What is a NovaStar processor

A NovaStar processor is the brain of your LED video wall. It takes video input (HDMI, DisplayPort, SDI, USB, or wireless), processes it (scaling, color correction, layer mixing, HDR), and sends pixel-accurate signal through Ethernet or optical fiber to the receiving cards inside each panel.

NovaStar is the global market leader in LED display control. Every LUMINA bundle we ship includes a NovaStar processor sized to the panel count and resolution. The processor you pick determines how many pixels you can drive, how many sources you can mix, what resolution you can output, and how flexible your video wall is for live events, broadcasts, or fixed installations.

The 6 processors we stock — quick comparison

Each processor below is in our US warehouse with free 4-7 day shipping. Click any row for full specs and bundle pricing.

NovaStar KU20 — entry-level COEX controller

The most accessible NovaStar processor in our catalog. Part of the new COEX control system series with 6 Ethernet output ports and a single HDMI input. Built for clean fixed installations where one video source feeds one wall.

KU20 specs at a glance

• 1× HDMI 1.3 input (with loop-through)
• 6× Ethernet output ports — load capacity up to 3.9 million pixels
• 1× 10G optical output
• 10-bit and 8-bit video inputs
• Software: VMP (Vision Management Platform) for control
• Image scaling — supports 2 image scaling modes
• Certifications: CCC, CE, FCC, IC, UL, CB, PSE, RCM, EAC, KC

Best for: single-source fixed installations under 3.9 million pixels (covers most small-to-medium church, retail, conference, and signage walls up to ~2.3K × 1.7K resolution). If you have one HDMI source and need a clean, certified, accessible-price controller, this is the right starting point.

NovaStar TU20 Pro — wireless Android playback

A completely different kind of processor: TU20 Pro runs Android 11 with a desktop UI, supports third-party apps, and handles wireless screen mirroring from Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Ships standard with every LUMINA 960 Outdoor 4mm bundle because outdoor signage often needs off-site content updates.

TU20 Pro specs at a glance

• 2× HDMI 1.3 inputs
• 3× USB 2.0 inputs — for multimedia playback and function extension
• 6× Ethernet outputs — load capacity up to 3.9 million pixels
• Output range: width 800–4096 px, height 600–1920 px
• Audio: 2× audio outputs, 1× SPDIF, 1× 3.5mm
• Android 11 desktop UI — third-party apps supported
• Wireless screen mirroring — Windows, macOS, iOS, Android terminals
• Certifications: CE, FCC, IC

Best for: outdoor digital signage, billboards, storefront windows facing outward, restaurants and retail where the content manager isn't on-site daily and needs to push new content over the air. Pair with our LUMINA 960 Outdoor bundles for a turnkey wireless setup.

NovaStar MX30 — multi-source mid-tier All-in-One

Where TU20 Pro is about wireless simplicity and KU20 is about single-source clean install, the MX30 is the workhorse for events and venues that mix multiple video sources. It accepts five different input types and drives up to 6.5 million pixels.

MX30 specs at a glance

• Multi-format inputs: 1× HDMI 2.0 (loop), 1× HDMI 1.4 (loop), 1× DP 1.1, 2× 3G-SDI (loop)
• 10× Gigabit Ethernet output ports — load capacity up to 6.5 million pixels
• 2× 10G optical output ports
• 1× SPDIF digital audio
• Control: 1× Genlock input (loop), 2× Ethernet control, 1× Auxiliary
• 3 independent layers with Z-order priority adjustment
• 14-channel color correction
• 4 image scaling modes: custom, pixel-to-pixel, snap-to-canvas, fill screen
• Certifications: CE, FCC, IC, UL, CB, PSE

Best for: live events, conferences, broadcast supplemental displays, sports bars with multiple feeds, houses of worship running camera switching, and any installation that needs SDI alongside HDMI. The 10 Ethernet ports give you redundancy and capacity for medium-to-large walls.

NovaStar TU4K Pro — 4K playback controller

Built around 4K playback with deep audio support and the biggest Ethernet array in this tier. Best when content is pre-produced and your wall needs to play it cleanly at native 4K resolution.

TU4K Pro specs at a glance

• 2× HDMI 2.0 inputs — up to 4096×2160 @ 60Hz
• 1× HDMI 1.3 input — up to 2048×1152 @ 60Hz
• 1× HDMI 1.3 output — monitoring/debug only
• 20× RJ45 Ethernet outputs — 1 Gbps each
• 2× 10G optical fiber outputs
• Audio: SPDIF, 3.5mm, HDMI eARC, Phoenix audio output
• USB: 1× USB 3.0, 2× USB 2.0
• HDCP 1.4 and 2.2 compliant
• Load capacity: ≤ 13 million pixels (scaled), ≤ 8.8 million pixels (pixel-to-pixel)
• Max scaled dimensions: 16384 × 8192 px
• Frame rates: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60

Best for: playback-heavy installations where content arrives as 4K files or 4K HDMI sources — virtual production volumes, premium broadcast control rooms, immersive retail or experiential environments with rich audio, and any wall driving a 4K signal pixel-to-pixel.

