Kaleidescape's New 'Strato V' Entry-Level Player Is Also Its Best Player to Date!

(July 16, 2024) Kaleidescape truly is the industry's ultimate movie playback system. From its extensive movie store and on-screen interfaces to bit-perfect encodes, catered movie scenes, and lightning-fast download times, the company has captured everything enthusiasts love about disc-quality playback and packaged it with the modern conveniences we've come to expect with streaming and on-demand platforms.

It's practically perfect, if you can stomach the cost of entry.

Until today, Kaleidescape had two major warts from a buyer's perspective: upfront cost and a lack of Dolby Vision functionality. Entry-level buyers needed to purchase a Strato C player, which decodes and distributes a movie, and a separate Terra movie server for file storage, both of which will set you back a minimum of $9,000 if you select the smallest amount of available storage (the 8TB Terra Prime Server). That entry price is leaps and bounds more than the most expensive disc player and other movie player and storage systems on the market.

Then there's Dolby Vision, which had been put on the back burner, largely because the vast majority of Kaleidescape buyers are projector-focused. Most projectors lack the brightness to make Dolby Vision work as intended, so it was less of a priority.

With today's announcement, the all-new Strato V (where "V" stands for Vision) heals those warts and gives customers what they've been wanting: A more affordable starting price and Dolby Vision compatibility.

“Kaleidescape has delivered on what customers have been asking for with the new Strato V movie player, now offering Dolby Vision with lossless audio at a lower cost of entry,” said Tayloe Stansbury, chairman & CEO of Kaleidescape. “It’s a testament to our commitment to continued innovation as the Strato V integrates new electronics and playback capabilities while maintaining the high level of performance we’re renowned for.”

Looking very similar to its current Strato C player and slim-line Terra Prime servers, the clad-in-all-black Strato V offers standalone storage and playback for a single display. On its own, it can store roughly ten 4K movies on an internal, solid-state drive and is expandable by pairing it with a Terra Prime movie server. Those can give you an additional 8 to 96TB of storage.

Out of the box, the Strato V offers owners access to a new streamlined interface that's optimized for navigating a small movie library. Both HD and 4K movie titles can be downloaded in as little as ten minutes over Gigabit Ethernet. And downloads can be designated for automatic deletion 48 hours after playback, making room for more movies.

For those owners choosing to increase storage, a Terra Prime server will return Strato V’s interface to the traditional Kaleidescape experience. Multiple Strato V movie players can be grouped with one or more new or existing Terra movie servers, scaling to the needs of the installation.

Kaleidescape says Strato V integrates new electronics and grounding topology. The addition of player-side decoding for high-bitrate audio codecs provides flexibility to maximize sound quality with a range of downstream components. And then there's its slick physical appearance; Strato V is housed in a modern black anodized aluminum and glass chassis, giving it an aggressive, if not menacing, technological design appeal.

At launch, the Kaleidescape movie store will have more than 100 Dolby Vision titles available. To take full advantage of Strato V’s Dolby Vision playback capabilities, the Kaleidescape store will automatically detect a Strato V player and download Dolby Vision versions of a film (if available). When configured to minimize display mode changes, Strato V will convert HDR10 content to the Dolby Vision format for playback on a Dolby Vision display. If a Strato V player is connected to a display that only supports HDR10, then the player will play back in HDR10 on that display.

If you currently own any titles that become available in Dolby Vision, your movie file will be upgraded at no extra cost.

The Strato V has an MSRP of $3,995 and is available for purchase now. To learn more, watch Travis Ballstadt's video (below) or visit Kaleidescape.com.

AV NIRVANA is member and reader supported. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Thanks for the support!

 

[Mike Schramm]

This is very exciting! It’s perfect to get your foot in the door and then upgrade to a larger server down the road. Time to start saving!

 

[Todd Anderson]

Yeah... this is awesome. Super excited to see this come out!

Curious, does the limited storage deter you? Or are you comfortable with the knowledge that you can delete and download as you'd like?

