Your Guide to NovaStar Taurus Multimedia Player TB30, TB40, TB50, TB60 Players

A NovaStar multimedia player is the small control box that turns an ordinary LED panel into a self-contained digital sign. The Taurus range – TB1-4G, TB2-4G, TB30, TB40, TB50 and TB60 – covers everything from a single shop-front screen to a nationwide network of billboards. Every NovaStar multimedia player plays video, images and audio from internal storage, drives the cabinets over Gigabit Ethernet, and is managed from a phone, a laptop or the cloud.

It covers model selection, pixel capacity, the default password, setup, and where to download the official manuals and firmware.

A NovaStar multimedia player is a playback and display-control device built for LED screens rather than LCD monitors. One chassis does three jobs that used to need three boxes: it stores and plays your content, converts it into the signal an LED cabinet understands, and publishes new material over a network or the cloud.

Because it drives the receiving cards directly over Gigabit Ethernet, most projects need no separate sending card or permanently connected PC. That is why a NovaStar multimedia player is now the default choice for shop-front signs, lamp-post screens, conference walls and rental stages.

The Taurus family splits into three groups. The pocket-sized TB1-4G and TB2-4G cover single screens and USB playback. The TB30 and TB40 add dual Gigabit outputs, sensor support and a higher pixel ceiling. The TB50 and TB60 handle 4K sources and synchronised multi-screen work. All six share 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, an IP20 rating and a -20 to +60 degrees C range.

When you publish a program, the player stores it, decodes it, scales it to the pixel dimensions you configured, then streams it out of its LED OUT ports as a Gigabit Ethernet signal. Receiving cards in the cabinets pick that stream up in daisy-chain order, so how many cabinets one port can feed depends on its loading capacity.

That is why capacity is the first number to compare. A NovaStar multimedia player rated at 650,000 pixels drives a 2.5 mm pitch wall of about 6 square metres, while the TB60 at 2,300,000 pixels can feed several walls at once. Cable length, cabinet count and refresh rate all reduce the practical figure, so plan with headroom.

Three benefits come up again and again:

• No PC required. Publish once and the screen keeps playing, even when the network drops.
• Cluster control. One NovaStar multimedia player per screen, managed as a group, lets a retail chain push one campaign everywhere from one dashboard.
• Smarter brightness. A sensor connector tracks ambient light, so a shop window stays readable at midday and comfortable at night.

Every figure below comes from the published NovaStar specification sheet for each NovaStar multimedia player.

The second table adds playback capacity and network behaviour for the same six players.

Two details are easy to misread. The TB1-4G and TB2-4G stop at a 1920 x 1080 output canvas, so they suit single screens at 1080p scale rather than tall or ultra-wide walls. And no Taurus NovaStar multimedia player ships with a 4G module.

Work backwards from the screen. Count the pixels on the wall, then add 20 per cent headroom. Under 650,000 pixels with stored playback only, a TB1-4G is enough; choose the TB2-4G if you also want a live HDMI source. Above that, the TB30 and TB40 double the capacity and add sensor and GPS support. For 4K material, tight synchronisation or walls beyond 1.3 million pixels, the right NovaStar multimedia player is the TB50 or TB60.

The TB1-4G is the lightest NovaStar multimedia player in the range at 301.8 g, built for asynchronous playback with the program stored and looped locally. It draws 18 W from a 12 V 2 A input, so it can share a supply with the cabinet electronics, and it suits lamp-post signs and mobile LED screens.

Images can be JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG or WEBP; video MP4, MOV, AVI, TS or MKV; audio MP3 or WAV. Wired always beats 4G. This NovaStar multimedia player has no HDMI input, so it cannot mirror a live source.

The TB2-4G shares the 650,000 pixel ceiling and 304.5 g body of the TB1-4G but adds an HDMI 1.3 input. With a live source attached, this NovaStar multimedia player switches to synchronous mode and mirrors a laptop, camera or switcher with no visible delay – the usual setup for live events, control rooms and studios.

Formats match the TB1-4G. The difference is the switch: leave it off and the TB2-4G is a USB-driven NovaStar multimedia player; switch it on with HDMI connected and the screen becomes a live display.

The TB30 stops being a simple media box. It plays content and also acts as the display controller, converting that content into the signal an LED cabinet recognises. In many installations that removes the need for a separate sending card. This NovaStar multimedia player takes AC mains directly, so no external 12 V supply is needed.

The TB30 has 2 Gigabit outputs, one primary and one backup, and decodes up to 2 x 4K, 6 x 1080p, 10 x 720p or 20 x 360p feeds. Because it supports GPS time synchronisation, this NovaStar multimedia player suits screens that must stay in step across different sites.

The TB40 doubles capacity to 1,300,000 pixels and adds HDMI input with loop-through, yet weighs only 430 g and runs from 12 V DC. This NovaStar multimedia player is usually the most cost-effective answer for one wall that needs both stored playback and a live feed.

It decodes 1 x 4K, 2 x 1080p, 4 x 720p, 4 x 480p or 6 x 360p streams and drives 2 full-strength Gigabit outputs rather than a primary and backup pair. The HDMI loop output feeds a monitor from the same source. With a source attached, this NovaStar multimedia player scales the incoming picture to the wall automatically.

See the dedicated NovaStar TB40 LED display player page for project examples.

The TB50 keeps the 1,300,000 pixel capacity of the TB40 but raises decoding to 2 x 4K and returns to AC mains power. It also carries 2 sensor connectors and accepts custom HDMI resolutions, which suits ultra-wide or unusual canvases. This NovaStar multimedia player is the usual pick for rental and production work.

