{"id":138465,"date":"2023-02-26T04:25:36","date_gmt":"2023-02-26T04:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techweekmag.com\/?p=138465"},"modified":"2024-06-19T15:58:13","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T15:58:13","slug":"razer-kiyo-review-a-great-option-for-the-aspiring-streamer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/gadgets\/razer-kiyo-review-a-great-option-for-the-aspiring-streamer\/","title":{"rendered":"Razer Kiyo: A great option for the aspiring streamer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Razer, like other manufacturers of gaming computer peripherals, could not stand aside during the boom in streaming services and the huge popularization of streaming.\u00a0The brand introduced a whole line of microphones and cameras for streamers and other content makers.<\/p>\n<p>And today we&#8217;re taking a look at the Razer Kiyo webcam.\u00a0Despite the fact that the model was released a long time ago, it remains relevant to this day.\u00a0The device is equipped with a matrix with a resolution of 4 megapixels, and the maximum video resolution is 1920 x 1080 at 30 fps.\u00a0But the main advantage of the model is the presence of a ring LED backlight, which allows you to achieve a high-quality image even in low light conditions.<\/p>\n<h2>Specifications<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Connection type: USB 2.0<\/li>\n<li>Image Resolution: 4 MP<\/li>\n<li>Video Resolution: 1080p @ 30FPS \/ 720p @ 60FPS \/ 480p @ 30FPS \/ 360p @ 30FPS<\/li>\n<li>Video encoding: YUY2 \/ MJPEG or H.264<\/li>\n<li>Photo resolution: 2688 x 1520<\/li>\n<li>Image quality setting: yes<\/li>\n<li>Diagonal Angle of View (FOV): 81.6 \u00b0<\/li>\n<li>Focus type: automatic<\/li>\n<li>Mounting options: L-shaped mount and tripod (not included)<\/li>\n<li>Cable length: 1.5 meters (braided)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Packaging and equipment<\/h2>\n<p>The camera comes in a small cardboard box with the manufacturer&#8217;s proprietary design.\u00a0The packaging is designed in black and green colors.\u00a0The front part shows the device itself, the back lists the main advantages of the camera.<\/p>\n<p>Inside, the device is securely fixed in a form of dense foam rubber.\u00a0There are no complaints about the quality and reliability of the packaging.\u00a0Everything looks stylish and soundly.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/166_techweek.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"1552\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In addition to the camera itself, we will find documentation and a couple of branded stickers with the brand&#8217;s logo in the box.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/167_techweek.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"1149\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There are no additional accessories.<\/p>\n<h2>Design and construction<\/h2>\n<p>When folded, the chamber has the shape of a black three-layer cylinder with a white &#8220;cover&#8221;.\u00a0The top section is a ring illuminated lens.\u00a0There is a status indicator above the lens and a microphone hole below it.\u00a0Here we see the manufacturer&#8217;s logo.\u00a0The body is made of black plastic.<\/p>\n<p>The upper ring is designed to change the intensity of the backlight.\u00a0It has a comfortable textured surface for easy adjustment.\u00a0There are 12 brightness levels in total.\u00a0The LEDs are covered with a white plastic diffuser, which gives a soft light and prevents strong glare.\u00a0The backlight temperature is 5600K, which corresponds to daylight.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/168_techweek.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"451\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The upper section supports angle variation within 120 degrees.\u00a0This is quite enough for both desktop placement and for installation on a monitor.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom section also has a wide range of adjustment, which is enough to fit the thickest monitors or TVs.<\/p>\n<p>The surfaces that are in contact with the monitor have a rubberized coating.\u00a0This prevents slipping and makes the camera more secure.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the absence of a rigid fixation and all kinds of clamps, the camera is attached to the monitor quite reliably.\u00a0During operation and possible vibrations of the monitor, it does not dangle or drive.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/169_techweek.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The range of adjustment is sufficient for any monitor height and streamer height.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/170_techweek.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"735\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The bottom is also rubberized for a secure desktop setup.\u00a0There is also a seat for mounting the camera on a tripod.<\/p>\n<h2>Connection and use<\/h2>\n<p>The camera connects to a PC via USB.\u00a0The length of the supplied cord is 1.5 m. This is quite enough for comfortable use.