Archive for May, 2010

May 31st 2010 Buy Discount Levana LV-TW300

Levana LV-TW300 2.4-Inch Digital Wireless Video Baby Monitor Review


I’m glad this came up on Vine, because I’d given up on finding a good video monitor. I tried ones using analog signals, and even ones which claimed to be digital. None had very good signal range. Even going two rooms away in our old apartment would cause interference. Unfortunately, given that our baby’s crib is three rooms away from the bathroom.

This monitor uses a true digital signal. The camera unit encodes (digitally compresses) the video and transmits it to the handheld unit, which decodes the signal and displays it. The key to the robustness of a digital signal is the fact that error correction techniques can be applied. Thus, where an analog signal would immediately degrade once the receiver and transmitter are separated by more than a room, a digital signal can sustain significant interference and loss before the signal is unreadable by the receiver. Most importantly, until the signal becomes so bad even error correction fails, the picture remains perfect. The only downside of the digital signal is that the video quality isn’t very sharp; the video compression leaves the video looking somewhat blocky; they clearly aren’t using a very high bandwidth link and had to use rather severe compression.

The only other negative to this device is that the camera unit appears very cheaply made, with a VERY flimsy plastic mount that doesn’t seem to want to stay put. It does suffice, however barely, and so I only took off one star for it.

The feature to talk back to your baby is interesting, but I can’t see it as a real positive. Trust me, if your kid is young enough that you’re monitoring them, they are young enough that your distorted and disembodied voice coming through the camera unit is going to do anything but calm them.

As for complaints that this interferes with WiFi: yes, it can, but that’s unavoidable and NOT the fault of this device. There are only a limited set of unlicensed frequencies which home wireless products can use, and the 2.4 GHz band works well for baby monitors for the same reason it works well for WiFi. If you want to avoid the potential for interference, get a WiFi router that works at 5 GHz. However, here’s a tip: try turning your router on WHILE the baby monitor is working. Most good WiFi routers will automatically choose a frequency that has low interference when starting up. After they are running, however, they can’t change frequency. So just make sure your router is aware of the baby monitor by turning on the monitor first.

In summary, while the unit has flaws, it works where it counts and works well: you get a reasonably clear picture of your little one with excellent range, good sound, and with excellent visibility even in a pitch black room.

Levana LV-TW300 2.4-Inch Digital Wireless Video Baby Monitor Feature

  • Digital video and audio signals between the camera and monitor are secure and interference free
  • Soothe your baby from a distance with the Talk to Baby intercom feature
  • Rechargeable monitor comes with ENERGY STAR qualified adapter
  • Standby mode allows you to turn off the monitor’s screen and be alerted only when your child makes noise
  • Monitor your child around the clock with automatic night vision

Levana LV-TW300 2.4-Inch Digital Wireless Video Baby Monitor Overview

The LV-TW300 is one of Levana’s wireless video baby monitors that utilizes Clear Signal Technology to prevent static and interception. You can feel secure using this TWINKLE series monitor with your child and enjoy practical features such as a 2-way intercom that lets you talk to your baby from a distance, and standby mode, which saves power and alerts you whenever your baby makes noise or moves around. The monitor is conveniently rechargeable, and an ENERGY STAR qualified adapter provides long battery life. This easy-to-use camera and video monitor combo is digital wireless, meaning your audio and video signals will remain strong as you move around the house and even outside. Automatic night vision provides a clear view in the dark, so you will always be able to keep an eye on your precious loved one.

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Customer Reviews

Easy to use, helpful – especially at night – BakingandBooks.com – CT
We have a 4 month old baby and this video monitor has been very helpful with nighttime sleep and during nap times. We especially like using it early in the mornings when the baby is making some noise and we’re not sure if he’s awake or just making noises in his sleep. Before one of us would have to get out of bed to go see if he was awake, but now we can simply use the video monitor to quickly check on him. If he’s still asleep we can go back to sleep ourselves without having to leave the comfort of our warm bed. :)

The pros of this monitor, as I see them: It adds another way for you to monitor your baby when you’re out of the room. If your baby wakes easily you’ll be able to check on him/her without entering the nursery and making noise. Both daytime and night-vision video quality is good, as is the sound. When we tested the monitor to see if it would automatically turn off night vision when the lights came on it did after a few moments. I like how the monitor has a little kick-stand in the back so you can prop it up somewhere close-by if you’re not near the charger. The interface is very easy to use and overall the monitor required very little setup.

