True Teleprompter options for PowerPoint

Office-Watch.comLast updated: 26 January 2022

Microsoft 365,Microsoft Office,Microsoft Powerpoint,Office 2021 / Office LTSC,Office 365,Office for Mere Mortals

Microsoft is taking liberties with their new “Teleprompter View” in PowerPoint because it’s not a true Teleprompter with text that scrolls as you speak. But there are options for a true Teleprompter/Autocue professional effect.

A real Teleprompter (aka AutoCue) displays the speech text in front of the camera so the speaker appears to be talking directly without a script. TV presenters and professional speakers around the world use it, sometimes with a playback monitor so they can see what’s being broadcast.

These days there are web sites and mobile apps which do a similar Teleprompter job without the expensive hardware.

Most are autoscrolling, which assumes you speak at the same rate all the time. Ideally there’s a simple Play/Pause option (like pressing the spacebar). Professionals have a Teleprompter operator to scroll the text in sync with the speaker.

Narrow column for text

A Teleprompter trick is putting the text in a narrow column when the screen is close to the speaker (another way Microsoft’s version isn’t a true Teleprompter). If the text is wide, the speakers eyes move from side-to-side which looks shifty and is a dead giveaway that a Teleprompter is used. Narrow text lets the eyes catch all the text without movement.

Use one of these tools to scroll your speech while recording a presentation.