What's New in NovaStar VMP 1.5.1

NovaStar has released VMP 1.5.1, the latest version of the Vision Management Platform that runs every COEX controller. The headline features are a built-in multiviewer, a new 5G output card for the MX6000 Pro, and Dynamic Booster on the MX2000 Pro and MX6000 Pro. Here's what's new and who it matters for.

New MVR interface: a multiviewer inside VMP

VMP 1.5.1 adds a separate MVR (multiviewer) interface. It shows your input sources and the actual output to the screen side by side, so you can spot a missing signal or a quality difference between source and screen at a glance.

• Templates: load a ready-made layout with output monitoring and input previews in one click, or build and save your own.
• Editing: drag, replace, delete and clear windows, and switch between layouts.
• Resolution: 3840×2160 (default) or 1920×1080.
• Labels and borders: UMD labels can show the source or screen name; borders can be turned on or off, recoloured and resized.

The multiviewer output comes from the new MX 1×HDMI 2.0 + 1×12G-SDI MVR card, which fits the dedicated MVR slot on the MX6000 Pro. Send the multiviewer to a monitor at FOH over HDMI, or into a broadcast system over 12G-SDI, at 3840×2160 or 1080p, 60 Hz.

MX 8×5G Base-T output card

Until now, the card-based COEX controllers sent everything over fiber, with a fiber converter at the screen. The new MX 8×5G Base-T output card for the MX6000 Pro puts 5G Ethernet directly on the controller, so shorter runs need no converter at all.

• 8 × 5G Ethernet ports, for NovaStar's XA50 Pro and CA50E 5G receiving cards.
• Per port at 60 Hz: about 2.95 million pixels at 8-bit, 2.29 million at 10-bit, 1.48 million at 12-bit.
• Per card: about 17.7 million pixels at 8 or 10-bit, 11.8 million at 12-bit; maximum width or height 16,384 pixels.
• For full capacity, each rectangular load area should be at least 128 pixels wide.
• 1G and 5G output cards can't drive the same screen.

5G needs the right cable. See our guide to cabling for NovaStar 5G.

Dynamic Booster on MX2000 Pro and MX6000 Pro

Dynamic Booster, which improves contrast and colour based on the content, now also works on the card-based controllers. You can turn it on and set the level per screen, and NovaStar notes it can also reduce energy use.

Smaller improvements

• Easier recovery: VMP keeps talking to a controller even when no output card is detected or the output card firmware doesn't match, so you can still find and update it.
• Smoother firmware updates: the update process was changed so some antivirus programs no longer flag it by mistake.
• Better dark scenes in HDR: improved low-grey-level handling for 10-bit and 12-bit signals.
• Support for the new hardware above, plus bug fixes.

Download VMP

You'll find VMP and NovaStar's other software on our NovaStar software page. Always back up your project before updating controller firmware.

Pixel Pitchers stocks NovaStar COEX controllers and cards in Sweden: order in-stock items by 14:00 CET for same-day UPS Express, with delivery in 1–2 days across the EU and no import duties.

Browse NovaStar COEX →

Source: NovaStar COEX Wiki, VMP V1.5.1 Update.