# *BETA* [[BM-TPG]] User Guide
Below is the help text from the app, with a few additional images and this will later be supported by a help video TBC...
---
## First-time setup
1. **Install Blackmagic Desktop Video** on this machine. Download
from [blackmagicdesign.com](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/) if you haven't already.
2. **Connect your UltraStudio device** via a Thunderbolt cable. Confirm it shows in **Blackmagic Desktop Video Setup**.
3. **Launch BM-TPG.** On first launch, you'll be prompted to enter
your licence key. Paste the key from your aulwa.com purchase
confirmation and click **Activate**. Activation requires an
internet connection.
4. The licence status appears in the top of the window.
**Active** means you're ready to use the app.
---
## Confirming UltraStudio is working
When the UltraStudio device is detected and BM-TPG app is configured, your
connected display should show a full-screen **50% neutral grey**. This is
the idle test signal — it confirms the SDI/HDMI output is functioning
correctly and the display is receiving the signal. When you start sending
patches from ColourSpace, this grey will be replaced by the patch colours.
---
## Connecting to ColourSpace
1. Open ColourSpace on the calibration machine. Open the Profile window
and connect to your measurement probe.
2. In ColourSpace, go to the **Hardware** page. Select **Network Server**
and click **Connect**. Then set **Calibration patches** from **Off** to
**Automatic** — otherwise no patches will be sent.
3. In BM-TPG, either click **Auto-discover** (which finds ColourSpace on
your network) or manually enter the IP address and port shown in
ColourSpace's Hardware page.
---
## Choosing the output format
BM-TPG drives YCbCr 4:2:2 SDI output. Three controls govern the signal:
- **YCbCr Matrix** — the YCbCr colour conversion matrix.
- **BT.709** for standard HD BT.709 workflows
- **BT.2020** for wide-gamut (BT.2020 or DCI-P3) workflows.
- **Video Format** — resolution and frame rate (1080p25, 1080p30, 1080i50, etc.) the dropdown list shows the formats your UltraStudio device can support.
- **Pixel format**
- **8-bit YUV** for standard calibration,
- **10-bit YUV** for higher-precision calibration.
- **Output Range**
- **Video (Legal)** (Narrow, 16–235 / 64–940), for most professional displays
- **Full** (0–255 / 0–1023) for some computer displays and most HDR workflows.
The settings must match at every stage of the pipeline: ColourSpace → BM-TPG → display device. Any discrepancy will cause inaccurate colour measurements. If ColourSpace is set to Full range and BM-TPG to Legal (Narrow), you may see out-of-range warnings (see below).
---
## Reading the patch values
The top of the window shows the current patch's RGB values in the
selected bit depth, always worth double checking. For example:
```
R=235 G=235 B=235 (8-bit)
R=940 G=940 B=940 (10-bit)
```
When patches are being sent from ColourSpace, the BM-TPG window
background displays the current patch colour so you can see at
a glance what's being measured.
### Out-of-range values
If ColourSpace sends values outside the declared output range — for
example, sending `R=241` (above the 235 Video-range ceiling) when
Range is set to **Legal** — BM-TPG will:
- Display the RGB values in **BOLD RED** in the header.
- Pop up a notification window listing the offending values.
The pop-up appears once per session. Once you've dismissed it, the
BOLD RED indicator continues to flag out-of-range values in real
time without nagging you with the pop-up again.
Most common cause: ColourSpace is configured for Full-range output
but BM-TPG is set to Video range (or vice versa). Check both apps'
range settings match.
---
## Refreshing devices
If the UltraStudio isn't detected at launch — for example, it was
busy in another app, or you plugged it in after starting BM-TPG —
click **Refresh Devices**. The app re-runs hardware discovery without
needing a restart.
---
## Additional information
Open these windows from the menu bar:
- **BM-TPG -> About-BM-TPG** Version information, your licence status and management links.
- **Help -> User Guide** Assistance on how to use BM-TPG
- **Help -> Device Details** — current device temperature, frame counters,
output state, and diagnostic toggles for advanced logging.
- **Help -> Log** — the live activity log showing connection events, patch
arrivals, and any warnings.
These open as separate windows so you can position them on a second
monitor or close them when not needed.
---
## Troubleshooting
### "No UltraStudio devices found"
- Confirm the device is connected and powered.
- Confirm **Blackmagic Desktop Video** is installed (open Blackmagic
Desktop Video Setup to verify).
- Confirm no other application is currently using the device.
- Click **Refresh Devices** in BM-TPG.
### "Connection required" or "Licence required"
- The licence needs revalidation against the licence server every 30 days.
- Confirm you have an internet connection.
- The licence dialog will appear automatically when revalidation is needed.
### Patches arrive but the display shows nothing
- Confirm the output cable (SDI or HDMI) is connected from the
UltraStudio to the display.
- Confirm the display is on the correct input.
- Check the display's expected signal range matches BM-TPG's range
setting (Video vs Full).
- If using BT.2020, confirm the display can accept BT.2020 input.
### Output values look wrong (calibration measurements off)
- Confirm the **Range** setting matches what ColourSpace is
configured to send.
- Confirm the **Matrix** setting matches the display's expected
colour space.
- If recording the output for analysis, use a 10-bit recorder for
the most accurate readback.