Techoids

Category: Computer

  • Best Webcams for Streaming and Office use available in India

    Best Webcams for Streaming and Office use available in India

    If you have been in the IT sector or you have a job that required you to travel and keep in contact with the people in your company or you are a game streamer chances you probably have a good webcam for video conferencing but if you are the kind of person that never needed a webcam and have been fine using the built-in webcam in your laptop for that one time you needed to use it to video conference, the pandemic might have made you realize that you need a good quality webcam now that everyone is working from home and all kinds of meetings taking place are happening virtually a good quality webcam might be a good investment for your work from home setup or if you are one of those people who have found time during the pandemic and are thinking about streaming then a quality webcam is a must, streaming is as much about you as a personality as the content you are making and a good quality video makes you that much closer to your audience.

    When buying a new webcam there are some things you should keep in mind which can help you make a better decision while buying a webcam, these basics can help you get a webcam that is suited to your needs.

    Resolution

    The resolution of the video directly affects your video quality, a higher resolution will deliver more crisp and sharp image quality, going too low in resolution can make your video call look like a soupy mess, my recommendation is if you can afford it you should never go below 720p and anything above that is obviously better and any lower than that can work for some scenario but my recommendation is to go for 720p and above if you can afford it.

    Framerate

    If you want a webcam for office use you can get away with a low framerate webcam but if you are streaming, a good high framerate webcam is a must, if you are streaming the lowest you should go for is 30fps otherwise it can look weird to see your game running at a high framerate and then your live feed at low framerate if you can go for the highest framerate webcam you can afford otherwise you can go with 30fps which is fine or if you want your feed to look more smooth then you can go one with 60fps or more, framerate of your webcam depends more if you are streaming as it makes your feed look fluid if you are using a webcam for work 30 is mighty fine for your use and is still miles better than your laptop webcam.

    Microphone

    Chances are if you are a streamer you already have a dedicated microphone to talk to your chat and if not you should probably invest in it as most microphones in webcam do not have a good enough mic for streaming purposes or for that matter even office use and there will be background noise in your calls, Webcams generally focus on video of course and microphones comes as an afterthought so you are better using your earphones you have with you for a mic instead of the one in your webcam.

    DFOV

    Another thing to look out for in a webcam that often gets ignored is DFOV (Diagonal field of view) which shows how much of the view is in the video if your webcam has a narrow DFOV then it will show only show objects that are close to the camera well which may be fine if all you are doing is take calls sitting in front of a camera but if you intend to keep the camera somewhat away then you should take a look if the DFOV is high enough that it can comfortably record you from a decent angle.

    Best Webcams for you can buy right now.

    Logitech C270 HD Webcam

    The Logitech C270 is a simple plug and play solution without any hassle just plug the C270 into your computer or laptop using the USB port and it will work, the C270 is a small, agile and adjustable webcam with a universal clip so you can attach it on top of your screen or set it up on a shelf. The C270 has a max resolution of 720p/30fps with a fixed focus lens with a DFOV of 60 degrees, it also comes with a mono microphone in case you ever need to use with microphone in the webcam during your calls or recording, it and comes with a 1.5 m cable in the box and a 2-year limited hardware warranty, the C270 is a simple to use and trusty webcam which gets the job done without any hassle.

    HP Webcam HD 4310

    The HP Webcam HD 4310 is a high definition 1080p/30fps webcam which connects to your pc or laptop via USB, the webcam comes with a stand to set it up on with 30-degree tilt adjustments and 360-degree pan it also has auto focus and auto exposure so it can focus even if you move from the centre of the frame, the HP HD 4310 comes with a directional integrated microphone for voice recording and also comes with a 1.5 m cable in the box with a 1-year limited warranty. Other features of the HP 4310 include a front LED to indicate if the webcam is on or off which can be useful if you care about your privacy, it also comes with 3 quick launch buttons on the top which can take you to various other HP software related to the webcam such as HP Instant Video.

    Razer Kiyo

    The Razer Kiyo is a Webcam that is made for streaming with all the features you will need while streaming readily available. The Kiyo is a webcam which can record in 720p/60fps or 1080p/30fps giving you the best of both world to choose from according to your needs and comes with a FOV of 81.6 degrees and can record still images up to 2688 x 1520p resolution, it comes with an L-shaped joint with the option of mounting it using a tripod and a 1.5m USB cable and omnidirectional microphone, as for other features it has Auto focus and also allows you to customize it using software with which you can switch between auto and manual focus, adjust brightness, contrast, saturation and white balance and also create multiple profiles for multiple use cases but the most notable feature of the Razer Kiyo is the ring light on the front of the Webcam so you don`t have to worry getting in the right position so your face is visible properly and has decent light which you can control the brightness level of in software. The Razer Kiyo is clearly not meant for office or casual use which you can if you want but it’s more suited towards streamers with its feature set.

    AukeyOverview FHD 1080p Webcam

    The Aukey Overview is an easy to use plug and play solution for your webcam needs. the aukey overview can record in high definition 1080p/30fps with a 1/2.9 CMOS image sensor, it comes with a convenient clip to clip this camera onto a flat screen monitor or a laptop screen and other surfaces with the option to mount it on a tripod the webcam comes with a fixed focus lens which can keep things in focus up to five meters away and also has stereo sound microphones with noise reduction, the aukey overview has a USB Interface for connection and doesn’t require any installation of drivers to work it is just as simple as plugging it in and using it which can be a great convenience for many people and all that some people need.

    Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000

    The LifeCam HD-3000 is a true HD camera that gives you bright and colourful video, the Lifecam HD 3000 is a 720p/30fps webcam and also has TrueColour technology, it has a universal attachment base that works with your desktop, laptop or notebook. The webcam comes with a built-in unidirectional microphone with acoustic noise cancellation and also has the option to directly share your video with Messenger, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter. The Webcam has a USB 2.0 interface for connecting the Webcam to your pc and is available for a very cheap price which is great for someone who doesn’t want to break the bank while still maintaining a good quality image quality.

    Logitech C920 HD PRO

    The Logitech C920 PRO is a high-end webcam that comes with a premium design and has all the features you can need. The C920 can deliver 1080p/30fps or 720p/30fps with a 78 degree DFOV lens with Auto focus and stereo built-in microphones, it also comes with a Tripod ready universal mounting clip that fits laptop, monitors and LCD`s, it comes with a 1.5 m cable with a USB interface for connection and 2-year limited hardware warranty, But the thing that separated this webcam from others is the glass lens that it has, many other webcams to save cost use a plastic lens which can hurt the image quality if you can find a glass lens is always better and will provide much better vide quality.

    Logitech C922 PRO HD Stream Webcam

    The Logitech C922 PRO HD Stream is a webcam made for streamers, it can record up to 1080p/30fps or 720/60fps with a 78 degree DFOV lens with glass lens and Auto focus, it is also fitted with two omni directional microphones which captures more realistic sound from multiple angles. The webcam also allows user to capture, zoom, pan and edit and record in hyperfast frame rate of 60 fps so you can live broadcast with no lag and distortion. The webcam comes with a USB interface for connecting to your pc with a 1.5m USB cable and a 1-year limited hardware warranty, it also comes with a 3-month premium XSplit license which is an all in one live streaming solution including a complete set of features for XSplit Broadcaster and XSplit Gamecaster which can be useful for you if you are streaming to Twitch or Youtube.

