Colorlight VX20 is a 4K video processor with integrated LED sending, built for rental stages, broadcast and virtual production studios, control rooms and fine-pitch LED walls. It accepts up to 10 video inputs, drives up to 13.1 million pixels through 20 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and switches between three operating modes: Video Processor, Bypass and Fiber Transceiver.

This guide collects the published Colorlight VX20 specifications, the input and output layout, the pixel capacity limits at 8-bit and 10-bit output, the three operating modes, the redundancy options and a practical integration checklist. The figures below follow the manufacturer document Colorlight VX20 Specification V1.0 (Colorlight Cloud Tech Ltd, 2024). Confirm the firmware revision of the actual unit before final commissioning.

Colorlight VX20 at a glance

• Product type: 4K video processor with LED sending, successor to the VX10 in Colorlight’s VX series.
• Load capacity: 13.1 million pixels at 8-bit/60Hz output, split across 20 Gigabit Ethernet ports (650,000 pixels per port at 8-bit/60Hz).
• Video inputs: 2 × HDMI 2.0, 2 × DP 1.2, 2 × 12G-SDI and 4 × HDMI 1.4, with HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4 and 12G-SDI loop outputs.
• Video outputs: 20 × 1G Ethernet for receiving cards, 4 × 10G fiber (Fiber 1/2 primary, Fiber 3/4 backup or copy) and 1 × HDMI 2.0 monitoring output.
• Image processing: true 4K 4096 × 2160 @60Hz, HDR10 and HLG, 8/10/12-bit input, 8/10-bit output, frame rates up to 240Hz.
• Latency: 0 frames in Bypass mode, 1 frame in Video Processor mode.
• Chassis: 19-inch 2U rack mount, 482.6 × 88.0 × 412.1 mm, 5.65 kg net weight, 92W rated power.

On this page

• Colorlight VX20 specifications
• Inputs and outputs
• Pixel capacity and load planning
• Three operating modes
• Control and configuration
• Redundancy and reliability
• Typical applications
• How to choose the right processor
• Integration checklist and quote
• FAQs

The table below lists the published VX20 specifications that matter when you size a wall or specify a rental kit. Where a limit depends on the output bit depth or frame rate, both figures are shown instead of a single headline number.

One sizing habit pays off immediately: the 13.1 million figure is the 8-bit/60Hz maximum, not a universal limit. Moving to 10-bit output or 120Hz output lowers the ceiling, which is why the 4K LED screen guide recommends planning the wall resolution first and the processor second.

Colorlight VX20 reference dimensions: 2U chassis, 482.6 mm wide, 88.0 mm high and 412.1 mm deep without rubber feet.

The VX20 accepts ten video inputs across four interface types, and every interface keeps a loop output so a source can be shared with a second processor, a monitor or a backup chain. Input capability is not uniform, so check the table below against your source list before you commit.

On the output side the VX20 behaves as one device with three parallel paths:

• 20 × Gigabit Ethernet for LED receiving cards, with loop redundancy and a maximum 100 m CAT5e run per port.
• 4 × 10G fiber ports. Fiber 1 and Fiber 2 are the primary fiber outputs, replacing Ethernet ports 1–10 and 11–20 respectively; fiber takes precedence when both are connected. Fiber 3 and Fiber 4 copy or back up the data on Fiber 1 and Fiber 2 (copy mode by default, backup mode selectable).
• 1 × HDMI 2.0 monitoring output for PVW and PGM images and any input signal, so the operator sees exactly what the screen shows.

A U-DISK port lets you import and save receiving card parameters without a laptop, and the rear panel adds GENLOCK input and loop (BNC, supporting Black Burst, Bi-level and Tri-level sync at 23.98Hz and 60Hz) plus LAN 1/2 for control and a bridge function that links two VX20 units into a virtual LAN.

Colorlight VX20 front panel with touch screen, knob and function keys, and the rear panel with 20 Gigabit Ethernet ports and four 10G fiber slots.

