Review by J. Wilcox : Great Value for a Video Monitor

When my Sony Baby Call monitor started buzzing frequently and randomly shutting off I started shopping for a new monitor. I spotted the Motorola MBP20 and have been using it for about a week.PROS:
Design - Nice visual design.
Size - About the size of an iPhone, small and convenient.
Weight - Light and easy to carry.
Carrying Convenience - The belt clip can be rotated to function as a kick stand and is also removable.
Screen - Small but gives a clear and crisp image, can be turned on or off so it doesn't glare brightly at night. The audio still works even when the video is off.
Menu - Easy to navigate and change settings.
Sound - The sound is clear and there is no static. I like that it is encrypted and secure.
Battery - I use the monitor for about 7 hours total during the day and the battery is only drained about half way. I don't leave the video display on though. (Tip: On the battery itself is the suggestion to charge the battery at least 16 hours before using.)
Price - I got this for 80. I consider that a great value.CONS:
Night Vision - Image is ok, details are lost the farther you put the camera from the target area. I have two kids that share a room and I initially wanted to try to get a view of the whole room. The image is easy to see in the day but the night vision infrared bulbs only reach so far. As a result I had to put the camera closer to just one crib.
Volume - The highest volume is about the same as noises in real life. I list this as a con because my old monitor's volume goes much higher. It was easier to wake up to at night.
Voice Activation - This monitor has a feature that turns on the microphone when a certain noise level is reached. When the noise level is below that threshold the mic is off. There is no way to turn this feature off or adjust the sensitivity. I noticed the closer the camera is to the baby the higher the sensitivity and the more noises will come through on the monitor. (Tip: if you push the video on/off button you can activate the microphone and listen in on the kids.)
Visual Sound Alert - My old monitor had lights that would flicker on when the monitor detected sound and the louder the sound the more lights would come on. This monitor does not have that feature and I regret that. It does however have an alert you can activate that will sound when the monitor is muted and detects noise.BOTTOM LINE:
I would recommend this monitor. I mainly use it to hear when my 6 month old wakes at night and when she and my 2 year old son wake in the morning. It does the job for me and it's fun to see my baby on the video.

Review by A. Hudson "papillon_lover" : Updated review, I did love it when it worked

Update December 27, 2011: I really liked this baby monitor until the handheld device would not hold a charge anymore. I knew it did not hold a long charge but the light never changed from red, while charging. I think red just means it is charging and it never lets you know when it is fully charged by the LED charge light. I read every word with the literature that came with it and went to the website and nowhere did it indicate when the handheld was charged. The only way was to power it on and check the battery level in the screen. I only had this for a few weeks and used it only at night, for a few hours. My daughter sleeps in the same room as me so I did not use the unit long at all. Over a few days, then weeks the battery would not hold a charge at all! I would charge it, unplug the handheld and less than five minutes later I was getting a warning sound that the battery was dead. I even tried removing and replacing the battery pack. It worked great a first but I had to return the item when after I charged it, I unplugged it and it just died, it had no charge to it. I read around (on other sites) that a few people had issues with the battery not holding a charge. I was OK with it not holding a long charge, I expected two or so hours, but less than five minutes is not acceptable. I then had my eye on the Lorex LW241 LIVE sense Wireless Video Home Monitor . It was almost 200 at the time but dropped down to 150. I just ordered it and will be writing a review on it once I have used it for awhile. If you read my review below on the Motorola I did love it at first, so please keep that in mind when reading my original review. Sadly, I would be too scared to buy it again.I have an Angel Care monitor I keep in my baby's room. I love it but she is cohabitating with me right now in my bedroom in a mini-crib.I put her down a few hours before I go to bed. I live in a rather small home but if I am watching TV I am wondering, "Is that her crying?", "Is she OK?", you name it, in comes my first video monitor.Unpacking and hooking this up took less than five minutes. Charging the battery took a very long time for the handheld unit. I plugged the camera into the bedroom and placed it on a bookshelf. The thing I love, the camera not only turns up and down, and it swivels to the right and left. From the camera you can play lullabies. Granted, they are not the best and some are a bit upbeat for my liking. It is nice to know they are built in though. I use Pandora and stream a lullaby station for her at night (on another device), she sleeps better that way. Also from the camera it has a sound up and down. That is for the music, or for when someone is speaking. You also can turn it all the way down to mute. I have it set up in a pitch black room.The hand device with the monitor on it offers you language selection, brightness, alarm on or off if out of range, low battery alarm, also you can hit the monitor key on from and it will display the temperature of the room the baby is in. I have found this to be only off by one degree or two.Set up was easy. I have it on the bookcase and can move it quickly and easily to wherever I place her mini crib. The picture on the hand held is not incredible, but it is good, just not mind blowing but for the price I knew that. I think the best feature, a feature that even my expensive Angel Care monitors do not have, is the two way communication. Not only can I hear her, I am able to talk to my daughter and let her know mommy is coming if she wakes up.I think people might not be happy with the short battery life of the hand held or how long it takes to charge. I keep it plugged in most of the time and only have it unplugged when I am in another room for a few hours. Even then I can plug it in to conserve the battery. It also has a belt clip if you need to have it on you while folding laundry and such.For the price the device offers a lot of features. You will not be blown away by the picture but it good. I can see my daughter and that is what matters. I highly recommend this device.