    Microsoft Webcam LifeCam Cinema

    The best features of the Microsoft LifeCam Cinema is the 360-degree swivel which can be helpful to you if you need to move your camera so you don’t have to pick up your camera and spin it, unlike other webcams the Microsoft LifeCam is shaped like a barrel with it resting on a swivel for easy 360 degrees. The camera can record up to 720p widescreen video together with audio recorded through its mic located on the top of the camera, it also comes with TrueColour technology which automatically sharpens your images and adjusts exposure, it comes with a USB interface for connecting with your PC and has a glass lens which improves video quality further.

    Logitech BRIO 4K

    The Logitech Brio 4K is a premium webcam that has the top of the line specifications that anyone can ever need, it can record in up to 4K/30fps, 1080p/30 or 60fps or 720p/30, 60 or 90fps which makes it suitable for any kind of work be it streaming, office purpose etc with an Auto focus lens with an adjustable DFOV of 90/78/65 degrees and 5 times digital zoom, the Brio comes with Logitech software which helps you look best in any lighting environment, including low light, direct sunlight or high contrast lighting conditions. The Brio comes with dual integrated omnidirectional mics with noise-cancelling technology and voice amplifying technology, and also comes with support for Windows Hello recognition with both optical and infrared sensors and a flippable lens shade is included with the Brio to protect the lens and can also be used a privacy filter. The webcam can be mounted with the adjustable clip wherever you want be it laptop, monitor or you can remove the clip altogether and use the mounting holes to fix it to a tripod. It comes with a 2.2m cable with a USB connection with a USB 3.0 port required for 4K recording and streaming.

    Conclusion

    At the end of the day the decision to buy a webcam rests on you if you require a  more serious webcam the there are high end options out there that will meet the needs you require and then some but there are some things you should look out for such as if their software has the features you need such as background removal etc and if you just need a webcam that gets the job done then you can pick out any of cheap camera above they will surely meet your requirements and are probably miles better than the one you have in your laptop and will give a huge boost to your video call quality.

  • Best Power Supplies to Buy In India (covers every budget!)

    Best Power Supplies to Buy In India (covers every budget!)

     

    Power Supply Units or PSUs are one of the most important part of a PC Build since they power your entire build. Be it a low-end PC or a higher-end one, a good PSU is really important. As after all, nobody wants a ticking time bomb in your PC (that’s right, bad PSUs have a tendency to explode). Now choosing a power supply can be quite boring since there are a lot of options available and they’re not exactly easy to distinguish. A buyer can easily get confused when it comes to the wattage of a PSU, its rating, efficiency, and overall reliability. But I’m here to make things a little easy (I’ll try).

     

    So let’s start with one of the most important questions, what power output do you need?

     

    Now instead of calculating the power consumption of each part, you have individually you can use a wattage calculator to get a better idea and save a lot of time.

    Some good wattage calculators online-

    Power Supply Calculator – PSU Wattage Calculator

    Seasonic Wattage Calculator

    To use the tools, select the components you plan on using, and it will automatically calculate the estimated power output you’ll need.

    For example, if I plan on getting a Ryzen 5 5600x, pair it with an RTX 3070, along with 16 gigabytes of memory and a 500 gig SSD, the recommended PSU wattage will be 472 watts. (according to the Newegg one)

    Now hold on, don’t go buying a 500W PSU for your RTX 3070 build, there are a few more things 

    you need to consider while deciding the wattage.

    1-Extra fans and coolers you plan to add to your build.

    2-Extra headroom for power spikes ( the spikes aren’t that much in modern components but it’s good to leave a headroom of approximately 100 watts)

    3- Future Upgrades- It’s important to think about future upgrades as a good PSU may easily last 10 years or so (some PSUs have a 10-year warranty)

    Now taking all this into consideration I’d suggest getting at least a 650W PSU for an RTX 3070/5600x  build, which is like +200W from the recommended wattage. 

     

    What is 80 Plus Certification?

     

    Now as you go on browsing PSUs for your build, you’ll notice many are labeled with an 80+ certification. 80 Plus is a certification program that manufacturers utilize to provide some assurance that their power supplies will meet certain efficiency requirements.80 Plus has various levels ranging from Basic to Titanium.

    This is a table consisting of efficiency levels for consumer power supplies-

     

    % of rated load 10% 20% 50% 100%
    80 Plus – 80% 80% 80%
    80 Plus Bronze – 82% 85% 82%
    80 Plus Silver – 85% 88% 85%
    80 Plus Gold – 87% 90% 87%
    80 Plus Platinum – 90% 92% 89%
    80 Plus Titanium 90% 92% 94% 90%

     

    Now I know all this is a little complicated to understand but to keep it basic, the difference is how efficiently the PSU transforms energy on a specific load level.  To conclude this complicated part, simply getting an 80 Plus Bronze rated PSU as a minimum is recommended.

     

    Should you get a Modular PSU, a Semi-Modular PSU, or a Non Modular one?

     

    Another important aspect of buying a PSU is choosing between a Modular, Non-Modular, or a Semi-Modular one.

    Non-Modular PSUs– These PSUs have all their cables attached.Probably cause they were around since cable management wasn’t a thing and people didn’t care about cables making a mess. Although they still have some advantages like being cost-effective and if you’re someone who uses all the wires which come with a power supply, there’s no point in paying for modularity.

    Semi-Modular PSUs– Semi-modular power supplies are kind of a middle ground between modular and non-modular PSUs and that’s what makes them great. They come with most of the necessary cables pre-attached and thus are really easy to use for new builders.

    Modular PSUs- These power supplies have some or all of their cables detachable. They help in cable management but are really hard to use for new builders as connecting the plethora of cables can be a little complex.

     

    Which one should you get? Well unless you’re using custom cable mods, there’s no reason to pay extra for a modular PSU, getting a semi-modular PSU will be enough for most people.
    The option to detach cables is nothing but a luxury and it shouldn’t be a deciding factor when you’re choosing a power supply.

     

    Getting to the part you’ve been waiting for (I hope), here are some of the best PSUs you can buy in India according to their price and wattage.

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 4000 (450W, 550W)

     

    1- Cooler Master MWE 450W Bronze V2 230v  80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular Power Supply 

    This power supply is a great bang for your buck especially at Rs 3099 (on Amazon India at the time of writing). 

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Flat black cables
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
    • Fixed the ripple issue with revision 2

     

    2-Cooler Master MWE 550 V2 80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular Power Supply

    The 550W version of the MWE v2 again is very cost-effective and a great budget option at Rs 3500 (on MDComputers at the time of writing)

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Flat black cables
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 6000 (650W)

     

    1- Corsair CX 650 80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular ATX Power Supply

    At Rs 5500 (on Vedant Computers at the time of writing), it’s one of the best 650W power supplies from Corsair.

