• TWEAK
• Gadgets

Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K

Translate from : Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K

Specifications

• Sensor: 8.0 Megapixel UHD (3840 x 2160)
• Supports HD video: 4K UHD
• Microphone: Dual
• Software:
• Microsoft® Windows® 10 (Creative app)
• Microsoft® Windows® 11
• Max. video call performance (Skype™): 2160 @ 25fps
• Max. frame rate (USB 2.0): 1080 @ 40fps
• Highest video resolution : 8.0 Megapixel UHD (3840 x 2160)

A fairly short and manageable list of specifications. The maximum resolution is exactly as Creative writes on the package 4K, but only at 25 FPS.

A tour around Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K

Creative does not move outside the average for a Webcam on the design front. We get a subdued design in black metallic plastic.

An adjustable foot allows for placement on your screen, a shelf or even on a tripod/holder via the screw mounting at the bottom. Together with the foot, the camera part itself can also be adjusted both in tilt and rotation so you can have it set as you wish. So lovely flexible options there.

On the front we find the 8 megapixel lens, which provides a maximum resolution of 3840x2160 at 25 FPS with a 95° field of view. The lens can be covered by a rubber protective cover, so you completely close off the camera when you are not using it.

There are two LED lights on each side of the lens that light up when the camera is in use. There is also a small one in the upper left corner that lights up when the two built-in microphones are in use.

On the top of the device are two physical buttons. One is a mute button for the built-in microphones, while the other can be used to manually control Creative's Backlight Compensation, which should provide better images regardless of the lighting conditions.

Software

Creative has on the product page for Live! Cam Sync 4K a section about their Creative App, and the built-in SmartComms Kit that should be part of it. I wanted to write something about it and test the features, but the software is simply not to be found on Creative's website.

The Windows Download link from their website only takes me to their support page for the product, without the shadow of a software download. Not even a search on their website in general shows anything about the Creative App.

The test

I have tested Creative Live! Sync the 4K camera with my PC on Windows 10, along with the built-in software options here, and for a few video meetings.

For comparison, I used a gradually aging Logitech C920 webcam.

The connection of Live! Cam 4K is light and straightforward via USB, after which Windows will automatically find it. From here it is simply a matter of selecting the input for image and possibly sound if you want to use the built-in microphones.

By default, the Live Cam 4K gives a rather dark image if I compare with the Logitech C920.

The Live Cam is slightly better at showing details in the background of the image in brightly lit areas, as the sensors handle light and contrast a little better than the Logitech.

However, it's also the only place where I'd say the Live Cam wins, because I'm generally very disappointed with the picture.

Firstly, the camera often had a hard time finding focus unless I was sitting very close.

Second, the picture was incredibly cloudy to look at. It may well be that the image is technically 4K, and thus four times as high a resolution as the 1080p image of the Logitech C920, but the quality was by no means second to none.

It is an image with an incredible amount of noise, and although the resolution is lower on the C920, I would say that the quality is the same, if not slightly better with an advantage for the C920.

Here we must remember that the C920 is a webcam that was launched more than 10 years ago!

The built-in microphones deliver a usable sound image, but are somewhat resonant in their sound. It is an easy and useful solution for quick meetings, but is certainly not something that enhances the experience.

Hear a sound test recorded on Live! Cam 4K right here.

Price

I can't currently find Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K on some Danish websites. However, Creative has it listed on their own website with a price of around 90$. It is slightly more expensive than the approx. 80$r for which I can find the Logitech C920.

Conclusion

I have by no means been impressed with Creatives Live! Cam Sync 4K. I'm so surprised that Creative can't deliver a webcam in 2023 that performs better than a 10-year-old competitor.

The 4K resolution is, as I see it, more or less irrelevant when delivering an image with as much noise as we see here. At the same time, I also think that Creative is stretching it a bit when they call the maximum 40 FPS at 1080p "Smooth"

The microphones were ok for quick use, but Creative did not impress here either.

The total lack of traces of the software that they themselves promote on their product page leaves, together with the rest of the experience, a somewhat tame feeling.

Creative wins a bit with their better contrast, but in the overall picture it's a pretty small victory.

We end up with a final grade of 6 for a disappointing product that can only be compared to a 10-year-old competitor. It says 4K on the box, but unfortunately it is far from sharp.

Pros:

• Sensible contrast
• Physical buttons for mute and light customization

Cons:

• Grainy image with a lot of noise
• Bad focus
• Software gone?
• Expensive for the image quality you get