Date and Time camera overlay.

Answered

Matt robinson

November 05, 2026 03:01

Hi All, 

We have a client with multiple sites, a large number of cameras, and several NX Client users operating video walls. One of their requirements is to have the current date and time visible on all camera views.

At present, the date/time overlay is being generated by over 100 individual cameras. While this works in theory, in practice it has proven unreliable. We regularly encounter issues such as:

Camera clock drift
Daylight Saving Time inconsistencies
NTP synchronization failures
Differences in configuration between camera models and firmware versions

The result is that timestamps are not always consistent across the environment, creating additional administration and support overhead.

Ideally, we would like to see a server-generated overlay option within NX Witness. Rather than relying on each camera to generate its own timestamp, the NX Server would provide a centralized date/time overlay sourced from the server's configured time and timezone settings.

Benefits would include:

A single authoritative time source
Consistent timestamp display across all clients and video walls
Elimination of camera-specific DST and NTP issues
Reduced administration effort
Uniform display regardless of camera manufacturer or model

The ideal implementation would allow administrators to enable a server-side date/time overlay globally or per camera, with the overlay displayed consistently for all NX Client users. Importantly, this would be a display overlay only and would not need to be burned into the recorded video stream.

Is this currently possible in NX Witness, or is there a feature already planned that would provide centralized, server-generated timestamp overlays?

1

• 

  Norman

  • Network Optix team

  November 05, 2026 08:20

  Hi Matt robinson,

  Hello,

  Thank you for the detailed description.

  Nx Witness does not have a server-side date/time overlay. However, the Desktop Client has a hidden option that shows the current timestamp on live camera items instead of the "LIVE" label. 

  The time comes from the VMS, not from the camera's own OSD, so camera clock drift, DST settings, and camera NTP failures do not affect it. To show the same time on every workstation regardless of its location, set the time mode to Server time in each Desktop Client under Local Settings.

  To enable the option, open the file named showTimestampOnLiveCamera that contains only the value false, and change it to true. 

  You can find it in the Desktop Client settings folder:

  For Windows: 

  C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Network Optix\Network Optix HD Witness Client\settings\local

  For macOS: 

  ~/Library/Application Support/Network Optix/Network Optix HD Witness Client/settings

  For Linux: 

  ~/.local/share/Network Optix/Network Optix HD Witness Client/settings/local

  Then restart the Desktop Client.

  If the file doesn't exist, you can create, however assure you use the exact wording and capitalization as provided, and you don't save it with a file extention.  

  Some things to be aware of:

  • This is a per-workstation setting. You need to add the file on every Desktop Client and video wall PC, for the user account that runs the client. You can push the file with your usual software deployment tools.
  • The timestamp is shown where the "LIVE" label normally appears. On video walls, you may also want to enable the info overlay by default so the timestamp stays visible without pressing the I key.
  • The overlay appears in the Desktop Client only. It is not added to the recorded video. For exports, you can add a timestamp overlay in the Export Video dialog.
  • In our experience, many operators find a timestamp on live video confusing. They prefer the "LIVE" label and use the clock in the bottom-left corner of the Desktop Client as their time reference. Therefore it isn't a feature that is considered to be enabled by default in the future. 

  With kind regards.

  0
• 

  Norman

  • Network Optix team

  November 09, 2026 08:07

  Hello Matt robinson 

  As a follow-up to my previous message: you don't need to create the settings file manually. You can turn this option on or off directly in the Desktop Client:

  1. Open the Main Menu and select Local Settings.
  2. Go to the Look and Feel tab.
  3. Select the Show timestamp on LIVE checkbox.
  4. Click OK or Apply.

  Please note that this is still a per-workstation setting, so you need to enable it on each Desktop Client and Video Wall PC. For a large number of workstations, deploying the settings file I described earlier may, for example via a script or RMM tool, still be faster.

  Please let me know if you have any further questions.

  With kind regards.

  0

Please sign in to leave a comment.