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Matte black finish and sleeved cables
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
    • 120mm thermally controlled fan

     

    2- Deepcool DQ650-M-V2L 650 Watt 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The Deepcool DQ650-M-V2L is simply a great power supply that is feature-packed and comes with the added bonus of a sweet 10-year warranty at Rs 6500 (on MDComputers at the time of writing).

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • High-Grade Japanese Capacitors
    • Fully Modular

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 8000 (650W,750W)

     

    1- Antec EA650G PRO 80 Plus Gold Certified 650 Watt Semi-Modular Power Supply

    The Antec EA650G PRO at Rs 7000(on Amazon India at the time of writing) is one of the best and most feature-packed power supplies you can find in this price range.

     

    • 7-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • 120 mm noise optimized fan
    • Semi-Modular

     

    2-Deepcool DQ750-M-V2L 750 Watt 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The 750W version of the DQ650-M-V2L is another great power supply at just Rs 7400 (on MDComputers at the time of writing)

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • Fully Modular

     

    3-Antec EA750G PRO 80 Plus Gold Certified 750 Watt Semi-Modular Power Supply

    The 750W version of the EA650G Pro at Rs 7500 (at the time of writing on Amazon India) is again a feature-packed power supply at a great price.

     

    • 7-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • Semi-Modular

     

    4-Antec HCG 750 80 Plus Bronze Certified Fully Modular Power Supply

    This is from the Antec HCG series and at just Rs 6800 (at the time of writing on Amazon India) is a good choice to consider and is one of the cheapest 750W Power Supplies you can find.

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
    • 135mm noise optimized fan

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 10000 (750W,850W)

     

    1–NZXT C750 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The NZXT C series is a good and reliable option to go with since it basically is a rebranded Seasonic Focus PSU which is a good power supply not usually sold in India. Currently at Rs 8800 (currently at Rs 8800 on Vedant Computers) is a good option if you’ve got the budget.

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 120mm dynamic fan with Zero RPM mode

     

    2-Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The 850W version of the DQ650-M-V2L is a great bang for your buck and has a lot of features. It is a great power supply to consider if you have a high end build (looking at you 3080 and 3090 owners) and also want to be future proof. Currently costs Rs 8750 (at the time of writing on MDComputers)

                          

    • 3-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • High-Quality Japanese Capacitors

     

    3–Antec HCG-850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The 850W Gold version of the HCG 750 is a good option especially with the 10-year warranty at Rs 9600 (at the time of writing on PCStudio).

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 120mm noise optimized fan

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 12000 (850W)

     

    1-Corsair RM850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The RM850 is one of the best power supplies you can buy at Rs 11900 (on MDComputers)

    with tons of features and high build quality. This power supply has Modern Standby Mode which is a feature for Windows 10 which will vastly improve your PC’s sleep and wake functionality.

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 135mm noise optimized fan
    • Fully Modular and Multiple GPU ready

     

    2-Gigabyte Aorus P850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The Aorus P850 is a solid option to consider as another great feature-packed power supply at a great price. Currently at Rs 10100 (on Vedant Computers at the time of writing), often falls down to Rs 8500 during sales, so I suggest keeping an eye out for this amazing deal.

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 135mm smart fan
    • Fully Modular 

     

    Note-This power supply is not to be confused with the Gigabyte P750GM and P850GM ones which are relatively cheap, as they’re bad quality power supplies having a tendency to explode.

     

    Where are the 1000W+ PSUs?

    After going through the list you might be wondering where the 1000W+ Power Supplies are. Well the reason I decided to not include them is most people who will read this won’t actually need a 1000W+ power supply. An 850W one is enough for most consumer PC Builds.

    But if you’re someone who wants to future proof for the next 10 years or wants to SLI 3090s or you’re a miner with multiple GPUs, here are some good options you could consider-

    1-Corsair RM1000x

    2-Cooler Master V1000

    3-Corsair HX1200

     

    So many options, which one should you get?

     

    Selecting a power supply out of the ones I’ve listed above might be a bit confusing but what you should keep in mind is, the above power supplies are all good quality ones backed by a warranty from a reputable company. So simply, decide what features you want and what budget might be the best for you, and voila! You’ve decided which power supply to get. Now you can finally power up your build and enjoy hours of gaming.

     

    Conclusion

     

    Whatever you end up buying, keep in mind that a good PSU is an investment. Most good power supplies have long warranties thus lasting for years. When your PC can no longer handle the latest games, upgrading your GPU and CPU can solve the problem. But your PSU will remain the same between many builds and thus it should be a priority.

    Remember, never cheap out on your PSU!

     

  • Best gaming monitors under 15000 in India [2021]

    Best gaming monitors under 15000 in India [2021]

    Introduction

    Gaming. The World’s biggest and most profitable form of entertainment. With an estimated revenue of $179.7 billion in 2020 it is bigger than movies and most sports industry revenue combined.

     

    We all play games. We always talk about big high clock speed CPU’s, shiny new graphics cards, faster RAM that’s better and faster [and often more expensive] than the previous versions and we all want the latest and greatest. But are these parts the things we interact the most with? No.

     

    We interact with Displays. TV’s, Monitors… And more often than not, we decide to skimp on a monitor while pouring more money into some other PC parts. But in doing so we are not only limiting the system of delivering the beautiful performance it is capable of producing, but also limiting our enjoyment.

    But does that mean we also have to spend an eye watering amount on monitors? No absolutely not. Today i will list 5 of the best gaming Monitors you can buy under Rs 15000 and have a great time in gaming and maybe even content creation and professional work.

     

    But before we do that, lets first learn about some of the technical terms used in Display space and what they mean. Trust me, follow along and they will make sense and even come handy not just for now, but also in the future.

    Refresh rate

    Refresh Rate is the number of times per second that a display can show a new image. The higher the number, the smoother and faster it is.

    Most common refresh rate on any display is 60hz. If you are a gamer, you would preferably want a refresh rate of at least 120hz or more.

    Most common high refresh rates used in Monitors are 144hz, 165hz and 240hz. Which means they can show 144, 165 and 240 new images every second on their respective displays.

    Simply put, you will not experience the blurring effect that occurs when moving too fast in a game, making it feel easier on your eyes. Also, simple activities like regular scrolling in a web browser or moving the mouse cursor would feel much smoother than on a 60hz monitor as a side effect.

    Please note Refresh Rate is not the same as Frame Rate. A Frame Rate is the number of frames your computer [the graphics card more precisely] can produce per second. Your PC can produce 300 frames per second but if you are stuck on a 60hz display you cannot fully take advantage of the extra frames.

    Response Time

    Every display has millions or even billions of pixels. A Pixel Response Time is defined as the time it takes for a pixel to change from one colour to another. This is normally measured in “GTG” or “Grey to Grey” time where the measured is the time a pixel takes from changing from one shade of grey to another. Most monitors have a GTG time of 8 milliseconds or 8ms. Any higher and the image looks blurry.

    The best possible refresh rate displays currently in the market are 1ms.

