OBSBOT has been working hard to update and refine its long lineup of AI-driven webcams. I recently had the opportunity to review the solid Tiny 2 Lite (which should be going live soon), and was impressed with the powerful toolset and overall quality of the webcam.
After the successful launch of the Tiny 2 and Tiny 2 Lite, OBSBOT is aiming to continue their winning streak with the launch of the new Meet 2. Built as the ultimate solution for compact webcams, the Meet 2 comes ready to deliver a superior capture experience in its impressively small form factor.
However with so many other impressive AI-powered webcams available, even within the OBSBOT family, one wonders if the OBSBOT Meet 2 offers enough to make it a viable option for consumers. Grab that coffee and let's find out together in our review of the Meet 2 generously provided by the fine folks at OBSBOT.
Specifications
- Current Price: $129.99 (Amazon)
- Sensor: ½” CMOS Sensor
- Aperture: F/1.8
- Auto Focus: PDAF Technology
- Resolution: 4K30, 1080P60, 1080P30
- Microphone: built-in dual omnidirectional microphone
- Microphone Features: Noise Reduction, Auto Gain Control
- Mounting: Magnetic Attach via monitor mount, ¼” mounting thread for tripod
- Dimensions: ?” W x 1 ¾” L x 1 ½” T
- Weight: 1.44 ounces
It’s A Tiny Camera
The Meet 2 is an interesting camera. Measuring in at slightly thicker and shorter than a matchbox, the Meet 2 is by far the smallest and lightest Webcam I’ve reviewed. Sporting three color options, Cloud White, Space Grey and Aurora Green, this tiny webcam offers some nice cosmetic choices for users. As for build and design, the Meet 2 takes some cues from its predecessor but manages to add some nice modern touches that keep it in step with many of the current tech design trends on the market.
For starters, the edges of the Meet 2 have moved away from the rounded corners that defined the first generation. In its place is a much more defined, squared-off edge that looks quite similar to the trends we are seeing in this generation of Flagship phones like the iPhone or Pixel. It gives the Meet 2 a much sleeker, premium look over its predecessor.
Gone as well is the attached lens cap and in its place is a removable, magnetic cover. While it does look sharp and heightens that premium feel, it could easily be misplaced. Thankfully this is resolved to a degree by attaching it to the magnetic monitor mount that is included with the Meet 2. A single ¼” thread point is located on the bottom of the webcam for easy tripod mounting giving users options for mounting the Meet 2.
The only other notable design elements of the Meet 2 include a single LED located in the upper right corner of the faceplate. This LED communicates which state the camera is in based on color and effect. Dual Omnidirectional mics can be seen on both lower corners as well for easy audio capture. Finally center of the faceplate is the lens.
The Meet 2 is a testament to what smart design can offer. This tiny webcam manages to offer an impressive amount of hardware in a seriously small package. Framed as the webcam for people on the go, the Meet 2 is built to fit in just about any bag, purse or dare I say fanny pack and weighs a mere 1.44 ounces, making it the ideal travel companion for people looking for a better camera for meetings, or streaming on the go.
Impression Functionality
Setting up the Meet 2 is exceptionally easy and is quite literally a plug-and-play experience. This makes it ideal for those looking for a quick 4K camera setup. Simply mount the camera to the mount and plug it in. Within a few seconds, both Windows and Mac recognize the camera and it can be selected with your favorite streaming or meeting software.
However, those wanting to leverage this small but mighty webcam to its full potential need only download the OBSBOT Center software. Once installed, the Meet 2 takes on a whole new persona as a powerful 4K capture machine. Several features become available that help elevate the Meet 2 to powerhouse status.
The first of these is Auto Framing. This fun little feature can be toggled off and on from the OBSBOT Center software. When enabled, the user is given three modes to choose from, Group, Close-Up and Upper Body. While the Meet 2 doesn’t have the movement capabilities of the Tiny 2 it still has some internal pan and zoom capabilities. With one of these modes active the AI webcam will automatically track the subject and adjust the framing to match the designed mode. I was thoroughly impressed with how quickly it could swap modes, identify the subject and then re-frame to accommodate the new settings.
