Nyrius WS54 Wireless HDMI System Review

One of the challenges to living in a 1920’s bungalow home is running wires everywhere they’re needed. Sometimes the practicality of a home or room layout means you can’t use wires. When that includes video, things get a bit more complicated. Sending HDMI over the air gets difficult. You need to account for bandwidth, distance, and obstacles. The Nyrius WS54 Wireless HDMI system includes a transmitter and receiver that are smaller than a Roku system.

The only thing left was to see if it worked…and many, MANY other systems had failed in the past. Whether from environmental issues or just plain bad design, wireless HDMI in this home had been inconsistent.

Nyrius WS54 Wireless HDMI System Features

The idea behind the Nyrius WS54 is that it lets you stream your video from a DISH Hopper 3 DVR, Roku box, or other device wirelessly. It also transmits video in 1080p resolution—even in 3D. The Nyrius WS54 is also plug and play, so you don’t have to do any configuration.

The Nyrius WS54 Wireless HDMI system sends 1080p video in a high speed, low latency wireless transmission. It can send video from any HDMI source. It also claims to be able to send video through walls, floors, & ceilings without interference from other wireless devices. In practicality, these boasts are often a bit overstated. Because it sends on the 5.8 GHz band, it doesn’t suffer much interference from WiFi or Bluetooth.

A loop-through HDMI lets you use a wired connection in one room while watching the same HD content wirelessly in a different room. We use it extensively when throwing a Super Bowl party.

You can easily add additional receivers (sold separately) to the system & transmit wireless audio & video to even more TVs.

Nyrius includes an IR extender, so you can point your remote control at a single point (perhaps your AV rack) and still change the channel or otherwise control your television. This IR extender gives you an input (for the IR receiver) on the transmitter side. An IR output on the receiver then connects to the included IR emitter. Attach that so that it can send signals to your TV or projector, and you’re all set.

Nyrius WS54 Specs

• Supported Video: 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 480p
• 3D Compatible
• Audio Formats: PCM 2CH, Dolby 5.1
• Transmitter: HDMI input, HDMI Loop Through (Output), Micro USB (for power), 2.5mm Jack (for IR
• Emitter) Receiver: HDMI Output, Micro USB (for power), 3.5mm Jack (for IR Emitter)
• Wireless Range: 60ft (clear line of sight)
• Transmission Frequency: 802.11 a,b,g,n ; 5.8GHz (Band 1 & 4)
• Latency: < 500ms (average 150ms)
• IR FREQUENCY 30-60KHz
• High Performance Internal Antennas
• Wireless Technology: GigaXtreme
• Wall Mountable (via keyhole slots)
• Power Supply: 5VDC/1A
• Dimensions (trans/rec): 3.4 x 3.3 x 0.9 inches (87.5 x 83.5 x 25 mm)
• Includes: Digital wireless HD transmitter, 2x external IR remote extender, digital wireless HD receiver, 2x 100-240V AC power adapters, 5ft HDMI cable, 2x screws/anchors

Using the Nyrius WS54 Wireless HD Transmitter and Receiver

We installed the Nyrius WS54 receiver behind our Samsung LED television and connected the included USB power supply. We routed the HDMI output to an available HDMI input of the TV. The transmitter we placed on top of our Sanus AV rack and supplied power to it as well. We then plugged the HDMI output of our Denon AVR-S510BT receiver into the transmitter. Once both the transmitter and receiver were powered up, the connection automatically negotiated. Our Samsung TV was receiving the signal from the DISH 4K Joey. It was remarkably easy, and there was really no setup required beyond connecting and powering up both boxes. I loved how easily the receiver fit behind the Samsung and was easily able to secure to our MantelMount over fireplace TV mount.

We played content from DISH network, and even straight Blu-ray discs from the Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player. The picture was clear and “quick” with no noticeable delay due to the wireless transmission. Audio sync was adjustable by the AV receiver, and overall it worked better than expected. I say “better than expected” because I’ve had such bad luck with wireless HDMI in the past. Even over short distances, the technology never seemed to really provide a bullet-proof image. Once you connect the Nyrius WS54 wireless HDMI system, however, it just seems to stay locked on. Even when you power down the system and bring it all back online, everything just keeps working.

The Nyrius WS54 wireless HDMI system absolutely blew away the Philips system we were using before and eliminated all of the dropouts and glitches we had been seeing.

Conclusion

The Nyrius WS54 Wireless HDMI system simply works…and works simply. An easy setup and fool-proof system make this a great choice for in-room wireless HDMI. While they claim to be able to pass through walls and floors, our testing resulted in the simple fact that the best HDMI wireless performance comes from as close to “line-of-sight” as you can get. Keep that in mind as you read manufacturer claims and raise your hopes that a basement-mounted wireless HDMI transmitter will reach your third floor bedroom. It won’t.

Still, the Nyrius WS54 Wireless HDMI transmitter and receiver provided the best picture quality and glitch-free performance I’ve yet seen in this room. That’s saying a lot as I’ve tested at least three systems over the past several years.

At a retail price of $169.99, this one’s a keeper.