    The higher the refresh rate, the smoother, faster and more accurate it is to track an object displayed on the screen.

    TN vs IPS vs VA panels 

    There are 3 main panel types.

    • Twisted nematic (TN): This is the most traditional type of LCD panel.
    • In-plane switching (IPS): LG coined this term. Similar technology is known as “plane-to-line switching” (PLS) by Samsung, and “advanced hyper viewing angle” by AU Optronics (AHVA). They’re all equal.
    • Vertical alignment (VA): Samsung calls it “super vertical alignment” (SVA), while AU Optronics calls it “advanced multi-domain vertical alignment” (AMVA). Many of them have the same characteristics.
    1. TN or Twisted Nematic panels

    The first mass-produced flat screen displays used TN panels.

    They were instrumental in making the bulky cathode ray tubes (CRTs) obsolete, and they are still manufactured in large quantities today.

    There are some significant disadvantages of TN display technology. One of the drawbacks is the limited viewing angles, particularly on the vertical axis. When viewing a TN panel from an extreme angle, it’s not uncommon for the colours to fully invert. Its colour reproduction is also not very well.

    Most TN panels can’t show 24-bit true colour, so they have to rely on interpolation to get the right shades.

    As compared to IPS or VA, this may result in clear colour banding and lower contrast ratios.

     

    1. In-plane switching (IPS)

     

    IPS is a type of LCD monitor panel that stands for In-Plane Switching. It was developed to improve the image quality of TN panel technology. As compared to other LCD technologies, the most notable selling point of In-Plane Switching panels is their stability, better viewing angles, and superior colour accuracy.

    Regardless of where it is on the monitor, each colour shade maintains its distinct identity and distinctiveness. These features make IPS panels ideal for graphic design work as well as gamers who want the best visuals possible (but don’t mind a lower response rate). When using an IPS panel, one of the most noticeable flaws is a shimmer or sheen on the screen.  

    When displaying dark content, one of the most noticeable flaws of IPS displays is a shimmer or sheen on the monitor. When viewing the display from a wider angle, the glitch becomes more apparent.

     

    1. Vertical alignment (VA):

    VA panels (Vertical Alignment) are a good compromise between TN and IPS panels. VA was created to combine the benefits of IPS and TN tables, and it mostly succeeded, but again with some compromises.

    When compared to IPS panels, VA panels have a higher refresh rate potential. There are a handful that are above 60Hz, despite the fact that the majority are currently 60Hz. With improved colour reproduction, higher maximum brightness, and better viewing angles, VA panels outperform TN panels.

    While VA panels have the best contrast ratios of all the panel types discussed, they also have the slowest response times of all the display technologies discussed. This triggers blurring of fast-moving images, which is bad for gaming.VA panels are a jack-of-all-trades type of panel.

    VA is not the best choice for gaming because of its slower response time as compared to other panel types; this slower response creates more motion blur, essentially preventing its use in fast-paced games.

    VA panels have high contrast ratios, brightness, refresh speeds, good colour reproduction, and good viewing angles for a general work display.

    Backlight glow

    Backlight glow (also known as backlight bleed) is a common issue with IPS panels, which essentially means that if you attempt to display a completely black picture on your monitor in full-screen mode and create a pitch black area, you would be able to see the IPS panel’s inaccuracies. At different parts of your screen, you can note a faint yellowish colour of the backlight.

    When people see this, they become alarmed and often request a replacement, only to be frustrated by another display with a glowing backlight.

    Almost all IPS panels have some sort of backlight glow, which can be disconcerting to see in your new display, but it’s important to remember that this is a feature of the technology.

    And, with a black picture on the screen, this is only noticeable in very dark areas.

    This occurs because the IPS monitor is unable to fully switch off all of the lights behind the screen, resulting in non-uniformity.

    Cameras try to adapt to the low light atmosphere to make it look worse than it really is, so images shared online are often exaggerated.

    If you keep some lights on when using your monitor, you can solve this issue.

    If you want a dark room, use bias lighting at the very least.

    Input Lag

    The time between transmitting an electrical signal and the occurrence of a subsequent event is known as input lag. For example, the time between pressing a key on a keyboard and a letter appearing on the display is known as input lag.

    In video games, input lag refers to the time it takes for a signal to reach the television or computer and be shown on the screen[1] (see display lag below), or the time it takes for a player to press a button and see the game respond.

    A display with a high input lag can be unusable.

    Adaptive Sync Technology

    The dynamic adjusting of a monitor’s vertical refresh rate with the graphics card’s frame rate (GPU). Adaptive sync was designed for the video game industry to remove tearing, stuttering, and judder. Today, a gaming display must have a variable and customizable refresh rate in order to be marketed as such.

     

    VESA standardised adaptive sync, which is available in VESA’s embedded DisplayPort (eDP) and DisplayPort 1.2a interfaces. Under the FreeSync brand, AMD supports VESA Adaptive-Sync.

     

    G-Sync is an NVIDIA adaptive sync technology that requires both the card and the display to be present. G-Sync is a proprietary NVIDIA technology that is not VESA Adaptive-Sync compliant as of 2020.

    Contrast Ratio

    Contrast ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum brightness, or in other words, the ratio between the brightest white and the darkest black. A 1000:1 contrast ratio, for example, means that the brightness of a fully white image is 1000 times greater than that of a completely black image.

    Since the disparity between black and white is greater, pictures with a higher contrast ratio have more saturated colours.

    Basically, higher the contrast ratio, the better the display is to have more saturated colours, resulting in a better image quality.

     

    In fact, you should aim for a contrast ratio of at least 1000:1. Most TN and IPS panels are limited to a 1300:1 aspect ratio. The ratio of VA panels can vary from 3000:1 to 6000:1, with the majority of panels falling in the 3000:1 range.

    If you watch a lot of videos and images, contrast is crucial, as a higher contrast monitor can produce significantly better picture quality, so you should opt for a VA screen.

    If your primary role is productivity-related, such as browsing websites and editing documents, then an IPS display can be preferable, even if contrast ratio is sacrificed.

    Input Ports

    Many modern monitors have a sufficient number of useful ports. Basically, you should check if a monitor has a Display port or not as is it more commonly used gaming than the underpowered HDMI 2.0 or the more recent and expensive HDMI 2.1.

    Displayport or DP is the only way for most monitors to use both Freesync and High refresh rate at the same time. So you should always check for a Displayport option in any monitor you are looking to purchase.

    High Dynamic Range

    The ability of a monitor to display a wider range of contrast ratio and colour than an SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) display is referred to as High-Dynamic Range (HDR).

    This means that the display can produce darker blacks and brighter colours, resulting in a more realistic picture.

     

    The problem with HDR is that it is expensive. It needs at least a display capable of producing 400 nits. Any less is just software HDR which should be avoided.

    True HDR effect comes from HDR 1000 and above.

    HDR Certification and Performance Tiers

    (Image courtesy of Anandtech)

     

    The top 5 gaming monitors under Rs 15000/-

    The absolute best gaming monitor under Rs 15000 as of March 2020, the Acer Nitro VG240YS has emerged out as the jack of all trades and king of some.