The cons: The velcro strap used to secure the camera to the crib is a little short. We were able to stretch is around the top of our crib so that the camera is securely in place, but it would have been nice to have some extra wiggle room. I also find the “alert” sound the monitor makes when there is a lot of noise a little irritating! But I guess that’s ok if the monitor effectively notifies you when your baby is making an inordinate amount of noise. (It has only gone off once, when my husband was messing with the camera.) I have seen in other reviews that the monitor does not pick up very low levels of noise – on that front, I should note that we use a regular baby monitor to pick up noise so haven’t really been using this monitor for anything other than the video. The sound is turned on and as far as I can tell works fine, but that has not been what we’re focusing on.

Overall we’re enjoying this monitor. It shouldn’t be used to leave the baby alone for long periods of time during the day, obviously, but at night/during naps it is very convenient. I haven’t done so yet, but it might also be good to use if you’re home on your own and want to take a quick shower while the baby naps. Easy way to keep an eye on your little one.

Works extremely well – Terry – San Antonio
In the almost 8 years since I had my last child, there have been some amazing advances in baby monitors! This is my first experience with the video feature and I’m hooked.

My first impression upon unpacking was that the receiver feels flimsy and light. I began searching for the battery in the packaging because it felt so light, I was sure I needed to install a battery. Not so – it comes with a rechargeable battery already installed. The receiver is nicely designed with buttons that are well marked and well placed. One button allows you to speak to baby when pressed – a nice feature IMO. There is also a little tripod on the back that pops out for stability when it isn’t in the charging cradle. Again, it feels a little flimsy, but a nice feature. I also noticed the slight rattle in the unit mentioned by another reviewer and it certainly adds to the flimsy feel.

The camera is round and closely resembles some of the original webcams. It comes with an a/c adapter and a separate base for attaching the cam to a crib rail. Both bases for the camera are very lightweight, but seem to work well. The lens of the camera is surrounded by tiny, infra red lights which allow for visual monitoring in low/no light situations. It also has a microphone so that you will hear baby.

I began charging the receiver immediately and it took about 3 hours to complete the charging, just as it said in the manual. I set up the camera in the next bedroom to test the unit and the two synced instantly. I think the color video quality is excellent. It’s very clear and so is the audio. Between the receiver and the camera were 2 computers with wireless internet access running and there was no interference.

Later I took the camera into a bathroom after dark so that there was virtually no light in the room. The picture on the receiver was extremely clear. The red lights on the camera are not very bright and would not disturb a sleeping baby or adult.

As was mentioned before, do not take the receiver near to the camera because it emits a screeching sound. It would definitely wake a sleeping baby – it would probably wake the dead!

I got this unit for nighttime use with my mother, who is under Hospice Home care. I sleep downstairs from her and this will allow me to hear her if she needs anything or she sounds like she is having trouble. I think it will be a valuable aid in caring for her.

Great IF it doesn’t interfere with your wireless network – Norman Krumpe – Ohio
If you don’t have a wireless network that fights for the same bandwidth, then this is a great baby monitor, for several reasons:
1. Setup was as simple as could be: The camera and the monitor “found” each other as soon as I turned them on.
2. The video and audio quality was quite acceptable. It was easy to see and hear what is going on in the other room.
3. The interface is very straightforward. There aren’t any buttons on the camera. As for the monitor, it was easy to figure out what each button did. It was easy to use the intercom feature…press a button and you can transmit your voice through the speaker on the camera.

The problem is…I DO have a wireless network, and there IS a conflict. I have a Linksys WRT150N wireless router. Here was the test I performed:
I turned on the camera and wireless monitor. With the monitor at my side, I directed my laptop to one of the online internet speed testing sites. Whenever the camera and monitor were on (or even just the camera), I found that:
* My download speed decreased by roughly 25%
* My upload speed decreased by roughly 50%
* I temporarily lost the signal between the camera and monitor each time I ran the test.

Though perhaps not the most scientific of tests, it is clear that this product can cause interference (and can be affected by interference) on some wireless networks.

Other than the wireless network issue, I find this to be a very good monitor…certainly appropriate in a non-wireless home.

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