Hollyland MARS 4K Wireless Video Transmission System Review

The Hollyland MARS 4K is the first affordable 5GHz wireless video system, at least to my knowledge, that is capable of sending a UHD signal.

The system has a claimed range of 450ft / 150m (line of sight) and a latency of 0.06s. The Mars 4K was designed to combine high performance and reliable quality at an affordable price.

We have seen a ton of affordable wireless video systems come to market over the last few years and a lot of them have very similar feature sets and capabilities. This increased competition has been good news for the end consumer as prices have continued to come down.

So where it differs from other systems we have seen is that it can transmit and receive 4K UHD video at up to 29.97p. The Mars 4K also supports FHD and HD formats at varying frame rates of 23.98p up to 59.94p.

Concept

With a large array of ‘affordable’ wireless video transmission systems now flooding the market, Hollyland decided to make something that was a little different from the competition.
As I already mentioned, the whole concept behind the MARS 4K was to offer uses an affordable, high-quality wireless video system that could send and receive UHD images.
Build Quality

I have reviewed a lot of wireless video systems over the years, and the build quality of even the most budget-friendly options has continued to improve. The MARS 4K is very solidly made. The exterior casing is robust and I wouldn’t think it is likely to break if you dropped it. According to Hollyland, the Mars 4K features superior corrosion and wear resistance for outstanding durability.

The SDI connectors are slightly recessed, but the HDMI isn’t.

The On/Off switch is reasonably solid and tactile, as is the little joystick you use to navigate and make changes in the menu.

Overall I think most people will be more than happy with the way it has been constructed.
Size & Weight
The MARS 4K RX and TX both weigh 223g / 7.86oz without the antennas.

The TX and RX are not tiny, nor are they too big. I would say that they are around a similar size to other comparable SDI/HDMI systems.
This weight and size may not make them overly suitable for small-sized mirrorless hybrids. I personally think that the MARS 4K would be more at home on small to mid-sized digital cinema cameras as opposed to mirrorless hybrids, although you could use it on some of the larger-sized mirrorless hybrids, or something like a Canon C70.
What do you get?

The MARS 4K comes with the following items:

- MARS 4K Transmitter
- MARS 4K Receiver
- 4 x Antennas
- 1x Cold shoe mount
- 1x USB Type-C OTG Converter
- 2x DC Adapter
- 1x Expansion Accessory
- Quick Start Guide
- Limited 1-Year Warranty
What can you transmit?

As I previously mentioned, the MARS 4K can send and receive signals up to UHD 29.97p over HDMI and FHD up to 59.97p over SDI.

If you are using a camera that can output UHD over HDMI then you will be able to view a proper UHD image on a UHD display.