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 165Hz
    • IPS Panel Type
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Full HD IPS Panel with Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Overclocked to 165 Hz Refresh Rate
    • Wide Viewing Angle [178 degrees]

     

    CONS:

    • Display Resolution 1920×1080 is a bit on the lower end by today’s standards
    • So is the display size of 24″
    • 1ms Response Time is advertised but physically impossible in IPS panels.
    • With 250 nits of peak brightness, the HDR is software only and pretty bad.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    This Monitor was the previous top IPS gaming monitor in India, only recently surpassed by the newer Acer model. Let’s take a closer  look at the specs.

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • IPS Panel Type
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Full HD IPS Panel with Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Wide Viewing Angle [178 degrees]

     

    CONS:

    • Display Resolution of 1920×1080
    • Display size of 24″
    • 1ms Response Time is advertised but physically impossible in IPS panels.
    • With 250 nits of peak brightness, the HDR is software only and pretty bad.
    • Refresh Rate cannot be Overclocked.
    • Older versions of this monitor had some flicker issues.
    • Height is not adjustable

     

    VA and especially Curved gaming monitors are always a curious case of design and technological choices made by the manufacturer. Let’s see how it holds up to the competition.

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • 27 Inch Display size
    • VA Panel Type
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Radeon FreeSync Technology

     

    CONS:

    • Display Resolution of 1920×1080
    • 4ms Response Time advertised.
    • Refresh Rate cannot be Overclocked.
    • Curved Monitors can be an issue for some people.

     

     

     

    Yet another Acer product, you may ask? Well its because they have really tripled down on dominating the budget gaming monitor market, and it shows. Let’s take a look.

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • Advertised 0.5 sec of Response Time due to the TN panel.
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Overclockable to 165hz

     

    CONS:

     

    • Display Resolution 1920×1080
    • TN Panel Type
    • Display size of 24″
    • Lower viewing angles than IPS panels

     

     

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • True 1ms Response Time due to the TN panel.
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Height is adjustable

     

    CONS:

     

    • Display Resolution 1920×1080 is a bit on the lower end by today’s standards
    • TN Panel Type
    • So is the display size of 24″
    • Lower viewing angles than IPS panels
    • Non overclockable refresh rate.

     

    What’s interesting about the best LG gaming monitor in this budget is that while LG has innovated the IPS panel technology and even hold the patent for it, it’s weird that they themselves chose to stick with a TN panel display while the rest of the pack has used their own IPS tech in their products. LG, it’s time to play on even grounds.

     

     

    Conclusion

    The gaming monitor scene has improved tremendously in the last 3-4 years, showing a similar trend to the recent improved in the gaming scene, from CPU’s to Graphics cards to even consoles. Every product you can buy today, no matter how cheap in price, far outstrips the average or sometimes even the high-end products offered to gamers by companies just a few years back.  Gaming has truly entered another Golden age.

     

    Basically, anything you choose above a certain price and product category will give you a very satisfactory experience for years to come. And with the advent of High refresh rate IPS displays, if you are willing to accept slightly lower refresh rates than TN panels, you can even used them for Office and most creative workspaces.

     

     

  • Best budget microphones for recording and streaming in India (All budgets)

    Best budget microphones for recording and streaming in India (All budgets)

    With the boom of YouTube and other websites like Twitch and with the emergence of the newer avenues like podcasts, more and more people have started moving towards the field of streaming, hosting podcasts, becoming YouTubers or Vloggers. To become successful in these fields, good content is not enough by itself. You need good quality as well. To ensure that the content is recorded in the best quality, people seek a good quality microphone. The difference made by a good quality mic when compared to an average one is like night and day. It can be a life-changing experience for most people.

    To make sure that the people are experiencing your content in the best quality possible, you will need a good quality mic. However, most good quality mics are very expensive and most people who are just starting their journey in these respective fields, can’t afford such expensive equipment. So, in this article, we will talk about the best microphones under different budget ranges in India. The budget range is wide enough so that people with the smallest budget to people with a high-end budget can find the best quality product for them.

    But before purchasing a mic, we should know what are the basics you need to know. A microphone has many different qualities which must be kept in mind while making the purchase. We will firstly cover these basics so you can understand and try to figure out which features you need in your microphone.

    TYPES OF MICS:

    There are two main types of mics, dynamic mics, and condenser mics. They both have their own uses and are suitable for different conditions.

    Dynamic mics are the mics you usually see in concerts, stand-up shows, etc. These are sturdier than usual mics and are used to record louder sounds like drums, sounds in noisy environments, etc. However, they are usually costlier than the usual microphones. If you want to record music with high vocals or loud sounds, for example, rock or metal music, a dynamic mic is the correct choice. But our focus is on streaming, so we will not discuss dynamic mics.

    The second type of microphones is condenser mics. Condenser mics are very popular and are the usual mics that are used by your favourite YouTubers, streamers, vloggers, podcast hosts. They are good at recording delicate sounds and recording soft vocals. Therefore, we will be looking at condenser mics in this list as they capture every sound clearly and give very good quality of the audio. These condenser mics are also cheaper than the dynamic mics, thus making them better for our budget.

    In this article, only 3.5mm audio jack mics and USB mics will be listed. There is also another type of mic- the XLR mics. The XLR stands for X Connector, Locking Connector, and Rubber Boot. XLR mics are very high-quality mics that are used in studios, concerts, etc. This article will not have any XLR mics as they are too expensive and they are not needed for simple things like recording YouTube videos, streaming, hosting podcasts, or vlogging. They are made for professionals like sound engineers, music artists, music producers, etc.

    POLAR PATTERN OF MICS:

    The polar pattern of a mic tells us about the pattern in which the mic records the sounds. The polar pattern of a mic we need depends on the audio we want to record. There are several patterns that can basically be classified into omnidirectional and directional. Directional polar pattern in itself has several subtypes, but the most common one is cardioid. We will talk about these two patterns.

    Omnidirectional pattern mics are mics that pick up sound from all directions. These mics are preferred while recording ambient noises. However, since streamers don’t want to record ambient noise, these mics are not our concern.

    Directional pattern mics pick sound from some specific direction. There are many types of directional patterns like cardioid pattern, which is discussed below, bi-directional pattern, supercardioid pattern, and hypercardioid pattern.

    Cardioid pattern mics are a type of directional polar pattern mics, which record audio in a heart-shaped pattern. They record audio from the front and the sides. Cardioid mics are the mics used most commonly by streamers. Most of the mics in the budget range offer cardioid polar pattern only. Therefore, it is the best choice if the mic you are looking to get has a good cardioid pattern.

    FREQUENCY RESPONSE:

    Frequency response is the range in which the mic picks up and records audio. Generally, the frequency response is between 20 hertz to 20 Kilohertz, but for microphones, the range is even higher as a good microphone needs to record more sounds. The higher the frequency range, the better it is for the mic. However, the range by itself isn’t the only indicator. The responsiveness to various frequencies is also an important factor.

