Luvion Grand Elite 3.5" Digital Video Baby Monitor

A great purchase as it brings all what it promises. The design is great in real as well, distance is more than sufficient, lots of specs and super image quality. Not cheap but Apple isn´t either right?...quality comes with a price unfortuntaly. We are fans

KISS- keep it simple stupid...ok!

Great image, great distance, great design and full with features. A absolute recommended product!

Just simply the best! Really happy!

Overall this Luvion grand elite is the best babymonitor we have seen during our extensive research. This doesn`t mean it`s perfect, but it does mean there is nothing better in ouir opinion.

The image quality and distance are outstanding compared to other models we tried (Motorola, Summer and Tomy). You really can see when it comes too the image when you have them next to each other ( I work in a baby specialty store so can check all). If you have the seperate you most probably would know (or miss the quality), but once seen it you understand. Distance is just very good.

The sound is good, but Tomy is good as well.

Features are wide, some of the work very well, others so so. Speak back is perfect, as the SCAN function, lullabies so so..

SD recording is extremely funny, however, you need to buy a card..

I honestly think that the most ideal babymonitor needs to be invented...eg, unlimited battery life, however, for now, just great

Battery life is good, but always shorter than sound-only models.

This falls into one of those 'nearly there' categories.

Its almost an exceptional monitor. Compared to our older analogue video monitor the picture quality is fantastic.

The analogue monitor we had crackled a lot and the sound was so poor we had to run a separate sound monitor with it. However, the Luvion Grand Elite is fantastic in terms of picture quality - it never breaks down and it is crystal clear.

The night mode is excellent too - it really does give you a range of around 5m's in the dark

The sound is pretty good, but not perfect. It has a slightly odd tone to it, but you can certainly make out a baby cry or calling out, so it does the job.

The design is very compact and reasonably stylish compared to other monitors on the market.

The thing that really lets down the monitor for me is the user manual (which is clearly written by someone who does not speak English as their first language) and the rather awkward and clumsy position of some of the buttons.

It should be a lot easier to use but it is not. Things just aren't in the places you'd want them to be.

For example, to change the brightness on the monitor you have to go into the menu system. Once in the menu system you cannot see how bright the monitor is, so you just have to guess what level, exit the menu system, see if it looks ok and then go back into the menu system if its not. Daft design.

Also, the camera has a 5volt charger and the parent unit a 9volt charger - both both are identical. So, its very easy to mix them up when you're first setting up your system (or consequently moving it). If you do both units 'sort of' work - ie its not evident that you have put the wrong power lead in, but it looks like the unit is broken. Pretty annoying until you realise what you've done.

Another thing that is almost good but just falls short, is the 'sensitivity' dial. Basically you can set it so that it changes how sensitive it is to noise, eg if you have it on a low sensitivity the baby would have to really scream for the monitor to come out of 'scan' mode (a mode that only activates the monitor if there's a sound - ideal for night time) or if you have it on high sensitivity you'll find that the baby turning in its bed will set it off.

Its a good idea. But its a tiny little dial on the side of the monitor rather than something on the menu system (this time it would work well being in the menu system!) - so you dont really know what you've set it to, plus you can easily knock it, thus change it, when you pick up the unit.

Net effect is you might have it on the wrong sensitivity which could mean that if the camera is a fair way from the baby it doesnt pick up their cries or, alternatively, if you accidentally turn it the other way you might find that you're woken in the night when the baby turns in their sleep. Neither are great.

So, its a real shame they didnt think about some of these areas before they rushed it out to market.

If they'd really thought through the 'usability' of the product it could be exceptional.

As it is, its very expensive, gives a great picture, looks great but is definitely lacking in usability and instructions.

Shame.