Hollyland COSMO C1 Review! A Wireless Video Transmitter for the Ages?

[@FilmJams]

Please note: streaming functionality currently is recommended for OBS and full support will be coming to Zoom and Skype in an upcoming firmware release. Also note minimum latency of .04s applies to camera - monitor - transmitter - receiver chain. Also the latency we noted in the video is centiseconds not milliseconds so the latency is actually more than what we had noted.

[@waifongthng5982]

Nice.... Does it work with 1 transmitter to 2 receiver ?

[@FilmJams]

Thanks for watching. That info is in the video. The answer is no - just 1 to 1.

[@jessenakano9144]

Bought them over the 400s because of you guys!

[@FilmJams]

Oh. Nice! Hope you like it. Our 400s has been sitting on the shelf since we got the C1. Signal is much improved. Thanks for watching!

[@wlrohr1]

Please recheck your latency test. .17 sec equals 170ms while Hollyland claims 40ms which is .04 sec

[@FilmJams]

Yes that’s correct. I called it milliseconds and I should have said “centiseconds”

[@DesignTuneOperate]

@@FilmJams So why is the latency so much higher than claimed?

[@FilmJams]

@@DesignTuneOperate I’m not sure. I just posted the video of what we experienced.

[@hikari7356]

@@DesignTuneOperate 170ms is way much higher.. Did they lied about their latency?

[@DesignTuneOperate]

I have seen other tests where it is performing better. The test in this video doesn't test the latency of the screen and camera and then subtract it from the latency with the C1 added so its not possible to know what latnecy the screen/camera is adding

[@lg_yt422]

Great (and fun) review! If I get it right - this model isn't App-supported.. or?

[@FilmJams]

Thank you! At the time of our review there was not an app. They have talked about releasing a firmware but we’ll see. The older Mars 400S Pro would be the one to get if you want app functionality but it’s a bit more latent.

[@lg_yt422]

@@FilmJams Thanks for your answer, have a great day! 😎

[@FilmJams]

You too! Have a good one 👍🎥

[@jaijacobphoto316]

Your graphics department is doing an outstanding job 😂 . Great review.

[@FilmJams]

Haha thanks! It’s all about the oversized heads 😆

[@jyothibharani]

Hi when I try to pair it the reciever is saying starting but it doesn't show the pairing option in the screen but the transmitter works fine pls guide on how to fix this

[@FilmJams]

You’ll need to call Hollyland. We do not offer tech support on products we review. Sorry - best of luck!

[@jyothibharani]

@@FilmJams thx for the guidance

[@FilmJams]

@@jyothibharani for sure. Good luck!

[@Vautksch]

How many Rx can you send to with one Tx? Are they selling single Rx units like with the 400s Pro?

[@FilmJams]

They say as of now just one to one but I’m told there are plans to add a 2nd receiver at some point to the functionality.

[@miki97xy]

@@FilmJams this is the answer I was looking for before buying ,I allready have che cineeyepro2 with two receiver , I need two receiver.

[@FilmJams]

@@miki97xy yeah the 2 receivers is so important. I hope they release that firmware soon. CineEye is nice too!

[@MexicanMovie]

Any way possible you can review all 32-bit float recording devices that would be suitable for run n gun type work? I've got a new gig "stringing" for a news anchor of a local news channel, and my main focus is getting the video, but in certain situations pristine audio can bring some extra cash but there is not really gonna be time to make sure audio levels are good, and in some cases, levels may be changing dramatically. Since I'm trying to wind down into retirement, this is kind of a nice "be your own boss & work when you feel like it" type of thing to keep some extra cash rolling in .... weddings, events and corporate video are a thing of the past for me, unless it involves a referral by close contacts and great pay. thanks buddy!

[@FilmJams]

Hey hey KP! Sounds like a cool gig. I don’t really own too many 32 bit devices but that does sound like an Epic jam. Maybe if someone were to loan out some devices we could make it happen! Hope you’ve been well 😆👍🎥

[@footycheck]

love the show, cant believe i didnt have the notification bell dinged

[@FilmJams]

Awwww appreciate that! We got another one coming later today :)

[@markholloway3208]

Nice review. I'm thinking of investing in the C1. Does it transmit the audio from camera over hdmi through to the receiver?

[@FilmJams]

Thanks appreciate it! Yes it does.

[@anonymissed3611]

Image quality? Add receivers?

[@FilmJams]

Image quality? You can see samples in the video. No you can’t add more receivers

[@timdanyo898]

I gotta get me a wireless video system. Thanks for the review!

[@FilmJams]

Will change your life haha 😆 thanks for watching!

[@holdmedear]

How does this stack up to the Teradek Ace500?

[@FilmJams]

Hey thanks for watching! I’d say it’s comparable in distance and reliability. But the teradek definitely has that industry name that gets more rentals. Also I wish they had included the ability to have more than 1 receiver. Use that all the time on my teradek.

[@darklightstormedge]

Thanks for the comparison, very helpful!

[@FilmJams]

Thank you for watching!

[@SonamZamling]

is this work Live streaming with 2 or more DSLR camera at a time ? or we need to buy 2 for 2 camera ? waiting for your reply, thanks.

