LTS LTCMW304C5 Digital 2.4G Hertz Wireless Baby Monitor with 2.4-Inch LCD

I bought one of these in 2010 with the birth of my first baby. After about 1 year, the monitor suddenly stopped working. The video screen just shows "No Signal" and no matter how much I tried to pair the camera again, it didn't work. So I thought, ok, it's a fluke, let's try another one. So I bought a 2nd one in 2011. And here's some issues I encountered with the 2nd one.

1) The "upgraded" monitor isn't compatible with the camera of the old one.

2) The new camera isn't compatible with the parental unit of the old one.

3) The battery life went down to 10 minutes after only 6 months of use.

Today the 2nd one stopped working as well after a year. But that's only the final nail in the coffin of this monitor. There are a host of problems with this thing in general I found that both versions of the monitor had.

1) Power on the camera defaults to OFF after a power outage... really? So I have to wake up the baby to reset the camera if there's a black out? I suggest a hard switch instead of a toggle button to turn the camera on all the time. Yes I know there're backup batteries in the camera, but sometimes I forget to replace those.

2) These monitors only seem to work for 1 year maximum. 2 dying in a row after 12 months of continual usage is ridiculous and a waste of $200. Fix your quality problems.

3) LCD brightness is not saved if you turn off the parental unit. So every night, I have to go into the difficult to navigate menu system and turn down the brightness (defaulted to maximum for tanning while you sleep).

So that's it. I think I'm going to replace this baby monitor with a wireless IP camera. Those are only $50-$60 and they have remote motorized pan/tilt options, 2 way speakers, way better resolution, internet connectivity, and when the power goes out they turn back on when the power comes back. Sure, you need a computer to view the IP camera, but any android tablet/ipad/laptop can do the job.

I have been using this video monitor for around four months now...and am not wholly impressed. The video has actually frozen on several occasions (no audio, and the image does not move...but the baby does!)

Pros: VERY crisp image when it is working properly.

Excellent price point for a handheld color monitor.

Two way audio. Not very helpful or the little one yet, but great if you need to say something to your partner in the other room!

Cons: Video may freeze and lose audio. Can be disconcerting.

Has a tendency to encounter interference from wireless networks. NOT good to have next to another video monitor (such as we do).

In general, not a bad product, but not top of the line. I would recommend spending a little more and getting the Summer Infant Bestview Handheld monitor.

Buy LTS LTCMW304C5 Digital 2.4G Hertz Wireless Baby Monitor with 2.4-Inch LCD Now