\u00a0The cord itself is quite soft, has a fabric braid and is not at all prone to twisting.<\/p>\n<p>No additional software installation is required.\u00a0The camera is ready for use immediately after connection.\u00a0You just need to select it as a video source.\u00a0Regardless, the camera is recognized by Razer&#8217;s proprietary Synapse app.\u00a0Here you can make a full camera setup and immediately evaluate the results.<\/p>\n<p>The ring light has 12 brightness levels.\u00a0The implementation of its adjustment made me happy.\u00a0The textured ring does a great job with this feature.\u00a0Movement in both directions is smooth, without cutoffs.\u00a0The maximum brightness at a distance of 1 meter is declared at 10 lux.\u00a0Despite the presence of a plastic diffuser, the camera is noticeably blind at maximum brightness.\u00a0Therefore, you should not look at it for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>Mounting to a monitor also raises no questions.\u00a0The camera is securely fixed on the screen of almost any thickness.\u00a0Values \u200b\u200bfrom 3 to 55 mm are available.\u00a0And thanks to the rubberized surfaces where it touches the monitor or table (when installed on a tabletop), the camera does not slip or move, and also does not leave any scratches.<\/p>\n<p>The overall build quality is also pleasing.\u00a0The design looks solid.\u00a0All parts fit tightly to each other.\u00a0The adjustment of the position of the sections is soft and soundless.\u00a0When squeezed, there are no backlash and squeaks.<\/p>\n<p>The camera supports several modes of operation: 1080p @ 30FPS \/ 720p @ 60FPS \/ 480p @ 30FPS \/ 360p @ 30FPS.\u00a0The first two are preferred.<\/p>\n<p>When using the camera in complete darkness, the backlight turns out to be in place and noticeably corrects the situation. At its maximum level, the image can be considered quite acceptable, although there is some slight noise.<\/p>\n<p>From the tests, the backlight really significantly improves the image and allows you to broadcast even late at night and without additional lighting.<\/p>\n<p>But there is nothing to praise the built-in microphone for.\u00a0The sound quality is on par with microphones in inexpensive headphones.\u00a0It is suitable only as a temporary option if the main external microphone breaks down or the headset does not have a microphone.\u00a0There is no noise cancellation, so viewers of the broadcast will hear all the surrounding noises, while the microphone noticeably distorts the voice.<\/p>\n<p>As stated by the manufacturer, the camera is easily recognizable and works with the Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), which is used by most streamers and podcasters.\u00a0It opens up more possibilities for customizing the image than the standard tools of the operating system.\u00a0There are no problems with the connection and operation of the camera in OBS.<\/p>\n<p>During the entire operation, the camera left mostly positive emotions.\u00a0The Razer Kiyo boasts excellent build quality and stands out from the crowd with its unusual design and built-in dimmable backlighting, which, in turn, allows you to achieve a decent picture in low light or even complete darkness.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>The Razer Kiyo is a great option for the aspiring streamer or other content maker.\u00a0The built-in backlight makes it possible to refuse additional lighting and allows you to achieve an acceptable picture even on night streams, and a well-thought-out design opens up wide possibilities for installing and configuring the camera to suit your needs.<\/p>\n<p><b>Advantages:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Built-in adjustable backlight;<\/li>\n<li>Correct autofocus operation;<\/li>\n<li>Stylish design;<\/li>\n<li>Clever design that allows you to mount the camera on a table, monitor or tripod.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Disadvantages:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mediocre built-in microphone quality;<\/li>\n<li>The backlight is a little dazzling at the maximum brightness level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[ratemypost]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Razer, like other manufacturers of gaming computer peripherals, could not stand aside during the boom in streaming services and the huge popularization of streaming.\u00a0The brand introduced a whole line of microphones and cameras for streamers and other content makers. And today we&#8217;re taking a look at the Razer Kiyo webcam.\u00a0Despite the fact that the model [&hellip;] <a class=\"g1-link g1-link-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/gadgets\/razer-kiyo-review-a-great-option-for-the-aspiring-streamer\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10404,"featured_media":138473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[644],"tags":[778],"class_list":["post-138465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gadgets","tag-reviews"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10404"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}