Access to Kaleidescape's high-quality movie download service, which rivals UHD Blu-ray, is becoming more affordable with the launch of the new and improved Strato V media player.
In a world dominated by streaming services, Kaleidescape is a unicorn. Instead of streaming movies, you purchase and download them onto a hard drive in very high quality.
The company claims that its 4K movies are "encoded at an average of 65 megabits per second," with peaks up to 100 Mbps, matching or even surpassing the quality of UHD Blu-ray discs.
Kaleidescape claims that its video bitrate surpasses that of UHD Blu-ray
New Strato V player
Kaleidescape has always been an intriguing concept, but it has historically been very expensive to get started. The Strato C player costs $4000 but requires an even more expensive 'Terra' server, as the player itself lacks onboard storage.
The launch of the new Strato V player changes this equation by including a built-in 960GB solid-state drive, which is enough to store approximately ten 4K movies. The Strato V can still be connected to Terra movie servers for expanded storage.
While the Strato V also costs $4000, this is now all you need to gain access to Kaleidescape's movie store.
The Kaleidescape Strato V
Dolby Vision and lossless audio
In addition, the Strato V adds support for Dolby Vision, a feature absent in the Strato C. This is in addition to HDR10 support. It also supports decoding of lossless audio codecs, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
- "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.
At launch, there are "over one hundred" Dolby Vision titles available. This is still far fewer than the over 1400 Dolby Vision titles available on the Apple TV app, but Kaleidescape's versions feature significantly higher bitrates and are available with lossless audio.
- "Strato V has access to the Kaleidescape movie store, the world's only digital movie provider with lossless audio and full reference video quality. The movie store offers thousands of 4K and HD titles, including movies, TV series, and concerts, with over one hundred currently available in Dolby Vision, with more to come. Movies are available with lossless multichannel and object-based audio, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X," the company said.
The Kaleidescape user interface. Photo: Kaleidescape
The Strato V also features a streamlined user interface.
Kaleidescape's Strato V download player is available now for $4000 in the U.S., with plans to expand to select regions soon, including the UK.
Kaleidescape Strato V – specifications
DIMENSIONS
7.87in x 1.52in x 10.0in (W x H x D)
(20.0cm x 3.9cm x 25.4cm)
WEIGHT
4.2lb (1.91kg)
POWER
Max consuption: 9W
Typical: 7.5W
High power standby: 4.5W
Lower power standby: 0.50W
External power adapter with detachable line cord: 100-240VAC to 12VDC @ 5A, 60W, isolated ground
NETWORK
Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Base-T)
OTHER CONNECTION
USB 3.0 (reserved)
Chassis GND connections (X2)
CONTROL
Kaleidescape remote included
Front-panel IR receiver window
IR input (1/8in mini plug)
Kaleidescape control protocol over Ethernet (supported by Josh.ai, Crestron, AMX, Control4, Savant, the Kaleidescape apps, and other apps & control systems)
Lutron RA3 and HomeWorks control over Ethernet
ENVIRONMENT
Operating: 41 to 95°F (5 to 35°C)
Storage: -4 to 140°F (-20 to 60°C)
Relative humidity: 20 to 80% (operation) 5 to 90% (storage)
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000ft (3,048m)
Heat output: 31 BTU/hr (9W) max
Airflow: 5 CFM (8.4 m3/hr) max
FAN NOISE
Silent in most installs, 17dB(A) when downloading in hot environments
VENTILATION
Minimum 1in (2.5cm) space at the front
Minimum 2in (5cm) space at the rear MOUNTS (sold separately)
MOUNTS (sold separately)
Rack shelf with faceplates is available for mounting 1 or 2 (centered or side-by-side) Strato V players in a 19in rack, 1U space
Wall mount available for mounting behind TV displays
CERTIFICATIONS
CSA 62368-1
IEC 62368-1
FCC CLASS B
CE
RoHS Compliant
VIDEO OUTPUT
HDMI 2.1
HDCP 2.3 copy protection
VIDEO DISPLAY FORMATS
Resolutions: 2160p60/50/30/25/24, 1080p60/50/24, 1080i60/50, 720p60/50, 576i, 576p, 480i, 480p
Chroma: 4:4:4 8-bit up to 2160p60, 4:4:4 10/12-bit up to 2160p30, 4:2:2 12-bit up to 2160p60, 4:2:0 8/10/12-bit at 2160p50/60 only
Color spaces: BT.2020, BT.709, BT.601
Aspect ratios: 1.78:1 and 2.35:1 (CinemaScape), automatic or user interface selectable
HDR: Dolby Vision (standard and low-latency) and HDR10 (SMPTE ST 2084, 2086)
AUDIO OUTPUTS
HDMI 2.1 (combined with video)
Digital (coaxial RCA and TOS-link connectors)
AUDIO FORMATS (HDMI Connector)
Dolby Atmos
DTS:X
Dolby TrueHD
DTS-HD Master Audio
Dolby Digital Plus
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
Dolby Digital
DTS Digital Surround
Dolby MAT PCM
PCM (up to 7.1ch, 96kHz/24-bit)
AUDIO FORMATS (Coaxial RCA and TOS-link connectors)
PCM (2ch, up to 96kHz/24-bit)
STORAGE
Standalone: Internal 960GB SSD (available storage for ~24hrs of 4K content)
Grouped: Strato V can also access content stored on a Terra when connected and grouped via local network
MEDIA
Kaleidescape movie store downloads: 4K Dolby Vision, 4K HDR10, 4K SDR, HD, and SD quality |
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