Avcom baby video monitor, ? better than others?

[sbirmantaz]

Does anyone know how well this video monitor works? I've only found 2 reviews on it at babystyle.com. Would like to get a video monitor, but Safety First's doesn't seem too reliable....
Thanks!

[gour0]

I'm disappointed that you didn't get any replies to this because I have this question myself. Did you ever purchase a video monitor? Avcom and avtech seem to have similar models but I can't find any reviews.

[sbirmantaz]

hi, I ended up going with the Safety 1st model even though it had mixed reviews. We tested it out at our house and it works fine, the picture is clear, but every now and then there is a little static, not enough to be annoying though. I also figured if something went wrong with it I could just exchange it at the store...

[akc]

Hi there -

OK, so we are video monitor DIE HARDS - don't let anyone tell you that this is a useless gadget! We watched our neighbors use the Safety 1st system with their two sons (once their second was born, they ordered a second camera only from Safety 1st and could watch one son on channel A and one on Channel C - there are A, B, and C) and we were hooked. It was the first thing we bought when we found out we were expecting last year, and it is the most used thing in our house since our daughter was born in July.

A video monitor is an absolute godsend for houses that where you may not hear your baby (we live in a 3 story, 100-year old house so it is tough to hear her in the next room!), but, more importantly, will teach you right away YOUR baby's sleep patterns which is essential to learning how to sleep as a family! All babies sleep differently, wake up at different times, have different cues, etc. You will be able to watch, see, learn what your son or daughter does - and no one with a sound only monitor can do that. We knew, for example, that our daughter had trouble transitioning from light sleep to active sleep (which is heavier, restful sleep) early on - she would wake up at exactly 35-40 minutes and toss a little. If we were ready and gave her something to suck on, she would go right back to sleep for another hour or two. We never confused it with hunger and she eventually dropped it because she didn't get worked up. Now, our DD sleeps 12 hours - from 7 to 7 - we take the monitor down to the tv room at night and them move it up by our bed to here her coo to wake us up in the morning. We know when she rolls, which stage of sleep she's in, if she's trying to fake us out with noise but is really tired, if she's awake and wants to get up, and - our favorite - she knows where the camera is and wakes up and gives us a big 'ol grin to tell us she's ready to play!

Onto the specifics:
Avcom (and one other one - I'm blanking on the name right now) are 2.4 GhZ systems where Safety 1st Child view is only 900 MGhZ. This is important. The 2.4 sets would provide you with a clearer picture - less is running on that frequency (except maybe your phones) and it is a more high quality transmittal. The problem (for us at least) is that the monitor needs to be in a direct line with the camera - do to this, you have to move this little flap on the monitor and get it in line with the camera (which for us is just not very feasible). Secondly, the system is sensitive and we have wire mesh in our walls (old houses often do) that interferes and throws off the signal. This is a case where the most new fangled isn't always needed. You will still get interference from cordless phones, microwaves, and any other high electric power thing you put right next to it. But, I would recommend you go to the Avcom website and call their 800 number. The salesperson I talked with was very helpful in explaining the system and the pros & cons. (I looked into mixing and matching the Avcom with the Safety 1st and that will not work).

The Safety 1st Child View (which is what we have) is simpler and you will have to go through the little game of putting it down and moving it an inch or two to the right and left, etc. to get a clear picture. But, it isn't sensitive to direction and is clear everywhere in our house, including a sunroom which is 3 floors and across the house from her nursery. And, we can take it to our next door neighbors house (just across the driveway) and still get a clear picture of her in her crib. Awesome.

So, it's up to you - I hear the Avcom does have a nice picture, but we didn't want to hassle with the line of sight thing. We went with the oldie but goodie.

I'm telling you...if you get this system, you will not regret it. We were never neurotic because sounds are hard to interpret, pictures are perfectly clear. Plus, they are so cute - we could stare at it for hours and NOT be tiptoeing in to look at her in her crib and possibly waking her up!

Good luck - let me know if you have any more questions!

Alexa

[egoldber]

In retrospect, I really wish we had gotten a video monitor for all the reasons you describe. We may still yet whenever baby #2 arrives. Thanks for the very detailed review!!!

[akc]

Hi -

I do wish it wasn't so expensive - there are often big sales on BabyCenter and BabysRus which helps. It's funny - we originally got it because our neighbors used it with their 1 1/2 year old (now 2 +) because the older they get, the trickier they got. Their son, Frank, would go for a nap and sit in his crib and be perfectly quiet but NOT sleeping in the least. So, if she had gone by sound & time, she would have been getting him up when he had barely slept. This way, she knew when he really went down and get him later when he woke up. So, we thought that down the road it would be important - had no idea that we would be absolutely depending on it.

Oh, and by the way to those still considering, they do make a less expensive version that goes, instead of to a little TV, your real TV - you can just click over to a channel or do picture in picture if you have it. And, you can also tape it - which sounds silly - but once you see them sleeping on it, you'll be forever thinking how sweet they are!

We are so hooked that we're considering getting a second one now. We'd have it for #2, would leave one monitor by our bed and one in our TV room, and could travel with it easier!

Alexa

[etwahl]

I have to admit I was one of those people who thought "who would ever use one of those". I guess I just didn't think that when the baby was sleeping, I'd be watching a little screen (I figured I'd only have to time to nap, shower, clean the house, etc.) but it does sound like there are a lot of uses.

