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We investigated new products in this category and insisted on our choice. Even though they are older models, they still offer the best combination of price range and features.
We investigated new products in this category and insisted on our choice. Even though they are older models, they still offer the best combination of price range and features.
Sometimes, laying a video cable between the source and the TV (or projector) is not feasible or convenient, especially when they are in a separate room. Although many wireless HDMI solutions can send AV signals in a room, we still like the Iogear GW3DHDKIT wireless HDMI digital kit because it can reliably transmit signals throughout the house, up to 100 feet long, and has better performance than other Higher functions of similar price system.
The transmitter can easily and reliably wirelessly send HDMI video signals and 5.1 audio to a receiver up to 100 feet away, and can be powered by a USB port.
The Iogear GW3DHDKIT wireless HDMI digital kit is a low-cost, easy-to-use option that can wirelessly send 1080p and 5.1 HDMI video and audio signals in the entire room or the entire house without loss of quality. The basic unit has two HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, so you can plug in multiple sources and easily get power from the USB 3.0 port (more information below).
If you want to fill the room with other audio, Nyrius Aries Home+ can support 7.1 sound. Like our preferred product, this model can support two HDMI sources, can be powered through a USB port, and has reliable performance. However, the additional cost prevents it from occupying the top spot.
This does not have our first two options or multiple input ranges, but it is an inexpensive way to transmit an HDMI source wirelessly.
The Monoprice Blackbird Pro 16049 does not work as well on the wall as our other products, but it is strong enough to send a signal throughout the room. This is a cheap and easy way to stream HDMI sources. It has only one HDMI input, but it does support 7.1 sound and USB power, and it is the cheapest model we have tested.
The transmitter can easily and reliably wirelessly send HDMI video signals and 5.1 audio to a receiver up to 100 feet away, and can be powered by a USB port.
This does not have our first two options or multiple input ranges, but it is an inexpensive way to transmit an HDMI source wirelessly.
Rachel Cericola (Rachel Cericola) has written articles on consumer electronics for more than 15 years and has tested home theater products ranging from remote controls, audio-visual receivers to speakers. Rachel was the former editor of “Electronic House” and “Big Picture Loud Voice”, and wrote buyer guides for various consumer electronics products, and also contributed to “Connect”, “Women’s Day”, “GeekMom”, “Men’s Health”, etc The magazine has done technology-related work.
In addition to serving as an AV editor at Wirecutter, Geoffrey Morrison has also reviewed AV equipment for 17 years and has reviewed in publications such as Forbes, Sound and Vision, and CNET. He also served as the technical editor of “Home Theater” magazine for 7 years.
The products mentioned here are used to wirelessly transmit high-definition video and audio signals from HDMI signal sources to the TV. There are four main uses for wireless HD products:
But remember, convenience comes at a price. Wireless is always more temperament than wired, it takes some time to synchronize (connect), and it may/occasionally drop.
A few words about all wireless HDTV solutions. Almost every wireless HDTV product can transmit up to 1080p video from any HDMI signal source you send. This includes Blu-ray (2D and 3D), cable/satellite and gaming systems. Most TVs also emit infrared signals, so when you are in another room of the TV, you can control the signal source (such as a cable box) connected to the transmitter. The wireless products covered in this guide can handle all current 720p and 1080p, but they cannot use Ultra HD 4K. However, 4K solutions are beginning to emerge (for more information on this, see “What to Expect”).
When choosing a product, we searched for the product on Google and Amazon. We also studied the technology used on each product. (Warning: terminology!) There are two main standards for wireless transmission of HDMI signals:
Devices using the same wireless transmission standard will work similarly to each other, and each standard has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, products that use the WirelessHD standard can transmit uncompressed video. However, they only work when there are no obstacles (such as walls or cabinets) between the transmitter and receiver. In other words, if you want to place the TV in a room different from the signal source, you are out of luck. To make matters worse, many cabinets block high-frequency signals, so hiding the signal source in furniture will not work. In our tests, even walking between the transmitter and receiver seemed to interfere with the signal.
Wi-Fi-enabled models (such as Actiontec My Wireless TV) are not common. However, Actiontec is one of the few products that allows you to add other receivers, so multiple TVs in your home can use the same source. For most people, our best option is a better choice, but if there are multiple recipients that are useful to you, then Actiontec is worth a try.
There are other wireless technologies that are not yet widely available on the market. For example, WiGig or wireless gigabit has the bandwidth to handle 1080p video (and then some videos). However, WiGig is similar to WirelessHD and works in the 60 GHz frequency band, so it may have similar limitations.
Intel’s WiDi is built into the notebook computer, and does not have the “thousands of miles away” features like the products here. It is worth noting that if your laptop has an HDMI output, although you need to connect to a wireless transmitter via HDMI, you can use one of these products to wirelessly send computer content to the screen.
