Compact NovaStar all-in-one controller for smaller LED installations.
NovaStar · all-in-one controller
NovaStar VX16s LED wall controller
The VX16s is a NovaStar all-in-one controller combining video processing, image control and LED display configuration in a single unit. Its sixteen gigabit network outputs drive 10,400,000 pixels between them — exactly sixteen times the 650,000 pixels per port, so the capacity follows from the port count rather than from any separate processing headroom.
On the input side there are 2× 3G-SDI, 4× DVI and HDMI 2.0 connectors, the maximum input resolution is 4096×2160@60 Hz, and the output refresh rate extends to 120 Hz. Two PIP layers can be handled alongside one main layer, but the HDMI source and the DVI mosaic source can only be used by the main layer.
The device was designed to be used together with NovaStar's V-Can control software, which provides the richer image splicing options. The manual is the 2020 V1.0.0 edition, so it belongs to an earlier generation of the series than the VX400/VX600/VX1000 trio.
Where the VX16s sits in an LED wall system
Signal path: player or media server → VX16s → 16× Cat6 → NovaStar receiving card (A5s Plus, A8s, MRV412-N) → HUB card → module. It has no optical output, so beyond 100 metres a separate pair of converters, or an MCTRL660 Pro set to fibre converter mode, is needed alongside it. The screen configuration is done in NovaLCT, while V-Can handles the layers and presets live. The same closed ecosystem applies: a NovaStar sender only works with NovaStar receiving cards.
WHEN IT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
On smaller, simpler LED wall projects that do not need the port count or the pixel capacity of the larger VX models.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
An older product line: it is worth checking current firmware support and availability before purchase.
The VX16s in practice
One particular feature is that the receiving card file (`RCFGx`) produced in NovaLCT can also be loaded from the front-panel `Loading RCFGx Files` item and then written to the receiving cards with the `Save to RV Card` command — which means faulty parameters after a cabinet swap can be put right on site without a laptop. The file first has to be exported on the NovaLCT `Receiving Card` tab with the `Save to File` button, and it is worth leaving it on a USB stick kept in the rack. A typical mistake is trying to give the PIP layer an HDMI source: the HDMI and DVI mosaic sources only work on the main layer. Here too the load on the sixteen ports has to be allocated in descending steps, as a whole multiple of the cabinet columns.
Alternatives to the VX16s
If an optical output or 12-bit processing is needed, the COEX-series MX40 Pro is the modern equivalent (20 ports, 4× 10G fibre). If fewer pixels will do but a VMP-based software environment is required, the VX1000. If the wall only calls for signal distribution without scaling, the MCTRL4K is cheaper. For asynchronous operation without a PC, though, none of these is suitable: the right direction there is a Taurus TB50 or TB60.
VX16s manual and datasheet
The documents live on the manufacturer's own site and open in a new window — so you always get the latest version. We do not copy or translate their contents.
Related LED wall controllers
LED wall controller — but what does it go into?
On its own the NovaStar VX16s is a component. With us it works inside these displays — design, manufacturing and installation included.
