Video recording: macOS notch as display area for a teleprompter
When giving talks and presentations in front of the webcam, it is often difficult to read texts without looking away. The app Notchie helps.
The MacBook's notch is not only useless: it also makes you look into the camera.
(Image: Notchie.app)
The number of video conferences has not decreased even years after the Corona crisis: whether Teams, Zoom, Google Meet or WebEx, a lot of communication still takes place in front of the camera. Those who present something often fail to maintain constant “eye contact” with the viewers. The reason: Firstly, the conversation notes are often in a different part of the screen, and secondly, the camera on MacBooks & Co. is not particularly well placed for direct viewing. The tool Notchie aims to remedy this: it is a combination of a teleprompter and an “eye contact” app. To achieve this, the application uses a clever trick.
Looking at the notch ensures eye contact
Because what Notchie does, the name already says: Reading or note text is placed directly under the notch of current Macs, which in turn houses the camera. This applies to MacBook Pro in the 14- and 16-inch variants as well as MacBook Air – only the Neo does not have a notch. The advantage of placing text under the notch is simple: the FaceTime camera is hidden precisely in this area. So you always keep your eyes where you would have to look to maintain eye contact with the audience, which can make presentations appear much more professional.
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Notchie offers various customization options. For example, you can enlarge or shrink the text area, make changes to the display, and much more. A central app is used for control, it captures the respective scripts, so you can quickly switch back and forth between them. The playback speed of the teleprompter text is also adjustable.
Scrolling with your voice
The so-called voice-sync scrolling is also very useful. The teleprompter output should orient itself to the speech. However, you have to grant the app microphone access for this.
Notchie is only available for macOS. The app is commendably available as a one-time purchase and does not require a subscription. At almost $30, Notchie is not exactly cheap, however. It is sold through Apple's App Store, and the app is also part of the Setapp subscription package. A demo version, which however only allows sessions of a maximum of five minutes, can be downloaded here
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