NovaStar MX30 Setup Guide: VMP, Cabling & First Image

The NovaStar MX30 is the mid-tier controller in the COEX Series: an all-in-one video processor and sending card with 10 Gigabit Ethernet outputs driving up to 6.5 million pixels. It's the controller we most often spec for virtual production stages, broadcast studios, and rental rigs that need frame-rate flexibility (23.98–480 Hz adaptive). This guide walks a first-time setup from unboxing to a live image using VMP.

What you need before you start

The MX30 and its power cord
LED cabinets fitted with NovaStar receiving cards
Cat5e/Cat6 runs — one per Ethernet output in use, plus daisy-chain jumpers between cabinets
A video source: media server, laptop, or camera switcher
A Windows or macOS computer with VMP (Vision Management Platform) — the COEX Series is configured through VMP, not NovaLCT

Rear panel tour

Inputs: 1× HDMI 2.0, 1× HDMI 1.4, 1× DisplayPort 1.1, and 2× 3G-SDI. Use the HDMI 2.0 input for 4K sources; the HDMI 1.4 and DP 1.1 inputs top out lower, and the SDI pair is ideal for broadcast cameras and long coax runs.

Outputs: 10× Gigabit Ethernet to the LED wall and 2× 10G fiber (OPT) ports for long-distance runs or port redundancy. Digital audio leaves over SPDIF.

The MX30 is HDCP 2.2 compliant, so protected content from set-top boxes and playback appliances works on the HDMI 2.0 input.

Step 1 — Cable the wall

Each Gigabit Ethernet port carries roughly 650,000 pixels at 60 Hz, 8-bit. Plan your cabinet chains so no single run exceeds that budget, and use our LED calculator to sanity-check port loading before you're on a lift. For fiber runs, pair the OPT ports with a CVT10 converter at the wall end.

Step 2 — Connect VMP

Put your computer on the same network as the MX30 (direct Ethernet or through a switch), launch VMP, and the controller appears in the device list automatically. VMP is the single tool for the whole COEX family — if you also run an MX20 or MX40 Pro, they all show up in the same window, and built-in cascading control lets multiple units behave as one system.

Step 3 — Screen configuration

In VMP, open the screen topology view and lay out your cabinets to match the physical wall. Because the COEX platform has no rectangle restriction, L-shapes, columns, and irregular walls are configured the same way as flat rectangles.
Map each Ethernet output to its cabinet chain in the order you physically cabled them.
Send the configuration to the wall — cabinets light up and align as the topology is applied.

Step 4 — Inputs, layers, and presets

The MX30 gives you 3 layers with output scaling, so you can window a camera feed over playback, or scale a 1080p source across a larger canvas. Once your look is built, save it: the MX30 stores up to 128 presets, and recalling one from VMP or the 3.5-inch front-panel screen is instant — that's how rental operators switch between rehearsal, show, and logo states.

Frame rates for virtual production

The headline COEX feature is frame-rate adaptation from 23.98 to 480 Hz. For on-camera LED (xR stages, broadcast backdrops), matching the wall's refresh to the camera's shutter eliminates banding — set the input frame rate to your camera's native rate and let the MX30 track it instead of forcing 60 Hz.

Working modes

The MX30 runs as an All-in-One controller (processing + sending in one box) or Send-Only when you have an upstream processor and just need clean data distribution. Most installs use All-in-One; Send-Only is common behind a dedicated switcher.

Sizing up or down

If 6.5 million pixels is more than you need, the MX20 (3.9M pixels, 6 ports) compares here. If you're feeding a bigger canvas or need 20 ports and 4 layers, see the MX30 vs MX40 Pro comparison.

Troubleshooting quick hits

Controller not found in VMP — confirm the computer and MX30 are on the same subnet and no VPN is active; a direct cable to the controller is the fastest isolation test.
Cabinets dark past a certain point in the chain — that's almost always the jumper between the last lit and first dark cabinet, or a port loaded past its pixel budget.
Banding on camera — match the wall frame rate to the camera shutter (see the frame-rate section above).
Firmware mismatch artifacts — keep controller and receiving-card firmware in step; our firmware upgrade guide covers receiving cards.

Downloads and where to buy

Spec sheet: MX30 Specifications (PDF) · Manual: MX30 User Manual (PDF)

The MX30 is in stock at Olympian LED with free US shipping. Sizing it for your wall? Call 321-747-3220 — we configure COEX systems daily.