Wait... what?
Why is this happening?
I'm sorry, this thing costs HOW MUCH?!
Yep.
It's official.
This is the weirdest streaming product I have EVER reviewed.
And what's worse - it's not even Cooler Master's fault, because they didn't make the darn thing.
But we'll get to that in a minute.
We need to go back.
Let's go way back.
A couple weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to review the new Cooler Master StreamEnjin
as it neared its launch.
One of their French brand accounts first tweeted teasers of this thing, many of you inquired,
and then their PR reached out about review.
Perfect timing, seemed like a great opportunity.
This streaming PC alternative promises a great value.
After all, I'm the Stream Professor - I've reviewed nearly every capture card on the
market to help you get the most out of your streams, you should hit the subscribe and
notification buttons so you can stay informed.
The StreamEnjin arrived and promptly.. sat here for a tiny bit as most products do.
I've always got a million things on my plate, after all.
But I was excited to review this.
A video mixer and streaming box that you control with an iPad?
Seems fun, if not limiting on potential buyers.
The StreamEnjin - which is deliberately spelled... weird - is a tiny little streaming PC, effectively.
It features 3 HDMI inputs: 1 for up to 4K60 video, 2 for up to 1080p60 video - with a
realtime passthrough on the 4K input and a program monitor view output as well, allowing
you to view the full stream layout.
It has gigabit ethernet for broadcasting out to the world, a USB 3.0 port for recording
to USB hard drives, and...
RCA and quarter-inch audio inputs.
Not XLR, quarter-inch.
You likely need to run your microphone through an existing pre-amp or mixer to use it with
this box.
Weird choice.
But it's small, lightweight, and even has a handle built into the stand!
The front of the device features your control for the stream.
Audio dials, scene switching buttons, streaming control, a... fader?
More on that later.
And transition buttons.
This thing looks like a mini-Tricaster or something and seems really awesome.
As I proceeded to use and test thing thing, however, the excitement came crumbling and
crashing down.
This thing is not great.
Man, where do I even start?
Let's start with the HDMI inputs.
I said three, right?
Well, it's actually just two.
You have the 4K input - which seems to be the one meant for your gameplay since it's
the only one with passthrough.
It supports up to 4k 60hz, SDR only.
It does support 1440p60, but nothing above 60hz at any resolution.
Okay, that's workable.
The second inputs are 1080p only - though they don't have the EDID to tell cameras that
so if your camera is set to 4k/1080p auto like my a6400 is, it just won't even detect
a monitor is connected.
You have to manually set it down to 1080p.
Not a huge deal.
BUT the big deal is that 1080p inputs A and B are not actually both usable.
At any point in time you can only ever add one or the other to your stream layouts.
You have to go in and manually choose which input is being used AND there's a notice that
issues are caused if you have both connected with active signals at all!
Why is the second one even here?
The mystery goes deeper as we look at that lone fader on there.
The fader itself, the feeling of sliding it up and down, the lines marking the arbitrary
progress in one direction or another: All of this identically resembles an audio fader
or slider on a mixer or even the GoXLR.
But it's not.
This is for transitions.
This is ACTUALLY a T-Bar, but Cooler Master decided to swap off the T-Bar of the product
they're rebranding here to an audio fader.
I would imagine this may have been a decision to make it feel more familiar to game streamers
who have never used real broadcast gear, but a weird decision regardless.
Let's set this bad boy up and start streaming, then.
My first goal was to get a measure for quality.
You download an iOS app to control this via your iPad.
I used my iPad Pro 2020, but there's compatibility for a range of iPads, though lightning ones
will need to buy a special adapter.
In fact, the USB C to USB A cable included is apparently super special for this purpose
to allow the StreamEnjin to connect as a USB attachment device (rather than like plugging
your iPad into your computer) and other USB cables won't work, and this won't work for
other purposes.
Good thing CoolerMaster did absolutely nothing to make this cable distinctive or stand out
from every other USB C to A cable you might own, so if you ever get it mixed up...