Both Gigabit outputs run as primary ports, and priority is wired, then Wi-Fi, then 4G. In synchronous mode with full-screen scaling, the source must be between 512 and 2048 pixels in both directions and is only ever scaled down. Check that before you mount this NovaStar multimedia player.

The TB60 is the top of the range: 4 Gigabit output ports, up to 2,300,000 pixels, a quad-core ARM A55 processor with H.264 and H.265 4K at 60 Hz decoding, HDMI 1.4 and Android 11. This NovaStar multimedia player is built for large walls, multi-screen synchronisation and smart-city work.

Time synchronisation defines the TB60: it can hold screens together through NTP, GPS or RF, so displays on separate buildings stay frame-accurate. GPS and RF both need the specified module fitted, and none is supplied. Front-panel LEDs report status directly, so a technician can see whether this NovaStar multimedia player is online, upgrading or simply loading video.

Password questions are the most common support request for this family, and the answer is the same across the range: there is no universal factory password. Every NovaStar multimedia player gets a unique Wi-Fi AP name and password at the factory, and both are printed on the label carrying the serial number.

Work through these checks in order:

1. Confirm you are joining the SSID that starts with AP, and that its last eight characters match the last eight digits of the serial number.
2. Type the password exactly as printed. Characters such as 0 and O or 1 and l are easy to confuse.
3. Forget the network and join it again rather than reusing a saved credential.
4. If the label is damaged, hold RESET for 5 seconds. The Wi-Fi AP password reverts to the value on the SSID label.
5. If the access point still refuses that password, contact your supplier with the serial number instead of guessing.

Once you are in, change the Wi-Fi AP password and the web login on your own NovaStar multimedia player as part of commissioning, so no default is left in place on a public site.

The sequence below works for every model in the range.

1. Mount the unit. Fix the player inside the cabinet with the supplied brackets, leaving room for the antennae.
2. Connect the LED outputs. Run Cat5e or Cat6 from LED OUT to the first receiving card, then daisy-chain. Never loop the last cabinet back to the player.
3. Connect the network. Use ETHERNET for permanent installations, or Wi-Fi AP mode or a 4G module where no cable reaches.
4. Power the unit. The TB1-4G, TB2-4G, TB40 and TB50 need 12 V DC at 2 A; the TB30 and TB60 take AC mains at 100-240 V.
5. Join the device. Install ViPlex Handy, connect to the default SSID and enter the password from the SSID label.
6. Describe the screen. Enter the cabinet size, the receiving card type, the cabinet count and the data flow order.
7. Publish a test pattern first, then send the final content.

When more than one connection exists, the device chooses automatically.

Asynchronous mode is the default: the stored program loops, and the screen keeps running whether or not the network is up. Synchronous mode takes the picture from the HDMI input instead, so the wall mirrors a laptop, camera or switcher in real time. A NovaStar multimedia player without an HDMI port, such as the TB1-4G, cannot run synchronously. On the TB2-4G the mode is set with the front-panel SWITCH; on the TB30 to TB60 it lives in the software.

Refresh rate matters most on camera: for broadcast work, raise it until banding disappears from the recorded image, starting around 3840 Hz. Full-screen scaling stretches the HDMI source to the wall, but only downwards. The TB2-4G accepts a source 64 to 2048 pixels wide, while the TB50 needs 512 to 2048 pixels in both directions. If several walls must stay in step, use one NovaStar multimedia player per wall and lock them together through NTP, GPS or RF time synchronisation.

NovaStar publishes a specification sheet, a quick start guide and firmware for every model. Use the links below to download the documentation for your NovaStar multimedia player.

Configuration files live in a separate library: RCFG and RCFGX file download.

Firmware arrives as a nuzip package. Follow this order:

1. Read the release notes and confirm the package covers your exact model.
2. Copy the nuzip file to the root of a USB drive formatted as FAT32 or Ext4.
3. Start the upgrade from ViPlex Handy or the device menu.
4. Do not remove power or the drive during the upgrade, and check the version afterwards.

Three tools cover everyday work with the Taurus range. A NovaStar multimedia player runs without any of them once configured, but setup and publishing are far quicker with the right app.

ViPlex Handy is the iOS and Android app and the fastest way to commission one unit. It finds the device, handles the default SSID login, sets screen parameters, publishes photos and videos from the phone, and reports status so a technician can confirm playback without opening the cabinet.

ViPlex Express is the Windows application for building programs. It handles multi-page playlists, schedules, screen splitting and precise scaling. Most installers use it to build a program for an advertising LED board, then leave daily updates to the mobile app. See the NovaStar ViPlex Express page for detail.

NovaLCT and SmartLCT are the maintenance tools. They work at receiving-card level, which is what you need when a cabinet is dark or the mapping must be rebuilt. On a NovaStar multimedia player installation, NovaLCT also confirms that the player is presenting itself correctly to the cards. Wall-level windowing is better served by a dedicated video wall splicer. Full-colour projects, from kinetic LED walls to full-colour LED displays, usually combine both tools.

The Taurus range covers a wide span of jobs with one idea: put playback and sending in a single box so one NovaStar multimedia player can run a screen unattended. Choose by loading capacity and by whether you need a live HDMI source. Capacity runs from 650,000 pixels on the TB1-4G to 2,300,000 on the TB60, with 4K decoding at the top of the range.

Before ordering, confirm the pixel count of the wall, the power available inside the cabinet and how the site will be connected. Then download the right manual and firmware above, set the screen parameters carefully on the first visit, and change every default password before the installation goes live.