Review by rewatx : This thing rocks!!

I purchased and tried 4 top rated video monitors over the past 2 months and finally found this. It is very easy to use. Pan and tilt is easy and noiseless. The 2 way communication is great - it sounds very clear and does not scare my kid when I speak to him. The Noise level monitoring is very audible with not much white noise. The picture is brillant and the nightvision is top notch. The battery life is decent. It is expandable for extra cameras. The menu is super easy to use. In battery mode, the screen shuts off after a 1-2 mins to conserve battery, but the screen stays on when plugged in. The MBP36 is the best baby monitor I have ever come across... by far! Buy this and don't mess around with anything else.

Review by H. Hong : For the price, very good.

I love the form factor and the price I got this. Somehow, Amazon was offering this for $79 when it is normally $120, so I snapped it up. So for $79, you get a pretty decent and compact video monitor.Unfortunately, being the base model, you do miss out on some features.- The so-called sound meter is NOT a sound meter at all. The description is completely wrong. You basically get a audible and visual message when there are noises that exceed a preset fixed loudness, and this alert is ONLY active when the receiver unit is muted.- There is no way to turn the LCD off. It's very bright even at the lowest setting so in a dark room, it lights up the night.I think if I paid the full $120 for this, I would be disappointed, but at $79, it's a bargain!

Review by S. Parsons : Don't waste your time with other video monitors

This monitor is the 3rd monitor I've tried. First I bought the Summer Infant Best View monitor. The picture was awful, which wasn't actually my main problem with it, since I was just looking for something functional, not a perfect picture. My problem with the Summer Infant monitor was that it had a ton of interference with the wireless network in our house and either slowed down our wireless connection or just flat out didn't work when I was on my laptop. I had to return it. The second monitor I bought was the Samsung EZView monitor. The Samsung monitor was constantly going in and out of range, such that I didn't have confidence that it was working at any given time. I once woke up to the sound of my baby crying downstairs, and the monitor did not pick up the sound because it was out of range. So back to the store it went. Finally I bought this Motorola monitor as a last ditch effort to find a functional video monitor. If this one didn't work, I was going to just buy an audio one. Finally, I've found a video monitor that works without having to worry about it. The picture is clear on this monitor, it has a longer range than any of the others, and it never cuts in and out of range. I have not experienced any interference with this product. I have the parent unit right next to my laptop right now as I write this review, and there's no interference at all! Don't waste your time with any other video monitor. This one is the best I have tried.

Review by maxdmia : This monitor is a MUST have! I am a picky Mom! Read here to see what others didn't post.

Ok, I have a type "A" personailty and I reserched the heck out of several monitors. I have been shopping around for the "perfect" monitor for months buying and returning until I have found what I want. (My son is 6 months old) I have tried several brands/types of video monitors such as Sony, Summer Infant monitors, and a Costco brand that can be used via the internet and Iphone/Ipad2. This Motorola monitor is the BEST that I have found. Money was not an issue for me as I wanted a video/audio monitor that just worked well. I do recommend spending a little more and buying the 3.5 inch monitor.

