Hardware guide
NEEWER X12 — the app to run on it.
The rig is solid. The bundled software is the thing people end up replacing, so here is what to replace it with.
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In short
The NEEWER X12 is a beam-splitter teleprompter rig that takes a tablet or phone as its display. Any browser teleprompter with mirror mode will drive it, including ScrollCue, which is free and requires no app download.
The hardware is fine. The software is the problem.
NEEWER's rigs have earned their Amazon rankings. Sturdy, well-priced, and the X12 takes a tablet-sized display, which gives you a properly readable screen rather than squinting at a phone.
What almost everyone does within a week of buying one is stop using the bundled app. This is not a NEEWER-specific complaint. Bundled prompter software across this entire category tends to be an afterthought, because the company's actual business is manufacturing aluminium and glass.
What to run instead
Anything with mirror mode will work, because that is the only hard requirement a beam-splitter imposes. Open ScrollCue in the browser on whatever tablet you are mounting, turn on mirror mode, and read. Free, nothing to install, and it does not care what brand of rig it is sitting under.
Settings for the X12
Mirror mode on
Non-negotiable. The glass flips the text and without this you are reading backwards.
Font around 56 to 64 px
You are reading through glass at close range. Bigger than you would use on a desk, because the reflection costs you a little contrast.
Column narrow, around 60%
Keeps each line short so your eyes barely move, which is the whole point of having spent money on a rig.
Pair a phone as a remote
Once the tablet is under the shroud, reaching in to change anything is awkward. A paired phone means you never have to.
The thing worth knowing
Since the display device is now inside a shroud, you cannot easily touch it. So a remote is not a luxury on a rig like this, it is what makes the rig usable solo. Pair a phone and you can drive speed and section jumps without dismantling anything.
Frequently asked questions
What app should I use with the NEEWER X12?
Any teleprompter with mirror mode. A browser one like ScrollCue works, is free, needs no install, and does not care which brand of rig it is under.
Do I need mirror mode with the X12?
Yes. The beam-splitter glass flips the text, so the display has to show it pre-flipped.
What font size works on the X12?
Around 56 to 64 px. Larger than you would use on a desk, because reading through glass costs you a little contrast.
How do I control it once the tablet is in the shroud?
Pair a phone as a remote. Once the display is mounted you cannot easily reach it, so this is what makes the rig workable on your own.