8
USERS GUIDE
www.auroramm.com
UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS
Cabling and Connection
The DXE-218 is capable of HDMI 2.0 which requires proper 18Gbps HDMI cables to work properly. Always make certain
to use HDMI cables rated for 2.0 18Gbps especially for the length of the cable selected. If active cables are used make
certain to put the transmitter side on the HDMI output(s).
EDID and its Importance
One of the most forgotten setup procedures in AV systems is the EDID. The EDID comes from the destination (display,
VTC, recorder, etc.) and must be saved into the encoder and decoder HDMI input ports. This allows the source (Blu-ray,
computers, etc.) to know the capabilities of the destination.
This includes the audio type if any, video resolution and timing, color space, color depth, and more. If no EDID is present
an HDMI device will revert to lowest resolution in DVI mode which also means no audio. If the wrong EDID is used, the
image may look pink, green, or have no image at all.
To make matters more complex, if different destinations/displays are in use in a matrix configuration, then it is important
to use an EDID with a common denominator or only one or the other destination may work. In an ideal installation, all
the destinations should have the same capabilities for optimal performance. If this is not possible, the DXE-218 will
downscale from 4K to 1080p automatically specific to the output to assist in the compatibility. For example, there are 2
displays, one 1080p, the other 4k UHD. If the EDID of the 4K display is used, the outputs with 1080p display will be
downscaled automatically allowing images to be seen on all displays. If the 1080p EDID is used, then both will see the
image but the 4K will never benefit from 4K content.
Audio can be impacted just as easily. If a destination is 6-channel surround sound capable and the other destination is
not, then the EDID from the 5.1 destination cannot be used, or there will be no audio on the other destination. In most
commercial installations, it should not be an issue to choose the lowest common denominator, which is 2-channel audio,
but in cases where you must have surround sound then a down-mixer for the 2-channel destination must be used.
In some cases, a custom EDID could be created, as the audio and video are mismatched between the destinations. This
can occur for example, when one destination has 4K 2-channel audio and the other 1080p with multichannel surround
sound. If the EDID of the 1080p destination is used, audio will not be present on the 4K destination. If the 4K EDID is