If you prefer more control over the framing, this can be toggled off leaving you free to select from three basic modes, wide, medium or narrow. From within here though you’ll also have full control over zoom as well as gimbal control for panning. While not quite as robust a system as the Tiny 2, the Meet still has plenty of power to set up and frame the shot you are looking for.
OBSBOT Center also gives full control over the image capture, including focus modes, exposure and white balance. While there is a lot of freedom to adjust all of these settings in testing I found the auto modes for each to work quite well and most times defaulted to this mode when capturing video. Along with image settings, the Meet 2 also gives full control over the audio settings. From the software, users can toggle the auto gain as well as adjust noise reduction and mic muting.
Finally, the software also provides a series of AI-driven image filtering including background blurs, face enhancements and settings of that nature. While everything works well I never felt the need to use any of it with the exception of the background blur. Regardless the software is quite user-friendly and works well in every respect. .
Small But Mighty (Mostly)
While all of these features are impressive in their own right, how well the Meet 2 performs is what matters. The ½” CMOS sensor works quite well overall offering an impressive 4K30 image capture. In testing the Meet 2 had no issue capturing in 4K quality though it is worth noting that on lower-end machines I would recommend setting the capture to a lower bit rate to guarantee a smooth capture.
The Meet 2 also boasts an F/1.8 aperture which is designed to help the webcam capture well in low-light settings. Historically low light settings have been an issue for webcams in general, with a push in the last few years by several manufacturers to include better low-light sensors in these cameras. I’m happy to report that the Meet 2 performed quite well overall, with minimal noise produced during low light tests. The auto white balancing in general is fairly solid and quick to respond to changes in the lighting conditions.
Autofocus is another area where the Meet 2 excels. It was the most impressive feature during testing, in fact. As the video tests below show, the response time is quite quick refocusing at different depths of fields within a second or so. This is something many webcams struggle with but seems to be something OBSBOT has mastered.
The overall picture quality of the Meet 2 is solid. In well-lit settings, it excels in presenting a crisp, clear image with little noise. 1080P60 also works just as well and switching resolutions is quick and easy. There is also the option to flip the camera orientation from Landscape to Portrait and while it functionally works it essentially shrinks the image and puts a bottom and top bar on the capture to “format” it to portrait mode. It's the one feature that feels a bit gimmicky.
The dual microphone is another interesting element of the Meet 2. It offers some impressive noise reduction and the auto gain works incredibly well especially if multiple people are being captured for a meeting or stream. The issue is that overall, the audio capture sounds hollow with a slight echo. It sounds like you are in an empty room. To its credit, though the Meet 2 mics do capture a clear audio profile, it simply lacks in overall quality. While it is better than many webcam microphones on the market it is still very much a webcam microphone.
INSERT VIDEO HERE https://youtu.be/HdbYMFLm32o
However, this small critique shouldn’t take away from all that the Meet 2 has to offer. The video capture provides an impressive leg up over many webcams on the market and the inclusion of a powerful set of AI-driven tools helps the Meet 2 provide a superior camera experience. The fact that it is an AI-powered, 4K30 Webcam that is essentially the size of a matchbox further distinguishes it from the competition. Despite my critique of the audio, it still manages to capture decent audio in a group setting while simultaneously filtering a lot of background noise out of the audio.
Final Thoughts
The OBSBOT Meet 2 is an impressive webcam. With 4K30 capture, a powerful set of AI tools and features and a solid low-light sensor there i a lot to love about this tiny webcam. While the audio capture could be better, it still manages to present a clear enough audio profile that surpasses many webcams on the market. For those looking for a superior, portable webcam solution for work or streaming, the Meet 2 will more than meet your needs.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Purchasing items through our links may result in a small commission for the site.
