Capture · Record · Stream · Encode · DecodeCapture · Record · Stream · Encode · DecodeEDID (Extended Display Identification Data) is the information a display or capture device sends back to a source to tell it which resolutions, frame rates and colour formats it supports. The source reads it when you plug in an HDMI or DVI cable and chooses what to send. When the EDID does not offer a format the source can produce, or offers the wrong one, the result is a "no signal" message or the wrong resolution. It is one of the most common causes of those problems in video capture, and it is usually fixed in settings, not with new hardware.
Suppose the capture card's EDID lists only 1080i when you need 1080p60. The source will pick 1080i, because that is all it was told was available. Changing the cable will not help, and nothing is faulty. The fix is to set the card's EDID so that it offers the format you want the source to send.
Timing matters too. HDMI and DVI sources normally read the EDID when the connection is made, not continuously. If you change an EDID setting and the source does not switch, unplug and reconnect the cable or power-cycle the source so that it reads the new EDID.
Many Magewell HDMI capture devices let you set a custom EDID. On USB Capture devices you edit or import it with the USB Capture Utility; Pro Capture HDMI cards also support a customised EDID. HDMI models with a loop-through output add SmartEDID, which sends the source an EDID that suits both the capture device and the display on the loop-through; our SmartEDID guide shows how to switch it on. If you are chasing a no-signal fault now, follow the step-by-step guide below.
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