Today we are taking a look at two teleprompters by PrompterPeople – the studio unit: Prompter People Prompter Pal Teleprompter and the compact highly portable PrompterPeople PocketCue V2.
Concept
Studio teleprompters are a big part of the video industry, used mostly in broadcast. And as all things broadcast, they are big, clunky, and heavy, since there is no need to transport them. Today we’re looking at two versions of teleprompters by PrompterPeople that combine studio functions and design with portability.
Prompter People Prompter Pal Teleprompter – robust studio teleprompter
Disclaimer
Studio tools are designed for studio-specific workflows, for example, having a dedicated prompter monitoring and sending text for the talent to read. The design language and functionality are all geared to the studio environment.
The set of accessories that PrompterPeople has included in our kit doesn’t all fit our workflow, so we will only focus on what works for us.
The rig
Something that we’ve been working on in our studio lately is preparing dedicated rigs for specific shooting setups. The Prompter People Prompter Pal Teleprompter has been our daily driver for these review shoots. It’s a pretty heavy setup, so we’ve decided to keep it on a stand for ease of movement. It also frees up the tripods and takes up less space when not in use.
PrompterPeople provides modular sleds to put this rig together. To set this up, we used this monitor sled that connects to a base plate with two slide-in fasteners. This long sled holds the reflective glass, the prompter monitor, and the talent monitor.
This sled acts as a rail, and the position of the monitors can be easily adjusted. There are stoppers that screw into place to prevent accidental falls. There is plenty of space on these sleds to accommodate more accessories, so we suggest PrompterPeople come up with holders for the monitor power blocks.
The glass mount is collapsible for easier storage and transporting. It locks in place with thumbscrews on both sides. The hood is made of fabric and uses Velcro to attach to the frame. This implementation is kind of finicky since the fabric tends to sag and can come into frame. A silicone hood would work a lot better.
The back sled is removable for transporting or in case you want to set the prompter up on a separate stand from the camera. We’ve tried this before, but it kind of defeats the purpose of an all-in-one dedicated rig.
The sled hooks onto the frame and has a screw to keep it in place. It comes with an adjustable slider operated by a tension wheel. We also added a quick release here for ease of use.
PrompterPeople included a couple of risers to accommodate different-sized cameras. In our case, using a long lens with a foot, we don’t need to adjust the height. There is also a counterweight in this kit to help balance this setup on a fluid head.
Different inputs on the side of the Prompter People Prompter Pal Teleprompter
In use
Using a prompting monitor instead of a tablet is great for this dedicated setup since there is a lot less prep work. There are only 3 cables to connect for this whole rig: the power cable, the HDMI to the camera for the talent monitor, and the HDMI to the laptop for the prompter.
To send text to the prompter, there is a software provided by PrompterPeople, but we’ve had some trouble with it. We tried some different options, and they have similar settings, like font size and color.
We’ve brought this rig along for production, and, even though it’s not exactly portable, the packing is pretty quick. There is a padded carrying bag available separately for transporting. PrompterPeople also offers a special v-mount holder and a D-tap cable for battery-powered operation in the field.
Here’s an interesting way to make a wireless rig with this setup. The two monitors can run off 1 V-mount battery that also has a USB port to power a wireless HDMI receiver. We thought of a way to make use of the rails on the sleds to mount this receiver.
At first, it looked like the size of a regular cold shoe mount, but it didn’t fit. Sanding down the sides took too long. But it turned out that these countersink ¼’’ screws fit perfectly. The only problem is that they spin around. But in our studio setup that’s not a problem. Hopefully, PrompterPeople can come out with some holder accessories for ¼’’ mounts for their sleds. [I hope they don’t forget locating pins.]
With this setup we eliminate cables, and both monitors and the receiver run off a 98 Wh battery. We only have to connect the talent monitor to the camera to start shooting.
The Prompter People Prompter Pal Teleprompter – in use in the “field”
PocketCue V2
The smaller PocketCue version is of course a lot more portable. Basically, it’s a metal frame connected with screws to a base to hold the screen, the hood, and the camera all in one.
The hood is removable and is held in place with magnets. There is a failsafe on the top, but none on the sides, which opens pretty easily with the weight of the glass. [we’ve actually dropped the glass onto the wooden floor in our studio, but it didn’t break – quality glass.]
On the back of the frame, there is an interchangeable back cover for a phone or a camera. The fabric sleeve on the back eliminates light leaks. It’s really simple, and it would’ve been a lot better in silicone. Maybe PrompterPeople can redesign this since it’s a modular design and could easily be replaced.
The base of this rig has a single ¼’’ mount on the bottom. It features flat rail holders to fasten the tablet base or the screen on the front and a camera bracket on the back. This design feels a little too simplistic and lacks a battery mount for the screen option.
The rail V-mount holder could work here if the bracket had a rail. Actually, this rail design is a pretty good idea. These simple brackets could be a lot more useful if they had these rails, so you could mount the talent monitor and other accessories. The good thing about this whole system is that it’s modular, and any innovations can be added easily.
The compact Pocket Cue
Conclusion
So, who are these products for? The simplistic design language of these systems is definitely a limiting factor for a lot of users. Though modular and can be transported, these prompters are a lot better in the studio, where they are rigged for a specific shooting setup. The all-in-one rig is actually very easy to use and it’s become our go-to setup for these reviews.
Pricing
As for pricing, the Prompter Pal Teleprompter sells for $1350 and the PocketCue V2 is currently selling for $250. There are different kits available with accessories and add-ons, so consult the company’s website to see all the pricing.
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