Scope of delivery and unboxing

The second-generation Govee AI Sync Box comes with everything you need to get up and running straight away. In addition to the central control unit, which enables the LEDs to be synchronized with the image content, the package includes LED strips with a self-adhesive backing that can be flexibly adapted to different screen sizes. A suitable power supply unit provides the power supply for the system, while a high-quality HDMI cable is included for connection to playback devices. Additional brackets and cable clips enable neat installation and reliably secure the LED strips to the back of the screen. More or less detailed instructions support the user during setup and explain the necessary steps to optimally configure the app and hardware.

What is annoying, however, is once again the online requirement, as the settings are saved in the cloud. Without the cloud and internet, the box becomes a brick, at least for the part that concerns the app. This is annoying, but apparently cannot be changed.

Below you will find a detailed overview of the technical specifications:

Video and audio support:

• HDMI version: 2.1
• Maximum resolution: 8K at 60 Hz
• Supported resolutions: 4K at 144 Hz, 8K at 60 Hz
• HDR support: HDR10, Dolby Vision
• Compatibility: VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), FreeSync, G-Sync
• HDMI inputs: 4
• HDMI outputs: 1
• eARC support: Yes
• CEC support: Yes

LED lighting:

• LED type: RGBICW (contains separate white LEDs for more accurate color rendering)
• LED density: 75 LEDs per meter
• Luminous flux: 450 lumens per meter
• Light color: RGB and white
• Length of the LED strip: 3.6 meters, suitable for televisions with 55 to 65 inch screen diagonal

Connectivity and control:

• App control: Govee Home App
• Voice control: Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Smart home integration: Supports Matter protocol (integration via software update)
• WLAN: 2.4 GHz

Physical properties:

• Dimensions of the Sync Box: 20 x 11 x 3 cm
• Color of the Sync Box: Black with LED strip (center)
• Power supply: External power supply unit (included in the scope of delivery)
• Protection class: IP20 (suitable for indoor use)

Special functions:

• AI-supported color control: CogniGlow technology for more precise and dynamic lighting effects, matched to the image content
• Supported games for special lighting effects: Compatible with selected games such as Fortnite, League of Legends, Valorant, PUBG, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
• DreamView technology: Enables synchronization with up to 10 additional Govee lights for an enhanced lighting experience

So much for the theory. Now I’m going to stick one on!