[@FilmJams]

Thanks for watching. It’s a 1 to 1 system.

[@SonamZamling]

@@FilmJams is there any chance to buy 1 transmitter and 2 receiver to work with 2 camera at a time for Live stream ?

[@FilmJams]

@@SonamZamling unfortunately I don’t think that will work with this system

[@josealfredogarcia8699]

Before I start, I am somewhat of a novice when it comes to gear, So if my question is totally lame, please bare with me as I can't seem to find the answers anywhere, thanks in advance. Running this unit on my sony a7III. My question is how to downscale 4 k signal from camera to 1080p into the transmitter and monitor. without changing my file format in my camera XAVC 4k to 1080P. Not alot of info on you tube on this issue. Please help. Cheers

[@FilmJams]

No lame questions here! Always feel free to ask :) 😆👍 the receiver should be set to accept the signal coming from the a7III. I don’t think you need to down-convert it. If it doesn’t, though there’s a setting in the menu on the a7III for “Hdmi output” just set that to 1080p. You may also try enabling “Rec. Media dur HDMI Output” - Good luck!

[@josealfredogarcia8699]

@@FilmJams Thanks for the fix but things got a bit complicated but maybe it's a quick fix? There is no camera info on the monitor iso...ect. and when I press record on the camera the image on the monitor goes black. I am using the Lilliput A12 12.5" 4K Monitor. Thanks again for the help.

[@FilmJams]

@@josealfredogarcia8699 I believe you are not able to send out to HDMI and view on the camera monitor at the same time. It's one or the other on most Sony mirrorless cameras. If you are missing info on your display - you just need to hit the info button to add it back.

[@BMBDRON]

thanks from Poland for a very good review

[@FilmJams]

Appreciate it! Hello over to Poland from Florida! 😆🚀

[@BMBDRON]

@@FilmJams Roger that! 😁

[@florinG]

I'm new to video wireless transmitters, and looking an affordable option for focus pulling is that low latency only achievable using SDI ports or can it be achieved using hdmi as well?

[@FilmJams]

In many cases hdmi can be less latent. Also depends on the camera too.

[@Schmidlap]

Since I’m not upgrading from my regular 400s any time soon, would getting either of these antennas be a good upgrade for now?

[@FilmJams]

I always like keeping some of the round style ones in my kit. They sometimes work better than the other shorter ones. U can grab on amazon - I think I have a link in our Mars 400 video.

[@NewerSing]

40ms is 0.04s, that's what m as prefix milli is for. 0.17 instead of 0.04 is 300% more or 4x times more latency than declared

[@FilmJams]

Ya read the pinned comment.

[@Firelord-ke4dz]

Hello, my query is if the transmitter is sold with 2 receivers? or can you get 1 extra receiver and it works? thank you

[@FilmJams]

Currently it’s sold with 1 receiver. Hollyland has told me they have an upcoming firmware that will allow a 2nd receiver but I don’t believe that functionality of multiple receivers works right now.

[@ExecutionerO]

Love the video! Is there a way to have zero latency or less than what was reported. I've seen someone use a "Decimator" with a terradeck to get very close to zero. Wasnt sure if that would help here.

[@FilmJams]

Thanks so much! If you need zero latency, definitely go for a Teradek. They are as close as you can get to Zero. Adding a decimator would not decrease latency but actually could add latency.

[@ExecutionerO]

@@FilmJams Thank you so much🙏🏼

[@jyuddahjaymes7534]

You're the man, Christian!! 👏🏿

[@FilmJams]

Haha thanks! Appreciate that!

[@jesussr1987]

Hello, is it possible to put the camera signal to the transmitter and loop it to a monitor through the sdi to have a monitor on camera? I have tried it with a Feelworld with SDI and a GH5 and I have not succeeded

[@FilmJams]

Yes as long as you are sending SDI you can loop through. It won’t cross convert hdmi to sdi tho they may add that functionality in a firmware update.

[@jesussr1987]

@@FilmJams I hope so, I wanted to take a monitor at the same time as the transmitter and in no way can I loop the signal to be able to do it neither with SDI nor with HDMI, thanks for answering so quickly, you have a new subscriber.

[@FilmJams]

@@jesussr1987 thanks really appreciate that! And yes hopefully they do add that. Would be nice to be able to loop for sure.

[@viktorwallmark344]

Hey thanks for a good review. I have a few questions. Does the transmitter do cross conversion of HDMI in to SDI loop out, for an operator monitor? And does it work with the HollyView app like the Mars 400?

[@FilmJams]

Thanks for watching! Unfortunately it does neither of those things. We were really hoping it would have both as well. They may bring the app functionality to a firmware update at some point. The cross conversion is something I asked their engineers about and they said they are looking into it, but likely will cost more.

[@ericwu0318]

WAIT, 0.17 means 170ms, not 17 ms... right?

[@ericwu0318]

I tested the latency is the same with 400s. Have you tested with 400s pro?

[@ericwu0318]

The case is the best design, you can fit C1 with a 970 attached!

