diff --git a/openslides/core/static/js/core/base.js b/openslides/core/static/js/core/base.js
index fa8dceba9..ed16be669 100644
--- a/openslides/core/static/js/core/base.js
+++ b/openslides/core/static/js/core/base.js
@@ -391,25 +391,24 @@ angular.module('OpenSlidesApp.core', [
     }
 ])
 
-/* Converts number of seconds into string "hh:mm:ss" or "mm:ss" */
+/* Converts number of seconds into string "h:mm:ss" or "mm:ss" */
 .filter('osSecondsToTime', [
     function () {
         return function (totalseconds) {
             var time;
             // floor returns the largest integer of the absolut value of totalseconds
             var total = Math.floor(Math.abs(totalseconds));
-            var hh = Math.floor(total / 3600);
+            var h = Math.floor(total / 3600);
             var mm = Math.floor(total % 3600 / 60);
             var ss = Math.floor(total % 60);
             var zero = "0";
             // Add leading "0" for double digit values
-            hh = (zero+hh).slice(-2);
             mm = (zero+mm).slice(-2);
             ss = (zero+ss).slice(-2);
-            if (hh == "00")
+            if (h == "0")
                 time =  mm + ':' + ss;
             else
-                time = hh + ":" + mm + ":" + ss;
+                time = h + ":" + mm + ":" + ss;
             if (totalseconds < 0)
                 time = "-"+time;
             return time;
diff --git a/openslides/core/static/js/core/site.js b/openslides/core/static/js/core/site.js
index 0752d56d3..574e23f3f 100644
--- a/openslides/core/static/js/core/site.js
+++ b/openslides/core/static/js/core/site.js
@@ -1055,6 +1055,48 @@ angular.module('OpenSlidesApp.core.site', [
     }
 ])
 
+// format time string for model ("s") and view format ("h:mm:ss" or "mm:ss")
+.directive('minSecFormat', [
+    function () {
+        return {
+            require: 'ngModel',
+            link: function(scope, element, attrs, ngModelController) {
+                ngModelController.$parsers.push(function(data) {
+                    //convert data from view format (mm:ss) to model format (s)
+                    var time = data.split(':');
+                    if (time.length > 1) {
+                        data = (+time[0]) * 60 + (+time[1]);
+                        if (data < 0) {
+                            data = "-"+data;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    return data;
+                });
+
+                ngModelController.$formatters.push(function(data) {
+                    //convert data from model format (s) to view format (mm:ss)
+                    var time;
+                    // floor returns the largest integer of the absolut value of totalseconds
+                    var total = Math.floor(Math.abs(data));
+                    var mm = Math.floor(total / 60);
+                    var ss = Math.floor(total % 60);
+                    var zero = "0";
+                    // Add leading "0" for double digit values
+                    if (mm.length < 2) {
+                        mm = (zero+mm).slice(-2);
+                    }
+                    ss = (zero+ss).slice(-2);
+                    time =  mm + ':' + ss;
+                    if (data < 0) {
+                        time = "-"+time;
+                    }
+                    return time;
+                });
+            }
+        };
+    }
+])
+
 .directive('osFocusMe', [
     '$timeout',
     function ($timeout) {
diff --git a/openslides/core/static/templates/core/projector-controls.html b/openslides/core/static/templates/core/projector-controls.html
index 665789fb7..569902478 100644
--- a/openslides/core/static/templates/core/projector-controls.html
+++ b/openslides/core/static/templates/core/projector-controls.html
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@
               </div>
               <div class="form-group">
                 <label translate>Start time</label>
-                <input ng-model="countdown.default" type="number" class="form-control input-sm">
+                <input data-ng-model="countdown.default" min-sec-format
+                    type="text" placeholder="mm:ss" class="form-control input-sm">
               </div>
               <button type="submit"
                   title="{{ 'Save' | translate}}"