01Quick start
Five steps to your first countdown on stage. Everything else is covered in the chapters that follow.
1
Install
Download and install the app for Mac or Windows — see Installation. No account, no internet needed.
2
Launch the app
On the very first start the app offers a short intro tour. Click Start tour to see the main areas in about a minute.
3
Set a time
Enter minutes and seconds in the time box and press Set — or click a preset in the left rail.
4
Open the stage
Click Open Stageview below the preview, then Fullscreen. With a second screen connected, the stage appears there. No cable? Any phone or tablet on the Wi-Fi can show the stage in its browser (Browser Stageview).
5
▶ Start
Press the big green button — the countdown runs. Speaker needs more time? +1:00 in Quick Add adds a minute.
Rehearse without a stage
The Stage Preview in the Operator shows exactly what the stage sees, to scale. You can prepare everything calmly, even without a second screen.
02 Download & Installation
System Requirements
- macOS: 12 (Monterey) or later, Mac with Apple Silicon or Intel
- Windows: 10 or 11 (64-bit)
- Memory (RAM): at least 4 GB, 8 GB recommended
- Processor: no special requirements
- Disk space: approx. 350 MB
The app itself uses well under 1 GB of RAM while running (measured on a Mac with Apple chip: around 350 MB) and stays flat even with the timer running for a long time. The rest is headroom for the system and programs running alongside (PowerPoint, Keynote, QLab …).
Download the right file from mwvt-event.de/en/eventtimer:
| System | File |
|---|---|
| Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) | MWVT EventTimer-1.1.2-arm64.dmg |
| Mac with Intel processor | MWVT EventTimer-1.1.2.dmg |
| Windows 10 / 11 | MWVT EventTimer Setup 1.1.2.exe |
Not sure which Mac?
Apple menu → "About This Mac": If you see "Chip: Apple M…", use the
arm64 file. If you see "Processor: Intel", use the regular .dmg.
macOS
1
Open the .dmg
Double-click the downloaded
.dmg file to open it.2
Drag to Applications
Drag MWVT EventTimer into the Applications folder.
3
Launch the app
Launch the app from the Applications folder — done.
Signed & notarized
The app is Apple-signed and notarized: no security warning appears, no workaround via System Settings needed.
Windows
1
Run Setup.exe
Double-click the downloaded
Setup.exe to run it.2
SmartScreen
On first run a SmartScreen warning appears: click "More info", then "Run anyway".
SmartScreen appears because the app does not yet have a Windows certificate — it is still unchanged from the manufacturer MWVT-Event.
3
Installation wizard
Confirm the licence and click Install. The installation folder is fixed so that later updates always land in the same place. A Windows prompt adds the firewall rule during setup — confirm with Yes (if you choose No, the installation still completes).
4
Launch the app
Launch MWVT EventTimer via the desktop or Start menu shortcut.
First Launch — two notes
Firewall prompt (especially Windows)
Allow access on the local/private network — required for the Browser Stageview (QR code) and Companion remote control. Without this permission the app still works normally, only those two LAN features will be unavailable.
No account, no internet connection, and no further setup needed — just launch and go.
Uninstall
- macOS: Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash.
- Windows: Control Panel → Apps → uninstall MWVT EventTimer.
03The Operator window
The Operator window is your control centre. The numbers in the image match the table below.
| No. | Area | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topbar | Session (save and load), Stageview 🎨 (how the stage looks), Outputs 🖥 (where the timer is shown, with status). On the far right the remote icon: green dot = remote control ready, red = the server could not start (e.g. port in use). |
| 2 | User Presets | Your running order: up to 50 times with labels. Next to the heading: the preset list ☰ and the eye that shows the label on stage. |
| 3 | Stageview Display | Timer, Clock (time of day) or No Time (blank stage). |
| 4 | Stage Preview | Shows live what the stage sees; status and end time below, the current time on the right (remaining time with Clock and No Time), Flash at the top right. |
| 5 | Controls | Start/Pause, Next ▸, Reset, Stop and Quick Add. |
| 6 | Time box | Enter a length of time (Duration) or count down to a time of day (Until time). |
| 7 | Messages | Send and save messages for the stage. Collapse the column with › and the window gets narrower. |
| 8 | Help | ? opens info, contact, privacy, diagnostics, the intro tour and this guide. |
Settings from the topbar open as a window in the centre. Close it with Esc, × or a click on the darkened background.
