An apparatus for synchronizing chroma and luma data includes a first handshake block for luma data, a second handshake block for chroma data, and a means for providing a handshake signal to the first block and to the second block based at least in part on a determination that they are both ready to transfer data, and further for inhibiting provision of the handshake signal based at least in part on a determination that at least one of the first block and the second block is not ready to transfer data.