Customer Reviews

Summer Infant Complete Coverage Color Video Monitor Set with 7" LCD Screen and 1.8" Handheld Unit

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

This system has good range and acceptable audio/video signals. The surprising thing about it is the limitations it has for a $300 system...
I have more than one child and wanted to purchase a second camera so I can switch between channels and view each child (a reasonable expectation since many lower cost systems offer an extra camera option to do just that). Here is the response given by their customer service: "There is not a second camera option for that system. It has two channel selection to minimize interference" (huh??? you have two channels but cannot use a second camera?) This seems very short sighted to me unless their expected demographic is only for people with one child, especially for the cost of this system.
Another oddity is the use NiCad batteries in the portable monitor, Nicads have well documented memory effect issues if you don't allow them to completely discharge before recharging them, this is another inconvenience that I am not sure why they chose this instead of NIMH or LI-Ion batteries.
I suppose I can live with the battery issue but the camera issue is making me consider returning this product for another that will fit my needs.

We bought this early (before the babies arrive) to test it out and we are not disappointed. We are using it right now to monitor an ailing relative who needs near constant monitoring and the nature of the set up is she is in a separate home on the property. So the monitor and sound are working perfectly at a range of about 275 ft between two homes. The handheld device can also be hooked up to your tv which puts the picture large and very convenient. You have the option of having sound, picture or both which is a nice feature. I give this high marks and cannot wait to use it to monitor the babies when they arrive.

Very good monitor.

Pros:
(+) Really like how it includes two monitors (so two people in different places can both monitor our son).
(+) Like how the handheld video monitor can be connected and displayed on large TV

Cons:
(-) Some static interference once in a while
(-) Handheld video monitor when not connected with the ac plug will go into sleep mode after a few minutes (not audio, just video). You'll need to press a button on top to turn it back on
(-) Can't pan or zoom

For roughly the same price, you can get the Summer Best View monitor which I also bought (kept both for different locations). Personally like that one better due to. It pretty much addresses all the down falls of this unit being reviewed: clearer picture, ability to pan & zoom and video stays on even when AC not connected. The only thing is that the Best View can't connect to a larger TV and only includes the handheld unit. Really all you need in my opinion though.

Summer makes great products.

I'm overall very happy with this monitor. I don't know how we could have lived without the ability to see our baby. The monitor is very handy. There is a larger TV receiver, and a handheld device. The handheld device runs on a renewable battery that you charge when you plug it in. The infrared camera lets you see your baby sleeping even in pitch darkness. Sometimes I put him in the crib but go back to my bedroom to see him on the monitor and make sure he's fallen asleep!

We have had some major reception/interference issues, but we do live in a tightly packed city and we have a lot of electronic equipment and a wireless network, 2 cellphones, game systems, etc. We find that the larger TV unit works better downstairs, so we use it there, and the handheld is in our bedroom. The interference can be loud enough to keep us awake, so sometimes we either drown it out with a sound machine (we can still hear baby noises), or turn it off and just listen for baby down the hall. So, you might ask why we bother? Because the video option allows us to see our baby in the dark, and know if he's just crying out in his sleep, or actually awake and needing us. It's also good to check if he's still alive and kicking, something a lot of new parents worry about! We don't have to walk into his room to check on that.

We are considering buying a second audio-only monitor with clearer reception. I would recommend you try this in your house and keep the receipt in case it doesn't work for you. there are digital monitors with video - but they are much more expensive. This one is great if it works for you.

Oh and just a note - when you plug in the handheld adapter, note that you have to use the volume control to turn it on. it also will not charge unless it is turned on. We thought it was broken until we called their support line and found out that we had to turn it on first via the volumne control. The manual was not clear on that point.

We buy monitors of this type every couple of years, as we have a handicapped daughter with multiple medical issues and this is a good way to monitor her throughout the day as well as at night when we are not in her room. The large LCD display is across our bedroom and we can still see her very clearly. The portable is very handy since it has the rechargeable battery that lasts very long. Yes, sometimes there is a little static but it is very easy to get rid of by moving the monitor slightly. It does not seem to be bothered by the computer, phone, etc. I am hoping this one will last a bit longer than the others, however we have it on 24 hours a day so it does take a beating. The only thing I would love to see someday is one of these monitors with a two-way so our daughter could hear our voices when we are out of her room.