Intro tour
On the very first start the app asks whether you would like a short tour (Start tour or Skip). In seven steps it highlights the main areas and explains them in a speech bubble. Move on with Next or the arrow keys, Esc ends it. You can restart it any time via ? → Show intro tour.
Small screen?
Ctrl/Cmd − makes the interface smaller, Ctrl/Cmd + larger, Ctrl/Cmd 0 resets it. The setting is remembered — handy on small laptops.04Running the timer
1
Set the time
In the time box (Duration mode) enter minutes (MIN) and seconds (SEC) and press Set — Enter in either field works too. Or click a preset (section 06).
2
▶ Start / ⏸ Pause
Start and Pause are one large button: ▶ Start (green), ⏸ Pause (orange) while the timer runs, ▶ Resume after a pause. Right next to it sits Next ▸ for the next item.
3
Reset and Stop
Reset stops and jumps back to the set time. Stop stops and sets the display to 00:00.
4
Quick Add — adjust time live
−1:00 subtracts a minute, +1:00 / +2:00 / +5:00 add time — live, the progress bar stays consistent. If −1:00 takes the time below zero, it goes straight into overtime.
5
Overtime
When time runs out, the display counts on with a minus sign and flashes (Standard: red/white) — overtime is obvious to everyone.
Protection against mis-clicks
While the timer runs, Set, Set & Go, Reset, Stop, Next ▸ and loading a preset ask first (“Replace?” or “Confirm?”). Only the second click acts, a double-click confirms at once. After 3 seconds without a second click the button returns to normal. When the timer is stopped, everything acts directly.
From 60 minutes, the display shows hours, e.g. 1:30:00 instead of 90:00.
Stageview Display
| Mode | Stage sees |
|---|---|
| Timer | Countdown with progress bar. |
| Clock | The current time of day, e.g. during breaks. |
| No Time | A blank stage — messages are still shown. |
05Count down to a time of day
For items with a fixed end time, e.g. “break until 14:30”. Instead of working out a duration, you simply set the time.
1
Choose Until time
Switch the time box to Until time. An analogue clock appears: the hands show the end time, below it you see e.g. “Now 13:52 · in 38 min”.
2
Set the time
Type hour (HOUR) and minute (MIN) — or drag the minute hand (passing 12 moves the hour along), use the mouse wheel or the arrow keys (Page Up/Down = ±1 hour).
3
▶ Set & Go
Sets the end time and starts right away (also with Enter). 0:00 lands exactly on that time; below the preview you see “ends at 14:30”.
- After that it runs like a normal timer: Pause and Quick Add work as usual. After Reset, Start counts to the end time again.
- If the time has already passed today, the next day is used.
- If another timer is running, Set & Go asks first (“Replace?”).
06Running order with presets
The left rail is your running order: times with labels, in the order of your event. At least 10 slots are always shown; once the last one is filled, a new one appears automatically, up to U50. If the list no longer fits the rail, only the list scrolls.
1
Create
Click an empty slot (“+ Click to save”): enter minutes, seconds and an optional label. Enter, ✓ or clicking elsewhere saves, Esc discards.
2
Load
Clicking a saved preset loads its time and label — without starting. The loaded preset has a green border (● green = running, grey = paused).
3
Edit
Double-click while the timer is stopped, or at any time the pencil ✎ that appears on hover — it opens the editor without loading.
4
Delete
In the editor via the trash button: first click “Delete?”, second click deletes.
A reminder sits at the bottom of the rail: “Click: load” and “Double-click or ✎: edit”. A time of 0:00 is not saved.
Labels on stage
- Up to 3 lines of 40 characters, e.g. “Keynote” with the title below. Long lines wrap automatically; force a new line with Shift+Enter (Enter saves). Below the field you see how much room is left.
- With the eye next to “User Presets” (green = on) the label appears on stage above the time, in place of “REMAINING TIME”. It is off by default.
- The number stays where it is. So that three lines fit above it, it is shown at no more than about 155 % while labels are on (about 172 % in Minimal mode) — the same for every preset.
- While a stage message is showing, the label is hidden. If you change the label of the loaded preset, the stage updates immediately — typos can be fixed live.
Next ▸ — the next item
Next ▸ next to the Start/Pause button shows what comes next, e.g. “U3 · Panel · 45:00”. Empty slots are skipped.
1
Cue
The first click only loads the item: time and label appear on stage, the time is not running yet.
2
Start
The button then reads “▶ Start U3” — the second click starts it. The big Start button works too, of course.
