Teleprompter vs autocue
Teleprompter and autocue refer to the same tool: a display of scrolling text a presenter reads while looking at the camera or audience. Teleprompter is the common term in the United States; autocue is common in the United Kingdom, after the Autocue brand. There is no real difference in what they do.
Where the two names come from
Teleprompter comes from the TelePrompTer Corporation, the American company that built early prompting devices for television in the 1950s. The brand name became the everyday American word for the whole category. Autocue is a British prompting company from the same era, and in the UK its name did exactly the same thing. Two brands, two markets, one tool.
What both describe
A screen of scrolling text placed at or near the camera lens, paced so a presenter can read while looking straight ahead. In a studio, that usually means mirrored text reflected in angled glass over the lens. On a desk or stage, it can be as simple as a browser window or a stage-facing monitor. Whatever the hardware, the job is identical: keep the words moving at the speed of the speaker.
Using one in the browser
You do not need a broadcast rig to use one. NextPrompt opens a teleprompter in any browser: put the Display link on the screen nearest your lens, control the scroll from your phone with the Control link, and flip the text if you are reading through glass. Call it a teleprompter or an autocue, it works the same either way.
Open a teleprompter
Questions
Is an autocue the same as a teleprompter?
Yes. They are two names for the same tool: a display of scrolling script text a presenter reads while looking at the camera or audience. Teleprompter is the common American term, autocue the common British one.
Why does the UK say autocue?
Autocue is a British prompting brand whose name became the generic word in the UK, the same way the TelePrompTer brand became the generic word in the US.
Can I use an autocue online for free?
Yes. A browser teleprompter is an autocue without the hardware. NextPrompt is free to start: a working two-screen setup in any browser, and the live demo opens with just your email.