One question for you. My husband and I are pretty set on getting the Angelcare Sound and Motion monitor. As first timers, we're expecting to be pretty neurotic as I'm sure a lot are, and like the idea of it warning us if there's ever non-movement.

I guess I wish there was a "two in one" system that provided both functionalities, but I was just thinking the Sound and Motion monitor is going to be more functional for the first six months. After that, the concern of SIDS is minimal, so that's when the video monitor would come into play. So the question is...would it be frivilous to have both?

My friend just got a video monitor for a shower gift, but she said she's heard of them breaking down a lot. Since I've done no research at all on video monitors, is this true? Or maybe just of certain brands? Now that I've read your post, I'm considering this as an option. I guess I better do more research!

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[gour0]

I will have two. From a lot of reviews I've read it is not a bad idea. I'm just going to using the fisher price sound and lights plus the avcom video. The SNL lights up when there is sound which the avcom doesn't. Also, I figure it will be good for when we're 'sleeping' (as if!) :) I just want the option of seeing him, I won't always need to see so a sound monitor is a good backup.

[akc]

Hi all -

Couple of things.

1) The Childview has never broken down in our house or our neighbors after 2 1/2 years. I imagine if you dropped the camera or the monitor it would break, but otherwise, it is the same as a mini-tv (you can actually get tv on it). You may have been reading about the other model they used to make - it was a camera that went to a portable, handheld color version that could clip to your belt (2x2" screen) - that was discontinued b/c the monitor on the handheld would fritz out all the time (which was a bummer b/c we would have liked that for our second option!) I think the whole set up is pretty sturdy.

2) The childview monitor (and I thought the Avcom) has a motion monitor/sound only feature for those who just want that. But, on both the sound only and the video portion there is the light scale that tells you the level of sound in the room. I'm not sure if your motion thing is the one with the pad beneath them? I wouldn't know since we only used this. But, for example, on the Childview if the baby coughs, the little lights light up and move up in scale depending on the sound - just like a regular audio monitor. You should see it hop when a baby cries. And, in our case, we use a white noise machine that is directly below the camera - it makes one bar solid all the time, but we can still see the lights when she makes a teeny, tiny sigh.

3) The sound option might be a good choice for a back up if you're traveling. We still like the video because we're used to it, but also because it is when you are somewhere else that sleep problems raise their ugly head. We were on vacation when she was 6 weeks and we could even go to a hotel room two doors down from ours where my parents were staying and take the video monitor and see her. I don't know if an audio would go through all the tv's etc in the rooms.

4) As you can tell from above, even though we were first timers, we somehow lacked the SIDS neurosis gene (Sometimes, I worried that maybe we should have had it). But, the camera was literally about 12 inches from her face and chest, so we could see that little chest go up and down. So, we never looked into the motion one because we decided to go in with confidence and not get paranoid if she was actually sleeping well (and not moving for a while!)

5) As to waiting until the baby is 6 months, that sounds like a good plan if it makes you more comfortable. I will tell you, however, as someone with experience at around 3 months, sleeping - or lack thereof - will become an obsession of yours. You begin sleep training, putting a child down while drowsy instead of rocked to sleep, and in some cases, crying it out (we never did this b/c our angel baby put herself to sleep from the get go).

You will really want to see what happens when you put him/her down and sneak out of the room. Why do they not close their eyes? Is there any kind of pattern of something you did that works and something that doesn't? Do they have a "fall asleep" physical pattern - my daughter tosses her head from side to side about 5 times and then falls sound asleep but it looks like she's tossing and turning if I didn't know? And, very important to us, is the "pacifier game." She doesn't need a pacifier any time except when she's falling asleep. She has this moment in her sleep transition from light to deep where if she doesn't have her pacifier she'll wake up drowsy and move to awake if you don't catch it. This happens exactly 30-40 minutes in to her night sleep (like clockwork) and only happens ONE time. We hustle up and pop it back in and she's out for her 12 hours and at some point she loses it again but is deep enough asleep that it's fine. And, we know if she still has it at that time, we don't have to play the "game" and have a nice dinner knowing she's sound asleep. You will really want to know these things at 3-4 months instead of at 6 when you should have already been sleep training and have your wee one sleep completely through the night (which is a life altering moment!)

6) And, last thing I'll say ladies, is with a video monitor you can actually have a social life again! We host dinner parties with the tv monitor sitting on a table near the dining room table. And, even if the sound is low, we can see the lights move across if there is noise, but most importantly, we can see her sleeping. It is SO nice to have a life again and feel like a grown up!

Anyway, I do not work for any of these companies or anything - it just has been the most significant "gadget" that has improved our life immeasurably. And, we wouldn't have known if someone more experienced hadn't told us! That said, a sound back up would probably be a good thing (I'll be interested to see how often you use it!)

Best of luck - Let me know if I can give you any more info!

Alexa

p.s. I've attached a photo of our daughter, Maeve, sleeping from the monitor point of view. Don't think that b/c it's dark that's how it is - it's just really hard to take a photo of a screen (usually puts lines through it!) Her head is on the right side & you can see that pacifier. She's swaddled so you can only see the rest of the little burrito in the middle (we are die hard Happiest Baby on the Block fans, but that's another story!) You can see the little lights bar in the middle to the right of the volume and channel controls. This was during the brunch that followed her christening - when she needed a nap, she was still at the party! :)