Lightware’s Third-Generation Taurus HC60: Redefining USB-C Connectivity for Modern AV
USB-C has moved from emerging standard to the backbone of modern collaboration spaces. Yet despite its widespread adoption, it remains one of the most challenging elements of professional AV integration. Bandwidth constraints, charging inconsistencies, peripheral instability, security requirements, and platform compatibility continue to frustrate both integrators and end users.
From its inception, Lightware’s Taurus platform was built to address these exact challenges. With the launch of its third-generation devices - the Taurus HC60 series - Lightware once again advances USB-C signal management with a hardware evolution designed specifically for spaces built around USB connectivity.
What’s New with the HC60 Product Family
The HC60 series introduces meaningful upgrades that directly reflect how modern AV systems are used. Native support for 5K and 21:9 displays enables wider, more immersive collaboration experiences, while an expanded EDID library allows Taurus devices to automatically detect these displays - eliminating manual configuration and accelerating deployment.
Display Stream Compression (DSC) support enables higher-bandwidth video workflows without sacrificing image quality or system stability.
Security has also been strengthened through unique, factory-generated passwords, aligning Taurus devices with modern regulatory expectations.
The addition of dual device-side USB-C ports further reflects the reality that USB-C peripherals are now standard across professional environments.
Crucially, every existing Taurus HC40 model has a one-to-one HC60 equivalent. This ensures a seamless transition for integrators, with no need to redesign systems, revise specifications, or revisit tenders - functionality remains familiar, while performance, availability, and longevity are improved.
Solving USB Challenges Across Every Room Type
Rather than offering a single “one-size-fits-all” solution, Taurus is a family of purpose-built devices designed to address specific USB challenges encountered in real-world installations.
In small meeting rooms and huddle spaces, USB issues often appear as unreliable host switching, peripheral conflicts, and confusing cabling. Compact UCX models, like the UCX-1x1-C60 Smart Dock, act as professional USB-C docking station allowing users to connect a laptop and instantly access video, USB peripherals, audio, Ethernet, and charging through a single cable. Autoswitching eliminates friction entirely, ensuring meetings start without delays.
As rooms grow larger, complexity increases. Multiple hosts, dual displays, and mixed USB-C and HDMI sources introduce new challenges. Larger Taurus UCX models preserve reliable USB host control, charging, and uncompressed 4K video while enabling flexible, multi-format switching - delivering predictability for users and design freedom for integrators.
Distance remains a fundamental limitation of USB-C. Taurus TPX solutions overcome this by extending USB-C, video, and USB peripherals up to 100 meters over a single CAT cable - without breaking USB topology rules or introducing latency. Built-in USB hubs at both ends ensure stable peripheral access, even as hosts switch dynamically.
For maximum layout flexibility, the UCX-3x3-TPX-RX20 receiver models allow additional USB hosts and video sources at the display side, supporting distributed room designs that reflect how spaces are actually used.
Beyond “Good Enough” USB-C
A common misconception is that all USB-C devices and cables behave the same. In reality, USB operates within strict architectural limits where latency, tier depth, and device class matter. Exceeding these limits leads to the failures integrators see daily - missing peripherals, unstable audio, or intermittent connectivity.
Taurus solutions are designed with these constraints in mind. By controlling USB topology, minimizing tier usage, and managing signal paths intelligently, Taurus prevents common failure scenarios before they occur. The HC60 platform builds on this foundation with smarter defaults, improved hardware performance, and enhanced compatibility - reducing setup time while improving long-term reliability.
Advanced Collaboration Without Compromise
Modern collaboration demands more than basic connectivity. Dual-screen workflows, hybrid learning, and soft-codec meetings require systems that adapt instantly. The Taurus UCX-4x3-HCM40 enables true dual-screen extended desktop over a single USB-C connection, supporting both Windows and macOS - including Apple platforms that traditionally limit multi-display output.
Audio integration is equally critical. The UCX4x3-HC60-BD models incorporate native Dante and AES67 support, enabling direct connection to networked microphones, DSPs, and speakers without analog breakouts or external interfaces. Built-in audio processing further consolidates video, USB, charging, and multichannel audio into a single device.
At scale, Taurus TPN extends these principles into UC-over-IP architectures, distributing USB-C, HDMI, and USB across 10G networks for centralized monitoring, fast switching, and redundancy - ideal for campuses, divisible rooms, and command-and-control environments.
Another benefit of Taurus is that it seamlessly integrates with the leading video-conferencing codecs, including MTR, Zoom Rooms, Cisco, and most recently, Google Meet – making the Taurus the most versatile signal management platform for BYOD.
A Long-Term Vision
The HC60 series is more than a hardware update. It represents Lightware’s continued commitment to simplifying USB-C integration while improving performance, security, and longevity - without disrupting existing designs. Combined with Lightware’s extensive documentation, training, and educational resources, Taurus empowers integrators to build systems that remain reliable as collaboration technology continues to evolve.