    IMPEDANCE:

    Impedance means the resistance of an electric current circuit. A lower impedance makes for a better quality of audio as the audio quality is maintained. Therefore, the lower the impedance, the better is the audio quality, and vice versa. That is why we should always choose a mic with low impedance.

    SENSITIVITY:

    The audio sensitivity of the mic means how good is it at picking up sounds which are low in volume. The sensitivity is usually measured in a negative number of decibels, therefore the higher the number, the better it is. Thus, a mic with -50 decibel sensitivity is better than a mic with -30 decibel sensitivity.

    There are many other factors also which must be kept in mind, however, those are not as important as the above-mentioned factors. Therefore, we should keep in mind these factors first and foremost if we want to get a very good quality microphone for streaming. The microphones we will discuss will be in different budget ranges. This will help users with the lowest budget to users with a much higher budget figure out which microphone they must purchase for their streaming.

    The links to all the products will also be attached. Keep in mind, the prices of these microphones are susceptible to change, therefore, you should keep a watch out for sales and price drops to get the best price deal available. Without further ado, here is the list of the best microphones for streaming on a budget.

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 500

    MAONO AU-400 LAVALIER MICROPHONE:

    The Maono AU-400 Lavalier Microphone is the best microphone under 500 rupees in India. If you have a very tight budget, this is the best microphone for you. It is an omnidirectional mic, which records sounds from all directions. It comes with a carry bag and a clip to attach to your clothes. The wire is 1.9m long as well. It is very lightweight and portable and can be easily hooked up to mobile phones, laptops, etc. using the 3.5mm audio jack at the end.

    To connect it to your PC, you will need a splitter, which you need to buy separately. It can also be attached to DSLRs through the provided adapter. In this price range, you will not find a better microphone. It is also very lightweight and is easily portable. The audio quality is very good in quiet environments. The audio does take a dip in noisy environments, but that was expected at this price range.

    It is currently priced at rupees 429 at the time of posting this article, however, the price may go up and down.

    PROS:

    • Portable and lightweight.
    • Long wire, which helps to use it from a good distance away from the device to which it is connected to.
    • Sharp and clear audio in silent indoor conditions.
    • Very affordable price.

    CONS:

    • Doesn’t perform well in noisy outdoor conditions.
    • Requires a separate splitter if you want to use it with your PC.
    • It can break very easily and is not very durable.

     

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 1000

    BOYA BYM1 OMNIDIRECTIONAL LAVALIER CONDENSER MICROPHONE:

    If your budget is more than 500 but is limited to 1000 rupees, the Boya BYM1 Omnidirectional mic is the best option for you. It is an omnidirectional condenser mic. It is lightweight and portable and comes with a very lengthy cable which is 6m in length. It has a 3.5mm audio jack to connect it to devices. It is also compatible with a DSLR. It is durable enough to last long if proper care is taken. You must have seen this microphone used by several new YouTubers and streamers.

    It is one of the, if not the most popular mic in use. The audio quality is very good and clear too. It is almost unbelievable that such good audio is provided at this price range. The noise cancellation works well and makes sure that the audio is clean. The quality of recording falls apart outdoors, however, as the noise cancellation of the mic not being strong enough, coupled with the fact that the mic is omnidirectional.

    The price of this mic also keeps on fluctuating a lot. Currently, at the time of posting this article, the microphone is priced at rupees 649 on Amazon. The price may drop or increase on the day you are looking at the product.

    PROS:

    • Frequency range 65 hertz to 18 Kilohertz.
    • Lightweight of 100 grams.
    • Easily carried and portable.
    • Long wire to record from a distance.
    • Amazing sound quality at the price range.
    • Good for using with DSLRs

     

    CONS:

    • Needs a splitter to use with a PC.
    • Background noise in the outdoors degrades audio quality.

     

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 2000

    BOYA BY-MM1 UNIVERSAL CARDIOID SHOTGUN MICROPHONE MINI MIC:

    The BOYA by-MM1 Universal Cardioid Shotgun Microphone Mini Mic is hands down the best microphone under 2000 rupees. It is a cardioid shotgun microphone. The mic comes with a 3.5mm to TRS cable as well as a 3.5mm to TRRS cable. It also has a furry windshield to reduce wind and other sounds from affecting the audio. There is also a plastic shock mount and a storage bag. The microphone is a cardioid mic, therefore the audio it records is much better and free from background noise. It provides a very good audio quality. The microphone needs a splitter to work on PCs. The design is well made and it appears to be a very durable product also.

    The price of this microphone varies a lot. Around January it cost around 1450 rupees but currently, it is priced at rupees 1999 on Amazon. The price keeps constantly changing so you should be on the lookout for a lighting deal or look for better offers.

    PROS:

    • Premium audio quality.
    • Durable design.
    • Good range of connectivity.

    CONS:

    • The length of the wires is too short.
    • The windshield and shock mount are very fragile.
    • Need a splitter to use on a PC.

     

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 3000

    MAONO AU-A04TR USB CONDENSER CARDIOID MICROPHONE:

    The Maono AU-A04TR USB Condenser Cardioid Microphone is the best mic for recording and streaming for under rupees 3000. It can be considered to be the first true mic for streaming and recording in this article. This is so because it is a USB mic designed specifically for the purpose of recording and streaming, and doesn’t require a splitter for PC use. It is a well-built and designed mic and is very sturdy and durable. The mic also comes with a stand. The microphone has amazing audio quality. It is a cardioid mic and it works flawlessly in the audio department. For beginners, it has to be the best microphone for streaming under a budget. It is designed specifically for podcasts so if you are looking to host a podcast, buy this mic without any second thoughts.

    The price of this microphone fluctuates often, but at the time when the article was posted, this mic cost rupees 2499. The mic should be tracked to get a good deal.

    PROS:

    • Good price to performance ratio.
    • Premium audio quality.
    • Sturdy design.
    • Adjustable stand.

     

    CONS:

    • The stand is a little too short.
    • The microphone is heavy, therefore a little difficult to carry.

     

    BEST MICROPHONES UNDER RUPEES 4000

    MAONO AU-A04 CONDENSER MICROPHONE KIT:

    Maono seems to sweep the budget section under 4000 rupees with their microphones. This microphone also blows the competition out of the water. This microphone not only has a sturdy design and premium audio, but the best thing about it is that it comes as an entire kit. You get a shock mount, Pop Filter, and a boom mic stand in the kit. Therefore, after buying this microphone, you need not purchase any accessories as all the accessories required come packed within the microphone. The microphone would last long and is good for all kinds of recordings. It is one of the best microphones you can purchase.

    The price of this microphone is almost as crazy as the cryptocurrency market. It is currently priced at rupees 3989, but there are so many fluctuations. It even goes down as low as 2500 or below on very rare occasions. It is a good mic under 4000, but if you can grab it under 3000, that is a steal in my books.

    PROS:

    • Amazing sound quality.
    • Good noise cancellation.
    • Complete kit for setting up the recording.
    • Sturdy design.

    CONS:

    A lack of a mute button.

