NovaStar TB50: switching between synchronous and asynchronous mode

The NovaStar TB50 holds a very particular place in the Taurus series: it is a conventional asynchronous multimedia player — Android 11, 32 GB of storage, publishing through ViPlex or the cloud — but it also carries an HDMI 1.4 input and a SWITCH button that hands the screen over to a live video source. One box therefore covers two use cases that would need two devices with a TB30.

Loading capacity is 1,300,000 pixels, twice that of the TB30, with a maximum width and height of 4096 pixels. That is the sweet spot for a meeting-room wall, a lobby screen or a premium shop window: corporate content loops all day, and a laptop is plugged in over HDMI for a presentation.

This tutorial covers the real difference between the two modes, full wiring, screen configuration, content publishing and the switching mistakes that generate most support calls. Every figure comes from the official NovaStar TB50 specifications sheet.

1. What the TB50 adds over the TB30

On paper the TB30 and TB50 share the same platform: quad-core ARM A55 at 1.8 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, Android 11, H.264/H.265 decoding up to 4K at 60 Hz and a 274.3 × 139.0 × 40.0 mm chassis. Three differences create the whole gap in use.

First capacity: 1.3 Mpx against 0.65 Mpx, which doubles the drivable screen area. Then the HDMI 1.4 input, which displays a live source with automatic scaling. Finally the HDMI 1.4 output, capped at 1080p 60 Hz, which loops the signal to a confidence monitor or a second display.

• Loading capacity doubled: 1,300,000 pixels against 650,000 on the TB30.
• HDMI 1.4 input with automatic source scaling.
• HDMI 1.4 output at 1080p 60 Hz for a confidence monitor or loop-through.
• Front-panel SWITCH button for synchronous / asynchronous switching.
• Two Gigabit Ethernet outputs, same as the TB30.

2. Official technical specifications

The table reproduces the TB50 specifications sheet. One historical note: revisions before V1.0.8 quoted 16 GB of internal storage. Units shipping today carry 32 GB.

3. Synchronous and asynchronous mode: the real difference

In asynchronous mode the TB50 behaves as a standalone player: it plays files stored in internal memory following the schedule received from ViPlex or the cloud. No computer is needed and the screen keeps running even if the network is cut.

In synchronous mode the player relays the source connected to the HDMI 1.4 input live, scaled to the wall resolution. This is the mode for a video call, a presentation, a camera feed or control-room software. The trade-off is total dependency on the source: if the computer sleeps, the screen goes black.

Switching happens through the front-panel SWITCH button. It is an operating choice, not a configuration: anyone on site can flip modes, which is convenient in a meeting room and a problem on a public screen.

On a publicly accessible screen the SWITCH button position must be checked during every technical round: an accidental flip to synchronous mode with no source attached shows a black screen that nothing reports in the cloud.

4. Full TB50 wiring

The recommended wiring order limits back and forth. Start with power and a no-load power-up to check the indicators, then connect the LED outputs, the HDMI source and finally the control network.

The two Ethernet outputs can share the wall or work in redundancy. With 1.3 Mpx in total, a balanced split is roughly 650,000 pixels per port, which matches the usual maximum load of a Gigabit port in 8-bit.

• 100–240 V supply on a protected line, separate from the LED power supplies.
• LED outputs 1 and 2 to the first receiving cards of each half of the wall.
• HDMI input to the live source, certified cable, 5 m maximum without an extender.
• HDMI output to the confidence monitor if the operator needs one.
• Control port on the management network, separate from the data network.
• Brightness sensor if the screen faces daylight.

Beyond 5 metres use an HDMI extender over twisted pair rather than a long HDMI cable: passive 10 or 15 m cables cause intermittent sync losses that are very hard to diagnose.

5. Configuring the screen and saving to the cards

Configuration goes through ViPlex Express for the player side and NovaLCT when low-level receiving card parameters need work. Load the cabinet configuration file from the panel manufacturer, declare the wiring, enter the final wall resolution then save everything to the cards' memory.

On a TB50 one extra check matters: confirm that synchronous-mode scaling looks clean. A 1920 × 1080 source shown on a 1440 × 900 wall is rescaled, with a loss of sharpness on fine text. Readability then depends on the ratio between the two resolutions.

• Load the cabinet file and declare the wiring matrix.
• Enter the exact wall resolution, width then height.
• Save the configuration to the receiving cards.
• Switch to synchronous mode and check the HDMI source rendering.
• Set the source PC output resolution to the wall aspect ratio.

