For most live presentations, to a room or on a video call, an app is what you need, not a rig. A teleprompter rig puts angled glass in front of a camera lens so you can read while looking straight into the camera, which is built for recording video and talking to camera. In a room, your audience is not behind a lens: you want your script on a screen only you can see and your slides on the room screen. A rig is worth buying when you record video or livestream to camera often and eye contact with the lens matters.
What a teleprompter rig actually does
A teleprompter rig is a hood and a sheet of angled glass that sits in front of a camera lens. A phone, tablet or monitor lies underneath and shows your script, which the glass reflects toward you. The camera films through the glass, so on the recording you appear to look straight down the lens while you read.
That is the whole point of a rig: eye contact with a camera. It solves a specific problem, reading to camera without looking away, and it solves it well.
When a rig is worth buying
- You record videos to camera regularly: course content, product videos, announcements
- You livestream or give talks where the camera is your main audience
- You read a fixed script word for word and need it to look unscripted on video
In those cases the glass earns its place, and the app that drives it matters less than the eye line it gives you.
Why a rig gets awkward in a live room
Stand in front of a room with a rig and the problems show quickly. The glass is mounted on a camera stand, so it either blocks your view of the audience or sits off to one side where reading from it pulls your eyes away from people. It is also one more piece of hardware to carry, set up and explain to the venue.
A rig also does nothing for your slides. You still need to click through the deck, or ask someone to do it for you, while keeping your place in the script.
What a live presentation needs is different: your script somewhere only you can see it, like a laptop on the lectern or a phone in your hand, and your slides on the room screen.
What an app gives you instead
A teleprompter app for presentations runs on the devices you already carry. The useful ones go beyond scrolling text:
- The script follows your voice, so pauses, questions and detours do not leave it running ahead of you
- The script is tied to your slides, so the deck moves as you reach each slide's words
- The audience sees only the slides, never your script
That is how Aitho works. You import the PDF or PowerPoint you already made, your script follows your voice with your place highlighted, and each slide advances when you reach its words. Your script stays in a private Presenter View on your laptop or phone. In a room, open aitho.app/cast on the room's computer and enter your talk's 6-digit code, and it shows only your slides. On Zoom, Teams or Meet, you share the slides-only Audience Stage window.
Presenting on video calls: the in-between case
Video calls sit between a stage and a studio. Your audience sees your face, so where your eyes go matters, but you also have slides to share. You do not need a rig for this. On a laptop, Aitho's Teleprompter → Layout → Camera prompter setting places your script near the camera, so your eyes stay close to the lens instead of travelling to the far corner of the screen, while the call shows only your slides.
If you present to camera every day and eye contact on video is central to your work, a rig on top of that setup is a reasonable upgrade. For occasional calls, it is rarely needed.
How to choose
- Recording to camera often, reading a fixed script: a rig, with the app that drives it
- Presenting slides in a room: an app on your laptop or phone, with the slides on the room screen
- Presenting slides on Zoom, Teams or Meet: an app with a private script and a shared slides window
- A mix of both: start with the app, and add a rig only for the recordings that need it
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a teleprompter rig to present on Zoom or Teams?
No. A private script on your laptop and a shared slides-only window cover most calls. Placing the script near your camera keeps your eyes close to the lens; see teleprompter for Zoom and Teams.
Can my phone be the teleprompter for a presentation in a room?
Yes. With Aitho the same account works in the browser, on iPhone and on Android, so your phone can hold the script while the room's computer shows the slides at aitho.app/cast.
Will the audience see my script?
Not if the tool keeps the two apart. In Aitho, your script stays in your private Presenter View and the audience screen shows only your slides.
Is a teleprompter rig worth it for a keynote?
Only if the keynote is mainly for camera, such as a recorded or livestreamed talk. For a keynote to a live audience, a private script on a laptop or confidence monitor serves you better; see speaker notes vs. teleprompter vs. confidence monitor.
A teleprompter for the talk you are giving
Aitho turns your deck into a hands-free presentation. Your script follows your voice and your slides advance on their own.
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