    Since this mic can be grabbed for under 3000 on a few occasions, we decided to add another mic in this price range just as an alternative.

    FIFINE K669B METAL USB MICROPHONE:

    The Fifine K669B Metal USB Microphone is a condenser microphone. It has one of the best recording capabilities in the price range. Purely on audio quality, this beats even the A04. It performs as well as mics which are much more expensive than this microphone. This microphone is also very good for recording music and it works especially great with string instruments. The design is sturdy and it doesn’t feel cheap at all. The microphone also comes with a stand. However, no pop filter is provided.

    The cost of the mic is rupees 3490 at this point but on deep sales, even this can be purchased for under 3000 rupees. However, even above 3000 rupees, it is a very good quality microphone. You can also go for Fifine T669 Condenser USB Microphone Kit, as during sales, even the price of this mic is under 4000.

    PROS:

    • Great sound quality and sensitivity.
    • Great for recording musical instruments and singing too.
    • Easy to set up.

    CONS:

    • The stand is flimsy and you may need to purchase another one.
    • Lack of a pop filter.

     

    BEST MICROPHONES UNDER RUPEES 5000

    MAONO AU-902 USB CONDENSER PODCAST MICROPHONE:

    Again, Maono takes the spot of the best microphone. In the range of rupees 5000, Maono has clearly won the battle with the MAONO AU-902 USB Condenser Podcast Microphone. This microphone has a strong metal build quality. It comes with many features which you won’t find in mics in this price range. A headphone jack is provided in the mic which helps the user hear their own voice through earphones and headphones by connecting them to the mic and this is a very cool feature. This microphone has a dual volume control which is used to control the headphone volume as well as the microphone gain. It also comes with a mute button which helps the user a lot. The microphone is by far the best in its price range. The audio quality is extraordinary. The only downside is that it is very sensitive and captures a little background noise as well.

    This mic is currently priced at rupees 4949 but it falls down in sales. Keep a lookout at it for sales as this microphone is mind-blowing.

    PROS:

    • Volume control and gain control in mic.
    • A mute button is provided.
    • Audio quality is extremely good and the mic is very sensitive to even the smallest sounds.

    CONS:

    • The microphone is too sensitive sometimes and the noise cancellation isn’t strong enough to remove all background noise from the microphone.

     

    BEST MICROPHONES UNDER RUPEES 6000

    HYPERX SOLOCAST – USB CONDENSER GAMING MICROPHONE:

    The newest addition to the list of microphones, the HyperX SoloCast shows that sometimes simplicity is enough to be the best. At 261g, this lightweight and simple microphone just has a mute button on it. The design is extremely good considering the weight of the product. It is the best-sounding microphone in this entire segment. Not only is it great for streaming and recording, but it is also the best mic in the price range for recording music. The audio quality might appear a little muddy while speaking too fast, but that can be fixed by purchasing a simple pop filter. It is tough to beat this microphone in this price range. HyperX has delivered a solid product.

    The price of this microphone is rupees 5790. There won’t be a sale in the coming period because it is a newly launched product in India. Still, this product is well worth it.

    PROS:

    • Phenomenal audio quality even without editing.
    • Simple but elegant design.
    • Lightweight and portable.
    • Easy to set up and use.

    CONS:

    • Lack of shock mount or a pop filter.
    • Higher gain in the audio.

    This article will discuss only microphones in the price range of rupees 6000. This is because even though there are better microphones present over this price range, they don’t offer something substantially different and something so unique, that they are worth spending the extra money for. Users should only look for more expensive microphones if they want to record professionally, for example, if they are professional musicians or music producers.

    SUMMARY:

    All these microphones have their own pros and cons as listed above. They can be used for different purposes. For recording outdoors, the cheaper microphones under 2000 rupees are the best choice. For recording indoors and streaming, the microphones from 2000-6000 are the correct choice. The choice should be made based upon the requirements of the user and their price budget. The Maono AU-A04 Condenser microphone kit appears to be the best choice as it comes with all the required accessories to set up the kit and thus nothing extra needs to be bought. The only reason to go for a more expensive microphone is if you want a very premium sound quality from your videos and recordings and if you need to record music as well. Other than that, there is no need to purchase a more expensive microphone. If you do buy the other microphones, below are a few tips to make your videos sound much more professional.

    TIPS TO GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR MICROPHONE:

    ACCESSORIES:

    The two most essential accessories while purchasing a microphone is a boom mic stand and a pop filter. These two are the most essential accessories for the microphone. A shock mount is also good, but it is not essential. A boom mic stand is a much longer and flexible mic stand that helps you set up the microphone as far away or as close to you as possible. This makes recording a lot easier since you can set the right distance at which the sound appears crystal clear. A cheap mic boom stand is the Juarez JRZ16MS Microphone Boom Scissor Suspension Arm Stand, which costs around 500 rupees. It is definitely worth it.

    A pop filter is an accessory that acts as a noise filter while recording your voice. It helps to reduce the noise and muddiness from the final audio. Hence, a decent pop filter helps prevent noisy audio. The Juarez Pf-100 6-Inch Studio Microphone Pop Filter is a good pop filter that costs just rupees 289. These two accessories will improve the audio quality by a large margin. This can make the difference between the recordings sound like night and day. It is advisable to invest in a good boom mic stand and a good pop filter. A shock mount is an accessory that protects the mic from low vibrations and noise and it can also be helpful. However, a shock mount really isn’t necessary for most users so we would advise you to not purchase it as it would just be a waste of money.

    ENVIRONMENT:

    In order to get clean and sharp audio without any background noise, you must ensure that your environment is suitable for recording. The room should be locked and the doors should be closed. There shouldn’t be devices like fans running which might at background noise to the audio. Try to keep the room as quiet as possible to get the best quality audio for your recordings and streams. Ensuring that background noises are removed is one of the most overlooked parts of streaming and recording. If your environment and background are noisy, even a 12,000 rupees microphone will catch the background audio. Even though condenser mics are designed to record audio close to them, still a lot of background noise can find its way into the audio. Therefore, always record and stream in a quiet place.

    SOFTWARE AND MICROPHONE SETTINGS:

    The microphone settings in windows and the use of a few software can drastically improve the audio quality. Just adjusting the boost in the microphone settings from the sound settings panel in the windows settings can reduce the background noise and make the recording sound very clear. Play around with these settings to find out which setting makes the sound quality match your desired quality. It might seem a little confusing at first but after researching and studying and a little bit of trial and error, you will start to get the hang of things.

    There are also many software that changes the microphone settings and adjusts them to give the clearest audio possible. One example of free software is Krisp. Krisp is a free software that helps and improves the noise cancellation of your microphone to ensure you have the clearest sound possible. There is a solution for those people who don’t want to take time and try to find out the best settings for their microphones and just get straight to the point. There are also many other software that can be used to edit the sound quality post-recording. They can adjust the volume, grain, etc, and make the recording sound much better. An example of a free software is Audacity, which is an open-source software used to edit audio. You can research more about these software and give them a try to improve your recording quality if you are serious about improving the quality of your content.

