Closer Examination

The AVerMedia Mingle Bar looks like a very compact soundbar with a camera attached to its center. If you look at it as a webcam, then it's exceptionally large, with a width of 295 millimeters (11.6 in). The device is almost entirely made of dark plastic; only the front side of the parts flanking the camera is covered in light gray fabric. The overall aesthetics are entirely in line with what you'd expect from an enterprise product. It blends into any home or office environment seamlessly and looks professional while doing so.


The Mingle Bar has a wide and stable metal base covered in soft material, preventing it from scratching the surface. The base and the body of the device are connected with a joint that allows the camera to be tilted from 0-45°, which comes in very handy both when positioning it on the table surface or putting it on top of a monitor. The base also has a 1/4-inch mounting screw, so you can mount the camera on a tripod. Finally, for added device security, a Kensington lock is integrated on the rear of the joint connecting the base and the camera.


When positioned on top of a monitor, the Mingle Bar holds in place with the help of a plastic lip found below the camera. Its rear side is supported by the aforementioned stand. I had absolutely no issues with stability, regardless of where I used the camera. AVerMedia did a good job when determining the stiffness of the joint; it never moves on accident but remains easily adjustable.


The lens is equipped with a physical eyelid-style privacy shutter. A small lip on the "eyelid" makes it easy to open and close.


In case you're so sensitive about your privacy that even a privacy shutter doesn't do it for you, the Mingle Bar also offers a power button, which turns the device completely off.


The perforated rear side of the case improves air ventilation. I didn't run into any overheating issues when using the camera over an extended period of time.


The rear-facing interfaces include a USB-C port for PC connectivity, an HDMI video output, which you can use to show the video from the camera on a large screen, a USB Type-A port for peripherals, a 3.5-mm microphone input, a LAN port, and an external power brick connector. If you connect a network cable to the LAN and peripherals to the USB Type-A port, you'll be able to use the wired network and connected peripherals on the computer you're connecting the Mingle Bar with. In a way, it serves as a docking station, which is hugely practical in office environments.


The AVerMedia Mingle Bar needs external power to work – it's not USB-C powered, as I was initially hoping it would be. This is an obvious drawback in terms of everyday practicality, as there's a power brick and socket to worry about when moving it around. It's by no means a huge issue but rather something to keep in mind when considering the Mingle Bar for regular on-the-go usage.


AVerMedia offers wall mount (112AU360-A4L) and TV mount (112AU360-A53) kits for the Mingle Bar (and their other similarly shaped products). As I mentioned previously, you can also mount the camera on a tripod, on top of a monitor, or on the table. The options are limitless.