DJI SDR Transmission 2 Launched – DCI 4K60 10-Bit HDR, Switchable TX/RX Transceivers, 4km Range

Wireless Video News

by Nino LeitnerToday

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So here it is, the DJI SDR Transmission 2. DJI’s second-generation budget wireless video system moves from 1080p to DCI 4K60 in 10-bit HDR, and it replaces the separate transmitter and receiver with a single transceiver that does either job at the flick of a switch. There are a few changes compared to the first generation that you should know about before ordering, so let’s go through them.

The short version: every DJI SDR Transmission 2 unit is a 136g (4.8oz) transceiver with a physical RX/TX switch, a touchscreen and two foldable antennas. It sends H.265 video at up to 50Mbps with a minimum latency of 35ms, over a distance DJI rates at up to 4km (2.5mi). One transmitter feeds up to eight receivers, all of them with camera and gimbal control, and DJI says up to five transmitters and 40 receivers can work on the same set. The main unit offers HDMI and USB-C (DisplayPort) connections, while SDI moves to an optional Expansion Plate. Pricing starts at €349 / £309 for a single unit.

A disclosure before we go any further: we have been working with the SDR Transmission 2 for several weeks as part of a paid collaboration with DJI. I am currently finishing an in-depth video in which we put the system to work on a real multi-camera shoot, and it will be out on CineD within the coming weeks. This article sticks to DJI’s official specifications and documentation; the hands-on findings belong in the video.

One unit, either role

The original DJI SDR Transmission from 2024 came as a dedicated transmitter and a dedicated receiver, which meant deciding on the ratio before buying or renting. The new transceiver does away with that. A toggle on the body sets it to RX or TX, so a kit of six units can be three links on Monday and one transmitter with five receivers on Tuesday. For rental houses and owner-operators, a spare is never the wrong kind of spare.

The housing shrinks as well. The transceiver measures 76 x 61 x 25mm (2.99 x 2.40 x 0.98in) without antennas and cold shoe adapter, compared to 86.5 x 64 x 32mm (3.41 x 2.52 x 1.26in) and 145g (5.1oz) for each first-generation unit. The antennas fold but cannot be removed, and DJI states that third-party antennas are not supported. There is a fan inside, with Auto and Mute modes, and the operating temperature range is -10 to 40°C (14 to 104°F).

Power comes from an NP-F battery via the included adapter, from USB-C, or straight from a compatible DJI gimbal. The USB-C PD requirement has gone up to 15V/3A (the first generation was happy with 9V/2A), and DJI asks for a PD adapter of 65W or more. A 6.8 to 17.5V DC input over USB-C is supported too, and the accessory kit includes a D-Tap to USB-C cable for that purpose. DJI lists power consumption in a one-to-one setup at about 8.5W for the transmitter and 7.6W for the receiver, rising to roughly 10.4W and 8.9W with the Expansion Plate attached.

What goes over the air

On the input side, the transmitter accepts RGB and YCbCr signals in 4:4:4, 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 at 8 or 10 bit. The receiver outputs RGB 4:4:4 in 8 or 10 bit, or YCbCr 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 in 10 bit. Supported formats run from 720p up to DCI 4K and UHD at 23.98 to 60fps, and HDR is carried as HLG or HDR10. The link itself is H.265 at a maximum encoding bitrate of 50Mbps in a 40MHz channel, up from 20Mbps on the older system. DJI notes that the actual bitrate varies with environment and distance.

Two footnotes matter here. 4K and HDR only work through the HDMI port and the bottom USB-C (DisplayPort) port of the main unit. And the 35ms latency figure excludes camera and display latency, measured at 1080p60 and 4K60. A Low Latency option on the receiver converts the output to 60fps regardless of the camera’s frame rate to shave off delay on that side.

The 4km (2.5mi) range is quoted under CE compliance with one transmitter and one receiver in open, interference-free conditions. The first generation’s 3km (1.9mi) was an FCC figure. CE power limits are considerably tighter in parts of the 5GHz band (at 5.8GHz, DJI’s own spec sheet lists under 14dBm for CE against under 30dBm for China’s SRRC), so my reading is that the real-world gain is larger than the two headline numbers suggest. As always, these are manufacturer figures from controlled conditions.

Eight receivers, all with control

This is where the two generations differ most in concept. The first SDR Transmission had a Control mode for up to two devices and a Broadcast mode for an unlimited number of receivers at reduced range and bitrate. The new system has no such split: one transmitter connects to up to eight receivers, and DJI says every one of them supports monitoring and remote control at the same time. Control can be granted per receiver from the transmitter’s touchscreen, and a password lock keeps uninvited receivers out.

Switching between cameras no longer involves re-pairing. Each transmitter gets a device number, and a receiver (or the Ronin app connected to it) jumps between feeds with a tap. DJI rates the system for up to five transmitters and 40 receivers in one location, and recommends not going beyond five transmitters in the same area.