    CONCLUSION:

    Keeping all these things in mind, the users must remember that the good quality of audio does not depend on the mic only. There are several factors like accessories, environment, and microphone settings, as stated above, which affect the quality of your audio. When a good quality microphone is paired with all these factors, the users will get the best quality audio for recording their videos as well as for streaming or for podcasts or vlogging. With the growing competition, users need to keep up with the demands of their viewers and provide the best quality content with the best quality equipment. A microphone under 4000 is enough to get good results. However, if the content of the user depends highly on the audio quality, or if the microphone is needed for recording music as well, microphones costing over 4000 will be preferred.

    Another thing to keep in mind is that the price of these products keeps on fluctuating regularly, so the costs of the products mentioned in the article are susceptible to changes. A microphone may get cheaper or it may get more expensive. It is advisable that the users install an extension in their browsers which helps keep track of the prices of the microphones.

  • Best 60% Mechanical Keyboards in India.

    Best 60% Mechanical Keyboards in India.

    Chances are if you are a gamer or you just like plain typing be it for anything or you are just an enthusiast you probably have a Mechanical keyboard for typing and gaming. People like mechanical keyboards because of many different reasons such as they provide great satisfying feedback something membrane keyboard lack and feel spongy as a result thereof, other reasons include they come in different varieties with different switches even different switches types, for example, switches can come in mechanical and optical type with any of the switch style such as red, blue, brown and the many other that exist. The type of switches you like depends on your preference but it is generally accepted that Blue switches are loud and preferred by typists for their loud clicky sound and great feedback, Red switches are preferred by gamers and for their smooth linear motion and fast actuation whereas brown switches are somewhat of a middle point between click and linear they don`t require the actuation force of the click blue switches but also don`t have a linear feel as they have a tactile bump just not as pronounced as the blue switches and even if you don`t like these switches chances are there is a switch for you out there as these are just the most common ones.

     

    Even among mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, there are some who prefer smaller keyboard just they occupy less space which means more space for their mouse while gaming or more desk space and they just look neat small and not in the way, These types of keyboards are known as 60% keyboard as they have only 60% of the keys a traditional full-size keyboard. Given below are some of the best 60% mechanical keyboards in India (unfortunately there aren`t a lot)

     

    1. Razer Huntsman Mini

     

    The Huntsman Mini comes with Razer`s in-house optical switches which come in 2 varieties clicky optical purple or linear optical red switches, it comes in 2 colours black and mercury with an aluminium frame with Doubleshot PBT keycaps with side printed secondary functions and a detachable USB Type-C cable but no wireless connectivity as some other keyboards in the list and of course as it is Razer it has RGB for days with onboard memory and lightning presets, you can save up to 5 profiles without the need for software and store it in the onboard memory you can also personalize it with Razer`s software for all kinds of RGB effects. The keyboard weighs 521.63 grams and has dimensions measuring 10.34 x 29.36 x 3.68 cm.

    2. Gamakay SK61 – RGB

    The SK61 is a popular keyboard because it is relatively inexpensive among 60% keyboards but it is not built cheaply at all and which makes a great option for a 60% keyboard or your first ever mechanical keyboard. The SK60 comes with Gateron optical key switches with options to choose from optical Blue, Red, Brown, and Yellow switches which are hot-swappable, the keyboard comes in 2 colours black or white with an ABS bottom shell with double-colour ABS keycaps and a detachable USB Type-C cable with no wireless connectivity and is RGB backlit which is customizable via software or onboard shortcuts. The keyboard weighs approx 0.78 kg and has dimensions of 29.3 x 10.3 x 4 cm and it also includes a keycap puller in the box which is a  nice addition.

    The GK61 and SK61 look the same.

     

    3. Gamakay GK61 – RGB

    if you didn`t already know the state of 60% mechanical keyboards in India then you can get why there are basically two identical keyboards on the list, the GK61 shares the same features as the SK61 with the only difference being that the GK61 has mechanical switches instead of optical switches found in the SK61, So what is the difference between mechanical and optical switches, basically optical switches use light for actuation instead of a mechanical connection, optical switches still have the same mechanical components like a standard mechanical switch just the actuation mechanism is different and uses light, one benefit of optical switches is extended life of the key switches as they don`t suffer the degradation that happens to the metal components inside. While most people may not be able to tell the subtle difference between optical and mechanical switches for those who can you can pick your poison between the GK61 and SK61.

     

    4. Ducky One 2 Mini RGB

    If you are a fan of mechanical keyboards you may have heard of Ducky keyboards, Ducky keyboards are known for their customizability available with a plethora of switch options. The Ducky One 2 Mini features a brand new bezel design with PBT double-shot seamless keycaps with Cherry MX switch options ranging from Blue, Brown, Red, Silent Red, and Speed Silver. The keyboard comes in a dual colour bezel design which makes for a good 2 tone design with white bottom and black front and has RGB which is adjustable via software, it also comes with a detachable USB Type-C cable for connectivity with a polling rate of 1000Hz which is the rate at which the keyboard is sending its signal to the PC which in this case is 1000 times per second, the keyboard comes with 2 level angle adjustment something not often found on many keyboards and also comes with 10 additional PBT double-shot colourful keycaps. The keyboard has a footprint of 30.2 x 10.8 x 4.0 cm and weighs 590 grams and comes with N-Key roll-over facility.

    Another similar keyboard to this one is their own Ducky Mecha Mini which shares much of the same features as the One 2 Mini but comes with a full aluminium casing with nano-coating giving it more rigidity compared to the One 2 Mini while also adding to its heft which stands at 827 grams compared to the 590 grams of the One 2 Mini, both of the ducky keyboards also come in special editions like the some themed on the Chinese Zodiac animals but good luck getting them in India.

     

    5. Gamdias Hermes E3

    To be honest, this is a keyboard I hadn`t even heard of before researching for this article but looking at some reviews it looks decent enough, so the Gamdias Hermes E3 is a gaming focused keyboard that comes with Gamdias certified mechanical switches which looking online might just be Outemu Blue switches which for some reason they advertise as their own, aside from that they are decent switches and they have long come from just being another Cherry clone, they also have N-key rollover functionality. The keyboard comes in 2 colours being white and black and RGB lightning with 19 customizable chromatic effects via shortcut keys but lacks the software for any control, fortunately, it has built-in memory, the build of the keyboard is good with an aluminium backplate, it comes with a detachable USB Type-C cable and has a polling rate of 1000Hz, the dimensions are 29.1 x 10.1 x 4.1 cm and it weighs 550 grams.

    Conclusion

    At the end of the day there are not many options available for 60% mechanical keyboards and even less so in India where they are priced outrageously high or might not even be in stock most of the time and the import scene for keyboards is that there are some sites available that can ship to India but there are customs duty which can range from a little to as much as half of the price of the keyboard and even so if you are to order from them the chance of you getting it quick are questionable it can take some sites more than a month to get the keyboard to you while you deal with their customer care executive for the 4 times why your keyboard is stuck in an odd place, overall above are some decent keyboards in different price ranges which you can look at to suit your tastes.