The AnkerWork B600 is much more than just a webcam as it includes, in addition to the 2K 30fps camera, two speakers, four microphones and a dimmable LED light bar.
Webcams have become indispensable for most of these days. Either for do videoconferences at work or with friends and family, or do our own streams live, having a webcam is an essential item on almost everyone’s desk, and manufacturers are improving their models with bets that go beyond conventional webcams, like this AnkerWork B600 which is much more than just a webcam .
As a camera we find 2K quality (1440p) up to 30 fps, superior to most webcams that we are going to find on the market. But it also includes two speakers on the sides, four microphones and an LED bar adjustable in intensity and temperature, allowing to obtain gather everything you need in one device to stand out in your videoconferences.
Characteristics
- 2K image resolution (1440p)
- Lighting with manual and automatic control (brightness and temperature)
- 4 microphones
- noise cancellation, echo cancellation
- Self-informed
- Image enhancement using artificial intelligence
- Adjustable FOV (65º, 78º, 95º)
- privacy cover
- 2 x 2W altavocs
- H.264 video format
The video bar, as AnkerWork calls its B600, is heavy and tall, considerably taller and heavier than most other models you know. It also includes elements that no other webcam has, so the difference is more than justified. Its construction is good, with plastic as the predominant material but with a metallic finish that gives it a premium look. It looks very solid and despite its size, it has a design that you won’t mind adding to your desk.
You can place it on the monitor, like any webcam, but you also have the option of using a tripod or any other fixing system that has a 1/4 screw thanks to the thread on its base
To connect it to your computer, it has a USB-C to USB-C cable, which will take care of carrying all the image and sound information, but also, and this is the first time I’ve seen it in a device photo of this guy, needs extra feeding, I guess for the LED light bar. This power supply is achieved through a cable with an AC adapter that plugs directly into an outlet, it does not connect to your computer, so it will only use one of your USB-Cs. It also includes an additional USB-A to allow you to connect an additional accessorywhich will be as if you have connected it to the computer, something that never hurts.
The camera design is designed so that the cover itself, the one that gives you peace of mind that no one is looking at you when you don’t want them to, is the one that houses the LED light bar, so that when you open the camera, the LED bar sits just above the lens to illuminate your face. A front LED tells you if the camera is in use (blue) or if the microphone is active or not (red). Finally, we have two side touch buttons to activate the microphone and the LED bar, and a front touch control to control the brightness of the LED bar.
AnkerWork app
All manual controls are sometimes useful, but it is generally more advisable to use the mouse to control all these functions, and for this we have an AnkerWork application that we can download for Windows and macOS (link). With this application we can control the quality of the image (resolution, FOV, brightness, sharpness…) and the lighting (intensity and temperature).
The application offers us automatic functions that use artificial intelligence to control itself. For example, we can enable automatic lighting, or something called “Solo-frame”, an image mode in which the camera follows you and always keeps you on the screen
Image, light and sound
The image quality of the camera is good even in low light situations thanks to the LED bar, which we will analyze later. For the test that you can see in the video that accompanies the article, I used the same conditions that I usually use in streaming our podcast on YouTube, which are precisely rather unfavorable conditions but they give a good impression of the camera’s performance.
It is true that I have noticed at certain points in the recordings that there is a somewhat exaggerated smoothing of the image, I suppose due to all the noise reduction and other modifications that the artificial intelligence performs automatically. But except for the details, in general I am quite satisfied with the result of the camera in this regard. Also keep in mind that I always use the smallest angle of view, so the image is cropped and some quality loss is inevitable.
Great responsibility for the quality of the image in the LED bar that incorporates the camera. Frankly I thought it would be something useless, as it happens in other cameras that bring it and it brings absolutely nothing, but quite the contrary. The effect of lighting in the video is noticeable, and dimming brightness regulation is also very helpful. What I miss is that you can control the temperature of the imagenot just because of the light, as I notice the colors are quite warm even when using the camera in its coolest tone.
These are the two elements that have the best performance in this AnkerWork B600, without a doubt. Then comes the microphone, or rather the four microphones, which work well but the final score is not as high as with the image or the lighting. For a lot of the artificial intelligence, noise and echo reduction and other things they incorporate, there’s no way four mics that’s so far from my mouth and in a room that’s not soundproofed will deliver a result comparable to a quality mic like the one I used in most of the video.
this is the view of someone whose primary use is streaming, but if we focus on videoconferences, its result is better than optimal. Many interviewees on prime time television programs would like to have the audio offered by this B600 with its four microphones. The Voice Radar feature that focuses on your voice even when you’re far away is also useful for meetings with multiple participants who are further away from the camera.
And I leave for last the two 2W power speakers located on the sides of the camera. They are a good solution for those who use a computer without speakers, but they do not come close to what dedicated speakers can offer us. the sound has a correct power, and a correct quality, nothing more. Again, for video conferencing, more than enough, but mediocre to use as a main speaker on your computer on a regular basis.
Editor’s review
The AnkerWork B600 camera is perfect for those looking for an all-in-one solution for their video conferences, or a good quality camera for streaming. With good image quality and a surprisingly good light bar, it’s perfect for live streams or wowing everyone on video conferences. The other two functions, microphones and speakers, do not reach the level necessary for streaming in good conditions, although they are more than sufficient for videoconferences. Its price is high, find it in Amazon for $229.99 (link) although considering all it includes, it’s not that much.
- Editor Rating
- Star Rating
$229.99
Advantages
- Image quality
- integrated lighting
- Microphones and speakers suitable for videoconferences
- build quality
- good software
Versus
- Insufficient microphones for streaming
- Insufficient speaker for normal use
Table of Contents