ScoreCastr runs in a web browser. You don't install anything from us: the dashboard is a web page, and your graphics are a web link that your streaming software shows on top of the video. This guide lists what you need on each side, and the few places where the kind of browser matters.
The short list
| What | What you need |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | A web browser on a laptop, tablet or phone |
| Graphics on the stream | OBS, or any software that accepts a browser source |
| Overlay size | A 1920 by 1080 browser source |
| Internet | On the scoring device and on the streaming computer |
| Account | A ScoreCastr account; Free works for scorebugs |
A device for the dashboard
The scorekeeper runs the game from the Control Dashboard. It works in a browser on a laptop, tablet or phone, so use whatever suits your setup:
- A laptop shows the most at once: the main area and the sidebar sit side by side.
- A tablet or phone works too. On a narrow screen the sidebar moves below the tabs, so you'll scroll more.
The dashboard doesn't have to be on the same computer as OBS. A common setup is a scorekeeper on a tablet at the scorer's table and OBS on a laptop in the press box. Both open the same match, and changes travel through ScoreCastr's servers.
Keep the device charged and stop it from going to sleep during the game. A dashboard that locks mid-quarter can't send the score.
The browser
Use an up-to-date browser. Two features care which browser you use:
- Stream Deck and keypad shortcuts type into whichever window is in front, so the dashboard has to be the active window on the computer the Stream Deck is plugged into. See Set up a Stream Deck.
- Watching a local XML file in the Data Hub (Pro) needs a Chromium-based browser: Chrome, Edge, Opera or Brave. Other browsers show "Your browser does not support local file watching."
Streaming software
ScoreCastr makes the graphics. It doesn't stream video. For that you need streaming software that can add a web page as a source:
- OBS Studio is free and is what our guides use. Add the overlay as a Browser source.
- Any other program that accepts a browser source works the same way.
Set the source to 1920 by 1080. The graphics are laid out for a 1080p frame, and the page has a transparent background so your camera shows through. If your canvas is 1280 by 720, keep the source at 1920 by 1080 and scale it to fit. See Add your overlay to OBS.
The streaming computer does the hard work: it encodes your camera feed and draws the graphics. If OBS struggles on your laptop, lower the output resolution or bitrate in OBS before you blame the overlay.
Hardware switchers
If your graphics go into a hardware video switcher over HDMI instead of OBS, use the HDMI Output button on the dashboard. It opens the overlay on a solid green background (#04F404). Show it full screen on a computer whose HDMI output feeds the switcher, and key out the green there.
Internet
Both ends need a connection: the device running the dashboard, and the computer showing the overlay. ScoreCastr only sends small score updates, so the dashboard uses very little data. Your video stream uses far more, so plan your upload speed around the stream, not the scorebug.
If the scoring device loses signal, the status dot at the top of the dashboard turns Slow or Offline. Your changes are saved on the device and sent automatically when the connection comes back. Check the dot reads Live before you go on air. See Connection status.
Optional extras
- A Stream Deck (or a numpad or X-Keys) for one-button graphics. Listening Mode needs the Starter plan.
- The ScoreCastr iPhone app, in public beta on TestFlight and free during the beta, if you'd rather stream from a phone than a laptop. Android is coming later. See Join the iPhone beta.
Checklist
- Dashboard device charged, with sleep turned off
- Up-to-date browser on the dashboard device
- OBS (or similar) with the overlay as a 1920 by 1080 browser source
- Internet on both the dashboard device and the streaming computer
- Status dot reads Live before you go on air