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Reviews August 11, 2011 by David Goodspeed
Lorex LIVE SENSE Gives Parents (and Grandparents) Peace of Mind
Photos: Author Having never been blessed with children of my own, I never quite got a grasp of everything new parents had to worry about nor how extensive their “to-do” list was … until last Christmas when we got word of the impending arrival of my wife’s first grandchild. Fast forward to July 26, and Baby J arrives in fine fashion. In no time I begin hearing “I can’t wait until we can start babysitting him over here.” What? The baby is coming here? “I’m not ready.” “The house isn’t ready.” “Where did the time go?” The very next day Gear Diary Team Members find an inquiry in their mailboxes asking if anyone has access to a little one. “Well,” I boasted proudly as I lit another baby blue stogey, “I do.”
Lorex, maker of wireless video surveillance equipment, wanted to send out a sample of their latest home baby monitor system. I jumped. I had not even thought about a baby monitor for the house for when we do keep Little J. Lorex to the rescue.
So as any proud geektechgrandfather would do, I ripped open the packaging and began playing with all the neat items in the box – didn’t even need the directions at first. I had their new LIVE SENSE system up and running in mere minutes, and the instruction booklet still had the plastic wrapping on it. After a few minutes of familiarization with the camera and monitor (along with some teasing of “grandma”), we hop in the car and head over to the kids’ house to get some quality time with the newborn and give them a rundown on the new Lorex device while comparing it with the unit they had purchased for their home. Immediately Daddy was impressed with the image quality. Resolution was hands down better than their wireless system. The next thing that caught their eye was the remote temperature gauge – Mommy especially loved this. Wait, there’s more. Hit the play button on the side and you can select from one of four pre-recorded lullabies. The Lorex LIVE SENSE system consists of two units: Remote camera and handheld display. Each can be powered by battery (the display features a built-in rechargeable) or by included power adaptor cables. Once the battery in the display is charged the unit can be carried anywhere up to a distance of 450 feet outdoors or 150 feet inside and still keep an eye (and ear) on your precious little one.
For parents blessed with multiple births or those want to monitor several children (or pets or whatever), the Lorex system allows monitoring up to four cameras at once. You can even keep an eye on daddy if he is napping when its his turn to change diapers. The LIVE SENSE comes with a micro-SD memory card as the unit allows for recording the video images, and these can be copied to your computer via card adaptor or USB cable, both of which are included. The record function can even be set to be activated by sound trigger. Want to see what’s happening back home with the sitter when you finally get a night out on the town? No problem. Log in to your Skype account from your iPhone or iPad and you can see what the camera is seeing. This can work as your “nannycam” as well as your home monitor. Need to leave the lights dimmed? No problem. LIVE SENSE cameras feature IR lighting, so seeing images in dark rooms is no problem.
The device features two-way talk and monitor along with a sound level meter next to the video display. Sound level sensitivity can be adjusted on the camera and both units have volume controls. Skype remote viewing, SD video recording, two-way talk, 3.5-inch LCD display, multi-camera monitoring and completely wireless functionality make this new Lorex LIVE SENSE home monitor a must-have for new parents (or grandparents). And we found the unit on sale right now at Best Buy ($169.99) making it an even better deal. Gotta run – great-grandpa is giving me lessons on the “I got your nose” and “Hey, pull my finger” routines.
Availability: http://lorexstore.lorextechnology.com/ MSRP: $199.99 (On sale at BestBuy.com for $169.99). What I Like: Clear image, good resolution (even in low light); remote capability; record function (can be set to record on sound trigger); temperature gauge. What Needs Improvement: Would like to be able to add to music selection; perhaps still image capture capability.
Gear Diary- David Goodspeed requested to review the Lorex LIVE SENSE. The article ran on Thursday, August 11th: http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/11/lorex-live-SENSE-givesparents-and-grandparents-peace-of-mind/.
