Comparison Baby Mix MC-FC vs Motorola MBP161

Player with external speaker built into the baby unit; lullabies, sounds of nature and other sounds pleasant for the baby can be played through it. The music box in baby monitors can be turned on remotely — this will allow you to lull or distract the baby without entering the room.

— Two-way talk. This function provides two-way communication: you can not only hear the baby, but you can also talk to him/her. For example, if the baby woke up late, the parent's voice may lull him/her back to sleep. In addition, two-way communication can come in handy when the baby grows up — a baby monitor with such an opportunity actually turns into a portable walkie-talkie that can be used in games or hiking.

— Camera control. The ability to control the baby monitor camera (refer to "Product type") from the parent unit. This greatly expands the possibilities for monitoring the child's room: for example, if the child got up from the crib and is not in the camera's field of view, you can turn the lens and control what exactly the child is doing.

— VOX mode. A system that reduces the power consumption of the parent unit, and consequently its runtime without recharging the batteries. It can be realized in different ways. For example, the parent unit can be constantly in a kind of “sleep mode” (LEDs are not lit, the display does not show anything, etc.), until the child unit detects any significant sound or the touch mat is triggered (see below); in some models, this mode can be switched on and off manually. Another option is the special ECO mode, which reduces transmitter power and therefore power consumption; it can be activated when the distance betwee...n units is short and significant power is not required.

— Volume control. The ability to adjust the volume of the sound of the parent unit. For example, in a noisy kitchen, the volume can be set to maximum to ensure that you can hear the sound from the speaker, and in a quiet atmosphere, the volume can be lowered to keep relatively soft sounds out of the way.

— Activity light indication. Baby monitors with this function are equipped with a special indicator that gives a light signal if the microphone of the child unit picks up noise in the room. Many models have a gradation of signals: for example, if the child just turned in his/her sleep, one LED is activated, and if he/she started crying, the entire set lights up. Such an alarm usually plays a supporting role, complementing the main speaker of the parent unit; in addition, in such devices, the speaker can often be turned off altogether and the baby monitor can be used in silent mode, with only a light indication.

— Vibration mode. Indication of activity in the child's room (increase in noise level) by vibration of the parent unit, similar to a vibration signal in mobile phones. Similar to light, such an alarm serves as an addition to the main speaker and can be used both in parallel with it, and separately as a silent mode; at the same time, it is more convenient than the light one (see above) — the parent does not have to constantly look at the device, because even without seeing it, he/she will immediately know about the operation. On the other hand, the price of models with vibration is higher.

— Out of range indicator. A special alarm on the parent unit, warning of the loss of communication with the child's unit. Without communication, the baby monitor becomes useless, and even dangerous, because the silence of the parent unit creates a false confidence that all is well. The presence of an out of range indicator will help to avoid such situations. Such an indicator can be visual (light indicator, signal strength indicator) or sound.

— Card reader. A card reader allows the device to work with removable memory cards — usually SD or microSD; the specific format and subtype of compatible cards needs to be specified separately. However, this function provides various additional features anyway. Memory cards are intended for storing recorded videos and photos (refer to "Baby unit"), downloading melodies for a music box, software updates, etc.

— Headphone output. A connector (usually a standard mini-jack 3.5 mm) that connects headphones to the parent unit and can be used to hear all sounds through the headphones. This feature can be useful, for example, if it is necessary to maintain maximum silence and any excessive sounds in the location of the parent unit are not desirable at all, or in a noisy place where there is a risk of missing a signal.

— Low battery indicator. The indicator that shows when the batteries in the parent unit are low. Usually, it warns in advance of the need to change or charge batteries, which reduces the likelihood of an unexpected failure of the baby monitor at the most inopportune moment.

— Timer. A kind of analogue of an alarm clock: after a specified time, the parent unit gives a signal, and parent will not miss the right moment (for example, when it is time for the baby to get up).

— TV connection. This provides the ability to watch the baby unit's broadcast on a TV, because the own screen of the baby monitor, even in the largest models, is very small (refer to “Screen size” for details) and not even comparable to the most compact TVs. In addition, the connection to a TV makes it possible to record video even if the baby monitor itself does not have such function (see below for more information on recording).

— Analogue. Analogue devices are as simple as possible in design, which ensures their low cost. On the other hand, they have a number of disadvantages — in particular, they are very susceptible to interference, have limitations on the format of transmitted data, and it is quite easy to listen to such a channel.

— Digital (DECT). Digital communication has a number of advantages over analogue one. For example, it provides the ability to transmit not only sound, but also video (refer to “Product type”), temperature and humidity sensor readings, etc. In addition, it is resistant to interference and eavesdropping and transmits the signal with minimal distortion. On the other hand, digital circuits are more complex and, as a consequence, more expensive than analogue circuits.

The type of power supply for the baby unit of the baby monitor (the parent unit, by definition, is made portable and has only autonomous power).

— Mains. Power supply from an ordinary 220 V household network. Mains devices are cheap and reliable, there are no batteries that can die at an unnecessary moment, but the area of their application is limited to apartments and other places where there are sockets, and they are useless in case of power failure in the network.

— Mains/battery. Baby monitors capable of either mains or battery power, at the option of the parent. These devices are the most versatile — they can be used both in ordinary apartments, connected to the mains, and in nature, in the countryside, etc., where there are no sockets (which is especially important if you have a model with two-way communication and you plan to use it also as a portable walkie-talkie). On the other hand, the presence of a battery slightly increases the cost. It is worth noting that even if you plan to connect the baby unit to the outlet, you do not need to remove the battery — the power switches to it only when there is no mains voltage; as a result, in normal mode, the battery does not run out, and in case of a power outage, it can play the role of an uninterruptible power supply.

The country of origin of the brand under which the product is marketed. Often indicated by the nationality of the company or the location of its headquarters. At the same time, the actual production capacity of the brand often differs from the country of origin.

It should be noted that the quality of products depends not so much on geography, but on the peculiarities of the organization of processes and quality control at all stages of production. Therefore, national prejudices regarding brands from certain regions, as a rule, are not supported by anything. It is necessary to pay attention to the country of origin of the brand only if the task is to fundamentally support or bypass the manufacturer from a particular country.