I have been using a Motorola MBP36 for almost 1 year (purchased on December 2011), and it died on me last month. I have to say MBP36 is quite decent unit until it is broken. Motorola's customer service is absolutely horrible, and they will replace your broken unit with another broken unit. I finally give up with all the hassle and decided to look for another baby monitor. I came up across that Samsung recently released new baby monitors, so I tried SEW-3036, but without pan and tilt, it was no use to me.Between SEW-3036 and SEW-3037, the price different is $50 and that's the price for pan and tilt function with night light. The parent unit of SEW-3036 and SEW-3037 have very similar design, button layout, and function. In SEW-3037's product description, it advertised as 900 foot coverage when 3036 has 800 foot coverage. But to me, it was pretty much same.
Let's compare between SEW-3037 and MBP36 here:
Resolution: SEW-3037 < MBP36
With level 5 brightness setting, MBP36 looks more colorful than SEW-3037. SEW-3037 is clam and darker display. If you will constantly check the monitor, SEW-3037 will be better because MBP36 is too bright and color smudges when you stare it for long time.
Interface: SEW-3037 > MBP36
Button layout of 3037 is way much better than MBP36 because when you control the baby camera, MBP36 is giving you a hard time since navigation control is located in the left side as vertical line. I always confused with up and down (top two buttons) and right and left (bottom two buttons). On the other hand, 3037's navigation control is round shape which is pretty common for controlling pan and tilt camera and easy to control. Clearly, for controlling the camera unit, 3037 is the winner.
Night Vision: SEW-3037 > MBP36
Because of calm and invisible IR display, 3037 looks better than MBP36 in the night time.
Sound: SEW-3037 > MBP36
The accuracy of sound level is identical between 3037 and MBP36, but 3037 has VOX feature which I really like. I do not know why MBP36 does not have VOX feature when it is pretty much standard for baby monitors. Moreover, accessing volume control in the night with MBP36 gives you pain since you have to go through the main menu to change the volume. On the contrary, 3037's volume control button is located on left side of parent unit which is convenient in the night. 3037 supports mute when MBP36 doesn't.
Pan & Tilt Camera: SEW-3037 > MBP36
Rotating speed and angle is identical. 3037 camera has more slick and professional looking. MBP36 has temperature sensor when 3037 doesn't. Yet, 3037 has night light which can be turned on or off from the parent unit.
In my opinion, these two units are quite identical to each other and have crucial features of baby monitors, but yet, Samsung clearly did their homework to improve down flows of MBP36 by making SEW-3037 more user-friendly and get rid of unnecessary features such as temperature sensor. SEW-3037 is a well-built baby monitor that I highly recommend for anyone. If you are looking for updated version of MBP36, this is it.
A video giving you the truth about the start up sound...Another reviewer did a beautiful comparison with the motorola PTZ (pan tilt zoom) unit, and based on that review I decided to try this monitor, not the motorola. However, there were aspects of this monitor I was not happy with, so I also purchased the summer infant touch, and compared them side by side for a few days. Here are my thoughts following this experiment:
INTERFACE-Zoom: I use caps for this one and put it first, because that was probably the most important issue for me. The time I use a monitor most (I've had one with a smaller screen for almost 2 years) is at night. At night, one doesn't want to think much. The first thing I noticed on the samsung is that it took *6* key presses navigating through the menu to toggle the zoom. Really??? Yes... At that many presses, I found the zoom feature basically useless. In the summer infant, you touch the screen to turn the menu on, and the zoom is right there one touch. Beautiful.
Interface-other: Generally, I found the Summer infant easier, more pleasant, and faster to navigate. For instance, the sleep option on the samsung (toggle video off/on) is a small button on the middle right. You have to feel for it in the dark. In the summer infant, it's the biggest button on the top, middle. Kinda like where you'd want a snooze, trivial to hit without even looking. Volume controls are about equivalent, perhaps a touch easier on the summer infant. Both require about 5 menu clicks to switch between cameras, but it feels easier to do with the summer infant. Both have a "scan through cameras automatically" feature. Lastly, at night, the summer infant menu lights up on the screen with big icons, in a nice blue. Very very easy to navigate in the dark. With the samsung, you're kinda feeling your way around the navigation. It's easy enough (circular with the "ok" in the center), but not as nice. OH, and as you do that, you might accidentally turn the night light on or off, because the OK button is also the night light button. I often found the night light NOT where I thought I left it (on when I thought it would be off and vice versa).
