DSM content guide
DSM: current slide, next slide, notes, and timer
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What the presenter needs to see
With the date, location, and intended use, we can review which equipment and combination can be offered. You can inquire before measurements, drawings, or the final schedule are ready.
A downstage monitor, or DSM, provides information for the presenter. Start by choosing what belongs there: the current slide, next slide, speaker notes, time information, or a combination.
We can help compare layouts using a draft slide and the presenter’s position. The content plan comes before monitor size or a particular application; a DSM is not automatically a teleprompter or an operator multiview.
Views and timing
- Audience and presenter
- Identify which screen shows only slides and which may show private notes. Mark the destination of each signal in the plan.
- Independent views
- In the documented Windows and desktop PowerPoint example, extended displays and Presenter View separate audience slides from presenter information. Check actual computer output capabilities.
- Time information
- Agree whether the presenter needs elapsed time, remaining time, time of day, or a production cue. These are different operating requirements.
What to share
Share a sample slide with real notes, the presenter’s position, available space, and approximate viewing distance. We can compare layouts before the deck is complete.
Tell us whether speakers advance their own slides, who operates video playback, and how the next presenter takes over. Include any language or accessibility requirements.
Describe the intended timing behavior: start cue, pauses, warning, end of allotted time, and who controls it. We can assess whether a separate timer path is needed.
Preparing the comparison
- Write down the information needed by audience, presenter, and operator. Keep private notes out of the audience route.
- For the Windows and desktop PowerPoint example, identify displays and use the appropriate extended-display configuration before selecting the slideshow and presenter destinations.
- Rehearse with a slide containing clearly recognizable notes. Check each physical screen directly, including the audience screen.
- Review notes and the next-slide area from the presenter’s position. Adjust layout and text to the actual reading task; do not choose a diagonal size alone.
- Rehearse slide changes, animation, video playback, pauses, and the next speaker. Check what each display shows when the slideshow ends or the source changes.
- If using a separate timer, test its start, pause, warnings, and end behavior with the operator and presenter. Record the agreed cues.
Three technical questions
Can I send private notes to the presenter while the audience sees only slides?
For the documented desktop PowerPoint setup, Presenter View provides a separate presenter view. Check display assignment and the complete output path with the actual computer.
Ask someone to check the audience screen during the rehearsal. We can help plan the layout and source changes so the test includes the places where a desktop or notes could become visible.
Will splitting the signal give each DSM different information?
A splitter duplicates the same signal. Different content requires an appropriately configured independent output or another documented path.
Tell us whether you need slides on one monitor and notes or timing on another. We can compare routes after identifying computer, adapters, application, and destinations.
Is the presentation timer enough to manage speaking time?
Agree first whether the task is tracking elapsed time or giving the presenter a controlled remaining-time cue. The timer in Presenter View should not be assumed to implement every countdown requirement.
If the plan uses another timer, confirm its exact system and test warnings, pauses, and end behavior. Decide who starts it and how the presenter should respond.
Checks to guide decisions
| Symptom | Check | What it helps distinguish |
|---|---|---|
| Notes visible to audience | Display assignment and actual destination. | Privacy and routing. |
| Both DSMs show the same picture | Duplicated signal or independent outputs. | Information layout. |
| Notes hard to read | Real notes from presenter position. | Text and layout. |
| Time cue unclear | Clock type and operator sequence. | Timing plan. |
Installation and limits
Test notes routing outside the live program and recheck after source or presentation changes. Preserve the working display and application settings.
Plan stable supports, cable routing, and presenter circulation with the actual equipment. Screen placement must allow the agreed sightlines without creating an obstruction.
Do not assume identical behavior across applications, operating systems, or adapters. Confirm the documented setup and rehearse the final files.
Sources and context
- Microsoft: multiple displays in Windows
- Microsoft: external display connections
- Microsoft: slides and private speaker notes
- Microsoft: Presenter View
- DSAN: Limitimer user guide, separate timer example
Research reused from model and system records consulted October 22, 2026. The software example covers Windows and desktop PowerPoint. No monitor model, physical setup, or timer ownership is established.