NovaStar MX30: commissioning the 6.5 Mpx COEX controller

The NovaStar MX30 belongs to the COEX series of all-in-one controllers, sitting just below the MX40 Pro. It targets mid-size installations that need a reliable controller able to mix several video sources and drive an LED wall without stacking extra boxes in the rack: production studios, content-format xR sets, esports stages, high-end meeting rooms.

Its loading capacity reaches 6.5 million pixels, spread across ten Gigabit Ethernet ports, complemented by two 10 Gbps optical ports for long-distance links to a remote receiving rack. This architecture clearly sets it apart from the MX40 Pro, which reaches 9 million pixels over twenty Ethernet ports and manages one additional layer.

This tutorial follows the order of a real commissioning job: identifying the available inputs, wiring the Gigabit network and optical links, managing the three layers, configuring from the LCD screen, then supervising through VMP. Every figure quoted comes from the official MX30 specifications sheet (revision V1.5.0, 15 August 2025).

1. What the MX30 is for, and which projects need it

The MX30 suits organisations running a studio- or esports-format LED wall without reaching the surface area of the largest broadcast sets. Its dual 3G-SDI inputs with loop through receive a professional video feed, while its HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.1 inputs cover a production desk's usual sources: gaming PC, streaming control room, graphics workstation.

Unlike the CX40 Pro, aimed at high-end broadcast and xR work, the MX30 remains a versatile controller designed for teams running a single wall or a small fleet, with a three-layer capacity sufficient to build a scene combining a main video, a graphic overlay and an information ticker.

• Production studio: mixing HDMI 2.0 and 3G-SDI for a hybrid control room.
• Content-format xR set: three layers for video, overlay and graphic band.
• Mid-size esports stage: DisplayPort 1.1 for the gaming PC feed.
• High-end meeting room: multiple sources with quick switching.

Always count your real pixels before choosing between the MX30 and the MX40 Pro: a 6-million-pixel wall fits on an MX30 but leaves almost no room for growth if the client plans to extend the screen.

2. Official technical specifications

The table below reproduces the figures published in the MX30 V1.5.0 specifications sheet. They set the limits to respect from the cabling stage onward: number of inputs, maximum resolution per source type and overall loading capacity.

Respect the maximum resolution specific to each input type: an HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.1 source is capped at 4096 × 2160 at 30 Hz, versus 60 Hz for HDMI 2.0. A source exceeding this limit will not display correctly.

3. Hardware check before commissioning

Before racking the unit, check the MX30 chassis, the power cord and the wall configuration documentation supplied by the panel manufacturer. Given its net weight of 7.2 kg and dimensions of 482.6 × 94.2 × 466.7 mm, plan a well-ventilated rack slot and a support suited to the unit's depth.

Also prepare network cables for the ten Gigabit Ethernet outputs, an optical fibre if a remote receiving rack is planned, and a computer with VMP installed for configuration and supervision.

• MX30 chassis, power cord and mounting accessories checked on receipt.
• Cabinet configuration file obtained from the panel manufacturer.
• Network cables for the ten Gigabit outputs.
• Optical fibre available if a receiving rack is placed remotely.
• PC with VMP installed and firewall cleared for network discovery.

4. Wiring the video inputs

The MX30 offers four input families: HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.1 and two 3G-SDI ports, each with loop through to duplicate the signal to a monitoring display. The choice of input depends directly on the expected resolution and refresh rate: only the HDMI 2.0 input reaches 4096 × 2160 at 60 Hz, the other video inputs staying capped at 30 Hz or at a lower resolution for SDI.

On an esports stage, the DisplayPort 1.1 input usually receives the gaming PC feed, while HDMI 2.0 handles the broadcast desk. On a studio set, the two 3G-SDI inputs cover a standard video control room's needs, with a native resolution of 2048 × 1080 at 60 Hz sufficient for most productions of this scale.

• HDMI 2.0: the only input capable of 4096 × 2160 at 60 Hz, reserve it for demanding sources.
• HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.1: graphics or PC sources capped at 30 Hz in 4K.
• 3G-SDI: professional video control room, up to 2048 × 1080 at 60 Hz.
• Loop through enabled on each input for visual monitoring with no extra hardware.

If your esports stage needs a 4K 60 Hz PC feed with no compromise, reserve the HDMI 2.0 input for that source: the MX30's DisplayPort 1.1 does not exceed 30 Hz at that resolution.

5. Gigabit network and 10G optical ports

The MX30's ten Gigabit Ethernet ports share the total 6.5 million pixel load toward the receiving cards. On a mid-size wall, this leaves a comfortable margin per port, making it easy to balance the load between the wall's left and right sections or across several walls in the same set.

The two 10 Gbps optical ports come into play once the distance between the control room and the LED wall exceeds the practical reach of copper, for example in a large meeting room or a set where the controller stays in a remote technical control room. They avoid running several heavy network cables over a long distance, at the cost of a receiving rack fitted with the matching optical module.

