NaffoCue

Our solution to Autocue for programs.

Originally conceived by Dominic Plunkett the system comprised a BBC micro strapped to a spare TV trolley, driving a 22" television set with the horizontal scan coils reversed. For best image the original system ROM was discarded and a replacement one written to squeeze every last cycle out of the processor.

This system suffered from being large and unwieldy, and as there was only (room for) one could not be used with multiple camera set-ups. Additionally the controller had a rather noisy switch to advance the display making it difficult to be operated from close proximity to microphones.

When the monitor rack was overhauled for Cub Conversion a spare set of Cotron B&W monitors became free. This, coupled with some Acorns and a spare PC, allowed three much smaller NaffoCues to be made by John Biltcliffe (hardware) and Matt Hammond (software).

Still in use in 2007, after a glitch when the serial port stopped working at Christmas 2006 due to a Windows wierdness.

In 2009, the NaffoCue software was replaced with FaffoCue, wrote by Simon Harris The software worked, but never truly exited Beta testing. In Summer 2012, with some production budget spare, Michael Chislett built a new head for the Teleprompter, dubbed the AutoDerp.