Kaleidescape Review Chapter 3: The Kaleidescape Store [VIDEO REVIEW]

Manufacturer & Model

Kaleidescape Strato Player + Compact Terra 6TB Server

MSRP

$9990 ($5995 + $3995) as tested

Link

https://kaleidesca.pe/ballstadt20230

Highlights

As the primary method of adding content to your Kaleidescape System, the Kaleidescape Movie Store deserves a look on its own - you'll be spending some time there. In this installment of our trilogy, we take a look at the store, how to find things, and examine the content itself - how it compares in both quality and availability to the other options available on the market today.

Summary

Kaleidescape is the high-octane content source to make the most of your home theater investment. Access over 13,000 movies - with more in 4K and lossless than any other source - for pre-order, purchase and rental. Direct download to your Kaleidescape server allows video as good as or better than UHD HDR discs, and audio delivered in lossless Dolby TrueHD + ATMOS and DTS-HDMA/DTS:X.

Kaleidescape offers the convenience of streaming coupled with higher-fidelity source material for the ultimate home theater experience.

In Chapter One, we discussed the overall idea and concept of the Kaleidescape Movie Player System and the more commonly discussed features and options. In Chapter Two, I took you through a list of some lesser-known Kaleidescape Features which helped me make my purchase decision.

Which brings us to Chapter Three. In this installment (video below), I walk through one of the primary features you'll be interacting with - the Kaleidescape Movie Store. As the main method of adding movies to your server, the Kaleidescape Movie Store is a well-organized shopping experience. In addition to an overview of the interface, we'll also discuss the movies themselves - how the quality and availability compares with the other options on the market today.

As the investment in your home theater space grows and grows and you continue to upgrade performance, at some point, you want to think about the quality of the content you're feeding it. After all, you don't buy a Ferrari and fill it up with 87 octane ethanol blend. You want high octane content to make the most of your equipment, and the Kaleidescape movie player system fits the bill.

For a special player like the Kaleidescape, a single video was not enough, so I'm producing a trilogy. For a deeper dive into the specific features that influenced my purchase of the Kaleidescape movie player system, check out chapter 2 below!

Also check out:
Chapter 1: What Is Kaleidescape?
Chapter 2: What You DON'T Know About Kaleidescape


Kaleidescape Strato C Player Specifications

• 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
• HDR: HDMI 2.0a with support for SMPTE ST 2084 EOTF, SMPTE ST 2086 metadata
• Network Connection: Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Base-T)
• Audio Outputs
  • HDMI 2.0a (combined with video on the VIDEO connector)
  • HDMI 1.4 (audio-only on the DIGITAL AUDIO connector)
  • S/PDIF (coaxial RCA & TOSLINK connectors)
• Audio Formats
  • Dolby Atmos
  • Dolby TrueHD
  • Dolby Digital
  • DTS:X
  • DTS-HD Master Audio
  • DTS Digital Surround
  • PCM
  • MPEG audio
• Warranty: 5 years
• Price: $5995

Kaleidescape Compact Terra Server Specifications

• Storage Capacity: Available in 6TB, 12TB, & 18TB
• Movie Storage: 6TB unit stores approximately 100 4K movies, 12TB stores approximately 200 4K movies, 18TB stores approximately 300 4K movies
• Network Connection: Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Base-T)
• Maximum Download Rate: 800Mbps
• Playback Capability: Can accommodate 5 4K playback streams simultaneously
• Warranty: 5 years
• Price: $3995 (as tested)

Kaleidescape Terra Server Also Available in 48TB & 72TB Options

 

[Todd Anderson]

Great third installment, Travis. I think you captured the system well!

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Great third installment, Travis. I think you captured the system well!

Thanks Todd! It’s a great system…everything I wanted PLEX to be without all the upkeep and client/format issues.

 

[dlasater]

Great trilogy Travis- helped me with my evaluation of the Kaleidescape system prior to purchase. Thank you for confirming the absence of Dolby Vision, which for me is a major bummer as I am using a large OLED TV and not a projector. Have you heard if DV might be added down the road?

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Great trilogy Travis- helped me with my evaluation of the Kaleidescape system prior to purchase. Thank you for confirming the absence of Dolby Vision, which for me is a major bummer as I am using a large OLED TV and not a projector. Have you heard if DV might be added down the road?

