Summer Infant Video Monitor

[LoveBeingMrs]

Has anyone seen the Slim & Secure Handheld Color Video Monitor (http://www.summerinfant.com/categories_products_view/451/Slim-Secure-Handheld-Color-Video-Monitor.html)? It looks awesome in pictures. I haven't seen it in either Buy Buy Baby nor Babies R Us. I'd also like to hear/read some customer reviews.

[Bella's Mommy]

I haven't seen the one you mentioned, but I do have the Best View video monitor - http://www.summerinfant.com/categories_products_view/322/BestView--Handheld-Color-Video-Monitor.html - and IMO it is amazing. The zoom & pan feature is great. No interference with our cordless phones, cell phones or wireless computers. The video is very clear and the sound is great. We are also using the Summer Day & Night video monitor with 2 cameras (we have 3 kiddos) - again no interference between the 3 cameras and all the other devices in our home. If you ask Buy Buy Baby, they usually know when they will be getting new products in store and their 20% coupons work on Summer Infant stuff (we got ours at BBB).

[LoveBeingMrs]

I was considering the Summer Infant Best View, but then I read a couple of negative reviews. The two main issues seemed to be: (1) there's a red light that stays on the camera, and (2) you have to go through the menu to use the control features- whereas on the Day & Night, you can just click one button.

I'm hoping these issues have been solved with the Slim & Secure! :bighand:

[becca_g]

I emailed Summer Infant a couple of weeks ago to find out the differences between the Best View and the Slim&Secure. Here's the reply I received:

There are some difference for the best view and slim and secure. The difference is the style and the weight. The best view is just more thicker than the slim, whereas the slim is thin like a Motorola cell phone. The best view, you have to manually switch the cameras to camera 1 or 2..whereas the slim scans the camera. The slim will be available in the next three weeks exclusively at BRU. They probably cost up in the 300 dollars range.

[leahmonahan]

I bought the Summer Infant Slim&Secure digital video baby monitor yesterday at BabiesRUs for $199.99.

I went there to get the Best View, but when I saw the Slim & Secure, decided to give it a try. The reason I chose the S&S over the BV was that I saw a volume control on the receiver, it also allows for multiple cameras, and I don't particularly care for the pan/zoom feature of the BV since it doesn't actually zoom, it just gives you a blown up version of the same image. (Note: I have also read about the blinking lights with the BV, put then read updated comments on that issue that newer models of the BV DO NOT have blinking lights on the camera, so that was not a deterrent for me.)

So far, I have used the S&S at nap time today:

Image quality: Mediocre, but adequate (as with all video monitors). I can see my child rolling around, putting her feet up on the side of the crib, playing with her sleepsack. I cannot see such detail as the zipper of the sleepsack, but do I really need to?

Audio quality: So far, excellent. I haven't heard any digital warbling of sound and I can pick up my toddler mumbling to herself.

Interference: I have not had static snapping in and out on the receiving end. (I can't wait to test this at night and see if it holds true. I hate being woken up by a lousy receiver.) Also, the image quality is holding steady despite multiple electronic devices throughout the house on both floors.

Volume control and Brightness adjustment: I am thrilled with this! It is on the outside of the receiver with one touch manual control. Finally, a company listened to consumer feedback and fixed this. Other digital monitors (all of them, so far as I know) require you to go into the menu, wait 3 sec while it loads, then select the volume control icon, then finally adjust the volume. The S&S allows you to press a button on the front of the receiver and the volume goes up and down. The brightness adjustment is the same.

Other notables:
There is a one touch button for turning the video on and off (but leave the audio on), so you can have the video off a night while you sleep, then if you hear your baby cry, you just hit the video on button.

There is a very long white cord for the camera AC/DC, so you don't have a short black cord going diagonally up your wall. Also, both the camera cord and the receiver cord have icons on the plug that denote which device they belong to.
You can go into the menu on the receiver to choose up to three other cameras (4 in all).

The camera is sturdy and decent looking, with no obtrusive logo. The receiver is, as advertised, slim like a PDA (about the size of a pack of cards). The receiver has a belt clip and a kickstand, but no base unit to sit in. I have my camera mounted on the ceiling, upside down, in order to have full view of the crib. I am able to have the receiver sit fully upside down with the kickstand supporting it, so that I can view my child right side up.

SUMMARY: I would have to say this is the best digital baby monitor on the market. If I have any difficulties with this digital monitor at night, I will be sure to update my post.

Other video monitors I have tried: Summer Infant Deluxe Day and Night Handheld (analog) and Home Sentry from Baby Safe (digital), both sold by Amazon.

[ExcitedMamma]

Love the detailed description of the new Summer Infant model! For those of you with the Summer Infant video monitors have you ever seen other children on your monitor? There were mentions of this in the Amazon reviews which freaked me out! Because of that I'm debating between Summer Infant and the High Def video monitor from Safety First which is supposed to be more secure. Any thoughts?

[leahmonahan]

I used the S&S at night for the first time. It did NOT wake me with random static (like the Home Sentry I tried) and the sound quality was very good. I liked that I could turn the video on easily by pressing the button on the top of the receiver and also that the volume control was just as simple to adjust.

In response to questions:
There are no blinking lights on the camera. The volume control is one touch. Because it is digital, it is fully private, just like all digital monitors. If you are concerned about privacy, do not get an analog monitor, get digital.

