Scary problem with video baby monitors!

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More and more parents are investing in baby monitors as a safe way to keep an eye on their infants and toddlers. But in some cases activating a baby monitor can do more harm than good.

We experienced the dangers of baby monitors first hand by powering up a baby monitor in a car and driving around a Long Island neighborhood.

Within in five minutes we got our first hit, an empty baby crib, which popped up on our baby monitor screen. The more we drove the more cribs our receiver picked up. Some cribs were empty but some had babies inside of them.

Many baby monitors also have an audio feature so with our baby monitor we could listen to what was happening inside of the home.

We parked outside of Nassau County resident Renee McNulty’s home and with our baby monitor heard her children playing and a conversation she was having on the telephone even though we were more than 200 feet away in a parked car.

She had left the camera from her baby monitor on and it was transmitting that video and information which our baby monitor picked up.

"I had no clue until you guys knocked on my door and said we could see your baby crib and it's scary," said McNulty.

There's nothing special about the baby monitor we bought. It ‘s a standard model that costs just $99. But what it does do is expose the danger many parents are bringing into their homes.

“There's a lot of child pedophiles out there and you never know which house they're living in and if they have a picture of your child they know there's a baby living in there," said McNulty.

It’s information and images not only perverts could access but also burglars.

"He knows every conversation you're having, he knows what time you're leaving the house for dinner or for the wedding. He knows when you're going to be home and when you're not going to be home," says Detective Sergeant Devin Ross from the Nassau County Police Department.

Ross runs the department’s electronics squad ,which is responsible for surveillance. He says many baby monitors transmit sound and video on a very simple frequency, too simple.

"The problem is that in that common frequency range 2.4 GHZ, most of the baby monitors only have four channel options,” says Ross.

Many of the affordable monitors don't have a digital lock, so if it's on the monitor can be transmitting hundreds of feet outside of the home.

In one neighborhood an infant sleeping inside of a crib popped up on our monitor – and it wasn't too hard for us to find the exact location.

"Little scary. Don't know what to say. I'm watching him move and you're watching him in the car. That's crazy,” said new dad and Nassau County resident Steve Penagos, who was stunned when we showed him how we could see his child from inside our vehicle.

Like many parents, Penagos turns off the receiver when he's not using the baby monitor but leaves on the camera. That’s a big mistake.

Det. Sgt. Ross advises parents to buy a baby monitor with a single digital channel. And he recommends you look for a security guarantee on the box.

If you already have a baby monitor he says the monitor and camera should be turned off when not being used, and to never point the camera at a wide space which would show a burglar the inside of your home.

"The monitor is on the whole time plugged in we turn off our monitor but we don't turn off that [camera] so they would know if we're home or not. Scary really scary," said Penagos.

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

This is so scary!

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

My friends neighbor knocked on her door one day. Apparently she could see my friends baby on her baby monitor. Crazy right? When she told me I was freaked out

I plan on shutting mine off when not in use, We have a small place so I really do not need a monitor that much

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

Crashing... We have the Summer Infant video monitor for DD. It is digital and we have 2 other infants withing a 6 house radius and we have never had a problem with the channels corssing. And we always turn it off when it isn't being used.

Message edited 11/23/2010 1:56:55 PM.

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

wow that is real scary - if i get one - i will never leave it on at night or when the baby is not in there only when i am walking around the house to check in on them

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

if you buy a DIGITAL model, you wont have this issue. this issue is with ANALOG (less expensive) models

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This issue is for analog monitors.

Make sure to get a digital one and you won't have this problem.

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Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

I watched that video today....always giving us something to worry about...and you gotta love how the news just gave that idea to ppl who wouldn't have thought of it..lol

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ugh this creeps me out so bad

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

That's very scary!
We didn't get a video monitor though, so it's not something that we will have to worry about.

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

Every three months or so this same subject comes up to scare new parents.

I couldn't live without my video monitor, and never had an issue.

Like the BTDT moms said - don't get a cheap monitor and you won't have this issue.

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

I got one as a gift. I'm trying to find out if its digital or not though....

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

Posted by maymama

if you buy a DIGITAL model, you wont have this issue. this issue is with ANALOG (less expensive) models

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

I can see the little boy around the block and his mom can see my DD....it bothered me at first, but I am over it. And my monitor was not cheap...it is a Summer Infant and it was $200!

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Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

the big name in video monitors is summer infant...they basically make 3 main systems:

Complete Coverage System (with handheld and 7" flat panel LCD screen) - $299...NOT DIGITAL

BestView - pan/zoom feature...$199 - DIGITAL

Slim 'n' Secure - $199 - DIGITAL


so don't assume because it's pricey that it's digital because the $300 is analog!!!!

Message edited 11/23/2010 7:40:24 PM.

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!

I read this article and got nervous as well..thanks for the clarification about digital vs. analog...also will know to turn off when we are not home/using it

Re: Scary problem with video baby monitors!