Thanks for watching!

I don't have any inside information, or rumors regarding future implementation of Dolby Vision, but I would urge you to check out a local demo if there is a dealer nearby. You may just be impressed with their existing HDR implementation.

 

[mechman]

Wait a minute! You're paying north of $6K and you don't get Dolby Vision?!?! Wow!

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Wait a minute! You're paying north of $6K and you don't get Dolby Vision?!?! Wow!

A) projector people are their target market
B) their encodes look fantastic without DV
C) if they decide to add it as market grows, they can update all their titles free of charge so nobody needs to re-purchase the movies. They frequently offer free updates to movies due to “audio/video enhancements”.

 

[Michael Boeker]

Wait a minute! You're paying north of $6K and you don't get Dolby Vision?!?! Wow!

I have a Murideo 8K Seven HDMI Generator. It has the same images encoded for HDR, HLG, and Dolby Vision. Last night I did some testing on my LG C1. In all but 1 image HDR and Dolby Vision looked identical. The other image looked slightly better on Dolby Vision. I also checked for clipping and Dolby Vision clips on this display at 330 nits. HDR had decent tone mapping and was able to display content mastered at up to 1300 nits.

As a Kaleidescape owner myself, I don't see a benefit for Dolby Vision. Especially since pretty much all customers are using a projector.

Kaleidescape's hardware does not support Dolby Vision and it would require a hardware change for Dolby Vision to be supported in the future. It isn't as simple as updating the titles.

Dolby Vision requires hardware support on the player/source side. Dolby has a nice white paper that explains in more detail how the Dolby Vision information is encoded, and how the work is divided between the player and the display.

 

[mechman]

I have a Murideo 8K Seven HDMI Generator. It has the same images encoded for HDR, HLG, and Dolby Vision. Last night I did some testing on my LG C1. In all but 1 image HDR and Dolby Vision looked identical. The other image looked slightly better on Dolby Vision. I also checked for clipping and Dolby Vision clips on this display at 330 nits. HDR had decent tone mapping and was able to display content mastered at up to 1300 nits.

As a Kaleidescape owner myself, I don't see a benefit for Dolby Vision. Especially since pretty much all customers are using a projector.

Kaleidescape's hardware does not support Dolby Vision and it would require a hardware change for Dolby Vision to be supported in the future. It isn't as simple as updating the titles.

Checking an image for differences between static tone-mapping and dynamic tone-mapping? Unless your implying HDR10 which may make more sense.

The whole Dolby Vision/HDR is a bit of a rabbit hole isn’t it? I’ve been a firm believer in what’s best for the industry and I have always been under the impression that that was/is Dolby Vision. That has always been what I’ve read in articles and on forums since their inception. HDR10’s introduction may have changed this somewhat but I thought the status quo was still in place. There always seems to be a Betamax/VHS controversy in the industry doesn’t there?

 

[Michael Boeker]

Checking an image for differences between static tone-mapping and dynamic tone-mapping? Unless your implying HDR10 which may make more sense.

The whole Dolby Vision/HDR is a bit of a rabbit hole isn’t it? I’ve been a firm believer in what’s best for the industry and I have always been under the impression that that was/is Dolby Vision. That has always been what I’ve read in articles and on forums since their inception. HDR10’s introduction may have changed this somewhat but I thought the status quo was still in place. There always seems to be a Betamax/VHS controversy in the industry doesn’t there?

I use HDR and HDR10 interchangeably. Yes, I'm comparing HDR10 to Dolby Vision on the same display with the same content - just different HDR implementations. How else would you compare them?

I can't find any Dolby Vision releases for home media that aren't also in HDR10 so I don't think there is any controversy like Betamax/VHS. Dolby Vision requires more licensing which is why Samsung doesn't include. Also most Samsung displays can display HDR10 to 1000 nits with none to little tone mapping. Also, Samsung is championing HDR10+.

Finally, there are theatrical Dolby Vision releases, like Thor: Love and Thunder, that are released on UHD Blu-ray with HDR10 and no Dolby Vision. This is because theaters need the Dolby Vision metadata for their 31 nit calibrated screen brightness. When released to home media there is less a need for Dolby Vision since HDR is usually sufficient for most modern displays.