I have tried video baby monitors in the past but most have performed poorly. I recently got a chance to try the Levana Babyview 20 (from Amazon.com) and it worked very well. Essentially it is a wireless camera with a separate audio/video receiver with a 2 inch screen. It can be used to monitor audio and video from the camera upto 150 feet away. Thought it is marketed as a baby monitor, the Levana Babyview can be used for a variety of functions. The following is my complete review which is also posted on Amazon.com

The Levana Babyview20 seems pretty pricey at first until you actually use it. While it is marketed primarily as a baby monitor, It has a number of innovative and useful features which make this monitor well worth price.

*** Features ***

Unlike many other video monitors, the Levana Babyview uses digital transmission which means that the video cannot be viewed by others using a 2.4ghz monitor. Another advantage to the digital signal transmission is that there is no interference from or to wifi, microwave ovens, or cordless phones.

The Levana also features a VOX transmission feature which means that the receiver will only show video and play audio when it detects that there is sound in the room. This means that the receiver will turn on automatically when your baby makes a sound or moves. Very handy if you want to save battery life on the receiver. Of course this can be turned off in case you want to monitor your baby continuously.

The Camera also has night lights and a lullaby feature which can be turned on remotely from the receiver.

*** Initial Impressions:***

The Unit is well made and seems to be made to withstand minor drops or bumps. The handheld unit is reasonably sized and the screen is the right balance of being large enough to see clearly yet small enough to make the receiver portable. There is a clip on the back of the reciever which can be used to mount the handheld unit to your belt or swivel it around to use as a desktop stand. The clip is the only part of the unit that seems a bit fragile.

Another big plus is that both the receiver and the camera can be used with batterie in addition to the A/C adapters. The camera can use 4 AAA batteries (not included) and the receiver uses a replaceable lithium battery which means that this device is truely portable and if the battery ever wears down you simply replace it with a new one or use the ac adapter.

*** Setup: ***

Setup is very easy. Simply plug in the adapters and turn on the monitor and instantly you have a picture and audio of whatever the camera is pointing at. The receiver unit has buttons on the side to control the contrast of the LCD screen as well as a volume/on off slider. The other side has buttons which turns the music on and off on the camera, as well as change songs.

The front has small lights that tell you when each of the functions is on and it has multiple LED lights to give you a visual representation of the audio in case you keep the volume turned down. The camera comes with a crib mount and also a magnetic stand to place it on a flat surface like a desk or dresser.

*** Picture Quality: ***

The small screen makes for a small picture and it is about medium resolution but it is definitely good quality. I found no interference at all from other appliances or from Wifi or cell phones. Unfortunately the video is less than 30 frames a second (probably more like 20-25) which means that motion is not fluid. This is not really a big deal since this is a monitor and not a video camera! The range is very good and works all over my house even on mulitple floors. One thing that sets this monitor apart from the rest is that it has a an automatic night vision feature. The camera automatically senses when it is dark and it switches on 9 infrared LEDs so that it can see in total darkness. This means you can see your baby perfectly when the lights are out. The only drawback to this feature is that you cannot place the camera infront of a window at night because the infrared light will be reflected back into the camera.

*** Other Uses: ***

Though this is marketed as a baby monitor it can be used for a number of other things. You can place the camera near a front window (during the day) and be able to see who is at the front door without having to get up (or come downstairs). You can also use this as a makeshift security monitor. I have also found this helpful for being able to see in tight and cramped situations like under a kitchen sink (to check for leaks) or to peek into a cramped attic. My wife even suggested that this would make a handy improvised backup camera for a large SUV. There are a lot of possibile uses for this "baby monitor."

*** Positive Points Include: ***

- Compact size

- Good quality video

- Video is a secure connection so others will not be able to view your home.

- Easy Setup and has multiple uses

- Works with AC adpaters or batteries so it truely portable

- User replaceable batteries so you don't need to discard it once the batteries lose charge

- Lots of features like night lights and sounds

*** Negative Points Include: ***

- Video framerate is less than 30fps so video is a bit jerky but its very good for its intended purpose.

- Swivel clip on the back of the receiver seems a bit delicate

- The camera portion is a bit large and could be smaller.

- No video output so no chance of recording video (then again thats not what this is made for!)

Overall the Levana Babyview20 is very good and well worth its price when you consider the multiple uses that can be found for it. I took off half a star because of the low frame rate and the rather large size of the camera. Other than that this is one of the better video monitors on the market. Amazon.com sells the Levana Babyview 20 for signigicantly less than list price. You may want to check the link posted at the beginning of my review.