Work from home is becoming more and more the norm for the post-pandemic workforce. Even those that still report to a physical office are enjoying a more hybrid approach. AnkerWork hopes to create a new lineup of devices to help home offices seem more like the real deal.
I’ve been testing the company’s new AnkerWork B600 Video Bar. This combination of a light ring and hi-res webcam make for a potent addition to any workspace.
Design
The AnkerWork B600 shares a ton of DNA with our last AnkerWork device, the C300 webcam. The key difference is the flip up shudder that does dual duty of covering the webcam when not in use and reveals the light bar when activated.
Just to the right of the main lens lives a capacity slider for controlling the LED bar’s brightness. This is a nice touch to have a physical way to adjust this without the need of digging through software or struggling to find that perfect positioning while on a video chat.
On each end of the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is another set of capacitive buttons. The right side houses an On/Off switch to completely dim the light bar. The opposite side allows you to complete kill the mic from picking up input.
The full length of the back of the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is a dual-speaker soundbar. This covered in a soft canvas casing to protect the internal audio works and adds an impressive look.
The Video Bar requires some inputs and has a full USB-A, and two USB-C ports. One USB-C port is dedicated for power for the included adapter, while the other two options are for data, depending on the cables you have available.
Software
Again, much of this is a slight iteration of what we found with the C300. The camera is a full 2K resolution, at 30 frames-per-second, with a 95-degree viewing angle. The software is capable of autofocusing and following the users while on video.
This is a neat trick that allows the end-user to move around or reposition while the AnkerWork B600 does the work of moving the viewing angle without you repositioning the lens manually. It seems like a gimmick at first, but really does add a value to the Video Bar you just don’t get with other webcams.
The autofocus is not the only AI-powered tweak Anker has here. Using the company’s VoiceRadar noise cancellation, the B600 Video Bar also isolates users as they move and removes much of the outside interference to give you crystal clear audio with your calls.
The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is also Zoom certified. You should see no issues with this using to for Zoom calls as the two companies have work together to make sure it’s plug-and-play with the conferencing suite. I can say this is indeed true. I had zero issues using the Video Bar with Zoom or any other video chat program.
AnkerWork also has a dedicated update and settings manager for Windows and Mac users. This allows you to keep the software and internal firmware up to date. The settings options gives you more granular controls with the LED color temps and brightness than the manual buttons on the B600.
Conclusion
Anker has nailed this device with the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar. From the light bar to the software autofocusing, the Video Bar offers a great array of features that sets it apart from its competition.
The combination of light ring and traditional webcam makes for a compelling addition to any office scenario. The price isn’t going to run off most consumers, either. While the $219 price tag is a little steep, I feel it’s well worth it. You can order the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar now via the AnkerWork website or Amazon.
Purchase B600 Video Bar from AnkerWork
Purchase B600 Video Bar from Amazon
