Specifications

The numbers, and where they came from

Read from NovaStar's published specification document, and confirmed a second time against the comparison table on the vendor's own product page. Where the two disagreed, the row is not here.

Capacity

Loading capacity
3,900,000 pixels
Layers
3 independent
Max input
3840 × 2560
Max output
4096 × 4096
Bit depth
8-bit, 10-bit

Inputs

HDMI
2 × HDMI 1.3, in + loop
SDI
1 × 3G-SDI, in + loop
Genlock
1 × in + loop — bi-level, tri-level, blackburst

Outputs

Ethernet
6 × Gigabit, Neutrik etherCON
Optical
2 × 10G

Chassis and power

Rack units
1U, 19-inch
Dimensions
482.6 × 49.9 × 384.0 mm
Net weight
4.5 kg — 8.1 kg shipped
Power input
100–240 V~, 50/60 Hz
Max consumption
50 W
Operating temp.
−20 °C to +45 °C
Noise
36.2 dB(A) typical at 25 °C

Source: NovaStar MX20 LED Display Controller Specifications V1.5.1, checked 2026-09-21. Firmware and hardware revisions move these numbers and we are not notified, so the date is part of the specification. Ask and we will confirm any row against the current document before you order.

Sizing

When it is the wrong answer

Either side of the MX20 sits a model that suits a different shape of job. We will not print a pixel count at which you should switch: that depends on your cabinet, and we would rather check the layout than have you act on a number we made up.

Below it — KU20

Rated at 3.9 million pixels like the MX20, but single-layer and without genlock — digital signage runs, menu boards, back-of-house displays, anywhere nothing needs scaling or switching. Buying it for a 4K source and scaling down wastes the source; buy for the pixel count you will actually feed it.

MX20

This page

All-in-one, rated at 3.9 million pixels — the right size for a single conference room or a retail window. If the brief mentions redundancy, multi-source switching or a second wall in phase two, start at the MX30 instead.

Above it — MX30

The value pick for meeting rooms, small sanctuaries and lobby walls, rated at 6.5 million pixels across 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The trap is buying it for a wall that is about to grow: a second MX30 plus the genlock work costs more than one MX40 Pro would have.

What else the run needs

A controller is a third of a working system

What decides a controller purchase is rarely the controller. It is whether the unit is on a shelf near you, who maps your cabinets, and whether the cable and power for the run ship with it.

The model is checked before you buy it

Send the cabinet model and the layout. If the MX20 is the wrong tier for that pixel count, we will say so before the invoice, not after the wall is up. Over-specifying costs you money; under-specifying costs you the project.

Commissioning is in-house

NCE certification means the person who maps your cabinets works here. No factory escalation, no time-zone gap on a load-in day, and the same engineer is still reachable when phase two starts.

Cable and power are on the shelf

Cat6 snakes, fibre, and Socapex and Camlock distribution for the same run are stocked in Anaheim, so the install does not stop while a cable ships. See the cable catalogue

On project and multi-unit purchases, send the cabinet count and ask for a quote.

Questions

What buyers ask about this model

How much is the NovaStar MX20?

$1,667 at PixelPro Productions in Anaheim, California, for a single unit supplied with the factory warranty. Project and multi-unit pricing is quoted privately — send the cabinet count and the install date and a written quote comes back the same business day.

Is the MX20 the right controller for my wall?

Total the finished pixel count, including whatever phase two adds, and compare it against the rated loading capacity above. All-in-one, rated at 3.9 million pixels — the right size for a single conference room or a retail window. If the brief mentions redundancy, multi-source switching or a second wall in phase two, start at the MX30 instead.

Why do your specifications differ from other dealers?

They are read from NovaStar’s own published specification document rather than copied from another seller. The document and the date we checked it are printed under the table, so you can verify any row rather than take our word for it.

Do you have it in stock?

Common controller models, the MX20 among them, are held at 3111 E Miraloma Ave, Anaheim. Send the cabinet model and layout and we will confirm availability against your install date in the same reply.

Who commissions it?

Our own engineers. NovaStar NCE certification is held in-house, so cabinet mapping and fault diagnosis happen here rather than as a support ticket into a factory queue — which on a load-in day is the difference between a fix today and a fix after the time-zone gap closes.

Can you install it, or only supply it?

Both. Installation is performed under California contractor licence CSLB #1063528 (General B), which is what allows us to touch structure, conduit and power rather than only hang a screen. We also sell the controller on its own to integrators running their own build.