 

[Mike Schramm]

Yes, the limited storage kinda sucks. Like I said before, it’s great a way to get in the KScape ecosystem. However, there are definite compromises with it. But, upgradability makes it a tolerable compromise in my book.

 

[VJM]

This is great news!

 

[JStewart]

Haven’t seen Travis’ review yet but first impression is a huge step in the right direction.

Curious, does the limited storage deter you? Or are you comfortable with the knowledge that you can delete and download as you'd like?

May I answer that, too, please? I would be comfortable and probably rent 9 out of 10, but that’s because I have gigabit (or close enough most of the time) download speed. Most of my rentals are new releases and watching would not usually be spontaneous. Kaleidescape page for the Strato V says as little as 10min with gigabit speed. 30 min would be more than sufficient for me.

I really hope this does well for them.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Yes, the limited storage kinda sucks. Like I said before, it’s great a way to get in the KScape ecosystem. However, there are definite compromises with it. But, upgradability makes it a tolerable compromise in my book.

I think the fact that they offer upgrade makes it a moot point. And if you have fast internet, it's even less of an issue. The biggest compromise is not having everything on site in your home. But you could always keep 8 or 9 favorites (maybe films with demo scenes that you like) on hand and at the ready... leaving one or two spots for newbies!

 

[Todd Anderson]

Haven’t seen Travis’ review yet but first impression is a huge step in the right direction.



May I answer that, too, please? I would be comfortable and probably rent 9 out of 10, but that’s because I have gigabit (or close enough most of the time) download speed. Most of my rentals are new releases and watching would not usually be spontaneous. Kaleidescape page for the Strato V says as little as 10min with gigabit speed. 30 min would be more than sufficient for me.

I really hope this does well for them.

If that's the case, it's definitely a product for you. And, I might add... you can always purchase films when they go on sale, not download them, and then download at a future date when you want to watch.

I've never hit 10 min on my downloads. They seem to vary... sometimes its 15-17min for a 4K film. Other times that stretches out to 30-ish minutes. Not exactly sure what impacts that (if it's network use in my home or something external).

 

[Sonnie Parker]

It appears to have a 960GB NVMe SSD. I wonder if that could be user-replaced with something like a 4TB WD SN700 SSD. That would give you roughly four times the stock storage.

 

[VJM]

It appears to have a 960GB NVMe SSD. I wonder if that could be user-replaced with something like a 4TB WD SN700 SSD. That would give you roughly four times the stock storage.

Probably not unfortunately, none of their drives can be replaced with off the shelf drives, I think it has something to do with their copy protection.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Correct. You can’t use any other drive - internal or external - because of copy protection

 

[Todd Anderson]

I’m starting to imagine a scenario (few years down the road), where Kaleidescape offers some kind of buffered streaming service as an entry level product.

 

[VJM]

I’m starting to imagine a scenario (few years down the road), where Kaleidescape offers some kind of buffered streaming service as an entry level product.

Agreed

 

[Sonnie Parker]

With the high speeds being offered now to our homes and 2.5GB/10GB throughput coming along fairly well, it can't be too far out.

 

[SRW1000]

Haven’t seen Travis’ review yet but first impression is a huge step in the right direction.



May I answer that, too, please? I would be comfortable and probably rent 9 out of 10, but that’s because I have gigabit (or close enough most of the time) download speed. Most of my rentals are new releases and watching would not usually be spontaneous. Kaleidescape page for the Strato V says as little as 10min with gigabit speed. 30 min would be more than sufficient for me.

I really hope this does well for them.

That's real close to my view, as well.

But the system would need to be under $1K to give it any serious thought. It looks like most of the rentals are around $8, so that's another deterrent.

I did see a number for 4K titles for under $15, so some of those prices aren't too bad.

Yes, I know the title pricing is typically set by the studios, but the consumer just sees the end cost.

 

[Todd Anderson]

That's real close to my view, as well.

But the system would need to be under $1K to give it any serious thought. It looks like most of the rentals are around $8, so that's another deterrent.

I did see a number for 4K titles for under $15, so some of those prices aren't too bad.

