As an unashamed Ambilight lover, the full rollout of AmbiScape has got me hyped

I’ve made no secret of my love of Ambilight. Home cinema purists may not be fond of the experience created by the LEDs built into the rear of select Philips TVs but for me, it enhances my immersion and creates the perfect ambience while I’m enjoying my favourite shows and films or hunting monsters on my PlayStation 5.

So, I’m delighted that the brand is rolling out its AmbiScape feature to all of its Ambilight TVs above the 8000 series this year. AmbiScape, which was first introduced to select models in a trial late last year, allows the Ambilight technology inside your TV to control up to four external lights in your room.

At launch, it will only work with E27 smart bulbs from Wiz, NanoLeaf, Hue and Ikea, but Philips has promised that more compatible lighting options will be announced in due course. It’s also said that whatever the Ambilight on your TV is doing will be mirrored on the external lights with a latency of less than 0.5s.

I’m hoping to get a look at it first-hand later today and will report back, but I’ve been told that AmbiScape can be very simply switched on via a hot key on the remote control of your TV or activated within the TV settings menu. Set up should be nice and easy too, with connection to your external lights handled by an onscreen QR code and AmbiScape options added to the Philips Smart TV app.

All this should hopefully mean that you’ll be able to create a trippy technicolour viewing environment within minutes. Maybe it’s my psychedelic leanings, but this is something I’m really excited about. Obviously, not everyone is going to want to watch television in something akin to a psy-trance rave, but personally, I’m all for it!

Speaking on the decision to widen the scope of Ambilight, Philips’ Head of Marketing Europe, Anette Van Dijk said “ we have been receiving a lot of feedback from Philips Ambilight TV customers that they would like an easy way to extend the immersive effect of the Ambilight system further into their room.

“The Ambilight feature provides that solution, but also allows the consumer the freedom to choose from a wider selection of compatible smart bulb brands.

“It is proof of how we continue to improve Ambilight to ensure the system remains the true distinctive feature in the premium TV market, and even after 20 years, continues to grow in popularity.”

I’ll be bringing you news of all the new Philips TVs and audio devices coming in 2026 over the next day or two, so keep an eye on the site for that. There’s an updated OLED lineup, a new RGB Mini LED option and plenty more, including the Moving Sound audio range I first got a look at in Eindhoven last year.

Written By

Andy White

Andy was appointed Tech Editor in 2024 following four years spent putting a huge range of products through their paces. Formerly a sports journalist at Greenways Publishing, he cut his tech teeth testing laptops before taking over as the site’s TV and audio expert. He’s cast his eye over more headphones and televisions than you can shake a stick at but has also reviewed football boots, handheld game consoles and just about everything in between. As well as testing, writing and editing, Andy covers product launches and key industry events in the UK and overseas.

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