For the past few months, I’ve been testing the most affordable physical pattern generator from Portrait Displays, G1. Pattern generators are devices designed to output special images that are used when calibrating the picture of your TV. While you can do the calibration without such a device, the process is much faster and more convenient than without it. Considering its price, how does it compare with more expensive pattern generators out there and is it worthy of your attention, let’s find out.
For many years now I’ve been different pattern generators but spent the most time with Murideo Fresco SIX-G. SIX-G has a built-in battery and a display, so you can get the basic info about the TV and display test patterns without the need for a computer or any special software. All this comes with a price that is aimed at calibrators and professionals and not for a typical TV owner/enthusiast who would like to calibrate only his TV once or every few years or so.
That’s where Portrait Display’s G1 comes in. It is more affordable, especially if you buy it as part of a bundle with the colorimeter and Calman software. It doesn’t have a built-in battery, buttons, or a screen, but it will do the job. It supports UHD 4K resolution, SDR, HDR10 and Dolby Vision picture modes. You can output the signal in 8 or 10-bit, RGB or component, choose pattern size, etc.
In addition, you will receive 21 specialty test patterns. With them, you can assess a display’s visual performance and make necessary control adjustments such as brightness, contrast, sharpness, and more…
In terms of design, G1 is a compact box made of aluminum with the following connectors:
- HDMI 2.0
- USB-type C for power
- Ethernet
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- 2 USB type A ports and
- TF/micro SD card slot
Since I received this product up to this day, the 3.5 mm jack and SD card slot have no function – on the website for G1, it says those ports are currently unused. Type A USB ports should also get better functionality in the future – right now they can be used to manually update G1’s software or connect it to Wi-Fi. I hope Portrait Displays will keep working on this product and bringing additional functionality.
It is easy to use G1 – you connect it via HDMI cable to the TV or a monitor and with a USB-type C cable to the power source (I usually connect it to the TV that I am calibrating and it works fine). Though G1 has a Wi-Fi built-in, it is still in beta version and anyway for reliability, I recommend an Ethernet connection. Following this, on the screen, you will see a screensaver that will tell you the IP address of the G1 generator and the uptime counter.
Following this, in Calman software search for G1 under source and enter its IP address.
From here you adjust the output parameters, pattern size, resolution, bit depth, etc. and proceed with the workflow.
In that aspect, G1 was reliable and I had zero issues with it. All the patterns that were requested by the workflow were displayed fast and accurately, basically no surprises here. I also had no issues displaying Dolby Vision patterns on TCL TV – something I had issues with in the past with the Murideo SIX-G pattern generator.
Here is a video of SDR calibration of Hisense E7NQ TV where I was using the G1 pattern generator:
Additional patterns are of help to assess the calibration, especially the greyscale ramps, skin tones and granger pattern for evaluating the color gamut and transitions from different colors.
What I would like to see is:
- USB type A ports and card slot which would support custom patterns and demo images and even video clips
- HDR10+ support
Conclusion
All in all, G1 is an affordable pattern generator that speeds up the calibration process and provides you with handy test patterns to efficiently evaluate the display. As part of the Calman Home bundle together with C6 HDR5000 colorimeter, you get all the tools needed to focus on the actual assessment and calibration of your display. I hope Portrait Display will keep improving the product through software updates to make it better.
If you have any questions related to G1 or other pattern generators or anything related to calibration, drop me a comment. You can also check Portrait Display’s YouTube channel where you will find plenty of great tutorials.
Review sample provided by Portrait Displays.
