Nursery Link Check product guide
Babysense HD S2 5-Inch Split-Screen Video Baby Monitor, Two Cameras
Watching two rooms side by side, with an outlet at each camera
The HD S2 puts two plug-in cameras on one 5-inch 720p parent unit over a 2.4GHz FHSS link, with split screen, a three-level night light on each camera, and white noise and lullabies. Its manual specifies up to 960 ft in open space, up to 20 hours on VOX, and a six-foot distance from the cot for both the camera and its cord. Zoom is disabled while split screen is on.
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Published specifications
- Manual: up to 960 ft / 350 m transmission range, open space with no obstructions
- Manual: 5.0-inch TFT LCD, 1280x720; x2 and x4 digital zoom
- Manual: 4000mAh pack, about 20 h with VOX on or 12 h with the monitor on
- Manual: camera and cords at least 6 ft from the child; indoor use only
- Manual: temperature alert limits adjustable; night light with 3 levels on each camera
- Maker: one-year warranty, extendable to 18 months by registering online
Fit and limits
Strengths
- Two cameras and true split screen on one 5-inch 720p parent unit
- Adjustable temperature alert, three VOX levels and a night light on each camera
- Maker publishes the exact-model manual, a spec sheet and an 18-month warranty extension
Caveats
- Zoom is switched off while split screen is on, and audio follows one camera at a time
- The maker's 1,000 ft claim does not match the 960 ft in its own manual and spec sheet
- The manual has no pan or tilt procedure although the listing advertises remote pan and tilt
What the two-camera HD S2 is, and what ships in the box
The HD S2 is a 5-inch parent unit with two plug-in cameras, sold by Babysense. The user manual attached to the listing names the model HD S2 and covers both the one-camera and two-camera versions; its cover gives the company as Hisense Ltd. of Hevel Modi'in Industrial Park, Israel, with support at babysensemonitors.com. Amazon's details list Model Name HD S2, Model Number "HD S2 - 2 Cameras", UPC 854459007741.
The manual's pack contents for the two-camera model are one parent unit, two cameras, three AC power adapters, two wall-mounting sets and the user manual. That is one adapter per camera plus one for the parent unit, and it means both cameras need their own permanent outlet. Amazon's power field says the same thing in fewer words: parent unit corded plus battery, camera corded only.
The parent unit's battery is a pre-installed 3.7V 4000mAh lithium-ion pack, and the manual's safety section describes it as non-removable. Babysense recommends keeping the parent unit plugged in whenever you can, and says a full charge takes about eight hours.
Two range numbers, and the manual's is the smaller one
Amazon's title and Babysense's product page both advertise 1,000 ft. The specification table printed in the user manual, and repeated in the separate troubleshooting sheet, says something different: transmission range up to 960 feet / 350 metres in open space with no obstructions. Those two documents come from the same maker, so this is a discrepancy inside Babysense's own material. We report both figures; confirm with Babysense which one applies to the unit you receive.
The manual is unusually direct about what the number means. Its warnings section says range on all baby monitors is always measured in an open space and that actual range may be shortened by environmental obstacles such as concrete walls. Its installation advice asks you to avoid placing the camera where thick walls or obstructions sit between camera and parent unit, and to keep the monitor at least five feet away from microwave ovens and Wi-Fi routers.
The link runs on 2.4GHz FHSS with GFSK modulation, a 4 Mbps data rate, 3.5 MHz channel bandwidth and 18 dBm transmitting power. There is no app, no Wi-Fi setup and no account. The maker's page and the listing both call the connection hack-proof; that is their wording, which this guide reports rather than tests.
The screen, the battery figures and the eight-hour charge
The manual specifies a 5.0-inch TFT LCD at 1280 by 720 pixels, and Babysense's own specifications tab repeats that. Amazon's fields instead say Display Type LCD with Screen Type IPS and a capture resolution of 720p. The panel technology is described differently in the two places; the pixel count is consistent at 720p.
Battery figures are consistent across all three sources for once: approximately up to 20 hours with VOX on, and approximately up to 12 hours with the monitor on, from the 4000mAh pack, with about eight hours to charge fully. The parent unit works normally while charging, and a red charging light turns green when it is done. A low-battery warning turns the battery icon red and adds a beep.
One setting can silence that beep and more. The Warning Alert Volume menu controls the audible alert for low battery, high or low temperature, and out of range. The manual states that selecting OFF mutes all of them, so there would be no acoustic notification at all in any of those three cases. If you set that to OFF for a quiet night, know exactly what you are switching off.
