PC & Console Peripherals

AVerMedia Live Streamer CAM 513 – a webcam for content creator

Anyone who was in the situation to buy a webcam in 2020 will probably have noticed that the market went completely crazy.
Due to Corona, the demand for webcams was significantly higher than the supply and the warehouses were empty accordingly quickly. This meant that products from brand manufacturers quickly went out of stock and were only available at moon prices on platforms like eBay.

If a webcam was needed for work from the home office or for contact with loved ones, however, people paid the completely overpriced prices or switched to models from unknown manufacturers – with sometimes sobering experiences.

The assumption that price sensitivity for webcams has dropped a good deal in 2020 cannot be dismissed out of hand. Anyone who spends over 100 euros on a webcam that is used for meetings from the home office will probably be much less shocked if someone invests over 200 euros for a webcam that is used (semi-)professionally.

AVerMedia enters this very niche with the PW513. A webcam for content creators with high demands, a larger community or those who want to operate at this level in the future. The following test shows whether AVerMedia succeeds in this with the 250 euro webcam.

Technical details

Image sensor Sony© Exmor RTM 4K CMOS
Image resolution 8 MP
Max. Video resolution 3840*2160 @ 30 fps, 1920 * 1080 @ 60 fps
Focal length f 2.8
Field of view 94 degrees (diagonal)
Dimensions (without bracket, WxDxH) 130 x 52.6 x 29 mm (without base)
Minimum distance 10 cm
Scope of supply Live Streamer CAM 513
USB 3.0 Type C to Type A cable
Quick Start Guide
Price € 139.69 *

Opulent in features and size

Upon unboxing, it is unmistakable that the PW513 is different from many other webcams.
The dimensions and weight, for example, are considerably more than one is used to. However, this doesn’t make the Streamer Cam look clunky at all – it rather makes a high-quality impression and conveys a feeling of professionalism. The large optics on the front are striking, as is the very robust base, which is permanently mounted. The PW513 can be adjusted horizontally and vertically. The cam sits bombproof, doesn’t wobble or slip and looks quite prominent on the monitor.

Furthermore, the cam has a privacy shutter, which is a bracket that can be flipped to block the lens. This also has a rich and sturdy feel to it. What is nice is that the position of the PW513 remains unchanged in the process, and there is no need to realign the camera when using the bracket. If you like, you can also place the Streamer Cam on a tripod. A corresponding thread is given below the base.

USB 3.0 as a necessity

The further scope of delivery is manageable here. AVerMedia adds a USB 3.0 Type C to Type A cable and a quick start guide. The cable, in the form of USB 3.0 and a corresponding port, is indispensable. It is explicitly stated that the Streamer Cam will not work with USB 2.0.

Connected, the PW513 is immediately recognized and the drivers are installed by Windows. It is also recommended to install the AVerMedia CamEngine to use the full potential of the streamer cam.
In our test we use the software version 3.2.0.4 and the firmware version 0.0.8000.24.

Familiar environment for streamer

In our test, we tie the AVerMedia PW513 into OBS. OBS has established itself among streamers as a solution to create recordings, as well as live streams. Conveniently, the AVerMedia CamEngine is controlled when the camera settings are accessed. Those who have previously used OBS will quickly find their way around and be able to use their familiar working environment.

The shooting quality of the PW513

Out of the box, the image looks okay – but not much more. If you are under the illusion that the image will look good in all lighting conditions due to the price of the cam, you will be disappointed. Especially in the dark season, an external light source is indispensable to ensure good video quality. This applies to photography as well as filming. In the test setup, we use a light source from the front that can reproduce different color temperatures. Depending on the room, several light sources may be necessary to achieve the desired result.

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What immediately catches the eye is the large field of view of 94 degrees. You should be well aware of this, as it represents significantly more of the room you are in. This is certainly desirable for a streamer that sets up the room in which it is streaming accordingly. However, if you also want to use the streaming cam for video conferences in the home office, this could be perceived as annoying. It has to be said that the PW513 clearly positions itself as a streaming cam and deliberately addresses the streamer that we know from the Twitch platform, among others.

CamEngine as a multifunctional tool

Via AVerMedia’s CamEngine tool, the PW513 offers numerous setting options.
Thus, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation and sharpness can be controlled, in advanced mode also a manual white balance, pan, tilt, exposure or gain can be fine-tuned.

In the filter section, smoothing is sure to be of interest to some streamers. This acts as a kind of beauty mode. Since similar filters have become popular on platforms like Instagram, there is certainly interest in this. How far the slider is turned up is probably a matter of taste, as the naturalness definitely suffers when the setting is too high.

The effects – gimmick or added value?

The effects may be pure gimmick for many users. But it is quite conceivable that this could be integrated within the stream and thus represent an added value for some streamers after all. Activating via channel points, for example, would be an easy way to interact with the community and provide some laughs.

An exciting feature, although certainly very dependent on the application area, is AI face tracking, where the camera mimics a kind of follow focus. In pure gaming, where the streamer sits centrally in front of the cam, possibly not all that practical, one can certainly imagine that in a cooking stream or the like, some interactivity comes into the stream when the camera follows the action.

Furthermore, CamEngine offers the possibility of a x1 to x4 zoom, but this is purely digital and therefore leads to quality losses. To be fair, though, the image still makes a really good impression even at higher zoom levels. The possibility to rotate the image clockwise and counterclockwise, as well as to flip horizontally and vertically, also completes the range of functions.

Summary of the AVerMedia Live Streamer Cam 513

It must be stated that the AVerMedia Live Streamer Cam 513 is definitely not for everyone. However, the PW513 basically doesn’t want to be for everyone either. It is not meant to appeal to the masses, but to set the bar high enough to be an option for enthusiasts. This target group is about quality and features, not so much about the price. And it is precisely in this field that AVerMedia scores with the PW513. Properly staged, the streaming cam cuts an outstanding figure and scores with rich detail, color reproduction and recording quality. In times when streaming is becoming more and more professional, it definitely meets the spirit of the times and is recommended for ambitious content creators.

AverMedia Live Streamer CAM 513

Workmanship
Features
Image quality
Sound quality
Value for money

96/100

Excellent streaming cam with great image quality and many features for enthusiasts.

Simon Lüthje

I am co-founder of this blog and am very interested in everything that has to do with technology, but I also like to play games. I was born in Hamburg, but now I live in Bad Segeberg.

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