I've only used this a few times in the past 3 months and it still works great. My mom bought it for me brand new but I just moved into an apartment and I never use it anymore. The batteries in it are brand new. When your baby makes any noise, the portable receiver lights up. The monitor has a night light, it has 2 channels to minimize interference, it has a low battery indicator, and the portable receiver is AC powered or battery powered. It retails for $22.00.