Hollyland’s newest wireless transmitter, the Pyro H, is now available. In this review, I’ll go hands-on with this impressively designed transmitter and see if it can deliver on everything Hollyland promises.
Specifications and features
Compared to previous Hollyland generators, like the very popular one Mars 400S Pro And 300 professionalthe Pyro H promises more than that everything: wider range, higher resolution, and better latency.
Pyro H supports 4K30 and 1080P60 video transmission via HDMI. There is an HDMI repeater port and the device also supports UVC streaming. Notably there is no SDI support. SDI support for this line will be announced in the future, so SDI users may want to wait for those models.
Power can be supplied through a number of standards. Sony NP-F batteries are directly supported, the battery is attached directly to the back of the device. USB-C power from a 5V/2A source may also work. Finally, the device supports DC power input via a screw-compatible 2mm barrel plug, supporting a range of 6 to 16V. The transmitter consumes less than 7w, while the receiver consumes less than 4w.
The HDMI ports are 1.4b compatible, while the USB-C port supports 2.0OTG.
Pyro H can broadcast up to 1300 feet in dual receiver mode and dual mobile device mode. It can still reach 650 feet in full “Broadcast” mode, which includes four receivers.
Latency is equally impressive, with Hollyland claiming 60ms latency. The balance between latency and picture quality can be further improved by selecting Smooth Mode or HD Mode. Somewhat confusingly, HD Mode doesn’t downscale you to 1080P but instead maintains bitrates between 8-12Mbps for up to 4K30, even at the full rated range of 1,300 feet. In contrast, smooth mode automatically adjusts the bitrate to maintain 60ms latency across the range. Simply put, Smooth Mode gives your connection the most stability at the cost of picture quality, while HD Mode preserves as much picture quality as possible.
Mobile application
Pyro H supports mobile phone pairing for tracking. For both phone and tablet users, this can be a great way to deliver high quality on-screen content – for example, using an iPad Pro can be a great way to show customers what you’re looking for. What is actually recorded?
Pairing is easy enough, with the mobile device just needing to connect to the dedicated Wi-Fi network powered by the Pyro H. The app doesn’t require a separate user account but does prompt for location data – it works with this feature. This feature is disabled through iOS Privacy Controls.
In the monitoring view, users can also choose from several widgets, such as scope, waveform, false color, 3D lights, and focus assist. Screen recordings and screenshots can also be made, and they are stored right on the device’s camera roll.
The app, which appears to have been recently redesigned, is well executed. It looks good, works well, and taps into a trend that’s really growing: tighter integration of existing mobile devices into video workflows.
Efficiency
Although the ranges listed are line-of-sight ratings, I found them to be quite realistic. Even in a typical (not ideal) environment, I got perfect connection within hundreds of feet. Range will understandably drop in crowded RF environments, as the Pyro H uses 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies that are automatically selected at startup. However, I couldn’t find an environment noisy enough to affect Pyro H usage.
As with any RF system, although clear line of sight is not an absolute requirement, blocking the transmission line with water, concrete, metal, or even people can reduce the range. Therefore, consider where you mount the Pyro H on your rig – placing it high and slightly away from both the camera and the operator will ensure it has the best LOS for the receiver.
A pair of standard SMA antenna connectors can also allow you to choose different antennas if needed – Hollyland supplies these devices with 5 cylindrical antennas, but if their previous products is an indicator then I expect replacement antennas to be an accessory in the future.
While you can select channels manually, and the Pyro H even has a smart channel scan function to provide feedback on the capabilities of your selected channel, I never found myself needing to change the settings. This. However, automating this selection may come at a small cost because the boot speed is not lightning fast. It measured about 23 seconds to start the generator. While I don’t expect you’ll be using this product continuously during shooting, I’d love to see a future firmware update reduce this time.
This device has a small fan but it is almost inaudible when operating. It can also be manually turned down to low for maximum noise control – this makes it inaudible from about 6 inches away. Heat dissipation can also be aided by a metal-heavy structure and ventilation system. It looks, feels, and sounds like it belongs in a high-end camera rig.
Overall, I really enjoyed working with the Pyro H video transmitter. It’s really a product that works or it doesn’t. In the case of Pyro H, everything works fine. The operating range is stable, the image quality is quite good thanks to 4K video support, and the built-in features cover everything the average user needs. Bonuses, such as support for multi-receiver setups and USB-C support for power and video, ensure that this doesn’t feel like a device that was cut corners to hit a price target.
I think the Pyro line has a bright future, especially with upcoming models that sit higher in the lineup. The RX/TX display, along with an SDI-capable model, would both fill in the areas lacking the HDMI-centric Pyro H.
If your workflow focuses on HDMI and USB-C video, the Pyro H is an easy recommendation. Its Available now for $479 as a setwith additional transmitters and receivers available for $239.
What I like
- Video quality is excellent, especially compared to transmitters that are only 1080P
- Very long range support
- Capable of recovering from transmission problems such as RF crowding
- The mobile app and monitoring are well done and do not require an account
What can be improved?
- Not backward compatible with the Martian ecosystem
- Warm up time for cold start seems a bit slow
