Video processing, signal and networks
NovaStar - VX1000
VX1000 for LED walls: distinguish mapping, cropping and scaling, and place two sources within the screen area.
Model and scope
- Manufacturer
- NovaStar
- Model covered by this guide
- NovaStar - VX1000
- Application
- LED video processing.
Confirm the system configuration, quantity and availability for your event date.
Questions and troubleshooting
The VX1000 test pattern looks correct, but the laptop image is cropped. Should I check mapping, EDID or the layer?
Compare Screen dimensions with the source resolution and the settings of the layer displaying it. A correct internal pattern points toward the input signal or framing, but you still need to check the complete map and actual content. Changing EDID changes the format requested from the source; it does not change the cabinets' pixel count.
The manual distinguishes Scaling Mode from Input Crop. Pixel to Pixel preserves the size of the source or cropped region; Full Screen fills the screen area; Custom lets you set the layer size. Check the active option before changing panel connections.
- Keep the current map and configuration file supplied by the person responsible for the LED wall. Record receiving-card models, cabinet pixel dimensions and partial panels. Before testing, save photos of Screen dimensions, input resolution and layer settings.
- Off air, compare Display Control > Test Pattern > Grid with a laptop test image that has a border and marks in all four corners. The pattern is unavailable while Freeze or FTB is active. Return to Normal to compare the content. Note cropping or repeated sections without changing the map yet.
- If the pattern is also wrong, investigate cabinet configuration and the data path. Screen Configuration > More Settings > Mapping helps identify ports and cabinets when the receiving cards support it. Do not send an RCFGx file from a different panel to try to correct cropping.
- If the pattern is correct, open Layer Settings and select Main Layer or the PIP receiving that source. Check Input Crop and its coordinates separately from the layer's H Width, V Height and Initial X/Y. During rehearsal, disable any unintended crop and check whether the corner marks return while keeping the other settings unchanged.
- Set the layer size using the actual mapped screen area. Compare the corner marks and a circle: filling a screen of a different aspect ratio may distort the image. To preserve its proportions, agree on margins or a deliberate crop with the content team. Use verified screen dimensions.
- With Image Mosaic active across multiple processors, Full Screen and Pixel to Pixel are unavailable according to the manual. Record that mode and follow the approved division of screen areas. Finish in Normal, restore discarded changes and check the full presentation.
Can I send two VX1000 inputs to different LED ports without using a PIP layer?
A source is selected for a layer or an input composition; each LED port carries the area assigned by the map. Do not treat each RJ45 as a video output with its own independent input selector. Keep content composition separate from the physical path to the cabinets.
The VX1000 has Main Layer, PIP 1 and PIP 2. For a composition without PIP, Input Settings > MOSAIC combines two sources of the same type. Only Main Layer can use that combined source, and PIP 1 and PIP 2 cannot be open with it. Input MOSAIC and Image Mosaic across processors are different functions.
- Draw both areas in pixels within the existing map and note which cabinets each port serves. Preserve the approved dimensions and coordinates. A source appearing in the wrong place is not, by itself, a reason to change cabinet mapping.
- When using layers, check Status, Input Source, Scaling Mode, H Width, V Height and Initial X/Y under Layer Settings > Main Layer/PIP 1/PIP 2. Priority and Opacity can make one layer cover another. Test with images labeled A and B to verify both areas before loading show content.
- To work without PIP, check the two same-type inputs and their formats against Β§5.4.6. Under Input Settings > MOSAIC, select the layout and Width/Height for each area; check the total resolution before Apply. An area larger than its source leaves black space; a smaller area crops from the source's top-left corner. This does not create two independent LED outputs.
- During rehearsal, check each screen using the A/B labels and borders. If content crosses the join, compare position, size and crop first. If cabinets repeat content or appear out of order, return to the map and wiring. Change one variable at a time and record the result.
- Check Working Mode before preparing layers: Bypass does not process video and supports only the main layer; PIP layers are unavailable. Do not change modes during the show. Also check the restrictions of any mosaic or special functions active in the installation.
Which setting to check for each symptom
| What you see | What to compare | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Internal pattern is also out of order | Cabinets, receiving cards, map and data path | Ports and cabinets match the plan; lines continue across screen sections |
| Pattern is correct; content is cropped | Input Crop, source resolution and layer size/position | Corner marks visible within the agreed area |
| One source covers the other | Status, Input Source, Priority and Opacity of each layer | A and B occupy their intended areas without unintended overlap |
| MOSAIC leaves black space or crops an input | Each area's size against its source's actual format | Complete composition before distribution through the cabinet map |
Pre-event check
Arrange a rehearsal window and obtain the current configuration. The worksheet separates cabinet settings, received format, layer and composition. Leave any unobserved result blank.
Finish by checking actual content at every destination, with no test pattern or unintended Freeze or FTB. Restore settings from discarded tests and hand the plan and record to the system technician.
Technical documentation
- NovaStar VX1000 β User Manual V1.5.0 β June 10, 2025 edition, 69 PDF pages. Standard model, not VX1000 Pro. Check the installed firmware.
- NovaStar β layers, scaling and cropping β Β§5.3, pp.21β26 (PDF23β28): Scaling Mode, Input Crop, dimensions, coordinates, priority and opacity.
- NovaStar β mapping and cabinets β Β§Β§5.2.4β5.2.5, pp.19β20 (PDF21β22). Mapping depends on the receiving card; it does not replace the exact panel configuration file.
- NovaStar β input composition β Β§5.4.6, pp.30β31 (PDF32β33). Two sources of the same type; only Main Layer uses MOSAIC, excluding PIP.
- NovaStar β Image Mosaic and internal pattern β Β§Β§5.6β5.7, pp.32β35 (PDF34β37): scaling restrictions across units; Grid and Normal; Freeze/FTB exclude the test pattern.
- NovaStar β working mode β Β§5.12, pp.51β52 (PDF53β54). Bypass without processing or PIP. Document version and installed firmware are different information.
This guide uses standard-model manual V1.5.0. If the label says Pro or the menu differs, check the documentation for that variant before changing settings. H2 controls are not assumed to apply to VX1000.
Check the available modes and each port's area against the format, active features and actual LED wall.
How to use this guide and verify its settings
Continue troubleshooting
- NovaStar: USB and network connections on MX, NovaPro UHD and Taurus (Spanish)
- NovaStar H2: native input and repeated LED images (Spanish)
- Event video and screens: content, size and signals (Spanish)
- Black screen or missing event image: tracing the video path (Spanish)
These guides cover related tasks. Check the model each guide describes before applying its settings to this equipment.
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