List Price: £145 / $170
Type: Video Monitor
My Rating: 80%
The Good – It is very well priced in the US; Great range; 2.4″ TFT Screen with night vision (up to 15 ft in the dark); Secure Communications; Automatic noise activation helps to ensure a good battery life between charges.
The Bad – It is far too expensive in the UK; The unit does not emit an audible warning when the battery is running very low; The room also needs to be very light for the screen to display in colour.
The Bottom Line – The Infant Optics DXR-5 is a good video baby monitor.
Build Quality
Whilst the build quality of the Infant Optics DXR-5 is generally good, the plastic casing on the unit has a slightly less luxurious feel to it than its big sister unit – Infant Optics DXR-8 – As in all things in life, you get what you pay for and this unit is significantly cheaper than the DXR-8. At the end of the day, the cheaper plastic does not detract from the functionality and is certainly strong enough to survive normal everyday usage.
Key Features
- 2.4″ TFT colour screen with night vision (can see up to 15ft in darkness)
- Power-saving noise activation system
- Secure FHSS Data Encryption system to keep your communications private
- Great range of communications (150 ft indoors, 800 ft outdoors)
- Good battery life
- Fitted with a 900mAh Li-on battery, it can operate with or without its power adapter.
You will probably be wondering how this unit compares with the DXR-8, which is twice the price of the DXR-5.
The main differences appear to be a smaller screen size, no zoom facility and no interchangeable lenses (widescreen etc). If you can live with this reduced functionality then there is little point if paying the extra money for the DXR-8.
Since the DXR-5 is not packed with lots of unnecessary additional features, it is very easy to use.
Power Saving Noise Activation System
After 3 minutes of silence, the unit goes into standby mode and saves power. As soon as a sound is heard, the unit is activated again. Whilst this is a very useful function, it can also be switched on and off.
Secure FHSS Data Encryption System
This is similar to the DECT system used to protect purely audio communications. FHSS Date Encryption ensures that both your audio and video transmissions are kept private and confidential.
Watch the Infant Optics DXR-5 Video Review:
Customer Service
The manufacturer of this product takes customer service very seriously. I have heard extremely positive reports in relation to both the speed and helpfulness of the manufacturer’s response to problems. It is always pleasing to deal with a company that sends out a replacement unit before asking you to return the faulty one first.
Conclusions
This unit will definitely be top of my list if I ever need to buy another baby monitor. It is a well-built product, manufactured by a company with great customer service, and the price is not inflated by impressive (but ultimately unnecessary) features.
Where to Buy the Infant Optics DXR-5 Video Baby Monitor
US customers can buy the DXR-5 here
UK customers can buy the DXR-5 here
Further Information
If you have any feedback or questions about my Infant Optics DXR-5 Review, please feel free to leave a comment below or send an email to kristian@kidsafetyfirst.com
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