Here at DIYP HQ, we are using a teleprompter to cut down on takes and have a more streamlined “talking head”. Using a prompter has significantly improved our workflow and cut down on recording and editing times. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to add a remote control to almost any tablet prompter software which will streamline your workflow even more.
Teleprompters have come a long way since the introduction of tablets. Not so long ago, you had to buy a big teleprompter device which could cost thousands of dollars. But now, you can get a decent prompter for about 400 dollars, and use a tablet as a monitor. The Datavideo TP-300 which we are using here is a great example for such a setup.
Some teleprompters have remotes, but this hack can add a remote to almost any prompter app. Specifically, we looked at Parrot Prompter and Elegant Prompter which are among the more popular prompter apps out there. But this hack will work with almost any teleprompter app. The only annoying thing with prompter apps is the need to swipe the tablet to scroll up and down the text. But this can be solved quite easily with a mini USB keyboard. Those are quite affordable, and easily available in various forms, even in a remote control form factor. With a more advanced app like the Elegant teleprompter, we were able to take it to the next step and assign shortcuts to the most common functions like speed change, scrolling, zooming, and even jumping paragraphs back and forward. definitely worth the $3 we paid for the app. Getting to this setup option is easy by clicking Settings -> Remote Settings, and then assigning each function a button by pressing that button. (This is kind of like setting up a gamer’s mouse).
The only other component you would need is an OTG cable to connect the dongle that comes with the keyboard to the tablet. Those are quite cheap as well at about $7. If you opted for one of the cheaper remotes, you can add wireless control to your teleprompter for under $23 I am curious if anyone here is using a similar setup, so please let us know if you know how this can be improved.
