Andrew Heinzman
Want to watch your favorite movies and media without wires? Whether you want multi-room video or just want to avoid running wires across your living room, a wireless HDMI transmitter can help.
Wireless HDMI has been around for awhile, but it hasn’t really gained popularity. It’s a bit of a shame, because the HDMI cables that we’ve been using for over a decade have some drawbacks. They create a lot of clutter, and they restrict your TV shows and video games to a single room of the house.
How does Wireless HDMI work? Unlike screen mirroring applications like Apple AirPlay, Wireless HDMI doesn’t require a Wi-Fi connection. A transmitter that plugs into your video source sends out a frequency that’s picked up by a receiver that you plug into a display. And some Wireless HDMI products even have built-in IR transmitters, so you can use a remote control in your bedroom to control a video source in your living room.
But there are a lot of things that you should think about before buying a Wireless HDMI product. What are you going to use it for, and how far is your video source from your TV? Sadly, you can’t just buy the longest-range Wireless HDMI product and go to town. You have to strike a balance between distance and latency. Wireless HDMI products with a long range usually have a high latency, and while they’re fine for TV, they aren’t great for video games. Here are our favorites for each situation.
The Best Long Range Wireless HDMI: J-Tech Digital HDbitT ($350)
If you want a powerful Wireless HDMI setup that can beam signals through walls and ceilings, then you should check out the J-Tech Digital HDbitT. It’s one of the most powerful Wireless HDMI products on the market, and it can transmit a lossless 1080p signal up to 660 feet.
This J-Tech product supports up to two receivers, so you could potentially send a video signal from a single BluRay player or streaming stick into multiple rooms. And since this Wireless HDMI setup has built-in IR transmission technology, you can use a remote in your basement to control a cable box in your living room.
Of course, there are a few drawbacks to the J-Tech’s 660-foot range. This device has a latency of 0.3-0.5 seconds, so it isn’t great for video games or interactive media. But a few seconds of delay time isn’t going to hurt your TV watching experience.
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For Room to Room TV: Nyrius ARIES NAVS500 ($180)
If you’re simply trying to use a cable box or BluRay player two different rooms, then you should check out the Nyrius ARIES NAVS500. It’s an affordable Wireless HDMI product that can send lossless 1080p video through walls and ceilings. It has a range of 100 feet, and an IR transmitter that will allow you to control what you’re watching, even if your video source is in another room. Just keep in mind that the IR transmitter has a 0.5 second delay, which could be annoying for device mirroring or gaming.
While the Nyrius NAVS500 is a great product for clearing up your media center or broadcasting a video signal around the house, it may not be the number one option for wireless gaming. The NAVS500 has a latency of a few milliseconds, which could ruin some fast paced games. That being said, people that just want to watch TV won’t run into any problems.
For Same-Room TV and Gaming: Nyrius ARIES NPCS549 ($200)
If you’re looking for a Wireless HDMI product that’s great for real-time gaming and screen mirroring, then you should check out the Nyrius ARIES NPCS549. It only has a 30 foot range, but it can maintain a 1080p picture with less than a millisecond of delay. The NPCS549 doesn’t have an IR transmitter for your remote control, but that isn’t a big deal since it’s made for same-room wireless video.
You may have noticed that this Nyrius product costs more than some long-range Wireless HDMI solutions (including the Nyrius NAVS500). That’s because the Nyrius NPCS549 is meant specifically for zero latency applications, like video games and screen mirroring. It’s a great product for anyone that wants to clean up their media center, but it can’t really broadcast your cable TV into the basement.
For Multi-Room Applications: Actiontec Wirless HDMI Set ($167)
When you have more than two TV’s in the house, a basic Wireless HDMI setup may not be enough. Thankfully, the Actiontec Wireless HDMI transmitter can connect with up to 4 receivers, so you can broadcast cable TV or video games to any room in your home.
The Actiontec Wireless HDMI setup has a range of 100 feet, and a latency of a few milliseconds. The only real drawback to this device is that it doesn’t have an IR transmitter, and you might have some trouble using your the remote control for your cable box or streaming device in multiple rooms.
Keep in mind that Actiontec only sells kits that include one receiver and one transmitter. If you want to use 4 Actiontec receivers, then you’ll have to buy a couple of extra kits.
