Best Display Devices for Tally Lights
Cue Light turns any phone or tablet into a tally display. The right device depends on your production: screen brightness for outdoor shoots, screen size for stage setups where talent needs to see from a distance, or an old spare phone you already own for free.
How Cue Light works with any display
Any device with a browser becomes a display. The signal travels over the internet — not your local network — so WiFi, cellular, or a different country all work the same way.
Screen brightness guide
Brightness (measured in nits) is the most important spec for a tally display. Low-light church environments or indoor studios need ~400+ nits. Outdoor shoots or brightly lit stages need 800+ nits for the colour to be visible at a glance.
- 7" screen — visible at arm's length from camera
- ~300 nits — good for dark studios and indoor church setups
- USB-C power — stays on indefinitely on a charger
- Sideload Chrome for full Wake Lock support
- Compare to $185/unit for Cuebi hardware tally
Device comparison
Some links below are affiliate links. Using them supports Cue Light at no extra cost to you.
| Device | Screen | Brightness | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Your existing phone Any model |
Varies | Free | Start here | |
iPhone 15 / 15 Pro Use Safari for Wake Lock |
6.1–6.7" | From ~$699 | Outdoor | |
Samsung Galaxy S24 Chrome — full Wake Lock |
6.2" | From ~$799 | Outdoor | |
iPad 10th Gen Large display — visible from stage |
10.9" | From ~$349 | Stage / church | |
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Budget tablet option |
10.5" | From ~$200 | Indoor studio | |
Old iPhone (8/X/11) Safari on iOS 16.4+ for Wake Lock |
4.7–6.1" | Spare phone | Dedicated display | |
Old Android phone Chrome — any Android 9+ |
varies | Spare phone | Dedicated display | |
Kindle Fire HD 10 Sideload Chrome for best results |
10.1" | From ~$150 | Budget stage display |
Mounting your display
Positioning matters. The display needs to be in the talent's peripheral vision — close enough to the camera that they can see the colour without obviously looking away from the lens.
📷 Hot shoe mount
Attach a phone holder to your camera's hot shoe. The display sits directly above the lens — talent looks at the camera and sees the tally in their peripheral view.
🎤 Microphone stand
Clip the phone to a microphone stand next to the camera. Adjustable height, easy to reposition between setups.
💪 Flexible arm (gorillapod)
Wrap around any stand, rail, or piece of equipment. Useful for church setups where the display needs to face the stage at an angle.
🖥️ Monitor mount
For a larger tablet display on a dedicated stand. Good for stage productions where talent is further from the camera.
Backup: hotspot for off-network displays
If you're at a venue where WiFi is unreliable, turn any phone into a cellular hotspot and connect your display devices to it. Cue Light runs over any internet connection — cellular data is just as reliable as WiFi for the tally signal.
- iPhone: Settings → Personal Hotspot → Allow Others to Join
- Android: Settings → Network → Hotspot and Tethering
- 2–4 connected display phones use minimal data — well under 10MB/hour
Start with the phone you already have
Open the app, share the QR code, tap Live. Free, any device, 30 seconds.
Start free — no signup