[@FilmJams]

Yes I said milliseconds but I believe the term is actually centisecond.

[@FilmJams]

@@ericwu0318 yes we have tested the Mars 400S Pro it’s a bit slower in our tests. The Mars 400S Pro in my test showed .28 centiseconds compared to .17 with the Cosmo C1.

[@FilmJams]

@@ericwu0318 that is cool. I love the case. Wish my Mars 400S had one too!

[@Mall4567]

Sony battery plate removable or not ?

[@FilmJams]

I don’t think it is

[@moomoochacoo]

fuck, that latency is almost a deal-breaker for a beginner AC like myself but...i seriously can't afford a trade. Its only for indie, personal, and student projects. So i guess as a get more gigs ill eventurally get a system with better latency. Hell, if i do get a good gig, ill just rent...right?

[@FilmJams]

I hear you. Yeah I think it’s usable to pull focus for those projects and if you have a bigger gig could always rent to have a little less latency like you said. I use ours to pull focus for smaller gigs and it works! But on more critical stuff I’ll bring in a Teradek.

[@moomoochacoo]

@@FilmJams I just bought it, thanks for the review. Really lets me know what I'm in for.

[@FilmJams]

@@moomoochacoo Awesome! You're welcome. Enjoy and thanks for watching!

[@BlaqViper]

Don’t you lose the ability to transmit to an iPad with the C1?

[@FilmJams]

Ya it doesn’t go to the HollyView app. But maybe in a firmware update.

[@shem44]

C1 is under cosmo family and is for live video monitoring with ext monitors whereas Mars 400 is primarily designed to be viewed on phones and tablets directly although you can view on ext monitor too. The encoding and decoding is different. I have bad latency from Mars 400 when the distance gets longer than 30m and is totally unusable for live production with other cabled cameras. I am thinking of selling the Mars and get C1 if the latency is really as good as it promotes.

[@FilmJams]

Yeah the Cosmo is a lot more solid. I experienced the same issues with the Mars pro 400 and the Cosmo C1 is a notable upgrade. I just wish they had included the ability to do more than 1 receiver.

[@markelovpt]

why every youtuber confuses 40ms and .4s... 40 ms is 0.04. actually your test showed that it performed at least 5 times worse then claimed latency, but that might be that your camera hdmi output is having a lot of latency itself... still you are confusing inexperienced users and overselling it latency capabilities.

[@FilmJams]

You are correct. We made these notes in the comments already :) but thanks for pointing it out. Appreciate you watching!

[@markelovpt]

@@FilmJams all right, appreciate your review anyways:) but latency, especially so huge Is a deal breaker for me personally, gonna save more money for bolt :) nothing beats teradek unfortunately

[@FilmJams]

@@markelovpt for sure! yeah our Teradek is by far the most reliable and lowest latency. The C1 is my favorite Hollyland product so far though. I use on a lot of projects where they don’t have budget for the teradek.

[@NitsanArt]

You have a mistake! 40ms is NOT 0.4sec as you said! it is 0.04sec !!!

[@FilmJams]

Read the comments and the pinned comment. This is old news :) thanks for watching tho!

[@t4t213]

I’m sure these guys get paid to push these positive reviews when this new systems latency claimed to be ultra low is actually no different to other older models and FURTHERMORE this does NOT have a mobile app to use your phone or iPad. Range is being pushed but I don’t see why you need to be sitting a quarter or mile away from your camera???

[@FilmJams]

Wish we got paid that would be nice! But sadly we do not. It’s definitely less latent than the Mars series but not the older Cosmo series which actually is much more expensive. We do a side-by-side comparison in the video. Maybe you missed it.

[@t4t213]

@@FilmJams I didn’t miss it you need to watch it again, if it was side by side you mentioned that the 300 and 400s had app connectivity but when it came to cosmo you didn’t mention anything about the app. Must confess however always found your reviews to be better than others at least you mentioned app connectivity for the first two, many others didn’t even do that in their side by side reviews! One of the viewers asked you in the comments which you then confirmed, so wasn’t in the review video. You have to understand some people are still buying these used and it’s still a big investment. Thanks for replying. You confirmed in comments and si that was good 👍

[@FilmJams]

@@t4t213 right on…yeah it’s been a while since I watched it. We have reviewed a lot of these wireless transmitters and might have more side-by-sides in the other videos. I agree with you, that’s why we make these videos to help people make informed decisions- we were in the same position and didn’t know which one to pick so decided to just test them all! Anyway thanks for watching.

[@svenubik8968]

I do not see a point of a "review" by looking at someone's face all the time. I would prefer to see the product in action.

[@FilmJams]

I agree! Get that guy’s face outta there. Hey if you wanna throw us some dough on Patreon we can hire another camera guy to shoot b-roll! 👍🎥🤑

[@dannyrich154]

Cringe!

[@FilmJams]

Binge!

[@Firelord-ke4dz]

Hello, my query is if the transmitter is sold with 2 receivers? or can you get 1 extra receiver and it works? thank you

[@FilmJams]

Sold with one. You can’t add a 2nd receiver yet but I think they are working on the firmware to do that.