Samsung SEW-3043W BrightView HD Baby Video Monitoring System review: Samsung’s baby monitor boasts more features for a high-end price

Buying a video baby monitor can be tricky. These gadgets range from $100 to $250, and their features are all over the place. Some have recorded stories to read to your child as they go to sleep; others don’t even have night vision. Either way, finding the right product is always a balancing game between the price and the device.

The Samsung SEW-3043W BrightView HD Baby Video Monitoring System is certainly more expensive than many competitors’ products, clocking in at $230. But it also offers one of the best suites of features. While a few major design limitations hold Samsung’s device back from greatness, it is still one of the better high-end video baby monitors out there.

Samsung has all the requisite features for a higher end video baby monitor: pan/tilt control, consistent 720p resolution, night vision, two-way audio, and sound alerts. Navigating the settings on the base station monitor to take advantage of those features is also quick and easy, as opposed to Motorola’s monitor.

A few feature omissions stand out to me, though. Most notably, there’s no additional app for remote viewing or video recording and playback. While that means the device is likely more secure, it also means you can only use it around the house.

The second problem with Samsung’s monitor is the base station screen itself. Unlike most competitors, Samsung boasts a touchscreen interface. But the touchscreen is so outdated that anyone with a smartphone will quickly feel frustrated using it. You have to press hard on the screen for it to register, and there is no swiping or scrolling. Instead, the buttons are located on the screen, rather than beside it. In the end, the touchscreen detracts from the quality of the user interface rather than enhancing it.

Despite those problems, Samsung’s device works well. I only experienced a few connection hiccups during the days I tested it, and none of them lasted more than ten or fifteen seconds. While $230 does feel pretty pricey for a video baby monitor, it’s a fair price for reliability.