How to Use the Timeline in COVA

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Affected Roles:    End Users, System Administrators

Related DW Software:    COVA Web Client

Software Version:    COVA Rev. 05/26

Last Edit:    September 4, 2026

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How to Use the Timeline in COVA

This article will outline how to show and hide the timeline, read the color-coded legend, navigate and filter footage, jump to a specific date and time, and use all playback controls.

Supported/Affected Devices:

• DW-COVA4 / DW-COVA8 / DW-COVA16

Resolution:

Part 1 — Show or Hide the Timeline

1. Click the up arrow at the bottom of the viewing area to expand the timeline.

2. Click the down arrow to collapse it.

Tip: Click the push pin to lock the toolbar and prevent it from collapsing.

Part 2 — Read the Timeline

3. Color-coded blocks represent recording types:

Note: The top line of the timeline represents the currently selected channel. The bottom line represents the combined activity of all channels.

Part 3 — Navigate the Timeline

4. Click and drag anywhere on the timeline bar to scrub to a point in time.

5. Zoom in — narrows the time intervals for frame-precise navigation. Maximum zoom displays the timeline by the second.

6. Zoom out — widens the time intervals to see a broader range. Maximum zoom out displays the timeline by day.

Tip: The mouse scroll wheel can also be used to zoom in and out on the timeline.

7. Click the Center Playback Position icon to reposition the timeline to match the recorded time currently displayed.

Part 4 — Filter by Event Type

8. Click any color label in the legend to toggle that event type on or off. Hiding event types narrows the timeline to only the recordings you care about.

Part 5 — Jump to a Specific Date and Time

9. Click the date/time display in the toolbar to open the calendar picker.

10. Select the year, month, and day.

11. Set the time and toggle AM / PM. Click OK to jump directly to that moment in the timeline.

Part 6 — Control Playback

12. Pause / Play — pause or resume playback.

Note: The Pause/Play button is not available while live video is playing.

13. Slow 10s — skip backward 10 seconds (icon only; label appears on hover).

14. Fast 10s — skip forward 10 seconds (icon only; label appears on hover).

15. Speed selector — click X1 to open the speed menu. Options range from X1/32 (slowest) to X32 (fastest).

16. Click the Live button in the toolbar at any time to exit playback and return all cameras to live video.

Part 7 — Adjust Audio

17. Click the audio icon to mute or unmute.

18. Drag the volume slider to adjust the level.

Part 8 — Fullscreen Mode

19. Click the fullscreen icon to expand the viewing area to full screen. Click again or press Escape to exit.

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