Simply connect your digital video camera to your computer using a Fire wire (IE1394) connector. After launching the DV Timer application you will see the live video feed from the camera on your computer screen. DV Timer puts a one pixel wide line on the screen which is the virtual finish line. Simply adjust the camera until the virtual finish line aligns with your real finish line and you are ready to race!

To start the timing system, simply press the space bar on your keyboard. This starts an internal stopwatch, but not the video recording. The reason for this is the size of video files. If you race lasts 2 minutes, capturing the whole race when you only need to last few seconds wastes a tremendous amount of storage space. DVTimer overcomes this by only recording the last few seconds of a race, without affecting the timing system. When the boats are getting close to the finish line simply press the space bar a second time and DVTimer begins capturing video. When the last boat crosses the line simply press one button to stop the recording, stop the timer and put DVTimer into "playback" mode. You are now watching the replay of the finish. Advance the video until the nose of the first boat is on the finish line and record the time! You can even automatically export the time to Excel if you have use a spreadsheet to keep track of the results. Moving the video forward and back is simple using "hot keys". You can advance one frame, 10 frames, 10% of all frames or move to the beginning or end with one key stroke.

Features

• * Tired of protests? Printing a copy of the photo finish is simple if you have a printer. Even an inexpensive ink jet printer can print a color picture of the finish. One look at the picture is all most teams need to be satisfied with the order of finish. Because each race is captured digitally, it doesn't matter when the protest occurs, you have the race saved and can review it at any time.
• * Accuracy Standard digital video cameras capture 30 frames per second. This means that 30 separate images are made each second for 1/30th of a second accuracy (0.033 seconds). Thirty-three one hundreds accuracy is far better than a human can perform with a stop watch. The fastest finish line judge needs 0.15 seconds to react, 4.5 times slower than DV Timer. Got a race closer than this? Send us the photo. After hundreds of race finishes we have only seen a dead heat once.
• * USA Dragon Boating, LLC was one of the first race organizers to adopt DVTimer as their standard finish line software. They have used it successfully at a number of races including: Houston, Lake Lure, Racine, Long Beach, Chicago, Ithica, Perdido Key and more.
• * This is available: As just the software or in a package (Includes: Laptop Computer (Windows XP Operating System, 2 Meg RAM), Mini DV Digital Video Camera (35X Optical Zoom), Six foot Fire wire Connector, Tripod, & DVTimer Software – PRELOADED)