Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
The AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro is both basic and unique in its own way. Similar to other external capture cards I have seen and used from brands like Elgato, the device is relatively compact and basic in design. AVerMedia has made it its own with a grille design on the top and their alternate logo peeking through underneath. This logo is white on top of a red background. AVerMedia's name is also printed on the bottom left corner. The rest of the shell is black in color, although AVerMedia also has a white color version of the same product. In terms of dimensions, the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro measures at 112.6mm in length, 66.2mm in width, and 26mm in height. It tips the scales at 99g, which is quite light for its size. Everything feels solidly constructed and fits well together despite its plastic shell and exterior.
On the opposite corner of the AVerMedia logo is a slit for a translucent light, which allows the multi-color LED light to pass through. This blinks different colors depending on the various statuses of the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro. If it glows solid blue, this just means it is powered on. When it slow flashes red or blue, it is recording or streaming, respectively. A fast flashing red indicates the location it is recording to is nearly full, while a solid red means it is full and streaming or recording has stopped. Finally, flashing green indicates a slower USB connection, and a flashing red indicates a different error. It may indicate many different items, but it is nice to see a status light present.
Flipping to the bottom, you can see a few small things on the AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro. For one, there are rubber nubs with one in each corner. Under each of the rubber pads is a screw that holds the whole enclosure together. We will be disassembling the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro shortly. In the middle of the base, there is a label that shows all of the information about the streaming device. This includes the model, power information, and serial number. It also has other certification stamps and a Made in Taiwan label.
On the edges of the AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro are a few inputs and outputs of interest. On one side, there are two HDMI 2.0 ports, which support input and output. They are marked clearly to indicate which is which. The two ports mean we can have near zero-latency passthrough of the connected device, which is handy to have while streaming. On the opposite side is a USB Type-C port that supports 5Gbps transfer speeds. On the sides of the GC553Pro without any ports is an array of slits that allow air to pass through and passively cool the internals.
To get inside of the AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro, you will need to remove the rubber pads and screws underneath. Afterwards, taking the enclosure apart is pretty easy. The single printed circuit board slots in place with a bit of rubber padding where the PCB makes contact with the rest of the shell. On the PCB itself, you can see several different parts, including a Realtek RTD2801SPH SoC, FE1.1s USB 2.0 hub controller, and a Nuvoton NuMicro M032SE3AE MCU. Finally, we have a Winbond W25Q64JV 64Mb flash memory chip. If these parts sound familiar, it is because these are nearly the same as the chips found on the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K 2.1 GC575.
The AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro can record up to 240 frames per second at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second with HDR enabled. It also can capture full 4K resolution at 60fps and 1440p at 144fps or 30 fps HDR. With variable refresh rate enabled, it can capture 1440p at 60fps and 1080p at 120fps and 240fps. As for supported input resolutions, the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro supports 4K, ultrawide 3440x1440p, 1440p, ultrawide 2560x1080p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, and 480p. it supports multi-channel audio and various video formats too.
The AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro works with two separate pieces of software. Both are available from the manufacturer's website with direct links on the product page. The first is Assist Central Pro, and this is used to monitor and configure the connected device. It is pretty straightforward, as it shows the device detected as well as options to change multichannel support, HDCP, and variable refresh rate settings. You can also update the firmware and software of other AVerMedia products, including streaming center and an OBS Studio plugin.
To record or stream with the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro, you can use AVerMedia Streaming Center. It shows all of the necessary settings immediately on the primary page, including a way to add video sources and balance the audio input and output. You can create multiple scenes at the bottom. At the top, you can change the orientation or mirroring of the output or pop out a preview window if you want to just see your console's output. On the top right, you can enable and disable HDR and toggle recording. In the far corner, you can quickly set up streaming connections to popular platforms like Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, or SOOP. You can also stream with RTMP, which stands for real-time messaging protocol. This expands the platforms available with Streaming Center, as many popular platforms follow this protocol. The cogwheel in the bottom left corner lets you change other settings of Streaming Center.
Finally, if you do not wish to use AVerMedia Streaming Center, you can use the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro with the open source OBS Studio, and it should automatically detect the streaming box as an input. AVerMedia's plugin for OBS Studio should enable some features like multichannel audio capture, but it is not necessary to install. Overall, I am quite familiar with both options, and while I appreciate the custom options available through OBS, AVerMedia Streaming Center is very user-friendly, easy to set up, and start using immediately.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