Ok, what to say that has not been covered in other positive posts.....The resolution at night is awesome as I can see my baby breathing. (VERY important) I can see everything in great detail. The camera views best when mounted on the wall close to the crib-this way it can scan straight down and straight up viewing the entire crib and room. I originally placed it on a "wall shelf" but when I scanned down I could see a bit of the shelf instead of the entire crib. Also important when you have a child that rolls all over the crib as they sleep! You need to see every inch of the crib. (On the back of the camera is a tiny hole to hang on a nail or screw.) I hung mine on my wall just above a shelf and to blend it in I placed stuffed animals on either side-very nice looking and discreet. I painted the white cord to match the wall to blend it in. When scanning from the monitor it makes absolutely no noise and doesn't wake the baby. The sound is great!

I am a light sleeper and wake at his every roll and whimper at night. I used to get NO sleep. With this monitor I can put the volume up loud to hear every little move or put the volume down low to only wake when he cries loudly. The monitor has a light indicator on top to inform you of the "loudness" of the baby's cry. Also, I live in a two story home with wireless everything (my house is Grand Central with all the wireless technology.) and this monitor does great with cell phone, wireless router, and computer reception. There is no interference at all. The battery on the monitor, when fully charged, lasts 8 to 10 hours but I recommend it plugged in to the power cord at night. There is no delay. What you see is what is happening, allowing you to get to your baby fast!

The only thing I would add is a clip to the monitor to be able to strap it to you and the time. Sometimes I like to know what time it is for feeding purposes. Awsome monitor and well worth the money as now I finally get some sleep and peace of mind at night!!!

You can buy additional cameras online at Bed Bath and Beyond for $99. If you have their 20% off coupon you can use that towards your purchase making it around $79.

Review by M Baker : The Minutiae of 2 Monitors: Motorola MBP36 & Summer Infant Touch

The Minutiae of 2 Monitors: Motorola MBP36 & Summer Infant Touch
Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 3.5 Inch Color LCD Screen
Summer Infant Baby Touch Digital Color Video Monitor
This review discusses the minutiae, good and bad, of both monitors. (Same review under both products).
Summary: Motorola: 4 stars, SI: 4.5 stars. Both monitors are great and fit the bill for a pan/tilt monitor. It's the little details and personal preference that will determine the best monitor for you. FYI, we come from a history of owning the Summer Infant BestView-pre2011. We would have just added a 2nd camera to our unit if it were still available. Where applicable, we noted where SI has improved some things from the BestView to the Touch.Both monitors have a 3.5" screen. The pictures in both daytime and night vision are very good. The sound and talk back on both units is good. The pan/tilt is quiet overall on both cameras. The biggest difference is how to access the features you feel are most important to you. Below are some notable differences between the two units.Overall layout (see labeled pictures):
Video On/Off: external button on both
Volume: in menu on Motorola, dedicated top toggle on SI
Pan/Tilt: external (Left) buttons on Motorola, in a menu with touch arrows on SI
Zoom: in a menu on both
Scan: external button on Motorola, in a menu on SIButtons: SI wins this hands down. Unless you are awake every time you use the monitor, you cannot easily find and press the correct button, one-handed, in a dark room/semi-sleep state. For us, this design difference is what sealed the deal for SI over Motorola. We can easily find the Video On/Off and volume with tactile sense. We would have resorted to making a raised surface on the 3rd button if we chose to keep the Motorola.SI touch screen: Many people commented that you can brush up against the screen anywhere and turn the menu on/select items. This doesn't seem to be totally the case. You not only have to have the video ON, but you also have to press on the very right or bottom strip of the picture/screen to bring up the menu. A random touch anywhere on the screen will not bring the menu up. Also of note, accessing the main functions (Video On/Off and Volume) does not require the touch menu since these buttons are located on the OUTSIDE of the unit. We are fine with going into a menu for less-common functions such as pan/zoom/scan because we will not be doing this nearly as often as turning the video on/off and adjusting volume. (And the SI volume toggle does NOT activate the touch screen so the monitor can stay dark while you adjust volume.)Interference: we had problems with our old SI (BestView) and wireless interference. The Motorola had much less interference than the SI Touch, the SI Touch seemed to have the same interference as the SI BestView. We opted to upgrade/change routers to solve this problem instead of compromising on any monitors. A router is a cheaper electronic piece to swap out than a monitor system (esp with multiple cameras).Camera range: we placed each camera on the same peg over the bed. The SI showed