Short answer: 13.1 million pixels at 8-bit and 60Hz output, 9.8 million pixels at 10-bit and 60Hz, and less at higher refresh rates. The VX20 also caps the canvas at 16,384 pixels wide and 8,192 pixels high, and each Gigabit Ethernet port carries 650,000 pixels at 8-bit/60Hz.

Worked example: a 3840 × 2160 wall contains 8.29 million pixels. That fits at 8-bit/60Hz and at 10-bit/60Hz, but it exceeds the 6.55 million limit at 8-bit/120Hz, so the same wall needs either a lower refresh rate, a lower output bit depth, or a second processor. Always check the cabinet map as well: eight million pixels spread over 20 ports is comfortable, while the same load pushed through fewer ports will collide with the 650,000-pixel-per-port ceiling.

For walls that go past the published limits, splitting the canvas into zones driven by two or more processors, or using the VX20 for the high-priority area and a companion controller for the remainder, keeps each unit inside its rated load. Our engineers can run that calculation for your cabinet layout — see the LED screen buying guide for the information worth having ready.

The VX20 runs in one mode at a time, and the mode you choose changes the signal path, the latency and the direction of the fiber ports. Choose the mode from the job the processor has to do, not from the feature list.

This is the default mode. The VX20 receives multiple video sources, and three of them can be selected and sent to the receiving cards with one frame of delay. Main, PIP 1 and PIP 2 layers support splicing, picture-in-picture, scaling, cropping, opacity and fade in/out, so a show can blend a media server canvas, a camera feed and a graphics layer without an external switcher. Each layer runs at 4K resolution, and the Ethernet ports keep the full 13.1 million pixel budget in both PVW&PGM and PGM-only canvas views.

Typical use: live events, broadcast studios, control rooms and any wall that mixes several sources.

In Bypass mode, one selected source is sent straight to the screen with 0-frame delay and no scaling or processing. It preserves the original timing of the signal, which is what camera returns, image magnification and esports feeds need. The trade-off is composition: Bypass mode does not layer or blend sources.

Typical use: IMAG camera paths, virtual production camera feeds and latency-critical monitoring.

In Fiber Transceiver mode the VX20 changes direction: Fiber 1 and Fiber 2 become the input ports, receiving display data over 10G optical fiber from another VX-series device, and the 20 Ethernet ports drive the receiving cards at the screen. This is how a processor at the control position feeds cabinets 100 m or more away without a long run of Ethernet.

Typical use: stadiums, arenas, large venues and any installation where the control room sits far from the LED wall.

Video Processor and Bypass mode keep the VX20 in the active signal path, while Fiber Transceiver mode receives over Fiber 1/2 and outputs to the screen through the 20 Ethernet ports.

A single network cable is enough to control the processor and manage the display. The web interface runs in a browser on Windows, macOS or Linux, so an operator can adjust sources, layers, output mapping and brightness from a laptop backstage or a tablet in the control booth. Colorlight’s iSet software adds deeper layout design, EDID handling and batch device work, and the platform stores up to 1,000 presets for fast show recall.

Read the address actually configured on the device instead of assuming a factory default, and keep control-network access limited to the production team.

The front panel carries a touch screen with an HD PVW preview plus a knob, ESC key, layer keys (Main, PIP 1, PIP 2, BKG, SIZE, Full Screen), source keys, and function keys such as Preset, Brightness, Freeze, Cut and Take. That matters in rack installations where nobody wants to open a laptop for a source change. For fixed installations, RS-232 on the RJ11 port and the network interface both accept central control commands, and USB IN/OUT allows cascading between units.

The 1GB image library accepts PNG and JPG files for backgrounds and logos. Four background presets, ten logo presets (up to 512 × 512) and up to four OSD text items can be applied without consuming the three video layers, and OSD text supports scrolling with adjustable direction, speed and style. A 15-pattern test utility helps verify cabinet mapping before content is loaded.

The VX20 includes several independent protection layers. Each one covers a different failure, so they should be configured and tested individually rather than assumed:

• Input hot backup — switches to a backup signal if the primary video source fails.
• Ethernet loop redundancy — manually configured protection for the data path to the cabinets.
• Fiber backup — Fiber 3 and Fiber 4 copy or back up the data carried on Fiber 1 and Fiber 2.
• Processor redundancy — automatic switchover to a backup processor if the primary unit fails.
• Configuration backup — parameters can be exported and re-imported, which shortens recovery after a swap.

