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Prompter UniversityPO Box 11929
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Need Teleprompter Hardware and Software?
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How Much Technical Background Do I Need?A Teleprompter is a production tool, but is not rocket science. You will need an understanding of your computer and how it runs applications. You will need a knowledge of how a computer monitor connects to the computer. You will need to understand how your camera and tripod mounting and disconnect mechanism work. You will need to know how to use simple tools like a wrench and screwdriver. Hardware: In most cases, but not always, your teleprompter will come shipped to you fully assembled. Remove your camera from your tripod, install the teleprompter head onto you tripod, then mount your camera to the teleprompter head. Standard 1/4"x20 hardware (meaning nuts, bolts and washers) is usually provided. The Teleprompter Head's tripod mounting hole will fit right onto your tripod's fluid head mounting stud located on its quick-disconnect (if present), then the whole assembly is retained with a 1/4"x20 nut and lockwasher. Similiarly, your camera will mount to the Teleprompter Head by utilizing the 1/4"x20 bolt through the hole in the Teleprompter Head's camera plate and into your camera's threaded mounting hole. The key here is to recognize if the camera mounting hardware (bolt) is too long for your camera. Test by hand tightening the bolt into your camera's threaded hole before installing it on the Teleprompter Head's camera plate. There should be less than 1/8" of threads left exposed. Any more than that, then you have have to insert one or more (supplied) 1/4" washers to close up the gap or choose a smaller bolt. Make a note of how many washers it took to fill the gap, and be sure to use the same washer count when you install your camera onto the camera plate. With the camera washers and bolt installed, tighten the bolt enough to thoroughly snug the camera to the camera plate so it doesn't move, but NOT with so much force that you break the threaded insert in the bottom of your camera. You will be using about the same force that you would use to mount your camera to your tripod's quick-disconnect. Desktop PC Hook-up: The VGA video signal from your computer finds its way to the Teleprompter monitor through a splitter (supplied). Disconnect your present operator's VGA monitor from your computer, Plug the splitter into your computer's VGA port. Plug your operator's monitor back into the splitter, and connect the VGA cable from the Teleprompter monitor into the other port of the splitter. Laptop PC Hookup: Your Laptop PC must have an external VGA port. Most do, some do not -check you manual. Simply connect the VGA cable from the Teleprompter monitor to this external VGA port on your Laptop PC. Software: The Teleprompter software is supplied on a CD. Insert the CD into your CD drive, doubleclick on the SETUP.exe file using your file manager. Run the Teleprompter program the first time and select HELP/REGISTRATION from the main menu across the top of the Welcome screen. Email the INSTALL CODE that you see in the dialog box to the listed email address, and you will receive a return email with your UNLOCK CODE, which you will type in this dialog box to unlock your program from its Demo mode.
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