If the current timer is still running when you cue, Next asks first (“Replace?”). Once the time has run out, or the timer is paused or stopped, one click loads. At the end it shows “End of list”.
Preset list ☰
The ☰ icon next to “User Presets” opens all saved presets as a table — ideal for typing in or rearranging a whole running order.
- Order: drag a row by its ⋮⋮ handle or move it with ↑/↓. Gaps close automatically (U1, U2, U3 …).
- Edit: click a time or label and type. Enter or clicking elsewhere saves, Esc discards.
- Quick entry: Tab moves time → label → next row (Shift+Tab goes back). After the last row you land on ＋ Add preset, which appends a preset at the end.
- Deleting works in the rail. After reordering, Companion buttons load whichever preset is now in that position.
07Messages & Flash
Tell your speaker something discreetly, without walking on stage: the message appears large above the countdown. Open the messaging column on the right with ‹.
1
Write New Message
Type → Send to stage (live immediately) or Save to list (for later).
2
On stage
The bar shows what is live, with Clear to take it off. Empty: “Nothing on stage”.
3
Saved messages
▶ Send puts a message on stage, ● Live takes it off again with another click. Click the text to edit; if it is live, the stage updates at once.
4
Delete
Trash button, click twice (“Delete?”). A live message stays on stage until you press Clear.
Flash — get attention
The Flash button at the top right of the preview makes the stage flash bright three times (about 2 seconds) — for example together with a message when the speaker isn’t looking. Time and message stay readable. In green-screen mode the content flashes instead, so keying is not disturbed. Via Companion: /display/flash.
Save typical messages like “5 minutes left” or “Please wrap up” in advance — live it’s then a single click. They are stored with the session.
08Stage output
The Stageview window is the display for the stage. With an external screen it opens there; without one it sits at the bottom right, without covering the Operator.
- Open Stageview and Fullscreen sit right below the preview; in fullscreen the button becomes Exit Fullscreen. If the stage window is closed, Open Stageview is highlighted in orange.
- In fullscreen the mouse cursor is hidden on stage. On a Mac, a “mouse wall” also keeps the cursor off the stage screen while the Operator is on another screen.
ESC and fullscreen
ESC exits fullscreen when the stage window is active or the stage covers the Operator (single screen). With two screens, ESC in the Operator only cancels input and leaves the stage in fullscreen — so an accidental ESC never throws the stage out in front of the audience, and PowerPoint, Keynote or QLab keep their ESC. Exit with Exit Fullscreen or via Companion instead.Status below the preview
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ready | Time loaded, not started yet. |
| Running | The timer is running. |
| Paused | Paused part-way through. |
| Overtime | Time has run out and counts below zero. |
| Stopped | After Stop. |
While the timer runs, the time of day it will end follows (e.g. “Running · ends at 14:07”). On the right you see what the preview isn’t showing: with Timer the current time (“Now 14:52:07”), with Clock and No Time the remaining time.
Outputs window
The Outputs button in the topbar already shows the state: green dot = stage window open, red with “Closed” = closed, plus “Fullscreen” or “Window” and the number of connected browsers. A click opens the window with two cards:
- Stage window · this computer
Fullscreen or Window, Open Stageview and the screen choice: Auto (External preferred) or a specific screen. - Browser stageview · network
Secure Connection, Network address, link with Copy, Show QR and the number of connected devices (section 09).
09Browser Stageview on the network
Any phone, tablet or laptop on the same network becomes a stage display — no installation, no cables. Handy as a confidence monitor for the host, at the lectern or in the control room.
1
Link or QR
Outputs → card Browser stageview · network → Copy the link or Show QR.
2
Connect a device
Scan the QR or open the link in a browser — the display runs live and in sync right away. The card and the Outputs button show how many devices are connected.
3
Secure Connection (optional)
Then only people with the tokenised link can watch. The token stays the same within a session, so link and QR don’t change when you switch it off and on. Devices already connected need to reload once after switching.
The display keeps running through short Wi-Fi dropouts and corrects itself automatically after reconnecting.
Connection not working? (Troubleshooting)
1
Correct network address?
In the Outputs window under Network address, select the Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter. Addresses starting with
169.254. are never reachable from other devices — choose a different address.2
Firewall (Windows)
The installer automatically creates a firewall rule (for this app only, port 8765 only — the firewall stays active). If the admin prompt was declined, Windows asks on first start: click "Allow access". If the dialog was dismissed, set manually: Windows Security → Firewall & Network Protection → Allow an app through the firewall → Allow MWVT EventTimer on private and public networks. Third-party tools (Avira, Kaspersky …) have their own firewalls — allow access there too. Never disable the firewall entirely — the targeted app rule is sufficient.