• Balance the 6.5 million pixel load across the ten Gigabit ports based on wall topology.
• Reserve the 10 Gbps optical ports for long-distance links to a remote rack.
• Check the optical module's compatibility before powering on.
• Plan a load margin if a future wall extension is expected.

Do not overload a single Gigabit port with too dense a wall section: beyond its capacity, image artefacts appear well before the overall 6.5 million pixel limit is reached.

6. Managing the three display layers

The MX30 manages three simultaneous layers, letting you build a scene with a main background video, a graphic overlay in the foreground and an information band or logo on top. That is one layer fewer than the MX40 Pro, a gap worth factoring in if the project needs a more complex screen composition.

Layer management is done through the front LCD screen or through VMP for finer control. Since specifications revision V1.4.0, the parameter formerly named 'Layer Setting' on the LCD screen has been renamed 'Layer Parameters' and turned into a read-only display: layer changes must now go through VMP or the dedicated configuration software rather than directly from the front screen.

• Three available layers: background video, graphic overlay, information overlay.
• Since V1.4.0, 'Layer Parameters' on the LCD screen is read-only.
• Layer changes must be made through VMP or the configuration software.
• Check the installed firmware version before trying to edit layers from the screen.

If your team is used to editing layers directly on the controller's LCD screen, check the firmware version: from V1.4.0 onward, that setting is only accessible through VMP.

7. Configuring from the front LCD screen

The front LCD screen allows quick configuration with no computer: selecting the active source, checking the network address, reading the status of the Gigabit ports and optical links. It is the first-line tool for a quick control-room intervention, especially when switching sources during a live show.

For more advanced settings — fine load balancing across the ten ports, layer configuration from V1.4.0 onward, saving presets — VMP remains the reference tool, with the added benefit of duplicating a validated configuration across several MX30 units in the same fleet.

• Quick selection of the active source from the LCD screen.
• Checking the status of the ten Gigabit ports and the two optical links.
• Reading the network address for registration in the management directory.
• Switching between input profiles during a live show, with no computer.

8. Control and supervision through VMP

VMP centralizes control of several COEX controllers, including a mixed fleet of MX30 and MX40 Pro units. It lets you build scenes, manage layers now reserved to the software since V1.4.0, monitor the status of the ten Gigabit ports and the two optical links, and apply a shared configuration across several controllers.

For an esports or studio fleet spanning several rooms equipped with MX30 units, VMP simplifies maintenance by offering a single view of each controller's network status, avoiding site visits for a simple link status check.

• Create a VMP account and register each MX30 on the management network.
• Group the controllers of a given room or studio into a single project.
• Manage the three layers through VMP in line with V1.4.0.
• Monitor the Gigabit ports and 10 Gbps optical links from the dashboard.

9. MX30 or MX40 Pro: deciding quickly

Both controllers share the same all-in-one COEX philosophy but target different wall sizes. The choice mainly comes down to loading capacity, the number of network ports and the number of available layers, three criteria to weigh against the wall's real surface area and the expected complexity of the screen composition.

Keep the MX30 for mid-size walls with no near-term extension planned. As soon as a client mentions a future wall extension or a composition needing more than three layers, point them to the MX40 Pro.

10. Troubleshooting common issues

Most MX30 incidents come down to a source resolution mismatched with the chosen input, an unbalanced load across the Gigabit ports, or an attempt to edit layers from the LCD screen on firmware V1.4.0 or later. The table below lists the priority checks.

Commissioning procedure

1. Check the hardware delivered

   Verify the MX30 chassis, the power supply, and retrieve the cabinet configuration file from the panel manufacturer.

2. Wire the video inputs

   Connect HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.1 or 3G-SDI sources depending on the expected resolution, enabling loop through if visual monitoring is needed.

3. Deploy the Gigabit network and optical links

   Balance the load across the ten Gigabit Ethernet ports and connect a remote receiving rack through the 10 Gbps optical ports if needed.

4. Set up the three layers

   Build the scene with the background video, the graphic overlay and the information band, going through VMP if the firmware is V1.4.0 or later.

5. Configure from the LCD screen

   Select the active source, check the network address and verify the status of the Gigabit ports and optical links.

6. Supervise through VMP

   Register the controller in VMP, group the MX30 units of a given studio or esports room, and check the network status.

Frequently asked questions

Official documentation

• MX30 LED Display Controller Specifications V1.5.0 (official PDF) — Specifications sheet
• VMP Vision Management Platform User Manual V1.2.0 (official PDF) — User manual
• NovaStar software downloads — Software

Related tutorials

• NovaStar MX40 Pro tutorial: 20-port COEX controller
• NovaStar CX40 Pro tutorial: broadcast and xR COEX controller
• VMP tutorial: controlling a fleet of COEX controllers
• NovaLCT tutorial: LED screen configuration

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