DSM: current slide, next slide, notes, and timer

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.

For multiple speakers, tell us whether they share a lectern or move around and what each needs to see. A slide with notes and a tentative running order let us compare monitors, signal paths, and operation before equipment is finalized.

Preparing the comparison

1. Write down the information needed by audience, presenter, and operator. Keep private notes out of the audience route.
2. For the Windows and desktop PowerPoint example, identify displays and use the appropriate extended-display configuration before selecting the slideshow and presenter destinations.
3. Rehearse with a slide containing clearly recognizable notes. Check each physical screen directly, including the audience screen.
4. 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.
5. Rehearse slide changes, animation, video playback, pauses, and the next speaker. Check what each display shows when the slideshow ends or the source changes.
6. If using a separate timer, test its start, pause, warnings, and end behavior with the operator and presenter. Record the agreed cues.
7. Map each program moment to the audience screen, each speaker’s return, and the timing display. Assign slide and clock control, then rehearse speaker changes while checking that private notes never reach another destination.

Technical questions and show decisions

• Can I send private notes to the presenter while the audience sees only slides?
• Will splitting the signal give each DSM different information?
• Is the presentation timer enough to manage speaking time?
• What can we hire when speakers bring their own computers and need notes or time on stage?

Checks to guide decisions

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.