Video confidence monitor?

[RonHebbard]

@MNicolai and @BillConnerFASTC I understand, and have often implemented, confidence monitors in large audio paging systems where local monitor speakers dip to a level below acoustic feedback but remain loud enough to permit users initiating pages to hear their page and know that others users didn't simultaneously speak over their page or interrupt them from a higher priority location; Would someone please define the use of the term when referring to video systems? (Surely it's not to make sure you're positioned correctly in front of the camera, or is it?)
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

At Willow Creek, I believe it was primarily the same image as on the large screens (LED displays at Willow) to the sides and behind the presenter. I believe some do use it as a teleprompter or overlay text. It may be a way to handle a clock or timer as well. I think it's helpful to a presenter to know that what they think is being displayed, actually is, and if it isn't, the can adjust without turning their back to viewers.

 

[TimMc]

In corporate AV a confidence monitor is the person who supervises the Con Game being pulled by the CFO/CEO on the unsuspecting stock holders.... /laffs

Uh... gee that was an easy swipe...

Seriously, it's the video monitor down in front of the lectern that displays the presenter's Power Point slides so he/she can make sure the clicker worked and the next slide is being displayed. Sometimes the video monitor will display the presenter's private annotations to serve as reminders about expanding on a bullet point or to point out a detail in a graph, embedded video or still image. It's used so the presenter doesn't have to turn around to look at the bigger screens the audience sees.

In houses of worship I have heard the term applied to the video screens that display the words to the simplistic "worship songs" so the audience doesn't need printed materials - hymnals, words in the bulletin, etc. How anyone can miss 12-15 words that make up most of these songs escapes me, but it's a good market for AV installers and people that write software like Pro Presenter.

 

[RonHebbard]

At Willow Creek, I believe it was primarily the same image as on the large screens (LED displays at Willow) to the sides and behind the presenter. I believe some do use it as a teleprompter or overlay text. It may be a way to handle a clock or timer as well. I think it's helpful to a presenter to know that what they think is being displayed, actually is, and if it isn't, they can adjust without turning their back to viewers.

Thanks @BillConnerFASTC and @TimMc About ten years ago, a local community college asked an AV contractor I was working for to supply document cameras which would sense when documents were placed upon them and communicate with the local switcher to automatically have the document camera's output brought up on the displays. You've got to know it wasn't long before images of the interiors of professor's hats were being projected on the monitors along with the bottoms of their lunch bags.
Edit: Added thanks to @TimMc
Thanks again.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[GWWWicked]

We use the term similar to TimMc for our worship center. It refers to a 40" Plasma TV mounted on the face of the balcony, displaying a stripped down version of the words that are showing on the main projectors, along with next line cue, clock, countdown, etc. It's output is controlled by ProPresenter's "Stage Display" options.

Before our current worship leader, we referred to it by the name the installer gave it, the "Foldback Monitor". However our current worship leader uses the term "Confidence Monitor" partially to remind the band that it's just there to boost their "confidence" and grab a quick look at the words if their memory fails. I've seen in other venues where they also use it to display chord charts/cues for the band when they want a music stand free stage.

A little off topic, when ours was purchased some 9 years ago, LED TV's were not what they are today, so Plasma was chosen. If I had to replace it, I'd try very hard to find another Plasma, the viewing angle is spectacular and it doesn't bleed light when it's at full black during a blackout.