SPRINGFIELD, VA. There are many critical items in the modern TV news studio, one of which is the prompter. Without a prompter, the talent would not be able to make the same one-to-one contact with the viewer. When the prompter fails in some way, the viewer is the first to see the confusion and hesitation of news anchors that seemed wise and authoritative just a moment before.
Autoscripts Epic prompting system
BE Extra asked Robin Brown, product manager at Autoscript, about prompter technology, sizing and operation in order to better understand the role of this important production tool. Beyond the studio, recent prompter options are increasingly pushing the prompter into the field. However, as Brown explains, studio and field prompters can be two different animals.
BE: What size prompter is the sweet spot for studio work? What are the specs for some of the other basic necessities, such as brightness, contrast and resolution?
Brown: Prompter screen size is difficult to pin down precisely, as this is dependent on a number of factors. For example, [some of the important considerations are] studio size, distance of talent from camera, lighting conditions, productions shot requirements, script font size and even language and of course the talents eyesight! But generally 15- to 19-inch screens are the preferred size. Brightness and the contrast ratio of the prompter screen will help with sharpening the image but there is no Holy Grail spec.
BE: The mirror has always been a critical part of a prompter. Has there been any change in mirror technology in the past few years?
Robin Brown, product manager at Autoscript
Brown: The one thing that has remained relatively unchanged is the glass/mirror. Hood designs have changed as wider lenses are more commonplace in studio production, especially on jib/crane shots right down to 4.3mm lenses. So the hood design has had to change accordingly but the vacuum coating method of creating the high quality reflective glass is unchanged.
BE: Tablets have become popular to use as prompter displays. Is this a smart choice? Is any one tablet better than another? If so, why?
Brown: Tablets have become common place in location work but not so much for studio prompting. Autoscript has an application that runs on an iPad (WinPlus Rem) that allows talent in a field location to receive the latest live updated prompter text from a studio/newsroom anywhere in the world. There are a number of mounting systems available; Autocue/QTV has a couple of versions for both above- and through-the-lens applications. However, tablets have limited use mostly due to the live editing capabilities, brightness, contrast and size. The Apple products are the preferred platform due to the available number of apps and their global commonality.
BE: What are a few important elements of the perfect studio prompting system? How close are we to that perfection?
Brown: Reliability is key. The prompter is the first contact between talent and the camera. If the prompter fails, everyone notices from the talent to the viewer. Prompter hardware, and software systems in particular, are now much more stable, function-rich and faster to react than ever. As everything is driven by the script/rundown, perfection in my eyes would be to have the prompter run the entire show by triggering events and other devices including playout, camera moves, lighting changes, robotics, etc.
Autoscripts WinPlus Rem iPad-based system
BE: If youre considering new prompters for a studio, what considerations are there for camera pedestals and/or tripods?
Brown: Support payload capacity is the most important. Before you choose camera support, make sure you have chosen the prompter. This is often an overlooked element of the camera build-up, but in many cases determines the final choice of tripod head. A lightweight support system for a small, light camera and lens may seem appropriate until you realize your talent requires a 17-inch prompter screen. Some prompting systems will restrict the fluid heads tilt range, but this can be avoided for example with Autoscripts E.P.I.C. integrated prompting and on-air system.
BE: Is there anything else we should know about the technology and operation of prompters?
Brown: The prompter operator is more often than not the unsung hero of any news/studio production. They remain invisible but have the hot seat in any show. They have to be totally in tune with the producer/director and the talent. They need to second guess where the talent is going with an interview or item. It is not just someone scrolling the text in the back of the galley, control room or behind the curtain. So look after your operators! They can make the difference between a great show and a poor show.
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
12/07/2025
As the death toll continues to mount, with at least 120 killed and more than 170 people still missing on July 10 from devastating Texas floods, a number of broa...
12/07/2025
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., and MIAMI -DirecTV and TelevisaUnivision have signed a deal that will make the ad-supported premium subscription tier of ViX, ViX Premium wi...
