Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Ugreen Magnetic Wireless USB-C Transmitter and HDMI Receiver
4.3
Pros & Cons
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Easy to set up. -
No app hassles. -
Great range, even under real-world conditions.
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Receiver requires power. -
Limited to 1080p/60Hz resolution.
Cables.
Once the nerve fibers that connected one bit of tech to another, cables have slowly been replaced by wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Cables are unsightly and quickly become a tangled mess as soon as your back is turned, and wireless technologies are now reliable enough to handle the huge volume of data associated with video.
The time has come for you to eliminate another cable from your home, the HDMI cable, and that’s thanks to — take a deep breath, because this has a long name — the Ugreen Magnetic Wireless USB-C Transmitter and HDMI Receiver.
Also: You’re using your TV’s HDMI port wrong: 8 tips to get the best image and audio quality
As the name suggests, at one end there’s a USB-C transmitter, and at the other an HDMI receiver. Sounds simple enough, but I’ve tried quite a few of these over the years and, well, I’ve been disappointed. Very disappointed.
Those that rely on connecting to internal Wi-Fi are a no-go because all of a sudden, your video quality is being dictated by how good — or bad — the Wi-Fi connection is. And a lot of Wi-Fi, not only at home, but in schools and offices, is terrible. I also hate any system that relies too much on an app, because all too often they’re dismal and spend far too much time upselling another product.
Then there are those solutions that just don’t work for some random reason and hours of tech support can’t figure out.
It just works
For me, a wireless adapter has to just work. I connect a dongle to the host device, another to a receiver, add power to the receiver, press a button, and it works.
And that’s exactly what you get with this transmitter/receiver set.
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As for a host device, the transmitter (marked TX) will work with Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, as well as any other device — such as a camera or DVD player — that has a DP Alt Mode port. A great feature of the transmitter is its USB-C port, which lets you charge the transmitter while it’s in use, enabling uninterrupted streaming.
OK, but how do you tell if your device has a DP Alt Mode port? Well, if the USB-C port has a D or DP near or around it, or if it says USB4 or Thunderbolt, you’re in luck. On the other hand, it might have nothing written on it, and you could still be in luck — or not. Another way to find out if your device has a DP Alt Mode port is to check your documentation or do some web sleuthing.
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On the HDMI end is the receiver (marked RX), so you’re good with anything that has an HDMI port – TV (smart or dumb), monitor, projector, or conference display. You do need to supply power to this unit, but only 5V/1A, so it will work off the lowliest USB port (if there’s one on your TV or display, use that). I’ve also used a power bank, and because of the very low power draw, even a small one will last a long time.
As soon as everything is connected, the transmitter and receiver use their built-in smarts to create a reliable, lag-free 5.8 GHz wireless network that doesn’t interfere with the existing Wi-Fi network or use cellular data, and can transmit 1080/60Hz up to 164 feet/50 meters (under ideal conditions, which translates into clear line of sight).
OK, I know what you’re thinking. If it’s 160-ish feet under ideal conditions, what about the non-ideal conditions we’ll be using this setup in?
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Just as I do when testing Bluetooth range, I’m going to remind you that my cluttered environment is going to be different to yours, so your mileage will vary. But in a typical home setting, where the HDMI port is behind a TV and there’s not much clutter, I ran out of living room before the signal gave way, and had to create a simulated living room, and here I got a range of close to 135 feet/41 meters.
Add more clutter or a wall, and the range drops to about 100 feet/33 meters. Putting a couple of cars between the transmitter and receiver and the range dropped to about 50 feet/15 meters.
That’s plenty of transmission range for most users. I even tried to degrade the signal with interference from a 5GHz Wi-Fi router, with no success. It’s a very stable connection.
It’s a simple bit of kit built to do one job, and it does that job really well.
Note that the two parts of this kit — especially the transmitter — do get somewhat hot in use, especially extended use, much like your wireless router does. This is normal, and in my testing, nothing got to a point where I was worried.
The kit is magnetic, so you can clamp the transmitter and receiver together when storing, or attach the transmitter to the magnetic wireless charger on your smartphone to stop it dangling from the port.
Good, but not perfect (but that doesn’t matter)
Are there limitations? Yes, a few, but no deal-breakers.
The biggest limitation is that this kit is restricted to 1080p/60Hz. There are HDMI transmitter/receiver kits out there at a similar price that claim to handle 4K, but I’ve not been impressed by them. If you want solid 4K transmission, you’ll have to pay a lot more for a pro bit of kit.
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Another limitation is that you can only have a single receiver, and can’t transmit to multiple receivers. Again, if you want this, it’ll cost you more.
And finally, you do need to supply power to the receiver that connects to an HDMI port. Most TVs have a USB port on the back, so this isn’t a huge problem, but it does start to create the potential for cable clutter if you’re not careful.
ZDNET’s buying advice
The Ugreen Magnetic Wireless USB-C Transmitter and HDMI Receiver is a great for anyone who wants to replace a physical HDMI cable with a wireless connection. This is perfect for not only home users, but also schools, businesses, and people who share their time between various office locations.
Also: Your TV may be tracking your viewing data – how to stop it
For $100, this is a compact, neat bit of kit that performs well. It’s small enough that it slips into a bag or pocket, and works fully standalone, with no app to download, and no power supplies to cart about with you.