NovaStar MX2000 Pro — flagship modular 8K

The professional 8K LED display controller. Part of the COEX series, but in a modular card-based 2U chassis with 5 types of 8K/4K input cards available. Designed for live broadcast, mega-displays, and any project pushing past 8 million pixels into 8K territory.

MX2000 Pro specs at a glance

• Up to 8× 4K or 4× 8K video inputs via modular cards
• 5 types of 8K/4K input cards supported
• Maximum load capacity: 35.38 million pixels
• 12-bit color depth
• 360 Hz refresh capability
• 0-frame latency for live event use
• Real-time multi-screen scaling
• HDR support
• 2U compact chassis with card-based modular design
• Seamless backup and automatic switching between devices and cards

For multi-card configurations, you'll add input/output cards based on your source mix. We stock the MX_2xHDMI_2.1 input card ($4,299) and the MX_4x10G output card ($5,450) as the most common pairings.

Best for: large-scale 8K projects, live broadcast venues with 0-frame latency requirements, premium virtual production stages, multi-source flagship installations, and any project where modular flexibility (add cards as you grow) matters.

NovaStar MX40 Pro — flagship All-in-One

The most powerful non-modular processor in our catalog. Where MX2000 Pro is a card-based 8K chassis, the MX40 Pro is the all-in-one flagship for fixed installations that need 4× 4K layers, 12-bit color, and 20 Ethernet output ports in a single integrated unit.

MX40 Pro specs at a glance

• 3× HDMI 2.0 inputs (with loop-through)
• 1× DP 1.2 input
• 1× 12G-SDI input (with loop-through)
• 12-bit, 10-bit, and 8-bit video inputs
• 20× Gigabit Ethernet outputs — load capacity up to 9 million pixels
• 4× 10G optical ports — switchable between 20-port and 40-port mode
• 1× SPDIF digital audio
• 4 independent 4K layers with Z-order priority adjustment
• Image scaling: 4 modes (custom, pixel-to-pixel, snap-to-canvas, fill screen)
• Control: 1× Genlock (loop), 2× Ethernet, 1× Auxiliary
• Certifications: CCC, CE, FCC, IC, UL, CB, KC, EAC

Best for: large fixed installations, premium control rooms, broadcast studios that need multiple 4K sources mixed across an LED wall, and any project where the modular MX2000 isn't needed but you still want flagship-tier capability in a single sealed unit.

Receiving cards

The processor sends signal to receiving cards inside each LED panel. Two NovaStar receiving cards in our catalog — included in our bundles, also sold individually for replacement or expansion.

If you're researching which receiving card matters for your project, our COEX vs VX, Armor vs MRV control comparison goes deeper on why receiving card quality affects the final image.

Supporting hardware

Two more NovaStar products in our catalog handle specific integration scenarios:

• Novastar CVT10S Fiber Converter ($1,190) — converts Ethernet to optical fiber for long-distance runs between processor and wall. Useful when your processor is in a control room 100+ ft from the LED.
• NovaLCT (Free, Windows) — the original NovaStar configuration software for receiving card setup, gamma calibration, and color management. Required for full configuration of any NovaStar-driven wall.

How to choose the right processor

Three questions narrow it down fast:

1. How many pixels does your wall have?

• Under 3.9M pixels (most walls up to ~256″ at 2.5mm or ~338″ at 4mm) — KU20 or TU20 Pro handle this cleanly
• 3.9–6.5M pixels (mid-range fixed and event walls) — MX30
• 6.5–9M pixels (large fixed installs) — MX40 Pro
• 8.8–13M pixels (4K playback territory) — TU4K Pro
• Up to 35.38M pixels (8K and flagship live) — MX2000 Pro

2. How many video sources do you need to mix?

• 1 source, fixed install — KU20
• 1–2 sources + wireless, off-site management — TU20 Pro
• 2–5 sources mixing HDMI/DP/SDI — MX30 or MX40 Pro
• 4–8 sources at 4K/8K — MX2000 Pro

3. What kind of content?

• Static signage, scheduled playback — TU20 Pro (wireless) or KU20 (wired)
• 4K playback files, content-heavy installs — TU4K Pro
• Live events with multi-camera switching — MX30 or MX40 Pro (12G-SDI)
• Broadcast / virtual production at 0-frame latency — MX2000 Pro

What's already in our LUMINA bundles

Every LUMINA bundle ships with the right NovaStar processor pre-matched to the panel count and use case. Outdoor bundles ship with the TU20 Pro for wireless content management. Indoor bundles ship with the appropriate KU20, MX30, MX40 Pro, or TU4K Pro based on bundle size and resolution requirements. You don't have to spec the processor separately — but you can swap up if your project needs more capability.

