Presenter View (Notes) vs. Teleprompter: What’s the Difference? (And What’s That Got To Do with Confidence Monitors?

There seems to be confusion around Notes (or Presenter View) and Teleprompter.  Let’s clear it up!

First things first: Presenter View (or Notes) and a Teleprompter are not the same, though they often show up on the same screen, the downstage monitor, or “confidence monitor"(that little TV-like screen at your feet facing you from the front of the stage).

Presenter View is a PowerPoint feature. When using Presenter View, your audience sees your clean, beautiful slides on the big screen, while you get the behind-the-scenes VIP experience: upcoming slides, your speaker notes, and a handy clock. It’s a dream for presenters who want a guide without memorizing every word.

A Teleprompter, on the other hand, has an operator who scrolls your entire script, line by line, just like newscasters use. It's designed for you to read word-for-word, and it doesn’t involve PowerPoint at all. Think of it as your on-stage script buddy.

Now, the downstage monitor (aka “confidence monitor”) is just a screen. What you see on it depends on how it’s set up. If you’re using PowerPoint in Presenter View, boom, that’s what shows up. If you’re working from a teleprompter script, you guessed it, that’s what’s displayed.

TL;DR: Presenter View = slide support with notes. Teleprompter = full script scrolling. The downstage monitor = just the screen delivering whichever magic you choose.

So next time you're on stage, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking at, and how to use it like a pro!