When working this unit provides a very clear image, but the audio would randomly snap and pop loudly (like every 15-30 minutes). We thought we could live with it, after about a week it the random crackles escalated to big static storms that seemed to be without case and couldn't seem to be stopped with any logical methodology. We plugged back in our audio only monitor that runs on the same frequency it was totally fine...so, we had to return this. :( Too bad, as with a new baby on the way, we were really looking forward to using one monitor for both kids.

I got this after reading various reviews of product here. I am not dissapointed. First of all I have to mention that I got this for 100.00 cheaper on Amazon than the price at Babies R Us. A great deal. The wireless picture and sound are great. I have wireless telephones and computer network and ran into no interference. My range from babies room to bedroom is about 50 ft maybe or less. And for the portable monitor the most Ive used it is maybe 150 ft away in the yard. And it works great. The portable monitor is really amazing. It is kind of overkill with the screen but does provide peace of mind being able to switch it on to check on baby. Another great feature is the sound bar that will go up when baby cries. Think of a stereo equalizer. So if you are doing something loud or have headphones on you can see if he is crying. You can turn of the video monitor screen (In our bedroom) with a touch of a button like a snooze alarm while still keeping the sound on. The large screen also has the sound bar so I can look across from my side of the bed and see baby making noise. This thing picks up every small sound. I can hear sounds from police sirens far away and neighbors dogs that I can't hear with my own ears. Of course it picks up every sigh and coo of baby. For sleeping you will need to put it on the lowest volume or 2nd to losest. The high end would be for when you are far from monitor or in a noisy environment. Also the cameras employ active infrared technology so you get a crystal clear picture of baby even if it is pitch black. Video is extremely clear. The handheld monitor needs to be charged every day. But lasts all night or vice versa. Has a belt clip and a stand which make placement easy. Can also be used while plugged in which is nice. There is an option to hook the portable monitor up to your tv which I did not try yet. The camera and video screen come with attachements you can use to hard mount to a wall. I just sat on far side of crib where baby could not reach. Would be helpful to have them include 3M mounting tape or something to secure it. As of now the cord is out of babys reach but when he gets older and can stand up in the crib he may be able to grab the monitor where it is now. Something to think about is that you will eventually need something elevated above monitoring area to mount camera on that baby can not reach, but should be easy problem to solve, and not really nessesary till baby is much older. Also both monitors have an A B switch as well as the camera so you can purchase an extra camera and monitor 2 rooms on seperate channels. But not both at once, you would have to manually switch channels. Would be useful if you had 2 locations you kept baby like a crib downstairs where you could easily switch to that channel when baby was in that location. Not useful for monitoring 2 babys at once. I am extremely satisfied with this product.

PROs:
Night vision. You can see your little bundle of joy when the nursery is pitch black. This is simply amazing.
Audio quality is quite good.
Very simple to set up.
Can hook up to a TV (or even a SlingBox!)

CONs:
Not the sturdiest product ever made. Very lightweight.
If you want to mount the camera, there aren't a lot of options. It is possible, just not as flexible as one might want.
There is some interference. I have no end of wireless technologies in my house (5.8 GHz phones, multiple 3G cell phones, 802.11 b/g/n) and I haven't bothered trying to determine which is the culprit. However, in the end, the interference is only an annoyance.
On the portable handset on battery power, the video turns itself off rather quickly (like most battery-powered devices with color displays). Again, not a show stopper, but it would be nice to be able to choose a trade-off between battery life and screen illumination duration.

SUMMARY:
If you really need a good monitor and feel that a picture is worth a thousand words, this is a great deal.

I LOVE this monitor! It's so nice to be able to sit downstairs while my baby is sleeping upstairs and be able to check on him without having to worry about waking him up. We had some static issues at first that were somehow magically resolved when we got rid of our wireless Internet router and bought an apple airport router. I'm not sure if this is coincidence or what, but if you're having static issues my experience might help! Overall this is a great monitor, so worth the price. I'm a first time mom and a little paranoid about, well, everything ;) I just love being able to check on my baby whenever I want!

I was so angry that we had purchased such an expensive monitor to have HORRIBLE static and noise! Turned out that coordless phones where only one phone is plugged into the jack and the others communicate wirelessly have similar frequencies. Once I unplugged the house phone, these were the BEST monitors! We had great range in a 3,300 square foot home!