What's New in KUMA Timer 1.19.0
NDI video output finally works on Raspberry Pi, Chase to Timecode auto-fires cues from LTC, and the show timer's layout designer now runs entirely from the Pi web admin — no desktop required.
Version 1.19.0 is the biggest release yet for anyone running KUMA Timer's show timer on a Raspberry Pi kiosk, plus a handful of features that matter to every stage manager and AV tech regardless of platform. Here's what's actually in it.
NDI and OMT video output now both work on Raspberry Pi
Until this release, NDI video output — sending the countdown timer as a live video feed into a broadcast switcher, vMix, OBS or another NDI receiver — was Mac and Windows only. The Pi kiosk build could only send OMT (Open Media Transport, the royalty-free equivalent). As of 1.19.0, NDI runs on Pi too.
This isn't a workaround — NDI has confirmed in writing that the Pi kiosk build qualifies for their royalty-free Standard SDK licensing path. If your broadcast chain is built around NDI rather than OMT, a £35 Raspberry Pi can now sit backstage as a dedicated countdown source instead of tying up a laptop.
Chase to Timecode — cues that fire on incoming LTC
Broadcast shows are frequently run against a fixed LTC timecode reference rather than a free-running clock. Chase to Timecode lets KUMA watch incoming LTC and automatically trigger a cue the moment the timecode reaches that cue's target — the standard convention for content starting at a fixed point in a broadcast timeline. Each cue can optionally fire an OSC message on start and end too, so lighting, sound or a separate system stays in lock-step without a human pressing "go" on every cue.
Design custom Looks from the Pi web admin — no desktop needed
The Layout Editor — drag-and-resize positioning of the timer, cue name, progress bar, messages and images on a free canvas — previously required the desktop app. In 1.19.0 the full designer runs in the Pi's web admin interface: position everything from a browser, save it as a Look, recall it any time. For a permanently-installed Pi kiosk that nobody wants to plug a keyboard into, this closes the last gap between the Pi and desktop experience.
LTC Generator — now KUMA can send timecode too
KUMA has long been able to receive LTC/SMPTE timecode to drive its countdown. The new LTC Generator does the reverse: it outputs LTC/SMPTE timecode audio that a recorder, QLab, Resolume or a DAW can chase. Useful anywhere KUMA's timer is the master clock for the rest of a rig, not just a follower.
DSAN Limitimer — receive as well as transmit
KUMA already drives DSAN Limitimer countdown lights as a transmitter. It can now receive a DSAN countdown signal too — flywheel-smoothed, matching the behaviour of the original hardware — so a DSAN remote can act as an input source instead of only an output.
A free online timer at kumatimer.app/timer
Not every job needs the full show-control feature set. For a quick countdown with zero install, kumatimer.app/timer now offers a fast, no-signup online timer straight in the browser — type a time, hit start, go fullscreen. Log in with a KUMA licence for extra options.
Also in 1.19.0
- New home: kumatimer.app. The whole site, licensing portal and support address moved to the new domain.
- Redesigned Import / Export — a live progress view with a green checkmark per category (presets, cues, layouts, devices) as it transfers, instead of a silent all-or-nothing operation.
- LED dot-matrix host monitor readout — the control window's own preview can render the timer as a 5×7 LED dot-matrix over a dotted LCD panel, matching what a physical Ulanzi or ESP32-S3-BOX display shows. On by default; switch back to classic text in Settings → Display.
- Fixed: background colour and timer font weren't reaching KUMA Live, the iOS Companion app or the web mirror.
- Fixed: TCP/UDP show control settings now apply immediately, no restart required.
- Fixed: Import no longer silently drops settings if the Settings dialog was left open in the background.