The new Explorer, Pioneer, and Navigator ranges of teleprompters from Autocue cover all eventualities from high-end broadcast to live speaking engagements and more.
Autocue has been making teleprompters since 1955, but in all that time will seldom have gone through such a period of rapid change. As a result it has embarked on a radical shakeup of its range of prompters and has placed a ‘3S’ approach at the centre of the effort; namely speed, simplicity, and sustainability.
Its range now comprises three distinct series of teleprompters, each with unique features and advantages and aimed at different parts of the market. The Explorer Series provides comprehensive prompting packages with simple HDMI teleprompters and professional prompting software suitable for beginners and smaller installations. The Pioneer Series offers broadcast-standard prompting monitors and live editing software with newsroom and PowerPoint integration designed to support everything from live events to local news. And the Navigator Series provides executive and conference prompter packages for public speakers.
"With tool-less setup, minimal parts, robust components, and intuitive software, the new range is easy to use and customise for individual productions," says Philip Dalgoutte, product manager - Autocue. “And backward compatibility with our previous Autocue Starter, Professional, and Master Series, ensures users can integrate with existing hardware and controllers, making the transition easy and cost-effective."
So, in turn…
The idea of the Explorer Series is that users can breeze through setup and speed up production with minimal parts that quickly adjust for cameras and lenses – no tools needed. Explorer software is billed as instinctive, accepts standard file types, and is easy to control with a built-in scroll control or optional USB controllers.
The Pioneer Series (above) offers complete compatibility for live and as-live productions. The prompter hardware is designed with full adjustability to make setting up the prompter faster and easier and includes a selection of video inputs including SDI. Pioneer Software is icon-based with familiar layouts for easy reference and includes integration with popular MOS newsroom systems, as well as NDI output for seamless IP integration. It also has unique PowerPoint integration, which automatically creates a script from the slide notes and gives the option to show slide previews to the presenter alongside the text.
Lastly and out of the studio, the Navigator Series (above) is designed to be simple and easy to use for public speaking, with conference stands that give clear visibility of the script and familiar software that most anyone can use. The Navigator Conference Packages come in two options, Navigator for simple presentations in smaller indoor venues and Navigator Plus, designed for presentations anywhere. Both options include cables, software, and a USB controller to ensure a prompt start right out of the box.
Sustainability is a core feature of all of them. The company says that the prompters are built to last using sustainable design principles, with sturdy and recyclable metal housings, locally sourced shared components, and easy serviceability. The software is continually updated to align with changing workflows to ensure that investment in Autocue solutions remains beneficial for the long-term.
Availability for all is late April and pricing starts at £2183 for the Explorer series and £4366 for the Pioneer, while the Navigators start at £4244 for a pair.