If you do decide to use the DVD, be forewarned, the patterns run in an endless loop, only a few seconds for each loop and could cause premature wear on the player.
Pattern generators vary widely in price, what would you consider too expensive? I recently discovered the BK Precision model 1257, which is a very simple portable unit that's available new. The MSRP is $212. More info here:
http://www.bkprecision.com/products/...generator.html