Features-****Start-Up Tune****: The most annoying "feature" of the Samsung. If the Samsung is off (not "sleep", full off), when you turn it on it plays a quite loud start-up tune. I can't even begin to say how annoying I found it. It's the kind of tune that would wake up partner, and could also wake up a nearby lightly sleeping child. I dealt with it by never turning it off, and just using the sleep option. There's no such thing on the summer infant.
Image quality: quite comparable. The Summer infant is a bit "sharper" and the samsung a bit smoother, but both allow you to see the baby equally well. Screens are the exact same size.
Features-VOX: This is ONLY on the Samsung. The video will automatically come on (from sleep mode) if anything more than ambient noise is picked up. I found it not that useful once on, it doesn't turn off again when the noise is gone, so you have to manually turn it off. I am a light sleeper, so the light of the monitor suddenly coming on in the middle of the night because of a cough for instance, and then having to turn it off, did NOT appeal to me. Others seem to like it. Perhaps it's useful in a really noisy situation, when you're unlikely to hear. But in such circumstances (e.g. hosting guests?), I can't imagine you'd have your eyes glued to the screen anyhow, and it's not like it would attract a lot of attention in daylight at least.
Features-night light: Only the samsung has a night light feature you can control remotely. I don't care about that feature, but if it's important to you, do consider. By the way, it's easy to turn it on/off accidentally when navigating the menu, because it's the same button as the "ok" one.
Features-talk back: Both units have that. Again, not something I use often, I'd say it's equivalent.
Bulkiness: The summer infant is just thinner enough and smaller enough to make it feel much nicer when hand held. It's just "sleeker" to hold when carrying it around or holding it to navigate menus.
Stand: The summer infant has that magnetic base that saves you having to unplug it every time you take it around. I have to admit I LOVE it. Both units also have a pull out stand, and again, somehow the summer infant one gives a more convenient angle of viewing and feels more stable, even without the magnetic base.
So, my conclusion: I am pretty sure there is a good chance the samsung has better reliability than summer infant, although it's hard to know since this monitor just came out. However, it's clearly feels like the summer infant is designed by people who know parents and parents needs better than the samsung people. And I decided I prefer to take my chance on reliability, for a monitor that feels easier and nicer to use, and serves my needs better the summer infant. I should probably also mention that when my previous summer infant monitor broke (the one with the smaller screen that I am now upgrading), summer infant answered the phone immediately, and within 5 minutes they had arranged for a replacement to be mailed to me at no charge (unit was still in warranty), so I was happy enough with their customer service. That said, if you don't care about the zoom feature, bulkiness of hand unit or start-up tune, and having a night light option, the VOX feature or better reputation for reliability, the Samsung is probably a better choice for you.When my now-four-year-old was a baby, we had a smaller setup made by Graco with a flip-top monitor. It was good, and I touted its benefits to any new parents that would listen...and I still firmly believe having a video monitor was the reason he started sleeping through the night at three months. We didn't go in there to check on him constantly, thus waking him up. When he cried, we could simply look at him and know he was fine, giving him the opportunity to learn how to self-soothe. And that was the coolest part, watching him figure things out for himself. We kept it in his room until just about six months ago, because we just loved watching him be independent, reading on his own, etc. Then we moved our wireless router closer to his room and all hell broke loose. Whether the thing was dying, or it was wifi interference, I didn't have the patience to figure it out. So it's gone.
Flash forward to now, when we are expecting our second child any day. We moved the boy to a room farther away from us, and I wanted my spying capabilities back. We bought this setup and let me tell you, it is the freakin' BEST. The pan and tilt feature is priceless, because I can actually see where he is in the room (or if he's on the pot...now THAT's funny). He is acutely aware of it this time around, but the intercom feature has helped tremendously. We don't use it often, but when I do, it saves this very pregnant mama a trip down the hall.
