In Broadcast - March 2020 - 38

38

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 10 - Issue 3 | March 2020

InReply

Teleprompters for
Tomorrow's Technologies
Teleprompters continue to play a vital role in the studio
infrastructure says CueScript Director Brian Larter...

W

ith an eye to the
present and the future,
broadcasters and prompter
users require a flexible solution
that encompasses conventional
connectivity (USB and Composite
or HD-SDI video), as well as full IP
connectivity.
InBroadcast: What have been
the main trends in teleprompting
technology in recent years?
Brian Larter: The major trends
have been in integration with existing
infrastructures but with an eye on
tomorrow's technologies. For this,
CueScript has developed a line of
IP-ready prompting systems that will
seamlessly integrate into any existing
workflow and enable the customer
to transition when they are ready,
without needing to re-invest. Trends
may come and go but, to stay ahead,
you must listen to customer needs
and the direction their production
workflows are taking.
InB: Is the equipment keeping
pace with the new broadcast
technologies?
BL: The prompting sector is unique
in the development of technologies.
Off-the-shelf technologies have a
place in the lower end of production
requirements, but their price point
and wide base means that they
cannot be as quick to incorporate
the
latest
technical
advances. CueScript has
always invested heavily
in R&D to stay ahead and
be the leading supplier
of innovative professional
prompting
solutions.
We
foresaw the push to IP
technologies back in 2013,
the year of our inception
as a company. IP is in our
DNA, and the architecture of our
applications.
InB: Are customers becoming
more demanding?
BL: Customers are becoming more
reliant on manufacturers for support
as engineering departments are
reduced, and we have a very robust

The CueMe App for the CueiT prompting
software opens up the ability to preview
scripts in real-time on mobile devices
At NAB 2019, CueScript, introduced the CSMV2, the industry's first
patent-pending SMPTE 2110-enabled prompting monitor

and proactive support structure in
place to facilitate this. Our software
has a built-in Teamviewer
application, which allows us to
connect remotely, act quickly
and resolve any workflow or
configuration issues to ensure
productions stay on air. This ability
has also been very useful to perform
remote training and installations
worldwide, vastly reducing our need
to travel which saves time for our
customers and shrinks our carbon
footprint.
InB: How big an influence is the
move to IP?
BL: SMPTE IP video will inevitably
become a standard over the next
few years, and CueScript is the only
company to offer a complete IP
SMPTE 2110 solution from end to end.
However, we have not sacrificed any
existing connectivity; we continue to
support HD-SDI, HDMI and composite
video, so customers can continue to
use existing equipment while

Connecting via Ethernet or USB,
the CueB offers two analogue video outputs and
two HD-SDI outputs, and allows connectivity of an
unlimited number of scroll controls, wired or wireless

being ready to make the transition at
their own pace.
Broadcasters and system integrators
looking at all-SMPTE IP installations
no longer have to rely on SDISMPTE gateway converters. We have
developed a seamless interconnection
with 10GigaBit fibre IP switches. This
allows both the prompt and talent
monitor to be fed from a single 10GB
fibre cable, even when the talent
monitor is an existing SDI-only display.
For customers that want IP flexibility
but do not have a 10GB IP-based
video switch, CueScript's innovative
IP connectivity - now referred to
as CueTALK - provides seamless
operation through standard CAT5/6 IT
infrastructure.
Broadcasters can also use
the system's IP capabilities to
send prompting scripts from
central facilities to regional
offices. The implementation of
IP has opened up how productions
can use prompting systems across
greater distances and without
the need to use manufacturers'
closed protocols. Implementation of
encapsulators and decapsulators
are seamlessly integrated
into our prompter displays
and our CueB device.

CueScript's range of teleprompters
blend style with practicality,
resulting in a balance of design
for purpose and performance

InB: What are the latest offerings
from CueScript, and are there major
developments on the horizon?
BL: We have established ourselves
over the past six years as a very
forward-thinking
company
that
responds quickly to our customers'
needs with new products and features.
The latest example of this is CueMe,
a new app that allows scripts to be
previewed in real-time on a tablet or
handheld device.
It was developed and designed
following a request from a customer
who didn't want to rely on paper
scripts within the production studio.
CueMe is freely available on the Apple
App Store and Google Play.
InB: Are we likely to see major
changes in the next few years?
BL: Developments in LED and OLED
technology will lead to brighter and
more lightweight displays. This will
allow robotic and automated systems
to be used more extensively, as the
payload required will be significantly
reduced.
Voice activation remains the holy
grail in prompting technology.
Although we see this technology in
our everyday lives, using it in a live
news scenario still presents a lot of
challenges - but it will come.
InB: Thank you for taking the time
to answer our questions.
(Brian Larter was in conversation
with Contributing Editor Jim Evans.)
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.cuescript.tv http://www.cuescript.tv http://www.cuescript.tv http://www.cuescript.tv http://www.cuescript.tv http://www.cuescript.tv
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