Common questions

- Can I use a NovaStar processor with non-NovaStar receiving cards? ▾

Technically the protocol is proprietary — NovaStar processors talk to NovaStar receiving cards (the A5s Plus and A8s-N Plus we stock, plus the older MRV and Armor cards from previous generations). For best image quality and warranty coverage, we recommend matching processor and receiver from the same ecosystem. Our COEX vs VX comparison post explains why receiving card generation matters.

- What's the difference between KU20 (COEX) and MX30 (All-in-One)? ▾

KU20 is in the COEX series — single HDMI input, simpler control via VMP software, 6 Ethernet outputs at 3.9M pixels. Designed for clean single-source fixed installs. MX30 is the multi-source workhorse: 5 different input types (HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4, DP, two 3G-SDI), 10 Ethernet outputs, 6.5M pixels, 3 independent layers with Z-order, and 14-channel color correction. If your project needs more than one video source or multi-camera mixing, you want MX30 or higher.

- Why does the TU20 Pro come standard with outdoor bundles? ▾

Outdoor LED walls (billboards, storefront signage, plaza displays) typically need content updates pushed from off-site — the content manager isn't standing at the wall every day with a USB stick. TU20 Pro's Android 11 OS with wireless screen mirroring from Windows/macOS/iOS/Android, plus 3× USB inputs and remote scheduling capability, lets you push new content from anywhere. That operational reality is why we bundle it with our LUMINA 960 Outdoor 4mm packages by default.

- Do I need the MX2000 Pro for 8K, or can I use MX40 Pro? ▾

MX40 Pro handles up to 9 million pixels with 4× 4K layer support — that covers many large 4K-scale projects but it's not a true 8K controller. MX2000 Pro is the dedicated 8K solution: 12-bit color, 360 Hz capability, 0-frame latency, modular card-based design, and load capacity of 35.38 million pixels (roughly 4× MX40 Pro). If your project requires native 8K input cards, HDR processing, and the broadcast-grade 0-frame latency, you want MX2000 Pro. If you're at 4K-with-scaling, MX40 Pro is significantly more accessible at $7,495 vs $5,150 plus input/output cards.

- What is NovaLCT and do I need it? ▾

NovaLCT is NovaStar's original Windows configuration software — required for receiving card setup, gamma calibration, brightness uniformity adjustments, and color management. Every wall using NovaStar control needs NovaLCT for initial configuration. It's free to download. For day-to-day operation of newer COEX processors (KU20, MX2000 Pro), the VMP (Vision Management Platform) software gives a more modern control interface, but NovaLCT remains the standard for cabinet-level setup.

- Can I upgrade the processor in an existing bundle? ▾

Yes. If you bought a bundle with KU20 and your project grew past 3.9M pixels, you can swap in an MX30, MX40 Pro, or MX2000 Pro without changing the panels or receiving cards. Same Ethernet output protocol. Our engineering team can quote the upgrade path — the cost is processor delta plus any additional cables for higher Ethernet port counts.

- What about NovaStar VX-series processors (VX400, VX600)? ▾

The VX series is NovaStar's previous-generation All-in-One controller line. We have technical articles on the VX400 and VX600 for reference. The current All-in-One generation we stock for new bundles is the MX series (MX30, MX40 Pro) — newer architecture, more inputs, better layer handling, and forward compatibility with the latest receiving cards.

- Do all NovaStar processors support HDR? ▾

HDR support varies by model. MX2000 Pro is the flagship for HDR processing with 12-bit color depth and dedicated HDR capability built in. MX40 Pro supports 12-bit input. MX30, TU4K Pro support 10-bit input which gives you wider color depth than standard 8-bit but isn't full HDR processing. For HDR-critical applications (virtual production, broadcast color-grading), the MX2000 Pro is the right fit.

- What's the warranty? ▾

All NovaStar processors in our catalog ship with the manufacturer's warranty plus our standard 30-day return policy (original packaging, 25% restocking fee on opened units per our standard returns policy). For warranty service or repair coordination, contact our engineering team.