11/07/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Fou...
11/07/2025
If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...
11/07/2025
L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert and General Manager of L3Harris Waco facility Sean Ling held a ce...
11/07/2025
ARLINGTON, Va. WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, has launched WETA+, a new streaming service tailored for the local Washingt...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission has emerged as one of the central players in the broadcast TV landscape in 2025, with its deregulatory policies sparking h...
11/07/2025
Calrec will introduce usability, customization and system enhancements across its entire range of Argo consoles during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterda...
11/07/2025
LONDON Encompass Digital Media said it will support live and on-demand viewing of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across multiple global regions for sports enterta...
11/07/2025
Two-thirds of broadcast engineers reaped the benefits of a pay raise within the last year....
11/07/2025
CARY, N.C. SmallHD has launched the Quantum 27, a new 26.5-inch Quantum-Dot OLED monitor designed to deliver postproduction image quality in a compact, set-frie...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau and Tegna have entered into a consent decree that will settle an investigation into the accidenta...
11/07/2025
WASHINGTON Following news in early July that Paramount had settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-N...
11/07/2025
Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...
11/07/2025
Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks ...
11/07/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Client...
11/07/2025
2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transit...
11/07/2025
A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP Leaders from the HuskerVision and Lawo share their IP learnings By SVG Staff
Friday, July 1...
11/07/2025
CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimble...
11/07/2025
Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Too Hot to Handle: Italy Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalItaly
Link copied to clipboard
July 11, 20...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Will Release Death Inc. Seasons 1, 2 and 3
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Season 1
Season 2
Se...
11/07/2025
AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit
The...
11/07/2025
Ceramics - the humble mix of earth, fire and artistry - have been part of a global conversation for millennia.
From Tang Dynasty trade routes to Renaissance pa...
10/07/2025
The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...
10/07/2025
Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...
10/07/2025
This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...
10/07/2025
The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...
10/07/2025
NEW YORK - July 10, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, today announced that it appointed Richard Pacheco as head of ...
10/07/2025
Local newscasts don't exist in a vacuum. News directors and station management constantly evaluate what's working, what isn't and perhaps most impor...
10/07/2025
Lawo has announced that Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien, HdM) has comprehensively modernized its central recording studio after selecting an I...
10/07/2025
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has opened early-bird registration for the Media Technology Summit, which will take place in a ne...
10/07/2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. TNDV Television has launched Aspiration 35, a new version of its 40-foot Aspiration truck reimagined for cinematic multicamera productions....
10/07/2025
BURBANK, Calif. Key Code Education, a provider of instructor-led postproduction training, is growing its curriculum with new programs for beginner and intermedi...
10/07/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. Actus Digital will demonstrate how broadcasters can transform compliance monitoring from a necessary expense into a strategic revenue driver at...
10/07/2025
The Federal Register has published a summary of the Federal Communications Commission's Public Notice seeking comments on its ownership rules that lists a d...
10/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for SuperestarPlay Video
Play Video
Entertainment
10 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard...
10/07/2025
In the race to understand our planet's changing climate, speed and accuracy are everything. But today's most widely used climate simulators often strugg...
10/07/2025
As one of the world's largest emerging markets, Indonesia is making strides toward its Golden 2045 Vision - an initiative tapping digital technologies and...
10/07/2025
10 Jul 2025
VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...
10/07/2025
5G for all? What the DFL's use of Easy5G and RefCam could mean for events in...
10/07/2025
Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-...
10/07/2025
Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New...
10/07/2025
Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions I...
10/07/2025
FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First P...
10/07/2025
SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint...
SPRINGFIELD, VA. There are many critical items in the modern TV news studio, one of which is the prompter. Without a prompter, the talent would not be able to make the same one-to-one contact with the viewer. When the prompter fails in some way, the viewer is the first to see the confusion and hesitation of news anchors that seemed wise and authoritative just a moment before.