Placement: six feet of cord, six feet from the cot, indoor only
The manual's strangulation warning is stricter than the three-foot figure common on cord tags: it says to keep the camera, the parent unit and the mains adapter cables out of reach of your baby and other young children at all times, at least six feet away. It adds that cords should be secured and never hung on or near the cot, and that neither unit should ever go inside the cot, bed or playpen.
The setup section repeats the distance as a placement rule: the camera should be placed at least six feet away from the cot on a flat surface, or wall mounted. Aim it at a view that is free from dust and not in the line of sight of a strong light source or direct sunlight. Keep air circulating around both units and do not block the ventilation or speaker openings, and never cover either unit with clothes, towels or blankets.
The manual states the product is designed for indoor use only, with an operating range of 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and 5 to 90 percent relative humidity, and says it should not be exposed to rain, moisture or splashing. Amazon's table carries a "Waterproof Rating: IP65" field, which does not match the manual's indoor-only, keep-dry instruction. The manual also states in bold that the product is not a medical device and is designed only for hearing and seeing the baby, and asks you to check on the baby personally on a regular basis.
Split screen, zoom, sound and temperature: how the features interact
Split screen puts two cameras side by side, and the manual notes it only works when two or more cameras are paired. There is a catch worth knowing before you buy for twins: the manual says zoom is not available while split screen is on. Zoom itself is two-step, x2 and x4, on the OK/Zoom button. Audio follows a single camera at a time; SCAN mode rotates through the paired cameras, showing each for 15 seconds, and the camera-switch button moves between them by hand.
VOX is off by default. Once on, transmission stops and the screen goes dark if the camera hears nothing for 30 seconds, and resumes when it hears something above the level you set. There are three sensitivity levels plus OFF, which means constant transmission and no standby at all. The manual notes that with VOX active, sound from either camera will wake the display and show that camera.
The temperature sensor sits on the back of the camera and the reading shows at the top of the screen in Fahrenheit or Celsius. Here the manual contradicts itself within two pages: one note says the automatic alert triggers at 90 degrees Fahrenheit and higher or 55 and lower, while the temperature-alert section gives the default as below 15C/59F and above 31C/89F. The limits are adjustable either way, and we report both printed defaults rather than choosing one. The manual also advises stretching the sensor away from the camera body, since sitting too close to it affects the reading.
Cameras, night light, and what the pan-and-tilt claim rests on
Up to four cameras pair to one parent unit, and the manual documents adding and deleting them from the camera menu using the PAIR button on the camera. Babysense's own page adds a limit that matters in a two-parent household: a camera cannot be paired to more than one parent unit at a time. Each camera also carries a night light with three intensity levels, which you can set from the parent unit or by briefly pressing the camera's PAIR button. Five lullabies and a white-noise track play from the camera; the manual notes the loop plays only the five melodies and excludes the white noise, and that lullabies are off by default.
Pan and tilt need a caveat. Babysense's product page advertises 360-degree remote pan, tilt and zoom, and Amazon's bullet says remote pan and tilt. The user manual attached to the listing does not back that up: its operating sections run from 4.1 to 4.19 with no pan or tilt procedure, and its camera diagram lists no motor or movement control. We are not going to guess why the documents differ. If remote camera movement is the reason you are buying, ask Babysense to confirm it for the exact model you are ordering before you commit.
The warranty is one year from the date on your proof of purchase, stated both in the manual's warranty terms and on Babysense's site. The site adds that you can extend it to 18 months by registering the warranty online within the original warranty period, and says the period is always based on the documented purchase date. The manual asks you to keep the purchase receipt and attach it to the back page, because you will need to produce it for service. Support runs through [email protected] and a US toll-free line printed in the manual.
Check the current listing
Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Primary sources
- Babysense product page for the HD S2 two-camera video baby monitor
- Babysense HD S2 user manual, covering the one-camera and two-camera models, attached to the listing
- Babysense HDS2 troubleshooting guide and specification sheet, attached to the listing
Primary sources checked .
Compare with
- Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO 5-Inch Video Baby Monitor Full Kit
Parents who want a nursery camera with no app, account or internet link
- VTech VM819 2.8-Inch Video Baby Monitor with One Camera
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- HelloBaby HB6550 5-Inch Video Baby Monitor with Pan-Tilt Camera
One nursery where the camera can sit within about six feet of the cot
- eufy Baby Monitor E21 with 4K Camera and 5-Inch Monitor
Parents who want a portable camera and the option of a phone app
Side-by-side pages, this model next to: Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO 5-Inch Video Baby Monitor Full Kit, VTech VM819 2.8-Inch Video Baby Monitor with One Camera, HelloBaby HB6550 5-Inch Video Baby Monitor with Pan-Tilt Camera, eufy Baby Monitor E21 with 4K Camera and 5-Inch Monitor.