Teleprompter recommendations

[Eric Coughlin]

What is a good teleprompter to buy?

My budget is in the $2k-$5k range, with a preference for being closer to $2k. If spending much more than $2k I'd like to know what improvements I'm getting.


I've been recommended these two...

https://ikancorp.com/shop/teleprompt...-teleprompter/

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...mera_flat.html

[chris f]

Unless there's a specific reason you want to spend that much, paired with an iPad this has worked great for me: https://caddiebuddy.com/teleprompter...ds-and-phones/

Have used on shoots both big and small, indoors and outdoors with no problems. Should save you about $2-$5K as well.

[Eric Coughlin]

12.9 inch 600 nit iPad vs 17" or 19" 1000 nit. iPad teleprompters are considered lower end solutions and I'm looking for a legit professional setup, the kind of setup that no client would ever question hiring my teleprompter setup over a professional teleprompter owner/operator setup. Then I can just hire a teleprompter operator at labor only. None of the professional teleprompter owner/operators are using iPad setups as their primary telelprompter.

Some teleprompter glass also can result in image degradation, color shift, darkening, etc., which I'd imagine the more expensive ones would be less likely to have.

Also, the more expensive the setup, the higher the rental rate, the higher the profit, within reason. I could easily charge $350 rental on a $2K teleprompter; not so much if renting out a $165 teleprompter (I guess with a few hundred dollar iPad).

I have a job coming up that I'll be making around $900 in teleprompter rental rather than renting one, so that job alone would pay for about half of a $2k teleprompter.

[CharlesPapert]

Would be a great question to ask the prompter operators you are looking into hiring, they may be able to warn you off the compromises inherent with those cheaper brands that an owner/operator might tend to overlook.

[Peter C.]

I can see the advantages of brightness for outdoors and size to allow talent to be farther away from camera. I would want to know from someone qualified before spending thousands more without knowing the benefits. IMHOP the 2k looks more than sufficient. If you're renting things out build quality is important.

[Matt Gottshalk]

I’m selling this QTV one that has been rock solid:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread...ase&highlight=

[Greg_E]

I would suggest an Autocue Master system with Qbox and shuttle based hand controller, but it would be WAY over your budget!

They have free software for an extra output on a PC, then you would just need the monitor, frame, and mirror.

[Grug]

If it were my money - I'd be getting the Eye-Direct.

Gives you the "Interrotron" option (of the interviewee looking at the interviewer "through" the lens), and paired with an iPad/tablet and some of the very reasonably priced teleprompter apps out there - can function as a regular teleprompter too.

You can also use the tablet functionality, to run interviews with remote interviewers via Zoom.

Very versatile, very useful setup.

[Eric Coughlin]

If it were my money - I'd be getting the Eye-Direct.

Gives you the "Interrotron" option (of the interviewee looking at the interviewer "through" the lens), and paired with an iPad/tablet and some of the very reasonably priced teleprompter apps out there - can function as a regular teleprompter too.

You can also use the tablet functionality, to run interviews with remote interviewers via Zoom.

Very versatile, very useful setup.

I already have an Eye Direct Mark II and I find it to be a poor teleprompter. It gets the job done, but not very well. It's always a pain to position the monitor just right, and the hole to view the monitor is rather on the small side. I've used a laptop and with the ergonomics of using a laptop with it it makes it difficult to access the buttons and view things easily from the operator's side.

Other than that, the EyeDirect has been a very useful addition and has already more than paid for itself since I bought it around six months ago. I used to dread getting EyeDirect requests because it's not easy to source, but now I can add a good rental rate to it and no one will question it because it is difficult to source otherwise.

I've had some clients request an EyeDirect over a teleprompter for zoom style to camera interviews, which makes no sense to me since a teleprompter would work better for that, but I wasn't complaining because I owned the EyeDirect and it got the job done. It's almost like they thought, "We used to do these in person to camera interviews with an EyeDirect, so if using Zoom with a remote producer we should just use the same gear," without realizing how a teleprompter is better suited for direct to camera zoom interviews.

[puredrifting]

We bought two of these last year, got the 19" with the 24" talent monitors, both are the high bright. They've been great, other than one of the camera mount brackets was machined out of spec
but Prompter People replaced the offending part. About $4k each. They are bright and clear and being able to pick from all of the different input options saves a lot of headaches.

Not sure these prompter's camera support risers would work well with your big, freaking heavy Amiras but will work fine with your Canons

https://prompterpeople.com/flex-plus...-teleprompter/