review – Since then, working from home has been the best thing that has happened in my career as an art director for a children’s publisher – I don’t know when. However, as good as the work-from-home transition is, it does come with some challenges that you wouldn’t face in an office environment. One of the biggest challenges for me is getting the best settings for remote meetings. I know — I know, any recent laptop or smart tablet will have a built-in camera for Zoom, Teams, or whatever meeting you need to be in. But does anyone consider the video and audio quality that others see? Have you ever seen how bad some of your co-workers look in meetings using their stock 720p resolution cameras? what.
I may be a little obsessed, but I like images that are as clear and bright as possible that I can present to my colleagues (no matter how ugly I am). My MacBook Pro camera just failed. Anker, a company known for quality cables, chargers, and hubs, might have a solution – the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar Webcam.
What is it?
AnkerWork is Anker’s “business unit”.They make speakerphones, headsets, microphones and webcam. The B600 is technically a webcam, but it does so much more than that. Think of it like a webcam on steroids. In addition to the 2K camera, the B6000 also includes a built-in adjustable light, 4-mic array and dual speakers.
The B600 Video Bar features what Anker calls VoiceRadar. This is a noise-cancelling technology that minimizes background noise while amplifying your voice, making it easier for others to hear you. The included dual speakers help you hear the other speakers more clearly.
If your home workspace has lighting issues, the B600 has a foldable light bar with MagicSight (another term for Anker). MagicSight automatically balances the color temperature so you don’t look too yellow or too blue. Brightness also automatically adjusts as lighting conditions change.
Then there’s SoloFrame, which lets the camera follow you if you move out of the frame.
what’s in this box
- AnkerWork B600 Video Bar Webcam
- USB-C cable
- Power cord with multi-country plug adapter
glasses
- Resolution: 2K
- Frames per second: 30
- auto focus
- auto exposure
- 4 microphone array
- Two 2-watt speakers
- Active Noise Cancellation
- automatic gain control
Design and Features
The first thing you notice when you open the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is the look and feel of everything. It reminds me of opening an Apple product. The B600 itself is so heavy – so much so that I’m concerned about attaching it to the thin lid of a laptop – like on my MacBook Pro. Since my main monitor is a thick XP-Pen 24 Artist Pro, this isn’t an issue. But B600 Yes Well made. Just holding it is a treat.
The clip to pin it to the monitor is similar to many other webcam clips. It looks and behaves like an adjustable inverted V. Just squeeze until it feels tight. The “V” clip from my previous webcam was screwed to the shelf above my monitor. It hasn’t moved since. I can do this with the B600. I apologize to Anker for messing up the flawless finish with the drilling. If desired, the B600 can work on a tabletop tripod (not included).
Connecting the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar webcam’s two USB-C ports to your computer is simple. There are two wires: Power to USB-C and USB-C to USB-C. The power cable is connected via USB-C like the video cable, but the two connections cannot be swapped or the webcam won’t work. There’s a USB A port on the back, but that’s specifically for Anker wireless headphones with a receiver.
After the connection is established, the AnkerWork application must be downloaded. This application completes the setup. My previous webcam didn’t have an app – it was just plug and play. However, the B600 has many options and video enhancements that require application settings.
The blue LED light lets you know that everything is connected correctly.If the microphone is muted (just touch remain side), the LED light turns red. If the red light is flashing, there is a problem that needs to be corrected.
touch correct Turn the lights on or off on one side of the video bar. A touch-sensitive slider on the front of the video bar adjusts the brightness of the light.
Various settings are built into the app. You can adjust color temperature (warm to cool), focus, resolution (360p, 720p, 1080p, 2K), flicker filter, brightness, contrast, and more. You could easily spend 30 minutes building a perfect vision of how you want to present yourself. This is in addition to any settings you wish to set in the streaming app you use.
After setting up the app, you simply lift up the light bar to turn on the B600. For my use of the Zoom app, I don’t need to reset anything unless I want to change something. It remembers my last settings.
I did have a small problem with mirroring.The webcam I was using showed me mirroring on my monitor, but no Send it to someone else in my Zoom call. However, the B600 shows others what I see, so my images can’t be mirrored just for me. It’s weird to see the “wrong” hand moving across my screen. It’s true, but I’m used to it, it’s like looking in a mirror. This is something I need to get used to.
The image quality of the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar webcam is almost as good. My last camera was 1080p, which I thought was great until I saw 2K images. Built-in automatic light adjustment changes as your face moves in light or shadow. Not only that, but as you move around, the camera follows and automatically zooms in and out to keep you as centered in the frame as possible. It’s like having a personal cinematographer. Note that if camera “movement” bothers you, you can disable it in the app.
Before using the B60, any audio from the previous webcam went through my big desktop speakers (The webcam doesn’t have a speaker). This is redundant for audio due to the size of the speakers. Also, there is a risk of echoes when the webcam microphone picks up the audio from the speakers. The B600’s 4-microphone array and built-in speakers work together to eliminate any echo effects. Because the B600 speakers are tuned for vocals, my colleagues can hear me perfectly, and I can hear it more clearly. Microphone and speaker volume are set in the app.
what do I like
- Robust design and build quality
- excellent camera
- Excellent 4-mic array
- great audio
what would i change
- Too heavy for some thin laptops
- expensive
final thoughts
The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar doesn’t come cheap. But it’s built so well that it feels like a premium piece of technology. It works great and looks great. I wouldn’t recommend it for a laptop unless it’s on a tripod instead of a screen/lid. If you work from home and spend most of your time in online meetings, the B600 can help you put your best foot forward in front of your colleagues, and may boost your status because you look so good. who knows?
Price: $219.99
where to buy: Amazon
resource: Samples of this product are provided by Anchor.
