A new wireless video transmitter released by Holyland is the Mars 300 Pro in two standard versions with built-in and enhanced internal antennas with dual antennas in both the TX transmitter and the RX receiver. And the combination of the two antennas is beneficial to users who need to keep it small, as is the case with a gimbal.
Hollyland provides two versions of the new wireless video system that transmits video wirelessly up to 1080p60.
What comes in the device box?
The Hollyland Mars 300 Pro is a TX and RX receiver, which are both compact enough. They feature a bright OLED display for adjusting settings, and each has a 1/4 ″ -20 mounting connection at the bottom. Both can be powered by a USB Type-C power supply, or a Sony L-series NPF battery. The Mars 300 kit also includes an accessory expansion board, a shoe mount switch, and a USB Type-C cable.So here's what comes in the box:
- Hollyland Mars 300 PRO HDMI Wireless Video Transmitter / Receiver Kit (Standard)
- the transmitter
- Receiver
- Contact base from the top
- A switch between the device and the flash location in the Shoe Mount camera
- USB Type-C cable
- One year warranty
There are versions of the first Hollyland Mars 300 Pro transmitter, Enhanced, with dual antenna on the transmitter and receiver units. The second is Standard with a built-in discreet antenna.
Connectivity and synchronization
The transmitter and receiver can be synchronized automatically, and TX and RX can be synchronized manually. Go to the list and select the pair on both TX and RX0. After a few seconds, it's all over.Mars 300 Pro has eight channels to choose from along with the TX. When set to Auto, the Mars 300 Pro identifies the cleanest and strongest channel to use.
I tested the device connectivity on the tablet and mobile phone by pulling the HDMI cable from the camera. It took 4 seconds to receive the picture on both the tablet and the phone.
You can manually select a channel on TX or with the HollyView app.
It takes about 12 seconds to connect to the camera, and about 21 seconds to sync the RX to the TX once it's powered on. From full power down to using the Mars 300 Pro, you can get up and running in 30 seconds. This is not bad at all.
Connect to an Android or iPhone phone
So the big new feature is iPhone, Android, and tablet support. You can use one set top box and two or three apps without a receiver. Although it limits features a bit, it's great if you have a smartphone for everyone. All you need is the free HollyView app installed on your device, and you're good to go.Smartphone and tablet support is a great addition, but it's not as good as using a dedicated display with the RX. Response times are very high, and appears slow in some frames during the transition. This could be a problem if the image has a lot of camera movement as the image cannot keep up, even though it sends an image in high resolution.
HollyView App Features and Features
HollyView has a lot of help features for image verification. With a simple tap on the screen, the toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen. It stays on for 10 seconds. If you want to exit the toolbar sooner, tap the screen again.To make the customization settings, you can long press on the icon and options will appear on the screen.
In the app, you can also see what the strengths of the other channel look like, and either select a new channel manually or let Mars 300 Pro choose the one that works best for you.
Tools available in the HollyView app
• Waveform• Histogram
• Focus Peaking feature
• Zebra limit 0-100
• Frame guide
• Zoom in
• FalseColor - shows scale when the icon is clicked a second time
• Monochrome - red, green, blue, gray
Another option is the ability to record the image you get or take a screenshot. This is very clever, but it could also be a problem if the production doesn't want people to take snapshots of the project while filming. There is no way to disable the feature.
To access the captured photos, click on the three dots in the upper right corner. This opens a menu that includes HollyView Album and WiFi settings.
From this screen, you can play and share the Snapshots. The video file is MP4 H.264 1920 x 1080 at 25 frames per second. The camera is set to 23.976. The image is a little blurry. The audio is also scrolled through the app so you can hear a dialogue from the camera.
With photo shots, you can draw over the image in three colors. Red, green, or blue and three line thick. You can switch between colors and line thickness on the same image and send it via the send options on your device. This is very easy to use and very cool. Again, you cannot edit the controls people can access in the app so that everyone who has the feed on their device can share it and use the tools available.
Download LUTS
You can upload your own LUTS with Dropbox or Google Drive. I think other file sharing services will work as long as they have an app on the smartphone or tablet used with HollyView. I use Google Drive, here's how it works.After I uploaded the LUT file to Google Drive, I opened the file in the Drive app and clicked on Options. These are the three points in the right corner. Select Open In. On iOS, you can scroll to the More option and it'll open up a full list of apps. Scroll to Copy to HollyView.
