Free software for the Prompter People Pal
The Pal and Pal Pro are professional tablet prompters, but the tablet models ship without free software. Reframely gives you a free option that runs in the tablet's browser.
Step by step: set up a glass teleprompter rig
- Lay the screen under the glass. Put your phone or tablet face up in the tray, under the angled glass. The camera sits behind the glass and films straight through it.
- Pick your rig in Reframely. Open the sliders and choose Your rig. Tablet or Phone in a glass rig mirrors the text, so it reads the right way round in the glass.
- Turn the brightness all the way up. Beam-splitter glass passes only part of the light, so the reflection is dimmer than the screen. Full brightness and a darker room keep the words crisp.
- Check it through the camera. Look at the camera’s screen, not the tablet. If the hood’s edge shows in a wide shot, zoom in a little or widen the side margins. Then pair a clicker or your phone and press play.
What comes with the Pal
Prompter People's own page for the Pal Pro says the tablet and iPad models do not include free software. It supports TeleScroll for iOS and Android, bought separately from the app stores, and includes a Bluetooth Smart Remote. The 12-inch model holds iPads including the iPad Pro, Surface devices and tablets up to 13 inches; the 10-inch takes tablets up to 11 inches; an iPhone adapter is included (Prompter People).
On a computer, Prompter People's TeleScroll desktop software lists at $249.99, with voice scrolling as an add-on, configurable hotkeys and remote control over a network (Prompter People).
Run the Pal with Reframely
- Put the iPad, Surface or Android tablet in the Pal and open Reframely in its browser, then tap Open prompter.
- Choose Your rig → Tablet in a glass rig. That mirrors the text and places the reading line in front of the lens.
- Pair the included Bluetooth remote in the tablet's settings and test its buttons in Clicker setup, or pair a phone as the remote.
- For voice-following, tap the microphone. It works in Chrome, Edge and Safari.
When to buy TeleScroll instead
- You want desktop voice scrolling in several languages; TeleScroll Voice supports English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Japanese (Prompter People).
- You run Prompter People monitor prompters and want their auto-reversing monitor support.
- You need vendor support and multi-seat corporate licenses.
Picking the tablet for the Pal
The 12-inch Pal takes large tablets, which allow bigger text and a longer reading distance; the 10-inch Pal suits 10 to 11-inch tablets. Use an iPad you already own, a Surface, or an inexpensive Android tablet: Reframely runs the same on all of them.
Setting it up for an interview or a presenter
- Put the camera at the presenter's eye height; the reading line should be at the same height as the lens.
- Close the hood fully and keep bright lights out of the glass's reflection.
- Have the producer drive with a phone remote, so the presenter only has to read, or let the presenter use the Bluetooth Smart Remote mapped in Clicker setup.
Interviews with a teleprompter
For "interrotron"-style interviews, where the interviewee looks into the lens, keep the prompter for prepared questions and introductions, and pause it during answers. Questions under # headings make it easy to jump to the next one.
Questions
Does the Prompter People Pal come with software?
Prompter People says its tablet and iPad models don't include free software. TeleScroll is sold separately, and any app that mirrors text, such as Reframely, also works.
Will a Surface tablet work?
Yes. The Pal holds Surface devices, and Reframely runs in Edge or Chrome on Windows.
Sources
Last updated .