3
Same network?
Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi or LAN. Guest networks often have client isolation / AP isolation active — this prevents devices from reaching each other.
4
Open / unfamiliar network
Enable Secure Connection so only devices with the link/QR can view the display.
10Stage appearance
Stageview 🎨 in the topbar opens the window for how the stage looks, organised in Number size, Display and Timer colours. All changes apply immediately — on the stage window, in the browser Stageview and in the preview.
- Number size
Size of the number, default 150 %. The slider ends where “25:00” fills the screen width (about 188 % on 16:9). Wider displays hit the edge earlier — then you see “Max. size reached”. - Minimal mode
Number only, without bar and “REMAINING TIME”. - Green screen background
Chroma green (#00b140) for keying in a video mixer. - Preset label on stage
Label of the loaded preset above the time (same as the eye in the rail). - Timer colours
Standard or Advanced with your own colours (see below).
Timer colours
- Standard (default): the number stays white, overtime flashes red.
- Advanced: your own colours for Normal (the number) and Messages & label. Plus two colour changes you can switch on: Warning (default orange) and Critical (default red).
- Thresholds are a remaining time (MIN:SEC, default 5:00 and 1:00) or one click on 0:30 · 1:00 · 2:00 · 5:00 · 10:00. So the number always changes colour at the same remaining time, however long the preset is — also after Quick Add.
- If a threshold is longer than the timer (e.g. Warning 5:00 with a 3:00 preset), it does not apply to that timer. Overtime flashes in the critical colour. Reset colours restores the initial colours.
- The progress bar keeps its green → orange gradient; with green screen it runs from dark to light blue so it isn’t keyed out.
Green screen tip
A white number disappears when keyed over bright footage. Under Advanced, choose dark colours (e.g. black) for the number and text. Green tones are keyed out too — the app warns you about that.
11Sessions
A session stores presets, messages, timer settings and the Stageview token — prepare once, load again for every event.
On launch
- Continue last session
Picks up exactly where you left off — even after a crash. - New session
Starts empty. - Load saved session
Shows your saved sessions to load.
Save and load
1
Automatic backup
The current session is backed up automatically. You don’t need to save anything when closing.
2
Running timer after a crash
If the timer was running, Continue last session catches up on the elapsed time and lets it keep running as if nothing happened (notice at the top of the Operator). If the end is more than an hour in the past, it loads with the full time. A paused timer stays at its remaining time.
3
Save as a new session
Session in the topbar → enter a name → Save. Umlauts and other letters are allowed, characters like / . : ! are removed. If the name already exists, the button asks “Overwrite?”.
4
Update the loaded session
With a named session open, Current session with Update appears at the top: one click overwrites exactly that session with the current state.
5
Load or delete
Load loads — if a timer is running, the button asks “Replace?” first. Delete is permanent and therefore always asks (“Delete?”).
Snapshots, not auto-sync
Named sessions only change when you click Update or Save — never automatically in the background.
12Remote control with Companion
With Bitfocus Companion (e.g. with a Stream Deck) you run the timer from buttons: start, pause, presets and messages — without touching the computer. Remote control is always on, there is nothing to switch on.
Clicking the remote icon 🔗 on the right of the topbar opens the Remote control window in the centre:
- Base URL for Companion with this computer’s IP, e.g.
http://192.168.1.100:8765. Copy copies it; thelocalhostaddress is shown in small print below. - Download Companion template — opens the download of the ready-made button template.
- Open manual — opens this guide.
Setup
1
Import the template
Download the Companion template and import it in Companion (Import / Export → Import).
2
Enter the Base URL
Enter the Base URL from the Remote control window in the template’s Generic HTTP connection. The table below shows which address to use.
3
Go
Press a button — done.
| Base URL | When to use |
|---|---|
http://<PC-IP>:8765 | Companion runs on another device on the network (e.g. the Stream Deck computer). The Remote control window shows the right address. |
http://localhost:8765 | Companion runs on the same computer as the app. |
Both addresses are always reachable at the same time.