The picture quality with daylight or lights on is excellent. The night vision is just that...night vision. Don't expect CIA-level clarity, but it works for the purpose. I can always tell when his eyes are still open because in night vision, they glow. A little creepy, but immediately noticeable. And there has been zero interference with our wifi.
We are purchasing a whole second setup (cam AND monitor) for the baby's room. Because the boy's camera is partly for security, I was uncomfortable having to choose whom to watch, and the ten-second automatic toggle was not something I thought I could deal with well. It's my hope that I can tell the baby's unit to operate as Camera 2 and not interfere with boy's setup. I'll also try it with just the second cam on the same monitor and see how I like it. I promise to update here and report how well my dual spycam idea works.
Bottom line: if you are choosing between just an audio monitor and one with video, get video. If you are deciding which video monitor to get, this is the one. You get what pay for, and this certainly is worth the price.
Update on 2/27/13: The idea with operating the whole second unit (cam + monitor) was a flop. The interference was such that having both on meant that one would say "out of range" or worse, freeze the picture (giving the impression that it was transmitting, but it was not). Can't blame Samsung, I just had to try it for myself. I did take the opportunity of having two cameras in the house to see how I liked the automatic 10-second toggle, and I'm happy to report that it'll do. If it's showing my son's room, I can pan and tilt and it won't switch back to the baby's room until 10 seconds after I'm done manipulating it. I wish I could have them both simultaneously on a split screen, but oh well. The two-cam/one monitor situation will work well, and it was super easy to pair the second camera with the monitor. Now I'm returning the second setup and buying just the second camera. Still a great deal!Samsung SEW-3037W Baby Monitor
First, I am not using this to monitor a baby. I am using it to monitor a dog for house training. Many issues are similar, but I may not require some of the features you will. Yes, I know it's an expensive way to train a dog, but what does it cost to get a carpet cleaned?
This system can also be used as an interior security system but would require that someone actually monitor it. It does not record, nor does it send signals to your computer so you can record it there.
The Samsung web site does not list an SEW-3037W. It does list an SEW-3037WN. I couldn't tell what the difference is. Also, the manual for the SEW-3037W (or the SEW-3037WN) is not available to download there yet. The manual included with my SEW-3037W seems to have been written by someone who does not speak English as a native language. It's pretty basic, but then again this isn't a complicated system.
There are several reviews here that address issues with this system. Here's my evaluation of the features/issues:
First, the start-up sound. Everyone is correct in that the start up sound is obnoxious and you cannot turn it off. That said, it isn't nearly as loud as I expected after reading the reviews. It's perhaps as loud as a normal, conversational voice. I realize that this can wake a sleeping baby, but you don't have to turn the monitor on in the baby's room. You can move to another room if you are concerned and turn the monitor on while holding it under a pillow or something. Contrary to an earlier comment, on my unit the sound plays only when the main switch is moved out of OFF. It's an annoyance, but not reason enough to reject this otherwise excellent monitor system.
VOX is a term used with two-way radios. It means that the system is in standby until a sound is detected. Then it will turn on automatically. The VOX mode is selected via the main switch: OFF-VOX-ON. The display will remain on all the time in the ON mode, whether it's plugged in or not. In the VOX mode, the monitor turns off one minute after you select that mode, plugged in or not. It will then turn on again if it detects a sound from the camera's microphone. You can select either high or low sensitivity for the VOX mode.
The camera's microphone is very sensitive and will send even faint audio to the monitor. There is a volume control on the monitor which can be turned down all the way to off. Even with the monitor's speaker off the sound-indicating LEDs still work.
BATTERY LIFE: As mentioned earlier, with the monitor power switch in ON the monitor will stay on until the battery dies. After charging the brand new battery fully, my monitor operated for 4 hours and 56 minutes on battery power alone. This will surely decline as the battery ages, but I consider this to be excellent battery life. The camera must be plugged into its power supply at all times to operate.
