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Scoreboard Overlay with OCR

Use optical character recognition to read the scoreboard at your venue and automatically update your livestream scoreboard overlay

Updated over 2 months ago

To automatically update your scoreboard overlay in your Spiideo Play broadcast, you can use optical character recognition (OCR) to read your arena scoreboard in real time. When the venue scoreboard updates, OCR reads this and updates the scoreboard overlay in your broadcast!

Requirements for Scoreboard OCR

To enable scoreboard OCR, you will need:

  • A Spiideo Play Pro subscription

  • A digital scoreboard at your venue

  • To be the owner of the arena

  • A Spiideo camera where your arena scoreboard is visible

With this, you can setup scoreboard OCR


Setup Scoreboard OCR on your Scenes

Setting up a scoreboard OCR can only be done by an admin on the account. If you are a scheduler or CloudStudio operator you will not be able to set the OCR up.

To start setting the OCR up:

  1. Navigate to the 'CloudControl' tab and click on the scene you wish to setup Scoreboard OCR on.

  2. Click on 'Settings'

  3. Scroll down and click 'Add scoreboard'

  4. Click on 'Scoreboard read by a Spiideo camera (OCR)

  5. Click 'Next'


You'll now have the option of choosing your method of calibration. Here you can choose to either calibrate Live (real-time camera image) or from a previous recording. If you choose the second option, it is important that the cameras have not moved since that recording.

Once you have made you choice click 'Next'.


Live Calibration of an OCR Scoreboard

Before you start to calibrate using the live image make sure to turn the scoreboard on in the arena. For best practice, light up as many digits as possible.

Once you have chosen the option 'Live Calibration' you need to chose the camera you will be using. Choose the camera from with the best view of the scoreboard. When you have chosen the camera angle click 'Next'.


Continue by outlining the scoreboard with four annotations starting in the top left corner. Once your annotations are placed, you can drag them to capture the full scoreboard and then click 'Next'


Now annotate your scoreboard my dragging to create your first annotation box. Once placed, you can click on each annotation to identify what it is. Annotation groups are:

  • The match clock (required)

  • Home team score (required)

  • Away team score (required)

  • Match period (optional)

Annotation boxes must all be the same size for their annotation group. So you should copy the first box of each group for all further annotations.


Any errors in your annotations are displayed in red. In general, common errors are:

  1. Digits (your annotations) overlap

  2. Annotation is not defined

  3. Annotations are not the same size


Once all annotations are complete, click 'Next'.


Your OCR calibration is now set up and ready to use.


Your created scoreboard will now be stored in the 'Scoreboard' section of the scene settings. Here you can:

  1. Toggle the scoreboard on or off for broadcasts

  2. Compare the original calibration with the live view

  3. Run an OCR accuracy test

  4. Remove the scoreboard

  5. Edit the scoreboard


Recorded Game Calibration

You need a broadcast no more than 30 days old when using a recorded game for calibrating.

Choose the recording you wish to calibrate with from the list and then click 'Next'.


Scrub along the recording timeline until a moment where the scoreboard is active. Once found, click 'Next'


Choose the camera that the scoreboard is visible from and then click 'Next'


Continue by outlining the scoreboard with four annotations starting in the top left corner. Once your annotations are placed, you can drag them to capture the full scoreboard and then click 'Next'


Now annotate your scoreboard my dragging to create your first annotation box. Once placed, you can click on each annotation to identify what it is. Annotation options are:

  • The match clock (required)

  • Home team score (required)

  • Away team score (required)

  • Match period (optional)

Annotation boxes must all be the same size for their annotation group. So you should copy the first box of each group for all further annotations.


Any errors in your annotations are displayed in red. In general, common errors are:

  1. Digits (your annotations) overlap

  2. Annotation is not defined

  3. Annotations are not the same size


Once all annotations are complete, click 'Next' .


Your OCR calibration is now set up and ready to use.


our created scoreboard will now be stored in the 'Scoreboard' section of the scene settings. Here you can:

  1. Toggle the scoreboard on or off for broadcasts

  2. Compare the original calibration with the live view

  3. Run an OCR accuracy test

  4. Remove the scoreboard

  5. Edit the scoreboard


Have further questions about scoreboards or Scoreboard OCR? Reach out to support via the chat!

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