We connect the receiver part of each product to the TV on the first floor of a small house. Then, we paired four HDMI transmitters with the Blu-ray player and Roku box, located in the four areas of the house. First, place the source device on a table 10 feet directly opposite the TV. Then, we moved the video equipment to a room 20 feet away adjacent to the TV area. This room does not have a door, but it is not within the line of sight of the home theater. Next, move it to an adjacent room, which is separated by a wall 25 feet away. Then, we moved the equipment to the furthest point in the house, in the corner of the bedroom upstairs 45 feet away.
In our final test, none of the equipment performed well: a TV 100 feet across the street. Many products claim to have this type of range, but unless you have an absolute line of sight between the two products, you can bring a little salt.
We watched several Blu-rays wirelessly, including action, animation, and comedy. Next, we try to stream content from Netflix, Amazon and Crackle. Finally, we played Angry Birds Space using the Roku 3 box, which played longer than we should.
The transmitter can easily and reliably wirelessly send HDMI video signals and 5.1 audio to a receiver up to 100 feet away, and can be powered by a USB port.
Iogear GW3DHDKIT Wireless HDMI Digital Kit is the best HDMI transmitter for most people. Using WHDI, it can provide the best image at the longest distance, has two HDMI inputs, and can be powered by the included AC adapter or the TV’s USB 3.0 connection (cable not included). It is also the cheapest dual HDMI unit we have tested.
The basic unit of the Iogear transmitter has two HDMI inputs and one HDMI output. This means that you can connect a TV, transmitter, and signal source (such as a Blu-ray, cable/satellite TV box) in one room, while wirelessly sending the same signal to another TV elsewhere in the house.
Throughout the test, even if the transmitter and receiver are located on different floors, the performance of the device is very good. There is also no significant video delay. This means that gamers who are worried about their twitch skills should not pay too much attention to wireless technology. Due to the encoding/decoding process, it may increase the time by a fraction of a second, but it is less than the time that can be detected using conventional test procedures.
Perhaps our favorite feature of Iogear is that you can use the USB 3.0 port to power the receiver unit (you need to buy your own USB 3.0 class A to mini-B cable). This means that Iogear can get power from the TV without having to connect extra wires to a power outlet. This makes it easy to hide and is an effective alternative to cutting holes in the wall to hide cables. Not every TV has USB 3.0, the receiver may still work with fewer USB connections, but Iogear specifies USB 3.0. If your TV does not have a USB 3.0 port, Iogear will also come with a power adapter. Moreover, the receiver is small enough to fit behind many wall-mounted TVs.
Finally, it should be noted that the GW3DHDKIT transmitter is compact. Unlike our runner-up, GW3DHDKIT has a horizontal design, but it can also be used vertically, so it is easy to slide into the AV cabinet.
Daniel Kumin of Sound & Vision said in a review of Iogear and two WirelessHD products: “Iogear’s solution makes me the most up-to-date solution: the widest range, the most versatile, and the ergonomics.” His only one The complaint is that it’s a bit expensive. But since his review, the price has been cut by almost half, which brings it in line with the WirelessHD product that he doesn’t like much.
Mark Anderson from HomeToys concluded: “If you want to place a TV or projector where it is difficult to lay cables, or if you want to connect a TV in another room to your main home theater, you can use the Iogear Wireless HD 3D Digital Kit It might just be a ticket. In all my tests, it worked perfectly.”
A very talented writer at HD Guru (coincidentally, just like our own Geoff Morrison) gave Iogear 4.5 stars (one out of five stars). He conducted a comparative test with three other wireless HD transmitters in an earlier evaluation. When talking about Iogear, he said: “If Iogear can reach our initial evaluation in time, it will undoubtedly be a success.”
Like all current wireless HDTV solutions, Iogear is not perfect. Although we did not encounter serious problems during the test, a few Amazon reviews reported problems with transmission distance. In our test, our transmitter and receiver are located at the opposite corners of my little house, and good images can be obtained, but compared with a wired connection at the same distance, doing so will result in a significant reduction in image quality. Remember, the result will depend on the size and structure of the house.
In other words, it is unfair to expect any wireless system to work perfectly at the nominal maximum distance, especially in the presence of obstacles. On smaller TVs (such as 50 inches and below), you are unlikely to see a difference in picture quality even at a long distance. In the same room, the image is always perfect.
Please also note that although the Iogear receiver can be powered by USB power, it can only be used with USB 3.0, and there is actually no USB cable (you need to provide it).
Finally, since the transmitter has only two HDMI inputs, if you have more than two HDMI sources, you cannot use it as a central HDMI switcher (an AV receiver or HDMI switcher would be better).
