Target Omni Buying Guide: Auto-Scoring for Steel Tip Darts
Automatic scoring used to mean giving up a bristle board and throwing plastic. It does not any more. Camera-based systems watch a normal steel tip board and score it for you, and Target's Omni is the one you are most likely to be looking at in Australia.
We run ten Target Omni-equipped lanes in our Port Kennedy venue, so this is a system we use daily rather than one we have read about.
What camera-based auto-scoring actually does
The principle is straightforward. A camera is mounted on an arm so that it looks across the face of your dartboard. Software identifies where each dart has landed, converts that to a score, and keeps the game state for you — so nobody is doing mental arithmetic or chalking.
What this gets you, in order of how much it changes your practice:
- You stop scoring and start throwing. Practising alone with pen and paper is tedious enough that most people skip the scoring and therefore skip the feedback.
- Your statistics accumulate automatically. Three-dart average, checkout percentage, and where you actually land versus where you aimed. This is the part that improves players.
- You keep your bristle board. No change of darts, no change of feel, no plastic tips. Steel tip into sisal, exactly as before.
- Online play becomes possible. With a camera set up for it, you can play opponents remotely rather than only the people in your house.
The parts, and what each is for
This is where most confusion starts, because the system is modular rather than one box.
- Target Omni Auto Scoring System — the scoring system itself.
- Omni VIRT arm — the mount that holds a camera in the correct position relative to the board. Position is not optional; the software needs a consistent, known viewpoint.
- Target VIRT camera — the camera used for VIRT online play.
- Upgrade to VIRT camera online play — the route from local scoring to playing opponents remotely.
- 3D printed Omni arm and camera covers — protective covers for the arm and camera. These are ours, printed in-house, because an exposed camera arm beside a dartboard is a target whether you intend it to be or not.
- Scoring tablet holder — somewhere to put the screen that is not the floor.
Because the configuration depends on whether you want local scoring only or online play as well, this is a purchase worth a two-minute conversation before you commit. Ask us and we will tell you exactly which parts you need for what you want to do.
What you still need around it
An auto-scoring system watches your board. It does not replace the rest of a setup, and it is less forgiving of a bad one.
- A proper board, correctly hung. Browse dartboards and cabinets.
- Consistent lighting. Any camera system depends on seeing the board clearly. A board in shadow, or lit from one side only, makes life harder than it needs to be. We stock dartboard lighting in the accessories range.
- A surround. More relevant than usual here, because you now have equipment mounted near the board. See surrounds and cabinets.
- A mat with a marked oche. If your throwing distance moves, your statistics are measuring the wrong thing. Browse mats and oches.
Who this genuinely suits
Worth it if: you practise alone and want your numbers tracked without effort; you want to play league or online opponents from home; you are working on a specific part of your game and need honest feedback rather than an impression.
Probably not yet if: you are buying your first set of darts and do not own a board. Spend the money on a good board, a surround and a mat first — an auto-scorer measuring a bad setup just records the problem accurately. Start with our beginners guide instead.
Consider soft tip instead if: all you want is automatic scoring and you do not care about steel tip. An electronic board scores natively and costs less. The reason to choose a camera system is specifically that you want to keep throwing steel tip at sisal.
Come and use one before you buy one
This is the easiest recommendation we make. We have ten Target Omni-equipped lanes in Port Kennedy, Western Australia. Book one, throw a leg, watch it score you, and decide with your own eyes. We ship Australia-wide if you are not local.