GOOD LUCK!
Unfortunately, despite taking wall power, this device cannot charge the iPad while connected
either, so expect your battery to drop quick.
The slot for the iPad is really small.
No case can be used with it - not even the basic thin folio cover - but it doesn't go
deep enough to hold the iPad well, so if you even bump into it, your iPad is flying forward
out of it.
Ouch.
Running their app, albeit both the app and manual full of weird typos and language things,
is mostly straightforward.
You can configure your scenes, swap inputs, add super basic PNG graphic overlays, crop
and resize sources, and so on.
Then you connect to Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook - or enter your custom RTMP server details
because neither Twitch nor YouTube login would even load in my case - and set your resolution
and bitrate.
And here's where we run into another limitation.
This device can only stream up to 1080p 30FPS.
No 1080p60.
Weird.
Not a huge deal, 720p60 at 8mbps to Twitch should look great, right?
Right?
Uhhhh what is this mess?
During my first couple waves of testing, I noticed that the output bitrate fluctuated
all over the place - and streaming services work best with consistent, constant bitrate.
So I reduced it to 6mbps in case Twitch was telling it to slow down or something.
Still fluctuating.
Okay, let's give 1080p30 a go too, I guess.
Wait, I'm sorry, WHAT?!
I tried different sources, two different wired points of connecting to my network, different
resolutions and bitrates.
This device cannot maintain a constant bitrate for some reason, and it cannot maintain a
solid framerate whatsoever.
If I'm targeting 60 it sure as heck is not hitting that with random hitches and stutters
frequently showing up, and if I target 30, it's not even close.
This is just bad.
Plain and simple, bad.
The only other review available on this device at the time of creating this review also showcases
the same framerate, only the reviewer brushes it off as "more than good enough".
Sorry but no.
It's not.
At all.
I reached out to Cooler Master to confirm that they know this is a problem and will
update here should they have anything useful to add.
Beyond that, the control to customize scenes felt really slow and limiting, playback is
super laggy and choppy in the previews, and the transition... fader thing is not accurate
in timing.
You CAN leave a transition halfway done, like a proper t-bar, but the change is very much
delayed to your physical movement, so good luck if you're trying to be precise with it
somehow.
It was at this point that I just had to give up on the StreamEnjin.
Especially after checking the price and seeing that Cooler Master has this brick listed for
NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT DOLLARS?!
EXCUSE ME?
Virtually any streaming PC you could build for this price could wipe the floor with performance
and quality here.
You could probably make it pretty small, too - though obviously not THIS small.
Okay, now that the bombshell as been dropped, let's reveal what's behind the smoke and mirrors:
Cooler Master didn't design or originally manufacture this product.
In fact, they're not even the first to ask me to review it.
I was asked to review this product at least TWICE before Cooler Master asked me to: First
in January of 2020 by ATEN calling it the StreamLive HD UC9020 and selling for $990.
Secondly in October of 2020 by IOGEAR calling it the Upstream Pro and selling for $650.
I do believe someone else reached out to me in late 2019 or early 2020 with the same thing
as well, as I distinctly remember declining as I didn't yet have an iPad to use with it.
These models still have a proper T-Bar for transitions, as it should be.
They have their different logos - Cooler Master just went with the glowing outline of their
logo here in this massive wasted space - but are otherwise the EXACT same product.
While some like to really go after companies for this kind of thing - I generally am lenient
about a company making their first entry into a product category a product designed by someone
else.
This is something they can learn from and gauge market interest on.
But this... this was a mess.
The StreamEnjin had the potential - for those with an iPad, at least - to replace the need
for a streaming PC and provide an easy-to-control video mixer for streamers at home or at events,
but fails to really deliver on usability in any category.
The bright side is that this thing costs a thousand bucks so it's unlikely anyone will
actually be able or willing to take the risk and get burned by this thing.
Product links are in the description below as always.
Consider watching this video on my new favorite audio interface and remember: Be Kind, Rewind.