As stated in earlier reviews, there is no fast, easy way to zoom in or out. You must go through a menu selection process which is a nuisance. The camera does not have a full zoom range. You can select either normal or 2x zoom, nothing in between. The system's resolution is good enough that I find I don't have to zoom, but your setup may be different. Lenny noted in his excellent 15 January 2013 review that in the 2x zoom mode the pan and tilt is disabled. Contrary to a different earlier review, Lenny is correct. You can digitally move within the normal viewing area by using the pan and tilt controls, but the camera head will not move. If you needed to mount the camera some distance from the bed, you may prefer to leave it in the 2x zoom mode all the time. In normal mode the angle of view is acceptable, but it is not the same as a wide-angle lens.
Given the fact that the camera doesn't have a wide viewing angle, the pan and tilt feature is welcome. It's very easy to control via buttons on the front of the monitor. The buttons are laid out in an intuitive arrangement. The camera moves very smoothly and quietly at all times.
The resolution is excellent. It's easy to see what's going on, even in the night vision mode. The camera has built-in infrared LEDs that illuminate the area in the dark. The infrared light is undetectable to the human eye so it won't wake your child. In the daytime, or with plenty of other light, the display is in color. In the night vision mode the display switches to black-and-white, but the picture is still excellent.
The system even comes with a small screw and a plastic anchor for attaching the screw to a hollow wall. The camera can be mounted on the screw head and is very secure in this position. It can be removed easily if you want to move it. The camera MUST be plugged into its power supply at all times to operate. The two power supplies/chargers are identical.
Other controls and indicators on the monitor include a volume up/down rocker switch to set the volume on the monitor. The monitor has a column of lights beside the screen to indicate the volume level of the camera's microphone. More lights equals louder sound.
The monitor's controls are set up to be controlled with your right hand. If you use your left hand you will find yourself reaching across the screen to push the commonly used buttons.
There is a push-to-talk button on the monitor that will send your voice to the camera's speaker. You can control the camera's speaker volume via a selection on the monitor. The menu also allows you to mute the camera's speaker so you don't inadvertently wake a sleeping baby by accidentally pushing the TALK button.
The button is used to enter choices from the menu. If you are not in a menu, the button turns the camera-mounted night light on or off. There is an indicator on the monitor screen that appears when the night light is on. It's easy to turn the light on or off inadvertently. It's also easy to check the monitor for the status of the night light.
The menu icons are not intuitive nor descriptive enough. For example, I wanted to turn the monitor's speaker on and couldn't do it via the menu. I puzzled over the menu speaker selection for a while until I realized that it controlled the speaker on the camera. I needed to use the monitor's volume control buttons to turn that speaker up.
The monitor also has a signal strength indicator, a camera number indicator, a clock, and a battery strength indicator, none of which can be turned off.
Except for the tortuous method to change the zoom, the controls are quite good.
Range is quite adequate for our house (not as large as Al Gore's, but not as small as a log cabin either). I use the monitor at opposite ends of the house and still have a five-bar signal, even with several interior walls between the units. I found that if the signal strength drops, moving the monitor just a few inches will make a big difference. Plan on leaving the monitor's antenna in the raised position all the time.
With the camera somewhat isolated and the monitor next to my computer there was no interference with our wireless G signal, in spite of using the same 2.4GHz band.
The monitor has a small stand so you can place the monitor on a desk and view it from a sitting position. It also has a belt clip. The monitor fits perfectly in the breast pocket of most men's shirts.
An earlier reviewer mentioned that she didn't want the pan and tilt feature because she didn't want to pay for it. If that's the case with you, consider the Samsung SEW-3036WN for $50 less (as of 9 February 2013). It uses a different camera, but seems otherwise to have all the same features as the SEW-3037W.
You can buy additional cameras. The one that matches this system is here: ???
If you are considering using this system with more than one camera, be sure to read sunflower's review from 26 January 2013. She brings up several important issues for multiple camera operation.
If something goes wrong with my system, I'd buy another one just like it. It gets four stars instead of five for the two items I don't like: the start-up sound and the difficult zoom selection.
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