Now the lookup table is loaded and ready to use. I've noticed that the LUT title contains missing letters so I recommend changing the name with fewer characters. The example above was titled zLog_xyz_64_noGain_noSuppress_normal.cube. As you can see, zLog_xyz_ has been removed. You edited the address and re-imported it. Now that makes more sense! Label restriction can be a hassle as you know that Luts titles tend to be very long, so it can be difficult to rename them with restrictions.
HDMI inputs and outputs
The transmitter has an HDMI input as well as an HDMI loop-out for connecting and displaying on an external display device. The receiver provides two HDMI outputs. The TX and RX units can also be powered via USB-C.
Cooling the transmitter and receiver
The TX and RX both have a built-in fan to keep them cool. From my test, I couldn't hear them running, which is a good thing. You can set the fan to automatic and low settings in the menu. It ships to Auto. I left it on automatically, and it didn't get too noisy or overheated.The menu system in the screen
If you prefer a simple menu, you'll love the Mars 300 Pro. It's so simple that I can figure it out. The menu is accessed using the multi-purpose click wheel. Push it in, and the menu will open. Use the same wheel to navigate the menu. The menu uses bright icons and text that is very easy to use.The LCD screen shows RX or TX status at all times. Included information is signal strength, left voltage, and video connection. This is. Beautiful and simple.
Energy options
The main power option is Sony NPF batteries. You can also use USB-C input with 5-12V battery like D-Tap from ENG battery or portable battery with 5V minimum output.The TX 11W and RX 4W are consuming and that means the TX will consume the battery approximately 3 times faster. With a smaller 18.7W NP-F550 battery, the TX can run for about 1.7 hours. The RX will last about 4.5 hours.
The mileage may vary according to weather conditions and the type of battery cells, however this will give you general guidelines. I love the NPF's small batteries because they keep the unit thin and light. You can choose the mid-sized NP-F770 for the TX and go with the smaller RX.
Installation options
Both RX and TX have 1/4 20 degrees at the bottom. The Hollyland includes a 20 1/4 bracket that attaches to either face. Unfortunately, you only get one. This is the same for the original Mars 300, and I was hoping they would have two, because I like the location because it makes the module flush.the performance
In my view, the Mars 300 Pro is the same as the Mars 300 with additional smartphone and tablet support. I found the line-of-sight performance very reliable. As with the March 300. And 300 feet is very far. I generally need 50-100 feet maximum to follow my shots.While Hollyland says the Mars 300 Pro is a line-of-sight only system, I've found it usable in my home. With the camera placed in the family room, which is at the back of the house, I took the system outside onto the balcony.
The front door was about 30 feet from the camera. I went out, closed the door, and stood on the balcony. The signal looked good and stable. Then I continued walking towards the street until it was 37 feet off the front door. I walked back a few feet, the bachelorette was quickly back and settled. The sign passed through one wall with a walkway and a front door for a total of 67 feet. Not bad.
I also went upstairs and entered several rooms and the signal was strong. In some internal settings this tells me that you can use the system at a closer distance without line-of-sight to the TX, but like all wireless equipment, you need to test it to be sure.
Delay
Image delay is the biggest problem with monitoring from camera or wireless devices. It is measured in milliseconds. To put this in perspective, one second equals 1000 milliseconds.Hollyland states that there is an 80 ms (0.08 s) delay of response time. While this is quite low, it will change depending on which camera and screen you are using. For example, full-frame Panasonic hybrid cameras like the GH and S1H have really poor latency. Adding wireless latency will only make it worse.
And expert testing of the Mars 300 Pro with the Canon C200 yielded good over HDMI and bright SmallHD 702 screen. SmallHD response time. It came at 58ms faster than the Canon C200. It really does well over HDMI. While we do not find any delay with SDI.
The final result
Mars 300 Pro is a budget-friendly wireless system that will work better in close proximity to the TX. For me, the line of sight of 300 feet is more than I need.Not having to be tied to a cable to a projector is great at work. The ability to share on smartphones and tablets is also a great feature. And it's $ 450 for the Standard Edition. The improved version of the Mars 300 Pro is $ 469.
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