6. Publishing asynchronous content

In asynchronous mode publishing follows the standard Taurus flow: ViPlex Express on Windows for desk work, ViPlex Handy on mobile for quick interventions. You build a solution structured in zones and pages, import the media, schedule playback windows and send to the player.

Decoding supports two 4K streams, six 1080p, ten 720p or twenty 360p streams at once. That headroom allows a rich page — video, ticker, clock, agenda — with no stutter, provided media are encoded at the real wall resolution instead of defaulting to 4K.

• Discover the player from ViPlex Express on the same subnet.
• Create the solution, define the zones, import the media.
• Schedule playback windows, including overnight shutdown.
• Publish and wait for full transfer confirmation.
• Save the solution as a template for the next screens.

7. Cloud publishing and monitoring

Like any Taurus player the TB50 binds to a VNNOX account through its serial number. The cloud platform then pushes content, schedules playback and reports terminal status from a browser, with no site visit.

The player needs outbound Internet access: wired Ethernet preferably, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi in client mode otherwise, or the optional 4G/5G module for isolated sites. Sensors plugged into the dedicated connectors report temperature and ambient brightness.

On a TB50 used in a meeting room, always leave a standby asynchronous playlist — logo, agenda, welcome message. The screen stays useful between presentations and the operator immediately spots an HDMI source failure.

8. Troubleshooting: TB50-specific cases

On top of the usual Taurus faults come those tied to the TB50's dual nature. The first question to ask a customer on the phone is always the same: which mode is the screen in, and is the SWITCH indicator lit?

9. Checking that 1.3 Mpx is enough

The maths is simple: multiply the wall width in pixels by its height in pixels. The result must stay under 1,300,000, with at least ten per cent of headroom for a future extension. Neither width nor height may exceed 4096 pixels.

A few concrete markers: a P2.5 indoor wall of 3 × 1.7 m is 1200 × 680 pixels, or 816,000 pixels — well within the TB50. A P1.5 wall of the same size climbs to 2000 × 1133 pixels, or 2,266,000 pixels: that calls for a TB60 or a dedicated controller.

10. Checks before leaving the site

A commissioning job ends with a set of checks that take ten minutes and save a return trip. The most frequently forgotten item is saving the configuration to the receiving cards, followed by changing the default Wi-Fi password.

• Configuration written to the receiving cards, tested with a deliberate power cut.
• Asynchronous mode active with the operating playlist running.
• Synchronous mode tested with the customer's real source, not just your laptop.
• Default Wi-Fi password changed and recorded in the site file.
• Terminal visible in VNNOX with offline alerting enabled.
• Serial number, resolution and mapping recorded in the installation file.

Commissioning procedure

1. Check the required capacity

   Multiply wall width by height in pixels and confirm the total stays under 1,300,000 pixels, with headroom for a future extension.

2. Power up and wire the LED outputs

   Connect the 100–240 V supply then run both Gigabit Ethernet outputs to the first receiving cards of each half of the wall.

3. Connect the HDMI source

   Link the HDMI 1.4 input to the live source with a certified cable of 5 m maximum, or an extender over twisted pair beyond that.

4. Configure the screen

   Load the cabinet configuration file, declare the wiring matrix and wall resolution, then save to the receiving cards.

5. Test mode switching

   Press the SWITCH button to enter synchronous mode, check the HDMI source rendering, then return to asynchronous mode.

6. Publish the operating playlist

   Build the solution in ViPlex Express, import media at wall resolution, schedule the playback windows and publish.

7. Bind to the cloud and secure

   Register the terminal in VNNOX with its serial number, enable alerts, change the default Wi-Fi password.

Frequently asked questions

Official documentation

• TB50 Multimedia Player Specifications V1.2.1 (official PDF) — Datasheet
• Taurus Series TB50 Specifications V1.0.8 (official PDF) — Datasheet
• Official Taurus series comparison (NovaStar) — Manufacturer page
• ViPlex Express / ViPlex Handy — NovaStar downloads — Software

Related tutorials

• NovaStar TB30 tutorial: 0.65 Mpx asynchronous player
• NovaStar TB60 tutorial: 4 Gigabit ports and 2.3 Mpx
• NovaLCT tutorial: LED screen configuration
• VNNOX Standard tutorial: cloud publishing

A screen for both digital signage and presentations?

We ship the TB50 pre-configured with the standby playlist, the cabinet mapping and the HDMI source tested on your own hardware.

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