AVerMedia’s Live Streamer ULTRA HD (GC571) might not boast HDMI 2.1 support like its bigger brother that it launched aside, but it still has some heavy-hitting specs that will satisfy YouTube and Twitch content creators looking to take their game capture and streaming to the next level. It’s just a shame that one spec remains stuck in the past.
4K is here to stay
At its core, the Live Streamer ULTRA HD excels in high-quality capturing. With the capability to handle 4K30 uncompressed video capture and 4K60 pass-through, it offers a gateway into the realm of Ultra HD streaming. Capture quality is superb, but I can’t help but grumble at the 30 FPS cap at 4K.
Gotta go fast
Happily, if users drop the capture resolution down a notch or two, they can capture high frame rates, which is great for slowing the action down when making montages or going in-depth when analyzing competitive gameplay.
Don’t compromise your experience
Both HDR and VRR are supported here, so users won’t have to sacrifice their own gaming experience in order to capture gameplay. This means users can leave the capture card connected, even when they aren’t capturing, and still enjoy the full experience of current-gen gaming.
- Interface: PCIe Gen 3×1
- Input & Output (Pass-through): HDMI 2.0
- Max Pass-Through Resolution: 2160p60 HDR/VRR, 1440p60 HDR/VRR, 1080p240 HDR/VRR
- Max Capture Resolution: 2160p30
- Supported Resolution: 2160p, 1440p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i
- Video Format: YUY2/NV12/RGB24/P010 (HDR)
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 121 x 113.5 x 21.5 mm (4.76 x 4.47 x 0.85 in.)
- Weight: 62 g (2.19 oz.)
Plug and play
Emphasizing ease of use, the Live Streamer ULTRA HD requires no drivers and is added directly into a desktop PC motherboard’s PCIe slot. This simplicity extends to its compatibility with popular streaming software like OBS, facilitating a hassle-free setup for live streaming or recording. However, for those who do want to use AVerMedia’s own software, RECentral is ready and waiting.
Final Verdict
Priced at $179.99, the Live Streamer ULTRA HD is a robust, user-friendly, and relatively affordable solution for content creators stepping into the world of high-quality streaming who don’t want to compromise their own gaming experience when using pass-through. While I would encourage users to shop around, perhaps even looking at AVerMedia’s previous products, the Live Streamer ULTRA HD remains a safe bet that never skipped a beat during my testing.
Disclosure: Live Streamer ULTRA HD review sample provided by AVerMedia.
Positives and Negatives
-
High-quality capture and streaming.
-
Pass-through works well and allows for an uncompromised experience.
-
Setup is simple as you just plug and play.
-
Compact, but solidly built.
-
Can't capture 4K at 60 FPS.