Commands for your own buttons
All commands are plain GET requests: append them to the Base URL, e.g. http://192.168.1.100:8765/timer/start.
| Area | Commands |
|---|---|
| Timer | /timer/start · /timer/pause · /timer/toggle (start/pause on one button) · /timer/reset · /timer/stop |
| Running order | /preset/next loads the next preset without starting it (start with /timer/start or /timer/toggle) |
| Add time | /timer/add/SEC (−3600 … 3600), e.g. /timer/add/60 or /timer/add/-60 |
| Set time | /timer/set/MIN/SEC loads without starting · /timer/preset/SEC sets and starts |
| User presets | /preset/load/0 … /preset/load/49 = positions 1–50 of the preset list, loads without starting |
| Display | /display/timer · /display/clock · /display/off · /display/flash (stage flashes 3×) |
| Messages | /message/send/N (saved message N, from 0) · /message/send?text=… (free text, max. 500 characters) · /message/clear |
| Stageview | /presenter/fullscreen/on · /presenter/fullscreen/off · /numberscale/150 (number size 100–200 %) |
| Status | /status returns the current state as JSON |
Feedback on the Stream Deck
/status provides these fields, among others (JSONPath for Companion):
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
$.state.displayString | time shown |
$.state.timerPhase | ready / running / paused / overtime / stopped |
$.state.timeStage | normal / warning / critical / overtime — colour stage as on stage |
$.state.nextPresetText | text for the Next button |
$.outputs.browserClients | number of connected browser Stageviews |
The template uses this for the Next ▸ button and colours the status button orange or red.
Security
The app accepts commands from any device on the same network; requests from web pages are rejected. Only use remote control on networks you trust, and restrict access to the Companion computer with a firewall if needed.
Port 8765 in use?
A red dot on the remote icon and a red notice in the Remote control window show that port 8765 is occupied by another program. Close the other program — the app retries automatically every few seconds and the notice disappears on its own. No restart needed.
13Updates & help
The app quietly checks for new versions in the background — at most once a week. Without an internet connection nothing happens and the app runs normally.
Update banner
Appears at the bottom right of the Operator with Download. Later or × hides it until the next newer version.
Hint in the ? window
A green Update appears next to the version number — even after the banner was dismissed.
No auto-update
One click opens the download page. Install the new version just like the first time.
Help and info (?)
- Version
The installed version and, if available, the update hint. - Ideas & Feature Requests
Suggestions for future versions. - Support
Coffee €4, Beer €5 or Gaffer tape €15 — one click opens PayPal in your browser. - Help
Show intro tour starts the intro tour again, Open manual opens this guide. - Privacy, Terms & Liability
Privacy policy and terms of use. - Diagnostics
Open log folder opens the log files for bug reports.
Reporting a problem
1
Open the log folder
? at the bottom left → under Diagnostics click Open log folder.
2
Send the files
E-mail the files in that folder (e.g.
main.log) to support with a short description.Everything stays local
The log files stay on your device — the app uploads nothing automatically, including crash reports. Native crashes are also recorded locally as crash dumps.
14Practical tips & shortcuts
From the field
1
Conference with a fixed running order
Enter all items as presets with labels beforehand (fastest in the preset list ☰) and save them as a session. Live, all you need is Next ▸: cue, speaker ready, start.
2
Break until a set time
Until time → 14:30 → ▶ Set & Go. The audience sees how long the break lasts; 0:00 lands exactly on the restart. Alternatively, Clock simply shows the time of day.
3
Live stream with green screen
Switch on Green screen background, choose dark colours under Timer colours → Advanced and key the stage window in your video mixer.
4
Only one screen
Run the Stageview as a window or use a tablet with the browser Stageview as stage monitor. If the fullscreen stage covers the Operator, ESC exits fullscreen.
5
Tech crew on a Stream Deck
With the Companion template, Start/Pause, Next, Quick Add and messages sit on buttons — the status button turns orange or red when time is running short.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut / method |
|---|---|
| Exit fullscreen | Exit Fullscreen below the preview; ESC in the stage window or when the stage covers the Operator. |
| Zoom the interface | Ctrl/Cmd + / − / 0 — remembered. |
| Collapse messaging column | › in the column header — the window gets narrower. |
| Editing | Enter or clicking elsewhere saves, Esc discards — the same everywhere. |
| Label: new line | Shift+Enter |
| Close a window | Esc, × or click the background. Tab stays inside the open window. |
| Touch screen | Pencil and arrow buttons, otherwise shown only on hover, are always visible. |
Start, Pause and the like deliberately have no keyboard shortcuts, so nothing is triggered by accident while you type labels. To use buttons, see Companion.