Yes, I know the title pricing is typically set by the studios, but the consumer just sees the end cost.

There are lots of sales - constantly - where 4K titles are $9.99 or, if bundled, less.

 

[Mike Schramm]

I’m starting to imagine a scenario (few years down the road), where Kaleidescape offers some kind of buffered streaming service as an entry level product.

I wonder if a streaming product that offers 100% quality A/V would hurt their existing purchase/download business? Not sure I’d want to upgrade further to something like their current setup if I could just stream it without any loss in quality.

 

[Todd Anderson]

It might be that they could ultimately offer instant access to a movie that purchase and are actively downloading. So, the assumption would be that you are (1) purchasing and (2) downloading to your own Kscape server.

That server could be something like the Strato V... or a large server.

I haven't heard any rumors or inside info about this. Just thinking out loud

 

[Mike Schramm]

It might be that they could ultimately offer instant access to a movie that purchase and are actively downloading. So, the assumption would be that you are (1) purchasing and (2) downloading to your own Kscape server.

That server could be something like the Strato V... or a large server.

I haven't heard any rumors or inside info about this. Just thinking out loud

I know we’re just spit-balling here, but it does seem like a fairly likely scenario a few years down the road. Fun times!

 

[JStewart]

It might be that they could ultimately offer instant access to a movie that purchase and are actively downloading. So, the assumption would be that you are (1) purchasing and (2) downloading to your own Kscape server.

That server could be something like the Strato V... or a large server.

I haven't heard any rumors or inside info about this. Just thinking out loud

Could work since the basic delivery system is unchanged. Still possible for something to go sideways that’s beyond KScape’s control before the download is complete.

I wonder if there ever will be streaming for “reference” video with uncompressed audio. I say this because it took years to get high resolution audio files streamed and the biggest player, Spotify, still doesn’t see the need to offer it.

Then there’s the decline in shiny disc sales that probably means there just aren’t enough of us to make a market for higher quality video streaming. Also, for a company like Kaleidescape to do it, would it not take a significant investment in infrastructure to stream vs download for play? What advantage for them if they did that vs now?

I applaud KScape for caring about the quality of films and finding a way to serve like minded enthusiasts who want to see and hear the best playback their systems are capable of with ultimate convenience. And to me, reference quality streaming from one of the big players at a much lower price point seems a pipe dream at best. I wish I could swing it ‘cause even if reference streaming does happen there’s a lot of time to go by between now and then.

 

[GERONIMO.USMC]

View attachment 72360
(July 16, 2024) Kaleidescape truly is the industry's ultimate movie playback system. From its extensive movie store and on-screen interfaces to bit-perfect encodes, catered movie scenes, and lightning-fast download times, the company has captured everything enthusiasts love about disc-quality playback and packaged it with the modern conveniences we've come to expect with streaming and on-demand platforms.

It's practically perfect, if you can stomach the cost of entry.

Until today, Kaleidescape had two major warts from a buyer's perspective: upfront cost and a lack of Dolby Vision functionality. Entry-level buyers needed to purchase a Strato C player, which decodes and distributes a movie, and a separate Terra movie server for file storage, both of which will set you back a minimum of $9,000 if you select the smallest amount of available storage (the 8TB Terra Prime Server). That entry price is leaps and bounds more than the most expensive disc player and other movie player and storage systems on the market.

Then there's Dolby Vision, which had been put on the back burner, largely because the vast majority of Kaleidescape buyers are projector-focused. Most projectors lack the brightness to make Dolby Vision work as intended, so it was less of a priority.

With today's announcement, the all-new Strato V (where "V" stands for Vision) heals those warts and gives customers what they've been wanting: A more affordable starting price and Dolby Vision compatibility.

“Kaleidescape has delivered on what customers have been asking for with the new Strato V movie player, now offering Dolby Vision with lossless audio at a lower cost of entry,” said Tayloe Stansbury, chairman & CEO of Kaleidescape. “It’s a testament to our commitment to continued innovation as the Strato V integrates new electronics and playback capabilities while maintaining the high level of performance we’re renowned for.”