One thing that is gone: Wi-Fi monitoring. The original could send two Wi-Fi streams directly from the transmitter to phones, without a receiver. DJI’s documentation for the SDR Transmission 2 lists only the wired route, a phone or tablet connected by USB-C to a unit in RX mode. If phone-only monitoring is the way you work, that is worth knowing, and the first generation remains in DJI’s lineup.

Auto Channel 2.0 and the channel plan

Frequency management is handled by what DJI calls Auto Channel 2.0. With the channel mode set to Auto, the units recognize each other, divide up the available channels among themselves, and hop when interference appears. A channel dashboard on the touchscreen and in the app shows signal quality per channel and which transmitter sits on which one, and a built-in diagnostics function analyzes the link and suggests changes.

According to DJI’s channel table, CE regions get twelve 40MHz channels: one at 2.4GHz, two at 5.19 and 5.23GHz, six DFS channels between 5.27 and 5.71GHz, and three at 5.8GHz. Japan gets nine and mainland China eight. DJI’s FAQ points out that the single 2.4GHz channel can interfere with wireless microphones and recommends picking another channel manually in that case. The SDR Transmission 2 cannot link with the first-generation SDR Transmission or with the larger DJI Transmission system.

SDI lives on the Expansion Plate

The first generation had HDMI and SDI on both units. The new main unit has HDMI and DisplayPort only, and SDI requires the Expansion Plate, a 105g (3.7oz) module that docks onto the transceiver. It adds an SDI port and a second HDMI port, each switchable between input and output, plus additional USB-C ports for power and gimbal connection. DJI says SDI metadata from mainstream cinema cameras is passed through.

The plate’s video connections top out at 1080p60, so a 4K feed has to enter and leave through the main unit. For a cinema camera with SDI-only outputs, that means HD monitoring. I would have liked to see 4K over SDI here, but at this price point I understand the decision. The plate is sold together with a 91g (3.2oz) Transceiver Cage measuring 124 x 110 x 49mm (4.88 x 4.33 x 1.93in), which adds a NATO rail, two 1/4″-20 threads, one 3/8″-16 thread and clamps for the HDMI and USB-C cables.

Ronin gimbals, Master Wheels and Osmo cameras

Mounted on a DJI RS 5, the transmitter connects with the included USB-C cable, draws power from the gimbal and passes gimbal control to the receiving end. The RS 4 Pro, RS 4 and RS 3 Pro need a separate USB-C to CAN cable, the Ronin 2 and Master Wheels a USB-C to 4-pin cable. With Master Wheels on a receiver, an operator can drive the gimbal and start or stop recording remotely. DJI notes that native vertical mounting is not supported when the transceiver sits on the gimbal’s quick-release plate, and that there is no connection to the DJI Focus Pro.

The Osmo Action 6 and the Osmo Pocket 4 and later can serve as video sources through an L-shaped USB-C DisplayPort cable, which is sold separately. That puts a crash cam or a POV angle on the same receivers as the A camera.

In the DJI Ronin app, a phone or tablet wired to a receiver gets LUT preview, focus peaking, zebras, false color, waveform, histogram, anamorphic de-squeeze and frame markers, along with Force Mobile and a virtual joystick for the gimbal. The app can also cache footage locally. PTP camera control (aperture, shutter, ISO, record trigger) needs a camera control cable, and DJI quotes response times of 0.5 to 1 second. The compatibility list covers Sony, Nikon, Canon, Panasonic and FUJIFILM models; the Sony FX3 gets both PTP and CEC menu mirroring, while the FX6, Canon EOS R5 C and LUMIX S1H are listed for monitoring only. Units have to be activated once through the app before first use.

Price and availability

The DJI SDR Transmission 2 is available now. A single transceiver with cold shoe adapter, NP-F battery adapter and USB-C cable costs from €349 / £309, and the Combo with two units is from €629 / £559. The Expansion Accessory Kit with Expansion Plate, cage and D-Tap cable is €169 / £149. All prices include VAT. For reference, the first-generation combo launched at €519 with SDI on board, so a two-unit SDI link now comes to €967 with two kits, in exchange for 4K, HDR and the larger receiver count.

DJI has not announced US pricing or availability, and the spec sheet lists transmitter power figures for CE, SRRC and MIC but none for the FCC. That fits the pattern of the company’s recent launches: since the FCC added DJI to its Covered List in December 2025, new DJI products can no longer obtain the equipment authorization required for sale in the US, and the agency has since proposed going further by targeting some models that were already approved. The first-generation SDR Transmission was authorized before that cutoff and remains on sale in the US. Alternatives in this class include the Hollyland Pyro S, which tops out at 4K30 over 400m (1,300ft) with four receivers per transmitter.

For more information, please visit the DJI website.

Would you trade onboard SDI and Wi-Fi monitoring for 4K HDR and transceivers that switch roles? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!