What is the NovaStar TB2-4G?
The NovaStar TB2-4G is a small Taurus multimedia player with a live video input: it stores and plays your content, drives up to 650,000 pixels of LED screen from one Gigabit output, and takes an HDMI source that it fits to the screen for you. A slot inside it accepts a mobile data module, sold separately.
It belongs to an earlier generation than the Plus players, so its honest place is the estate you already run: adding a live input to a screen built around these, keeping your spares matched, replacing a failed unit without redesigning your sign.
Its stablemate without the video input is the TB1-4G. Everything else about the two is the same, down to the chassis and the carton.
NovaStar TB2-4G key features
The mode follows the source, with no button to press
Plug something into the HDMI socket and your screen shows it; leave it unplugged and the stored schedule runs. There is no source button on this player, which on a sign nobody should be fiddling with is a feature rather than an omission.
It also means the source decides. If a laptop is left connected overnight, the screen stays on the laptop.
A live picture sizes itself to the screen
Content arriving over HDMI is fitted to your screen automatically, so your presenter does not need to know the screen resolution and you do not need a scaler in front of the player.
On a sign shaped nothing like a monitor, that saves you the argument about what resolution to set the laptop to.
One box, one screen cable, one supply
At 196.0 mm by 115.5 mm by 34.0 mm and 304.5 g, running on 5 V to 12 V, this player hides inside a slim sign and takes the rail that is already there. A power adapter is in the carton if you would rather not.
Your screen cable leaves on a single Gigabit socket, and the content sits on the player itself, so the sign keeps running when the network does not.
NovaStar TB2-4G specifications
Read the shape row before the pixel row: 1920 by 1080 is the harder limit on a wide sign, and it is tighter than on the current players.
| Pixel capacity | 650,000 pixels; maximum 1920 wide and 1080 high |
|---|---|
| Screen output | 1x Gigabit RJ45 |
| Live picture input | 1x HDMI 1.3, fitted to the screen automatically |
| 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; 304.5 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 TB2-4G Specifications V1.8.0, dated 30 May 2024.
What automatic fitting does, and what it does not
Automatic fitting stretches or shrinks whatever arrives over HDMI so it fills your screen, which removes the most common cause of a half-lit wall at your handover. What it will not do is make a bad source look good.
Think about the shape of your sign. A 16:9 laptop picture fitted to a 4:1 banner looks wrong however well the scaling works, so there the stored playlist is your sensible route and HDMI is the exception.
Think about the detail too. A live picture is stretched from whatever the source produced, while stored content is made at your screen’s own size and shown as it was drawn. Text is where you notice the difference first.
So use the input for what it is good at: a camera, an event feed, a meeting overspill screen. Keep the everyday content on the player.
Playing in step with other screens
Several of these players will play the same content in step, and NovaStar sets out exactly what that costs on this platform. Read it before you promise your customer a synchronized row of signs.
The ceiling is the part that surprises people. On this generation, synchronized playback is limited to one item at 480p, meaning 720 by 480 pixels, where the current players manage a full 1080p item.
The grouping is the second part. NovaStar states that models from different platforms must not be mixed in one synchronized group, and this player shares its platform with the TB1-4G. A newer player added to that row will not stay in step with it.
Each page of your schedule also holds a single image or video, with matching properties on every player. Plan your content around that rather than trying to make a complex layout keep time.
TB2-4G against the current small player with an input
Both put a live source onto a screen of the same size. The newer model has moved on in memory, decoding and approvals; the older one keeps a lighter body that your existing housing may already be cut for.
| Model | TB2-4G · TB20 Plus |
|---|---|
| Pixel capacity | 650,000 · 650,000 |
| Maximum shape | 1920 × 1080 · 2048 × 2048 |
| HDMI input ceiling | fitted automatically · 2048 × 1024 at 60 Hz |
| Memory | 1 GB · 2 GB |
| Video decoding | 1080p · 4K |
| Mobile data slot | yes · yes |
| Approvals listed | CQC, SRRC · CE, FCC, IC, CQC, CB, NTRA |
| Price | $249 · $225 |
Order the TB2-4G when you are matching or repairing screens already built on this platform, or when the 304.5 g body is what your housing was cut for.
Order the TB20 Plus for a new screen. It is $24 cheaper, allows a squarer screen shape, decodes 4K and carries the approvals a US project usually has to show.
TB2-4G datasheet and software
Your screen layout, playlists and brightness schedule are built in ViPlex Express on a Windows PC, or from a phone with ViPlex Handy over the player’s own hotspot. Both still support this generation.
Keep the configuration from commissioning with your spares. The player carries the cabinet layout itself, so a replacement without that file starts from an unconfigured screen rather than from a working one.
NovaStar TB2-4G FAQ
How does it switch between the playlist and the HDMI source?
By itself. Plug a source in and the screen shows it; unplug it and the stored schedule resumes. There is no source button on this player.
What resolution should the HDMI source be set to?
Whatever your source produces will be fitted to the screen automatically, so there is no fixed answer. On a screen whose shape is very different from a monitor, expect the stretched picture to look stretched.
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 the 2048 either way allowed on the current small players.
Can several TB2-4G players stay in step?
Yes, within their own platform, which they share with the TB1-4G. Synchronized playback on this generation is limited to one item at 720×480, and NovaStar states that different platforms must not be mixed in one group.
Does it come with a 4G module?
No. The slot and antenna connector are fitted, and the module is bought separately. A wired connection takes priority over mobile data when both are available.
Is it FCC or UL listed?
No. NovaStar lists CQC and SRRC against this player and nothing else. Choose a model that carries the marks where a project requires them on every active device.
Should I buy this or a TB20 Plus for a new screen?
The TB20 Plus, in almost every case. It costs $24 less, allows a squarer screen shape, decodes 4K, carries twice the memory and lists the approvals US projects are normally asked for.
How much content will it hold?
28 GB of the 32 GB fitted. Decoding is 1080p, so a rotation of high-resolution files is beyond what this player was built for.
What warranty covers a TB2-4G?
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 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 TB2-4G?
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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