MediaShout and ProPresenter have some big differences in how they operate that are inherited from their platform. ProPresenter uses QuickTime, MediaShout uses DirectX, etc. But there’s also a big difference in the user interface that is by design and not just because of the computer the program runs on.
The person responsible for making MediaShout work uses tools such as Scripts and Cues. The ProPresenter operator relies on playlists and miniature versions of the actual slide as you would see it on the big screen. This isn’t a matter of one method being superior to the other, but they are completely different in how easy it is for a user to get results and be able to make last minute changes. And as the ongoing debates I participate in demonstrate, everyone has their own preference for which option is better.
As I said, MediaShout’s primary tool is called a script. This is because it can have all the same content as the actual script for your production. The content of your production is placed in order from top to bottom. Section headers can divide the script into different parts, such as “Announcements”, “Music”, “Sermon”, etc. The lyrics or notes can be seen like normal written text, or hidden away to only see titles. The user interface isn’t so much a preview of what you will get on the big screen, it is a detailed view of what is coming up and can give you enough information that you won’t need a copy of the script next to you. The contents of the full script appear from top to bottom much like a document.
On the contrary, a preview is exactly what you get with ProPresenter. The operator selects what goes on the screen by clicking on a miniature picture of exactly how the output will appear. The Renewed Vision team wanted to give you a full “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWG) experience. So rather than see the lyrics in a paragraph format like you would find in a script, you see the individual lines inside boxes positioned exactly as they will appear on the projector once you click on them. Likewise, the background and foreground elements are divided so that you can click on different backgrounds for the same slide as you feel compelled to. All the background options appear on the bottom half of the screen and you can click on them at any time without affecting the foreground (the words or pictures being presented).
Generally speaking, MediaShout is geared more for the person who has planned the whole script in advance, while ProPresenter allows for more fluid on-the-fly options. The MediaShout operator can go through the whole production by hitting nothing more than the spacebar over and over because the whole script is already present and in order, while the ProPresenter operator will have to rely on the mouse to change songs or find the appropriate video clip or background graphic. On the other hand, the ProPresenter user will have an easier time switching between slides if last minute changes means you need to find a different slide than was already planned for a given segment.
I’m not saying the MediaShout operator can’t stray from the script or be more dynamic, it just isn’t the default mode. You can scroll up and down the script and double-click any entry that you want to switch to right away. And there’s a couple of additional windows MediaShout has that works much like ProPresenter, showing thumbnail views of different video clips, graphics, or even songs that you can have sitting on the side just in case.
Presentation Software
March 10, 2008
At North Point, I’m just a volunteer at the bottom of the food chain. So I don’t get to be involved in creative process (generally speaking, there are exceptions) or make administrative decisions. One of which is to use ProPresenter and Macs exclusively for all video, lyrics, and even music. So I’ve learned to use it as best I can and try to appreciate what we have (that they’re not making me use PowerPoint!).
More than not, I’d rather be behind the sound board mixing than behind the computer managing what’s up on the screens. I’m not really visually wired, I love the worship experience of being behind the mixing console, closing my eyes (with my hands one or two key volume faders), and soaking in the experience. But for some reason God has been putting me more and more into the position of running the computer graphics and being responsible for the creative components of projecting lyrics, backgrounds, video clips, etc.
So in the environments where I’m the creative director and I make the executive decisions, I use MediaShout on my own laptop.
At Highlands Church, I’ve also had the opportunity to see EasyWorship in action and play with it a little. Granted, not as much as the other alternatives, so my opinions are worth no more than what you are paying for them. But I’d like to share my opinions on the software and offer my perspective on which option to go with if you are considering a purchase for your ministry.
My preference is clearly for MediaShout over ProPresenter, just as I would prefer to have a PC than a Mac. When staff at North Point hear me say this, they respond, “I’ll pray for you.” And so be it. But I do make a living working on PC’s, and know them inside and out, so one could say I’m biased. Keep that in mind when reading future posts where I attempt to compare the different options.
Mike Sessler has a clear opinion too and would much rather have ProPresenter. He blogs about his transition from MediaShout and I posted some comments if you want to follow along.
