For PatternSpace 2.2 on macOS. DeckLink SDI Output is a separate one-time in-app purchase. ColourSpace automation also requires PatternSpace Pro. Blackmagic hardware, Desktop Video, a measurement instrument, and calibration software are separate.
An SDI patch generator for your Mac
A calibration patch needs to travel through the same signal path you intend to evaluate. A monitor connected as a macOS display and a monitor receiving SDI from Blackmagic hardware are different paths, even when both are connected to the same Mac.
PatternSpace’s DeckLink output sends calibration patches through supported DeckLink or UltraStudio hardware. The patch frames use the hardware video-output path rather than a macOS display window. This makes it possible to drive an SDI-connected monitor from a Mac while ColourSpace controls the patch sequence over the network.
The signal generator and the measuring instrument have separate roles: PatternSpace presents patches; your meter measures the monitor; ColourSpace collects and evaluates those measurements. PatternSpace does not measure the display or generate a correction from meter readings.
What the 2.2 SDI output supports
| Setting | Supported value |
|---|---|
| 720p | 50, 59.94, 60 fps |
| 1080p | 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60 fps |
| Signal | 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2, packed as v210 |
| Range and colorimetry | Video (Legal), BT.709, gamma 2.4 |
| Desktop Video | 16.4.x compatibility family |
| Content | Solid colors and rectangle calibration patches; black for stopping output |
The actual mode list depends on your device. PatternSpace checks the device’s reported mode support, BT.709 metadata support, and acceptance of the required output configuration. Driver conversion is disabled; the session is rejected if the hardware cannot accept that configuration.
A device passing these capability checks is not a claim that every Blackmagic model has been independently certified. Verify your exact hardware, driver, receiving monitor, and selected mode before relying on a measurement session.
HDR in 2.2
HDR requires PatternSpace Pro as well as the SDI add-on and device-reported HDR metadata support. Compatible devices offer 1080p/UHD PQ and HLG at admitted progressive rates from 23.98 to 60 fps, subject to single-link support. UHD at 50–60 fps requires a compatible 12G-SDI chain.
PQ offers Video (Legal) 10-bit YCbCr or RGB, Full 10-bit YCbCr, or Full 12-bit RGB. HLG offers Video (Legal) 10-bit YCbCr or RGB. The device and link determine which containers and rates appear. Choose the range your receiver expects; full-range 10-bit YCbCr uses codes 4–1019.
Choose Mastering Display primaries and peak for the static HDR metadata. That metadata describes the generated signal, not measured panel performance. Verify receiver interpretation and the exact hardware chain. Library patterns remain unavailable on SDI.
Blank, Resume and recovery
Blank (⌘B) keeps the session and retained content owner while sending confirmed black in the selected signal contract, with HDR metadata preserved. Resume restores the retained output; a new patch ends the blank. Optional idle blank is off by default and measures time without output commands, not completion of a meter reading.
An output timeout latches Output state unknown. New patches, Blank and Resume remain unavailable until Recover SDI Output confirms black and completes shutdown. A failed recovery keeps the state latched; there is no automatic display fallback.
Set up ColourSpace with DeckLink SDI
- Prepare the video path. Install Blackmagic Desktop Video 16.4.x and confirm the device is visible in Desktop Video Setup. Connect its SDI output to the monitor and select the matching monitor input.
- Unlock the required features. Purchase or restore DeckLink SDI Output in the Output Display menu. For ColourSpace control, also unlock PatternSpace Pro. Pro and SDI are independent purchases.
- Select the output. Open Output Display, choose a compatible DeckLink device and progressive SDR mode, then select Use DeckLink SDI Output. “Ready for first frame” means the route is selected and waiting for a patch.
- Connect ColourSpace. Start ColourSpace’s Network Server on the calibration computer. In PatternSpace, select Generator → ColourSpace and connect to the server’s IP address and port. Follow the connection guide for the full setup.
- Check the signal before profiling. Send black, white, neutral gray, and primary patches. Confirm the intended monitor receives them, the input expects legal-range BT.709, and the patch geometry is appropriate for your measurement.
- Measure and verify. Run the intended ColourSpace patch sequence with your meter. Apply any correction in the appropriate downstream device or software, then verify with an independent measurement sequence.
DeckLink SDR always uses Video (Legal) range. PatternSpace’s Measurement Range control for normal macOS display output does not change this SDI contract. Keep the source interpretation and receiving equipment consistent; an extra range conversion elsewhere in the chain can change black, white, and intermediate levels.
Understand what an output acknowledgement means
Where the calibration protocol supports acknowledgements, PatternSpace waits for the selected output’s frame result. ColourSpace’s network protocol has no patch acknowledgement; PatternSpace serializes incoming patches for that route.
A card-level completion is not an optical measurement of the panel. The monitor’s processing and settling time still matter. Choose the measurement timing in your calibration software for the display and meter you are using.
Stop, switch outputs, and recover
When leaving SDI, PatternSpace requests and confirms a black frame before stopping the card. A failed SDI operation never silently redirects calibration patches to a Mac display.
- Ready for first frame: send a calibration patch to start output.
- Output running: the card has completed output frames.
- Device disconnected: reconnect it and select it again.
- Output state unknown: a safe black frame could not be confirmed. Use Recover SDI Output before changing routes.
A Library pattern requested while SDI is selected is rejected. It is not redirected to the remembered macOS display.
Troubleshooting the first connection
“DeckLink runtime unavailable”
Check the installed Desktop Video version. PatternSpace 2.2 accepts the 16.4.x family; a missing or different runtime leaves output disabled. Confirm the hardware is visible in Desktop Video Setup, then relaunch PatternSpace.
“No validated DeckLink devices found”
The runtime is available, but no attached device and mode passes the current compatibility checks. Review the device’s supported output modes and its Desktop Video configuration. Detection in another application alone does not prove support for PatternSpace’s exact SDR contract.
ColourSpace connects but does not produce the expected image
Confirm both purchases are active, the intended SDI output is selected, and the command is a supported solid or rectangle patch. Check the receiving monitor’s input, range, and mode. Use output status and the connection log to distinguish a rejected patch from a video-path problem.
Which purchase do I need?
DeckLink SDI Output unlocks the hardware route. PatternSpace Pro unlocks ColourSpace, CalMAN, and PGenerator automation and other Pro features. A ColourSpace-controlled SDI workflow therefore requires both. Buying SDI alone does not unlock Pro; buying Pro alone does not unlock SDI.
See current purchase options, then continue with the calibration workflow. For processing correction or look LUT files separately from patch output, see LUT Tools (Beta).