User guide

HD800V2 User Guide, Version 1.1, 9/11/13

Using The HD800V2

Functional Overview

The HD800V2 switch is a full featured HDMI switch. It caches EDID settings and HDCP keys. By

caching the EDID and HDCP keys, the switch can quickly switch between sources without flicker or

video blanking.

The HDMI Switch

HDMI has many issues associated with its distribution. It was originally designed to connect a DVD

player to a TV, with a few tweaks to the specification to allow for limited distribution.

HDCP Keys

HDMI allows for encrypted audio/video streams to be sent over the HDMI cables. To do this, each

receiving TV or monitor must be issued its own decryption key. This forces each HDMI cable to send

a different stream of encrypted data, even if it’s the same program being sent to two different monitors.

This prevents a simple splitter from working, since a simple splitter would send the same stream to two

different monitors.

This also allows the source (DVD player, Cable Box, etc) to determine the number of simultaneous

monitors allowed to view it’s content. Some cable box manufacturers only supplied a single HDCP

key, while some Blu-ray players supplied a very limit number (like 3). Even today there are manufac

turers that limit the number of HDCP keys, in their Blu-ray players to 9.

To work around this problem, the HD800V2 will cache keys from sources and generate keys when

needed, to supply up to 24 HDCP keys.

When a source runs out of HDCP keys (there are more monitors attempting to view a source than there

are keys), it can do a number of undefined things. Video can go blank, or it can flash on and off, or in

some cases the source could even lock up and need to be power cycled.

If you suspect an HDCP problem, you can verify this by:

• Turning off the HD800V2

• Turn off all TVs and monitors connected to the HD800V2

• Turn on the HD800V2 and set all zones to point to the source with the suspected HDCP prob-

lem.

• Now start turning on zones. If the display starts flickering or blanking after you turn on a zone,

then the source most likely has one less HDCP key that the number of zones you have turned

on.

• To remedy the HDCP problems, see the section on setting the number of HDCP keys. (See:

“Adjusting HDCP key counts” on page 14).

For the most part there are fewer and fewer HDCP key issues with the newer HDMI products, and usu-

ally nothing needs to be done for the switch to work out of the box.

EDID

EDID is simple in concept. Each monitor or receiver contains a small data block that indicates what the

monitor’s or receiver’s capabilities are. When a source connects to a monitor, the monitor’s EDID is

read, and using this information, the source adjusts its output to match the capabilities of the monitor.

If a monitor can display 1080p and the source can output 1080p, then 1080p will be used. The same is

true for audio formats. The EDID will contain multiple resolutions that the monitor can display, and if