Video monitors might seem gimmicky, or for obsessive parents, but they are much more useful than you might think (see more thoughts in the last section of this review).
And the Summer Infant BestView is one of the top choices (the other one as of now being the more expensive
Safety 1st High-Def Digital Video Monitor). Summer Infant has done a lot of things right - they got the basics of audio and video working, and added useful features like pan and zoom. And they haven't added too many useless features (like music or nightlights).
There are a few things, as mentioned in other reviews and below, that leave you wondering what they were thinking. But all of the monitors we've owned - three video monitors and two audio monitors - have had a few strange twists like that. And oddly our first video monitor, the seemingly stone age analog
Summer Infant Video Monitor with a video tube, still has the best audio and video quality of all of them (when there's no static). But it's far from portable.
With any monitor, the video and audio quality are by far the most important features, and on the the Summer Infant Best View Monitor those work well. The pan and zoom also work well, and are useful features:
GOOD VIDEO: The video quality is good when using night vision, considering the limitations of night vision; and very good in normal light, with good color. There is little or no time delay, and relatively few skips in the movement.
The good normal-light video quality, together with the pan and zoom feature, would make this a very good playtime monitor for a toddler's room. (But I'm betting most people instead buy this as a baby monitor, and mostly use night vision / black & white.)
By the way, all night vision monitors will be black and white - they only switch to color when a room is well lit. That surprises some people.
BIG SCREEN: The 2.5" screen on the is bigger than most if not all of the competition. That, together with the batteries, makes the monitor a little bigger than some (2-5/8" wide x 1-3/4" deep by 4-3/4" tall plus a 1-1/2" antenna, for 6-1/4" total), but it's not really a problem as it only needs to be portable, not pocketable.
GOOD AUDIO: The audio quality is good, and doesn't seem to be subject to a time delay (like some monitors). You can hear a baby breathing if you want to. There is a wide range of audio settings from loud to quiet to off, so it works in a noisy kitchen or when the shower is running, on one hand, or in the bedroom at night, on the other hand. It's a little unfortunate that the audio doesn't sound a little more natural and accurate, so you could get every nuance. But at least the audio doesn't seem like an afterthought, like it does on some monitors.
NO STATIC: There is no static or interference on the audio or video, at least for us. While that may seem amazing if you're new to digital monitors, it's an old technology - phones have had this for years.
USEFUL PAN: The camera has a motorized mount, and you can turn it through a wide range of motion to see the area you want to see. There's a joystick on the monitor used to control it, and it works fairly well. It's not silent when it moves, but not very loud.
USABLE ZOOM: There are just two zoom levels (not continuous, as with the pan). It works well enough, and is a nice feature.
PRIVATE: The digital technology used for transmitting not only avoids static, but is also private.
DECENT RANGE: We don't need much range, so have never had any issues. But it's a real shame the product info talks about 350' range, that's going to mislead people, as an insert in the box makes it clear that's not realistic. It says you should expect that "Optimal distance for normal in home use is 15-60 feet."
One tip, you normally want to point the antenna so it's perpendicular to where the monitor is. So if you're using the monitor on the same floor, point the antenna vertically; if you're using the monitor on a floor above or below, point the antenna horizontally.
OTHER FEATURES: There's a button on the top you can use to turn the video on and off, either to conserve batteries or just to not have the distraction.
The power adapters work on US or international voltages, which can come in handy.
BATTERIES: I was a disappointed to find this uses NiMH batteries, rather than the smaller, more powerful (and more expensive) LiOn type. On balance, though, it's probably fine for most people. It probably helps keep the cost down, and even though it's bulkier the monitor doesn't really need to be as portable as a cell phone would.
And, since this uses three standard AA rechargeable batteries, you can easily replace them - rather than this needing expensive or hard to find battery replacements. It's weak that they only supply batteries with a capacity of 2000 mah, as 2650 mah batteries are widely available. But you can easily install your own replacements.
I can't comment yet on how long the batteries last, I'll have to do more tests and check back on that.
INTERFERENCE: There's no question that this can interfere with wireless networks or other devices that use 2.4 GHZ. Summer Infant has better customer support than most other consumer electronics companies, but they strangely don't seem to have spent any time trying to figure out how to help people with this issue. ("Buy a different router" was the advice I got. Right. The product insert also suggests you just stop using other 2.4 Ghz products, that's somewhere between laughable and insulting.)
If you're experiencing problems, try moving the monitor or the other devices so they aren't too close to one another. Try changing the router settings to use another channel, maybe Channel 1.
OTHER ISSUES: The volume is a little inconvenient to use, you have to go into the menu and use the joystick. Given that's the control we use the most, it seems odd.
While the camera pans over a wide range, the design keeps it from aiming downward very far. So one of the most common locations for a video monitor - on a shelf or dresser, a few feet above a crib or out of a toddler's reach - doesn't work unless you tilt the whole camera forward. Not that hard to do, but not what I'd expect.
The menu seems to be modeled after a video pong game my mom got for free for opening an account at the savings & loan in the early 1970s.
As mentioned in other reviews, the (sort of) flashing lights on the camera and (sort of) flashing video are kind of annoying. Even in a bright room, the bright flash keeps catching my eye making me think the baby moved, then I realize it was just the monitor and not the baby. It's hard to figure how why they did that.
Someone there does deserve a whack in the head for letting this product out the door with a big bright LED on the camera.
VIDEO MONITORS - MUCH MORE THAN A GIMMICK
When I got our first video monitor, I wondered if it would be useful, or just a gimmick, or one more way to worry about the baby! We've found it very useful. There are just some things that an audio monitor can't tell you. And being able to check on your child without the disturbance of going into her room can save a lot of trouble, especially in the transition times in the evening and in the morning, when little disturbances can lead to bigger ones.
The video was especially useful when our child was a little older and moving around more, and we had left her to settle herself - which sometimes can seem like crying herself to sleep! :-( We used the video monitor to see if she was just unsettled (so we very much did not want to go into the room, or she wouldn't learn to settle herself) or had gotten into a spot she couldn't get out of (stuck in the bars of the crib, or lost her lovey, so we needed to go in and set things right). Video monitors are also useful to see when a child is awake, and how awake - sitting, standing, lying down or trying to climb out of bed! - or on her way to sleep, or not. And they can be lots of fun, too, to watch and listen!
Our other monitor is analog, and once in a while we'd hear our neighbor talking on their cordless phone - which no doubt means they hear us sometimes! A digital monitor, like the Best View, should be private and static-free.
