video monitors
 

Does anyone have a video monitor? I would love to splurge on one for this baby but it freaks me out to think that other people would be able to see the picture without our permission.

Re: video monitors
 

Is it a monitor that has like a monitoring service? I've never heard of that. Although, I've never had a baby monitor with video capabilities either.

Re: video monitors
 

I think she's worried about the possibility that the video feed could be hacked...? Theoretically that would be possible with any kind of transmission device in your home.

Re: video monitors
 

Hmm! Interesting...the problems with modern technology! Hah! Makes your life better in some ways, worse in others! :P

Re: video monitors
 

I got a video monitor. It has a small screen, only enough to see a sleeping baby. In a way it creeps me out knowing that there is a slight possibility that someone can be watching my sleeping baby as well but then I think who the heck really wants to do that? Once baby outgrows the bassinet, I feel alot safer at night knowing I can see baby by just looking up at the screen, especially since he will be in the same room as my other son. Its nice to have too when Im downstairs and baby is sleeping in the crib upstairs. Just my feelings on it. I have heard of people not getting the video monitors because of this.

Re: video monitors
 

We have a Sony sound monitor, which I found sufficient. It works so well that if I turn it up about halfway, I can actually hear baby breathing.

About six months after DS was born, DH set up security cameras outside the house, and he put a couple inside, as well. I have to admit that I like being able to see DS sleeping in his bed, particularly if I hear something on the sound monitor that makes me want to check on him without actually going into his room.

We didn't buy the video monitor because of the security risk. I don't want anyone to be able to see DS sleeping or not. Anyone with the same video monitor can drive around a neighborhood, and potentially pick up the same video signal. It's very easy to do, and doesn't require any "hacking." Here's an ABC news story about it.

Baby Monitors Could Invite Burglars

Re: video monitors
 

This is my concern. We live on a very busy street so it wouldn't be difficult at all for someone to drive by and see into the house. With DH any my jobs, I'm just always worried about my family's security. I would love to be able to see the baby while she sleeps but I'm not sure the security risk is worth the trade. It didn't take long to be able to figure out if DD was asleep or not on our sound monitor. I may just stick with a second one of those.

Re: video monitors
 

Of course the risk of this is ridiculously low. The news can sensationalize literally anything. "But parents need not be overly alarmed, said Ken Denmead, the editor of the geekdad blog on Wired.com. He's yet to hear of a burglar using a baby monitor to case a house."

If you're worried about the possibility of someone else seeing it, you can get one that uses wifi (and no one could "accidentally" see the video feed). I'd also consider where you lived... it would be more likely that someone else could pick up the signal in an apartment building (at least there'd be more people to pick it up) than if you're in a house (where only a couple of houses would be in range).

If I were you, I would just go for it, if it's something you think you'd like.

Re: video monitors
 

Where we live the risk of anyone finding the frequency is so extremely low... but I think for a purely money saving reason I don't plan on buying one. I may pick up a cheap monitor (video or otherwise) at a garage sale after baby is born, but I really don't think baby will be out of my sight in the first while anyways!!!

Re: video monitors
 

Haha. Not something I ever, remotely considered as a negative to getting a video monitor. I don't see how a picture of my child in a crib could possibly help them case my house. Although, the alarm stickers, padlock on the fence, and fact that we are on a major road with motion lights might deter them even if they did manage to figure out which room they were seeing.

We have one. I love it. There is one in Kierans room that just looks at him sleeping in the crib. Nothing else can be seen about the room. But in Liam's room you can see the whole front, right corner. Which includes me being able to see the window. Which I like, not opposite. You can see that window from the road as well. So if someone wants to break in it, they will be seen by every person who frequents the road. We keep it shut, doubled locked, and there is a bookshelf that would make it mighty hard to get into the room! Lol. If anything it could make someone pick a different house!

But it's not something I would really worry about. I love being able to see them sleep and I feel spoiled by being able to roll over and check on them visually whenever I want to. We will continue using ours.

Re: video monitors
 

Totally agree with Ashlee...I love my video monitor!

Re: video monitors
 

Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 3.5" Color Screen and Two Wireless Cameras with Pan, Tilt & Zoom - MBP36-2 - Motorola Inc - Babies "R" Us

We have this one, I love it! I can move the camera in all directions from my parent unit and I can also talk to DS through it. I have the second camera for the baby's room, it scans between the two every 10 seconds. I think it uses wifi signal, but it will not pick up so many feet outside my house. I live in a pretty busy street and our house is fairly close to the road but someone would have to stand right outside my front door to pick up the signal. I have zero concerns that someone would use the baby monitor to case my house.

We used a regular baby monitor before and constantly picked up the feed from my neighbors which was...interesting! I think it would be easier to "hack" the frequency on one of those, IMO.

Re: video monitors
 

I have a Motorola MBP 36 video monitor and I LOVE it! It has a nice size screen, I can talk to DS from the parent unit/monitor and I can move the camera to pan all over his room from the parent unit/monitor as well. And I can add up to 4 cameras to the system so can keep the camera in DS' room and will be adding a 2nd camera for the baby room. I have no complaints, it was a great purchase and I wish I had bought it when DS was an infant.