If you’re in the market for a teleprompter for your web projects, an affordable mobile solution may be ideal for you, and B&H carries several that cost less than $200 at the time of this writing. These teleprompters use a tablet or smartphone instead of a dedicated monitor to produce scrolling text, and this allows them to be very compact in design, to work without any power cables or external batteries, and to provide an easier to transition for someone new to teleprompting. Let’s check out which one would work best for you.
The Parrot Teleprompter V2 is an ultra-compact prompter for smartphones. The Parrot simply slides onto the filter thread of your camera lens via a cutout on the rear, and accepts a phone in a slot in front. It has an elegant design and weighs less than half a pound. A variety of filter thread adapters is included for the rear cutout for compatibility with just about any lens (49-82mm). An iOS/Android prompting app is also included, so everything you need is provided. The Parrot packs away, neat and compact, and is easy to carry with you in your bag. The Parrot also supports an optional remote control that allows for easy one-person operation.
The PRomptBox TelePRompter ONE is for 7-9" tablets and has an enclosed, matte-box style design that allows for better outdoor visibility. Because of this light-tight performance, it can be mounted on a jib or dolly for moving shots outdoors. It can also be mounted on any other support, and operated handheld, shoulder-mounted, or otherwise. It does require that your support use a camera plate with a mounting screw that’s removable from the bottom, but most camera plates are like this, anyway. The TelePRompter ONE fits small to mid-size cameras and up to 98mm diameter lenses. Additionally, via optional hardware available from PRomptBox, it can also be modified to support larger studio cameras, as well as smartphones and tablets of other sizes than 7-9". The TelePRompter ONE folds flat for transport and fits in most bags.
The following one is a little different. The iTOi Video Studio 2nd Gen is a video booth with teleprompter functionality. It’s a self-contained system for iPads and doesn’t require a camera—it uses the iPad’s camera. It’s compact and made to be used on a tabletop, with you sitting on a chair in front of it. It’s designed to be used with a separately sold iTOi Producer App that allows you to upload scrolling scripts. Here’s how it works: it opens and lets you insert your iPad behind a reflection mirror, then displays your script on the mirror and, as you read the script, the mirror ensures natural eye contact with your audience (whereas otherwise eye contact is somewhat off when looking into the iPad camera, hence the name iTOi—“eye-to-eye”). Moreover, the app also enables you to upload graphics and images and have them appear on the screen throughout your presentation. In addition to everything, the Video Studio 2nd Gen also comes with a lapel mic and LED light that help you deliver a more professional presentation.
Here’s another ultra-compact one for use with smartphones: The Padcaster Mini Teleprompter. It can be used attached to a Padcaster All-in-One Production Tool or to the filter thread of a camera lens. It comes with adapter rings that fit 49-82mm lens filter threads and it snaps onto the adapter ring from the rear, and is a single-piece item that comes with front and rear caps to protect the glass in transport or storage.
The next two are from Glide Gear, the TMP-50 Smartphone Teleprompter and the TMP-100 Tablet/Smartphone Teleprompter. The TMP-50 is a mini prompter for phones and it has a major outstanding feature—in addition to supporting a phone for prompting, it offers a mount on the rear that allows you to attach another phone as a camera. But it also supports small and mid-size cameras. The larger TMP-100 has more of a traditional prompter design and supports most tablets and phones except the larger ones like the iPad Pro. It’s made for tripod-mounted use, fits small and mid-size cameras, and has a hood for blocking stray light. It also folds up compactly for transport.
The EazyCue Mobile Series Teleprompter is another one with a traditional design, but it supports phones and tablets from 6-12". This prompter features a reversible camera-mount platform that provides the flexibility to mount almost any type of camera, and at different heights. The platform, as well as most of the other components, secure by knurled thumbscrews without any tools. This one also comes with a hood and folds flat for transport.
Rounding off the list is the Listec PromptWare PW-04, another ultra-compact and sleek prompter for smartphones. It attaches directly to the lens filter thread, and is designed for up to 58mm filter threads, generally found on the smaller cameras/camcorders. It comes with a prompting app and a stylish wireless controller with a complete keyboard layout, and includes a compact hard case.
For those models that don’t come with prompting software, you can find many to choose from at the App Store or Google Play. Any that are compatible with your mobile device can be used.
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