Redundancy protects the signal chain, not the power design of the venue. Document which fault each path covers, photograph the cable labels, and rehearse a switchover with the show’s real sources before the event.

The VX20 fits projects where resolution, load capacity and operating flexibility all matter at the same time. The four scenarios below are where the specification does the most work.

Rental companies value the combination of ten inputs, three processing layers, 1,000 presets and a 2U chassis that travels in a standard rack. Bypass mode covers latency-critical camera paths, while Video Processor mode handles media server output and graphics. Pair it with a rental LED screen and the same processor can serve several shows in a season.

12G-SDI inputs, GENLOCK in and loop, HDR10/HLG handling and precise color management make the VX20 usable in LED volume stages and studios, where camera tracking and render timing leave no room for variable latency.

Twenty synchronized output ports and multi-source layering suit control rooms that display CCTV, dashboards and mapping data side by side. Network control keeps operators out of the rack, and the monitoring output gives a second verification point for what the wall is showing.

At 13.1 million pixels the VX20 covers most fine-pitch, COB and commercial video walls in a single unit, and the fiber ports let the processor sit where the operators are while the cabinets stay in the field. See COB LED display modules and commercial LED display screens for the display side of the same project.

The VX20 is a processing device: it scales, layers and maps video before sending it to the cabinets. That matters when a project mixes sources or needs pixel-accurate scaling. If a wall runs a single pre-composed canvas and simply needs more ports at a lower cost, a dedicated sending controller can be enough, and if the wall grows past 13.1 million pixels or needs more than three layers, the answer is usually a larger processor or two units working in zones.

Three comparisons come up most often in LED control projects:

• VX20 versus a sending controller such as the Colorlight X8M: choose the controller when the signal is already composed and only needs distribution; choose the VX20 when the source needs scaling, cropping or layering.
• VX20 versus a playground-style processor such as the Colorlight Z5: compare input counts, layer count and load capacity against the show’s actual sources rather than the model number.
• VX20 versus a NovaStar platform such as the NovaStar VX2000 Pro: the deciding factors are usually ecosystem preference, receiving card compatibility, service network and price, because both classes cover 4K processing with redundancy.

You can also read the Colorlight X20 setup guide and the Colorlight software download page for the tools and firmware used to commission Colorlight systems.

Before ordering, confirm the following items. They cover almost every mismatch we see between a processor specification and a real LED wall:

• Wall resolution in physical pixels (columns × cabinet pixel width, rows × cabinet pixel height) and the total pixel count.
• Cabinet and module model, plus the receiving card model, firmware version and approved parameter files.
• Source list with resolution, frame rate, color depth and connector type for each input.
• Required output bit depth and refresh rate, because both reduce the available pixel budget.
• Layers needed: single canvas, or video plus picture-in-picture and graphics.
• Cable distances from the control position to the first cabinet, and whether fiber is required.
• Redundancy expectations: which fault must not interrupt the picture, and how switchover will be tested.
• Optical modules, flight case, spare receiving cards and spare cables for rental use.

Send those details to our team and we will confirm the port map, the optical modules and the pixel load per output. You can reach us through the contact page, or review our rental LED screens, indoor LED screens and commercial LED display ranges for a complete system quote.

The Colorlight VX20 earns its place when a project needs real 4K processing, three layers, ten inputs and a large pixel budget in a single 2U device, with the option of zero-frame bypass or fiber transport when the signal path demands it. Confirm the wall’s pixel count, output bit depth and refresh rate first, then match the mode, the port map and the redundancy plan to the show.

Specifications in this article follow the manufacturer document Colorlight VX20 Specification V1.0 (Colorlight Cloud Tech Ltd, 2024) and the official Colorlight VX20 product page. Colorlight may revise firmware and documentation without notice, so verify critical figures against the documentation supplied with your unit, or ask our team to confirm them for your project.