Review by KCAZ : Super monitor

Just received this monitor today and I love it!! I used a less expensive one by motorola and it really is worth it to upgrade. Night vision is excellent! The color day image is great and not at all grainy. Sound is great. No static. Parent features are fun and temperature reading will be great during winter when I worry if she is too cold. The only useless feature (for us) I can see is the alarm function. You can set the parent unit for 2,4, or 6 hours...I assume this is if you need to be reminded about feedings or if you want to schedule naps??? You can zoom from the parent unit but it basically just expands the screen to middle part of the viewing area since you can't pan or tilt from this unit (you can do this on the 3.5 screen for more $$). Still a pretty cool feature depending on where you mount your cam. Still testing the battery life....will update but I am expecting no problems. I also LOVE that you can turn the video off and just have audio. At night I don't enjoy having the "tv" effect in my room. I'd rather just turn it on when I hear her. Overall very happy.

UPDATE: battery life is AWESOME. i have had if off the charger more than on. the screen shuts off to conserve power but you just have to hit a button to bring it back up.

Review by S. Hochman : Good Features but Obvious Flaws!

We purchased this after are Summer Monitor no longer worked--due to the power button being unable to stay on. There are some nice features on this like being able to talk to your child, lullabies, ability to purchase multiple monitors--to obtain multiple views on the child, temperature in the room, etc. However, it does miss the mark on some obvious things. First, the screen is small--Summer and some of the other companies come in at 7" or twice the size of this little monitor. If you want to puchase an AV out cable to put your child on your TV good luck with that. Motorola does not sell anything or recommend any cable--you're on your own if you're lucky enough to find a cellphone cable that fits just right. This is a boneheaded movie on the part of Motorola, or should I say Biannon, the actual manufacturer of the product. You see Motorola doesn't even make this product, they just stick their name on it since it is well known. Clearly Motorola would be wise to sell the AV out cable which would mean more money for them and not leaving their customers hanging--by offering an AV out with no cable for it and none they recommend. Finally, there is no mute button on this monitor. Another bad move--provided your child is out of the SIDS phase, it is good if you can just look up at them and see how they're doing. With the Motorola monitor the best you can do is turn the volume down to 1, so you will still hear background noises and other things which will wake you up. On the Summer you mute the monitor but of course you will still see your child and also see the lights going up as volume increases. Motorola, or should I say Biannon, should go back to the drawing board to make this better. Because a monitor should be more than just bells and whistles.

Review by Jamieson Olsen : Decent quality but NOT expandable

Pros: Very good build quality. DECT is interference-free. Sensitive microphone. IR night vision is OK. LCD can be turned off for audio only. Good battery life when the screen is turned off.Cons: Washed out low contrast video. Battery life is ~2 hours with the screen on. Quiet sounds below some fixed threshold are not transmitted. NOT expandable -- cannot add extra cameras.Still it is better than the noisy and unreliable 900MHz analog and 2.4GHz Graco units we've had in the past. We got this for $79.

Review by J. Lancaster "joshlancs" : Finally a good baby monitor worth every cent

I've been testing monitors for our two year old since he was born. The count has ballooned to six. This is my second experience with Motorola and the second with a video monitor. This is by far the best monitor that I've had. The sound is clear and load enough to hear him breath but can be turned down to almost silent if need be. The video is clear and and the lights in his room do not distract or keep him awake. As far as the design, the buttons are simple and easy to use and almost all the features are useful. I really hated to spend so much money on this thing, but after using it, I feel it was worth it. The last issue is the range, which is outstanding. I walked down my block and still had a clear view of my son napping and could still hear him breathing. No other monitor has filled my expectations as well as this one has. I thank those who posted reviews previous to mine for helping me choose this monitor.