What is the NovaStar TB1-4G?
The NovaStar TB1-4G is a small Taurus multimedia player that stores your content, plays it on a schedule and drives up to 650,000 pixels of LED screen from one Gigabit output. The name refers to a slot inside it: the player is built to take a mobile data module, which is bought separately.
It comes from an earlier generation than the Plus players, and that is the main thing to know before you order. Where it earns its place is on the sites you already run: matching a fleet of these, keeping your spares on the shelf, replacing one that has failed in a sign nobody wants to redesign.
For a screen you are building from scratch, read the comparison further down before you decide. The current small player costs less and carries more.
NovaStar TB1-4G key features
A roadside sign can reach the internet without a cable
Fit a mobile data module and your player joins the network over a SIM instead of a cable, which is what makes your lamp-post or car-park sign manageable from the office. A wired connection always wins when both are there, so your SIM sits behind it as the fallback.
The module is not in the box. Order it with the player rather than after the sign is installed and sealed.
It is the lightest boxed player in the family
At 196.0 mm by 115.5 mm by 34.0 mm and 301.8 g, this is a smaller and lighter box than anything current, and it runs on 5 V to 12 V rather than mains. Inside a slim double-sided sign that combination still matters.
A power adapter comes in the carton, so you can use the rail already in your cabinet or the supplied supply, whichever suits the fixing.
Content lives on the player, so the screen survives a dead connection
Your schedule sits in internal storage and plays whether or not anything is connected. A cut cable or an expired SIM stops you publishing, not the screen showing what it already has.
Note the usable figure: 32 GB is fitted and 28 GB of it is available for content.
NovaStar TB1-4G specifications
Two rows are the ones that most often rule this player in or out: the shape limit of 1920 by 1080, and the single screen output.
| Pixel capacity | 650,000 pixels; maximum 1920 wide and 1080 high |
|---|---|
| Screen output | 1x Gigabit RJ45 |
| Video input | None; the TB1-4G plays only what is stored on it |
| Control ports | 1x USB Type-B for a directly connected PC; 1x USB 2.0 for playback and storage |
| Sound | 1x stereo output |
| Processor and memory | Quad-core at 1.2 GHz, 1 GB RAM; 1080p video decoding |
| Internal storage | 32 GB fitted, 28 GB available for content |
| Wireless | Built-in hotspot or a connection to your router, switched between rather than run together |
| Mobile data | Module slot fitted, module bought separately; a wired connection takes priority over it |
| Power in | DC 5 V to 12 V, 15 W maximum; adapter included |
| Size and weight | 196.0 mm × 115.5 mm × 34.0 mm; 301.8 g |
| Operating range | −20°C to +60°C, 0% to 80% RH, non-condensing; IP20 |
| Approvals listed | CQC and SRRC |
| In the carton | Wireless antenna, power adapter, quick start guide, packing list |
Figures come from NovaStar’s Taurus Series Multimedia Player TB1-4G Specifications V1.9.0, dated 30 May 2024.
Matching a fleet you already run
Your strongest reason to order this player is that you already have others like it. A site where every sign behaves the same way is a site your staff can support, and mixing generations is how that stops being true.
One rule makes this concrete. NovaStar groups its players into platforms for synchronized playback and states that models from different platforms must not be mixed, and this player shares its platform with the TB2-4G. A row of signs that has to change picture together therefore has to stay within that group.
Keep a spare rather than ordering one when a sign goes dark. These players carry the screen layout themselves, so a swap needs the configuration file from commissioning, and finding that file is usually slower than fitting the board.
Change the wireless password on any player you touch. The hotspot ships with a default that is printed on the label, and on a sign installed years ago it has often never been changed.
What the TB1-4G datasheet lists for approvals
NovaStar lists two approvals against this player, CQC and SRRC, both of which are Chinese. No FCC, CE, IC or UL entry appears on its specification.
That matters more on some jobs than others. Where a specification, an insurer or an authority asks for marks on every active device, this player will not satisfy that line, and no amount of enclosure work changes it.
NovaStar states plainly that responsibility for selling into a market without the required approvals rests with the customer, so treat this as a question to settle at specification rather than at delivery.
Where marks are needed, the TB10 Plus covers the same 650,000 pixels and lists CE, FCC, IC, CQC, CB and NTRA.
TB1-4G against the current small player
These two cover the same size of screen, and everything else has moved on between them. The table is not flattering to the older box, and you deserve to see that rather than a sales case.
| Model | TB1-4G · TB10 Plus |
|---|---|
| Pixel capacity | 650,000 · 650,000 |
| Maximum shape | 1920 × 1080 · 2048 × 2048 |
| Memory | 1 GB · 2 GB |
| Video decoding | 1080p · 4K |
| Usable storage | 28 GB · 32 GB |
| Approvals listed | CQC, SRRC · CE, FCC, IC, CQC, CB, NTRA |
| Weight | 301.8 g · 465.6 g |
| Price | $199 · $175 |
Order the TB1-4G when you are matching or repairing an installed fleet, or when the 301.8 g body is the only one that fits the housing you already have.
Order the TB10 Plus for anything new. It is $24 cheaper, carries twice the memory, decodes 4K and lists the approvals a US project is normally asked for.
TB1-4G datasheet and software
ViPlex Express on a Windows PC and the ViPlex Handy app both still support this player. Either one is where your screen layout, playlists and brightness schedule live.
Check the version on any secondhand or long-installed unit before you plan an update. If yours is still running software older than V2.3.0 it cannot jump straight to V3.0.0 or later, and you have to bring it to V2.3.0 from a local file first.
NovaStar TB1-4G FAQ
Does the TB1-4G come with a 4G module?
No. The slot and the antenna connector are fitted, and the module is bought separately. Order it alongside the player rather than after the sign is closed up.
How big a screen will it drive?
650,000 pixels, and no more than 1920 wide or 1080 high. That shape limit is tighter than on the current small players, which allow 2048 either way.
Should I buy this or a TB10 Plus for a new screen?
The TB10 Plus, in almost every case. It covers the same pixel count, costs $24 less, has twice the memory, decodes 4K and lists the approvals a US project is normally asked for.
Can it take a live HDMI source?
No. The TB2-4G is the model on this platform that adds one, and it accepts an HDMI source that is fitted to the screen automatically.
Is it FCC or UL listed?
No. NovaStar lists CQC and SRRC against this player and nothing else. Where a project requires marks on every active device, choose a model that carries them.
Can it stay in step with newer players?
No. NovaStar groups players into platforms for synchronized playback and states that different platforms must not be mixed. This player shares its platform with the TB2-4G.
How much content will it hold?
28 GB of the 32 GB fitted is available. Decoding is 1080p, so a long rotation of high-resolution files is beyond what this player was built for.
What do I need before swapping a failed unit?
The screen configuration and the content, ideally saved at commissioning. The player holds the cabinet layout itself, so without that file a replacement starts from an unconfigured screen.
What warranty covers a TB1-4G?
Three years of serial-tracked manufacturer coverage, because these players come through our authorized US NovaStar channel.
Can I get volume pricing or Net 30 terms?
Yes. Send the model and the quantity for volume pricing, which is worth asking about when you are stocking spares. Purchase orders and Net 30 terms may be available for approved schools, government buyers, venues and established integrators.
How do I order a TB1-4G?
Pricing here is per player. Orders placed before 3 PM ET on in-stock items ship the same business day from Florida. Contact us to confirm current availability.
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