The price is slightly higher than our top choice, Nyrius Aries Home+ is another good choice for wireless HDMI use. That extra cost is because the product increases audio support to 7.1. Its performance is very similar to the Iogear model, with two HDMI inputs, one HDMI output and a USB power option (but still not including the cable).
The excellent performance of Aries Home+ is all our test. It uses a technology called GigaXtreme Technology, which operates similarly to WHDI, so it can pass through walls and cabinets. It also has support for uncompressed 7.1 PCM, DTS and Dolby Digital surround sound.
Kevin Nether of Android Authority said: “The overall experience of watching videos and TV definitely exceeded my expectations.”
This is certainly a good performance, but we doubt whether 7.1 will make most people want to spend extra money. Unless you want to build a complete home theater, for most people, our first choice will be the best choice.
This does not have our first two options or multiple input ranges, but it is an inexpensive way to transmit an HDMI source wirelessly.
For those who can’t drill, wire or spend a lot of money, Monoprice Blackbird Pro 16049 is a good budget choice. It can stream an HDMI signal source and has the USB power option that we liked very much in the first two choices.
However, this model runs at 60 Hz, which means it is an excellent indoor solution. When sight is available, it works well at medium distances. It does not work properly through walls or cabinets (or does not work at all).
It can support 7.1 sound, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD main audio streams, which makes it unique in this category and price range. If you need a simple short-distance solution, then Blackbird Pro is definitely a good choice.
Companies such as DVDO and IOGear have launched or announced wireless HDMI systems with 4K capabilities, such as DVDO Air 4K and Iogear GW4K30GH60 and GW4K30KIT. Currently, as far as we know, there is no 4K-friendly system that can transmit HDR wirelessly, and only a few expensive systems support a complete 4K/60 signal. Since these wireless systems cannot provide a complete UHD/HDR experience, we are unwilling to choose in this category. For indoor settings, we still recommend using an 18 Gbps HDMI cable to get the most stable signal. For remote UHD/HDR settings, you can consider using an HDMI fiber optic system, such as the affordable Monoprice option.
We tested two samples of the Blackweb wireless HD video kit sold through Walmart in residential and apartment environments. The Blackweb system can support up to three HDMI signal sources, can pass through walls, and can generate reliable signals in multiple rooms in the house. However, in apartments, the reliability of the signal is much worse. Even if the transmitter and receiver are in the same room, we still see stuttering and blocking in the video. In addition, both Blackweb samples crushed the black, making the image too dark, so you must readjust the brightness control of the TV to compensate. If you are looking for a cheap way to wirelessly transmit HDMI around your house, as long as you don’t mind changing the TV settings, the Blackweb kit can do the job.
Similar to our budget choices, DVDO Air2K uses 60 GHz technology to provide uncompressed video and audio at 1080p/60. This means that it is best used as an indoor solution. Like the Monoprice model, it also has a USB power option and an HDMI input, but the price is slightly higher.
If our popular choice does not have enough input to meet your needs, then you may want to consider using Iogear GWHDMS52 Wireless 5×2. The transmitter has four HDMI and an analog component input, which is a convenient choice for people who have multiple signal sources but no receiver, even if it is expensive. However, we think that most people can do it with our preferred product and the HDMI switcher priced at $20.
Iogear’s GWHDMS52MB remote wireless 5×2 HD Matrix Pro should be similar to the one we chose, but with a longer distance. With it, you can stream uncompressed HD content to up to four different displays (with additional receivers). Because it is over $500 and is specifically for a longer range, we believe this is beyond the scope of this article.
Nyrius Aries Home is similar to our runner-up, but reduces costs by removing one of its HDMI connections. It does have support for 7.1 sound, but the price is too high for a single source solution.
The Nyrius Orion Wireless HD Kit can transmit video up to 1080p/60 through the wall, but its range is smaller than Aries Home+ (40 feet), only supports Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, and only supports a single HDMI source. However, it has the function of HDMI pass-through to nearby TVs. You can also add more receivers, and you can power the transmitter and receiver via USB.
Peerless’s HDS-WHDI100 is similar to Iogear and adds USB transfer, so you can transfer content from a game controller, keyboard or mouse, but at a higher cost.
Danny Kumin, “Things in the Air: Gefen, Iogear and Vizio’s Wireless HDMI”, “Sound and Vision” magazine, April 3, 2012
Geoffrey Morrison, can a wireless HDTV system do it? The latest model review, HD Master, November 22, 2011
Rachel Cericola is a senior writer at Wirecutter. He has been studying smart home technology since X10. Her work has been published in “New York Times”, “Wired”, “Men’s Health”, “USA Today” and other magazines. She hopes that neighbors will read this resume, because it can explain why she always runs four video doorbells outside the house at the same time.
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