Logitech Brio

TOO MUCH WEBCAM, OR JUST ENOUGH?

LOGITECH’S ENGINEERS (WHO have, it must be said, been on fire recently) realised that they could create a 4K webcam without stopping to think if they should. Then its marketers slapped the word ‘stream’ on it, despite the fact that rendering and uploading a stable 4K stream is beyond most PCs, internet connections and streaming hosts. And then its power-crazed number-crunchers decided $300 was a perfectly reasonable price.

This is that dream device: a higher-resolution sensor, HDR support, wider angles, up to 90fps capture, and support for Windows Hello on board. The stand includes additional points of articulation, and a standard camera-mount thread, so the Brio can be attached to a tripod. The fact that its sensor can pull a respectable 4K image at 30fps shouldn’t be its major sell, though. It can certainly do that, although the results at full stretch are rather noisy and grainy. This is a webcam, as opposed to a broadcast-ready 4K camera. When you drop it down to more realistic resolutions, the power behind the sensor really shows; at 1080p 60fps, it’s crisp and smooth, and at 720p 90fps, it’s a perfectly acceptable streaming resolution. HDR support makes a massive difference to the colour depth.

Below 4K, you can adjust the viewing angle, or use the muchimproved driver within the Logitech Gaming Software app to virtually pan and tilt its viewport. You’re also given a high level of control over brightness, saturation, white balance, and more.

The Brio is, however, far too expensive.