HDMI handshake
The HDMI handshake is the start-up talk between source and display: connect, read EDID, agree HDCP, then show the picture.
Before a picture appears, the player and the TV have a short conversation. This is called the handshake.
It is like two people meeting: they say hello, tell each other what they can do, and check each other's ID. Only then does the picture start. If one of them misunderstands, the screen stays black.
How do I force a new HDMI handshake with the HDfury Vertex?
YESShort-press RST: this sends a Hot Plug Detect event, so the source reads the EDID again and redoes HDCP. The green side logo shows the Vertex receives and decodes the signal, which means the handshake is done (p.6–7).
How to use it with the Vertex:
- Short-press RST; do not hold it over 10 s, that is a factory reset (p.7).
- Or use CONFIG > ISSUE HOTPLUG > Send in the GUI, or RS232 #set hotplug (p.41, p.48).
- Keep the HDCP slide switch on Auto/GUI so each output gets a working HDCP level (p.11).
- Some sources need their power cord pulled after an EDID change (p.113).
What it is
A handshake has a few steps. First the display raises the Hot Plug Detect line to say "I am here". Then the source reads the display's EDID, a list of the formats it accepts. The source picks a format and starts sending. For protected content, both sides then run HDCP, the copy protection check. When that succeeds, the picture and sound appear.
The handshake runs again whenever something changes: a device powers on, you switch inputs, or the source changes resolution, frame rate or switches between SDR and HDR. Each time the screen may go black for a few seconds. Every extra device in the chain, such as an AVR or a switch, adds its own handshake, so problems are more common in long chains.
Typical handshake problems are a black screen, a "no signal" message, an HDCP error or picture and sound that drop out now and then.
On the Vertex
When the Vertex receives and decodes an HDMI signal, its green side logo lights up; the manual uses this as the sign that the HDCP handshake is complete (p.6). A short press on RST sends a Hot Plug Detect event, which makes the source start a fresh handshake (p.7). The same is available as ISSUE HOTPLUG in the GUI CONFIG tab and as #set hotplug over RS232 (p.41, p.48).
Choosing an EDID bank triggers a hotplug automatically, so the source reads the new EDID right away (p.27). Some sources need their power cord removed and reconnected between EDID changes (p.113). The HDCP slide in the middle position (Auto/GUI) lets the Vertex pick an HDCP level that works on each output (p.11). When Custom HDR is already on, pressing Send HDR changes the values without stopping the stream, to avoid a TV resync (p.33).
Common questions
Why does my screen go black for a few seconds when I start a film?
The player often changes frame rate or switches to HDR at that moment, and every change means a new handshake. This is normal; the length depends on the TV and devices in the chain.
How do I force a new handshake with the Vertex?
Short-press RST (not longer than 10 seconds, that is a factory reset), or use ISSUE HOTPLUG in the GUI (p.7, p.41).
Can the Vertex fix handshake problems?
Often. HDfury lists HDCP, EDID and HPD issues among the problems it solves, for example by giving the source a fixed EDID and converting HDCP (p.11, p.111).