Looking very similar to its current Strato C player and slim-line Terra Prime servers, the clad-in-all-black Strato V offers standalone storage and playback for a single display. On its own, it can store roughly ten 4K movies on an internal, solid-state drive and is expandable by pairing it with a Terra Prime movie server. Those can give you an additional 8 to 96TB of storage.

Out of the box, the Strato V offers owners access to a new streamlined interface that's optimized for navigating a small movie library. Both HD and 4K movie titles can be downloaded in as little as ten minutes over Gigabit Ethernet. And downloads can be designated for automatic deletion 48 hours after playback, making room for more movies.

For those owners choosing to increase storage, a Terra Prime server will return Strato V’s interface to the traditional Kaleidescape experience. Multiple Strato V movie players can be grouped with one or more new or existing Terra movie servers, scaling to the needs of the installation.

Kaleidescape says Strato V integrates new electronics and grounding topology. The addition of player-side decoding for high-bitrate audio codecs provides flexibility to maximize sound quality with a range of downstream components. And then there's its slick physical appearance; Strato V is housed in a modern black anodized aluminum and glass chassis, giving it an aggressive, if not menacing, technological design appeal.

At launch, the Kaleidescape movie store will have more than 100 Dolby Vision titles available. To take full advantage of Strato V’s Dolby Vision playback capabilities, the Kaleidescape store will automatically detect a Strato V player and download Dolby Vision versions of a film (if available). When configured to minimize display mode changes, Strato V will convert HDR10 content to the Dolby Vision format for playback on a Dolby Vision display. If a Strato V player is connected to a display that only supports HDR10, then the player will play back in HDR10 on that display.

If you currently own any titles that become available in Dolby Vision, your movie file will be upgraded at no extra cost.

The Strato V has an MSRP of $3,995 and is available for purchase now. To learn more, watch Travis Ballstadt's video (below) or visit Kaleidescape.com.

AV NIRVANA is member and reader supported. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Thanks for the support!

Hi! I'm interested, but my confusion with the announcement is the "When configured to minimize display mode changes, Strato V will convert HDR10 content to the Dolby Vision format for playback on a Dolby Vision display."

So, for clarification, 2 important quetions;

Will we have the option to leave native HDR10 movies alone, not "convert", and pass through the native metadata HDR10, on DV systems?

The player will have TV LED DV, and PLAYER LED DV? Spec screenshot says Standard, and Low latency, so I take that as yes on both DV delivery methods.

Thanks!

 

[VJM]

Hi! I'm interested, but my confusion with the announcement is the "When configured to minimize display mode changes, Strato V will convert HDR10 content to the Dolby Vision format for playback on a Dolby Vision display."

So, for clarification, 2 important quetions;

Will we have the option to leave native HDR10 movies alone, not "convert", and pass through the native metadata HDR10, on DV systems?

The player will have TV LED DV, and PLAYER LED DV? Spec screenshot says Standard, and Low latency, so I take that as yes on both DV delivery methods.

Thanks!

What that means is if you set the option "Minimize display mode changes" then everything sent will be sent as DV, it's the same as any streamer set to always output DV instead of an adaptive setting that will switch between DV/HDR and SDR.

I don't know the answer if it's Player or TV led DV though

 

[Todd Anderson]

I'm not sure on that second question either. I'll try to get an answer for you

 

[Aburguy]

Im going to get one. As a Canadian the cost prior to this unit was about $14,000. This now takes it down to 6K. For me it allows me into that space now. Im not worried about the space of 10 movies, if I can off load them and they are always there I can work with that. Im very curious how sales are going on this though.

 

[Robert Zohn]

Check out David Susilo Unscripted's Review of Kaleidescape's new Strato V Movie player/server:

We and everyone who visits our A/V Showroom is loving all of the beautiful movies we have on our store display/demo Strato V that is distributed to all of the TVs and the theater in our mai A/V Showroom. We also have the Strato V set-up in our new 2nd A/V Showroom where we built 16 Cinema Demo rooms.