Overall, I LOVE this monitor and plan to rave about it to everyone I know.

[LoveBeingMrs]

I used the S&S at night for the first time. It did NOT wake me with random static (like the Home Sentry I tried) and the sound quality was very good. I liked that I could turn the video on easily by pressing the button on the top of the receiver and also that the volume control was just as simple to adjust.

In response to questions:
There are no blinking lights on the camera. The volume control is one touch. Because it is digital, it is fully private, just like all digital monitors. If you are concerned about privacy, do not get an analog monitor, get digital.

Overall, I LOVE this monitor and plan to rave about it to everyone I know.


Thank you so much for your detailed review! It just became available at the BRU near me, and I'm so excited for it!!!

I definitely like the 'one-touch' volume control. Does it have a zoom feature (I was previously told by a Summer Infant rep that it doesn't)?? That would be an awesome plus as well! :ROTFLMAO:

[leahmonahan]

There is no Pan/Zoom feature to the Slim & Secure monitor.

[leahmonahan]

As I said I would give an update to my review after I used the product more, here it is...

For all the reasons I said I loved the product before, I still do. However, there have been a couple of issues I have had with it. I don't know whether there are any other digital monitors out there that do not have these issues, but it sure would be nice if the manufacturer addressed them in future models.

Issues:
1) The battery power is short (sufficient for naps, but should be charged in between, and will not last overnight).

2) There is no alert for low battery or if the receiver turns off due to no battery life left. There is no built-in backup battery. This was an issue for me one night when my toddler had unplugged the receiver (unbeknownst to me) and the monitor turned itself off during the night because it wasn't charging.

3) There is no auditory alert if the camera turns off (no signal). It simply will show on the LCD screen the words "No signal," which presumes you have the video turned on and you are looking at it at the time. Luckily, my camera has never turned off, but it very well could because we have it powered by an outlet that is attached to a switch on the wall. All it would take is for one of us to be careless and turn off the switch.

4) The plugs for both the receiver and camera are a large and awkward size. This is an issue because they cannot be covered by a child safe outlet protector. They jut out to the side of the switch plate and are about 2+ inches wide. Because I cannot cover the plug, my toddler is able to easily remove it from the wall, leading to the battery dying, as previously mentioned.

That said, these are all gripes I can live with, but wish that they were fixed because they are annoying. In the mean time, I will use my Sony audio monitor as my backup because it does have audio alert on the parent unit when the child unit fails due to either interference or no power. I will also have to shove my dresser or nightstand in front of the plug for the receiver so that my toddler can't get to it. I plan to continue using the Slim & Secure because the receiver is so easy to use compared to all the competitors and I have had no issues with interference.

[becca_g]

As I said I would give an update to my review after I used the product more, here it is...

For all the reasons I said I loved the product before, I still do. However, there have been a couple of issues I have had with it. I don't know whether there are any other digital monitors out there that do not have these issues, but it sure would be nice if the manufacturer addressed them in future models.

Issues:
1) The battery power is short (sufficient for naps, but should be charged in between, and will not last overnight).

2) There is no alert for low battery or if the receiver turns off due to no battery life left. There is no built-in backup battery. This was an issue for me one night when my toddler had unplugged the receiver (unbeknownst to me) and the monitor turned itself off during the night because it wasn't charging.

3) There is no auditory alert if the camera turns off (no signal). It simply will show on the LCD screen the words "No signal," which presumes you have the video turned on and you are looking at it at the time. Luckily, my camera has never turned off, but it very well could because we have it powered by an outlet that is attached to a switch on the wall. All it would take is for one of us to be careless and turn off the switch.

4) The plugs for both the receiver and camera are a large and awkward size. This is an issue because they cannot be covered by a child safe outlet protector. They jut out to the side of the switch plate and are about 2+ inches wide. Because I cannot cover the plug, my toddler is able to easily remove it from the wall, leading to the battery dying, as previously mentioned.

That said, these are all gripes I can live with, but wish that they were fixed because they are annoying. In the mean time, I will use my Sony audio monitor as my backup because it does have audio alert on the parent unit when the child unit fails due to either interference or no power. I will also have to shove my dresser or nightstand in front of the plug for the receiver so that my toddler can't get to it. I plan to continue using the Slim & Secure because the receiver is so easy to use compared to all the competitors and I have had no issues with interference.

Does anyone know if the Summer Infant Best View has these same issues? We just purchased the Slim&Secure but haven't used it yet ... we could still return it and get the Best View instead.

[Bella's Mommy]

We have the best view monitor so I can only speak for that one...
To address your questions. 1. We leave the monitor plugged in (and charging) overnight next to our bed all night and unplug it when our baby naps during the day. Is it generally used for about 5 hours during the day on it's battery life with our being even close to losing it's charge. 2. There is a battery charge life indicator bar on the monitor screen (just like on a cell phone). 3. The only indication that you are out of range is the "out of range" text on the screen. We always have a white noise machine on in our baby's bedroom so we can also hear if we go out of range (like a trip to the mailbox).
4. Both the monitor & camera plugs are huge. We have both plugged in behind large dressers, well out of baby's reach. We love the monitor and although people have complained about having to toggle to get to different functions on the monitor, once we set the monitor initially, I have never had to reset any of the functions. I hope this helps!

[becca_g]

Be sure to read my post (http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2534516#post2534516) regarding the issue we had with our Summer Infant Slim & Secure Handheld Video Monitor.