One great thing about wireless cameras in the home is that
they can be used to watch over your most precious possessions... your kids. But
whereas a purely video camera is a good way to keep an eye on sleeping baby,
should they stir you can't really use it to lull them back to sleep. That is
why our dear chums at BT have put together the ultimate in baby surveillance
with the Video Baby Monitor 7500 Lightshow.
Here we have a network camera which can capture video images
and stream them directly to a hand-held unit, without the use of your WiFi
network. As well as seeing what the cameras can see, you can pan and tilt it
remotely, all within an inside range of 50 metres, and (should you be out in
the garden) an outside range of 300 metres. The mere fact that you don't have
to connect to your WiFi to do all this has certainly snagged out attention.
But, as you might have guessed from the name, that is not
all. On top of the camera unit is a tiny projector which will shine a light
show up onto the walls and ceiling of the room. Planets and stars will swirl
gently around, far brighter and clearer than the tiny projector lens suggests
it might. The camera also features a speaker which can be used to play a choice
of 19 different lullabies or, via the microphone on the hand-held unit, can be
used to talk to your baby.
On that note, the mic on the camera is exceptionally
sensitive, and when placed approximately three feet from your sleeping tot, you
can hear them breathing. We found this especially reassuring, as most other video
baby monitors we've tested seem capable only of picking up loud sounds like
talking and crying. Actually hearing that your child is sleeping soundly makes
the whole process of leaving them in
another room that little bit more bearable.
The night vision of the BT Video Baby Monitor 7500 Lightshow
is unique as the IR bulbs around the lens don't eerily glow red as with other
baby monitors. There is also a gentle night light on the unit, should the
motion of the projected light show not be to your taste. This is also useful to
help mum and dad get back into the room without switching on the light and
disturbing the wee one.
The hand-held or 'parent' unit is very user friendly,
allowing you to control all of the camera's functions. Featuring a 3.5"
touch screen, the movements of the camera, as well as the zoom, lullaby, and
mic are all easy to work. It also has a dedicated charging dock allowing you to
leave it on the side, or keep it with you as you walk about the house.
So with some very unique features, the BT Video Baby Monitor
7500 Lightshow stands out from the huge baby monitor crowd. Even if you're not
bothered about the light show itself, this is still a very capable video
monitor for those who do not to mess around with their WiFi network.
£179.98