Kaleidescape might not be a name you’re familiar with in Australia. That’s because, until now, the company hasn’t had a presence Down Under.
If you're familiar with the brand and what it does – ie produce some of the finest at-home movie players usually reserved for the luxurious custom install market – then the company’s arrival on our shores could be the most exciting news you read all year.
It’s certainly up there with the most exciting AV announcements for me at least.
Kaleidescape is, according to the company, the “only digital movie provider with lossless audio and full reference video quality” via its players which, following the recent launch of the Strato M, now sits at three models.
The Strato M is more entry-level by Kaleidescape standards in that it only outputs in 2K quality, and it sits below the Strato C and Strato V. Both of these players output in 4K quality, with the Strato V having the extra benefit of Dolby Vision HDR support.
All three players are now available to buy in Australia, along with Kaleidescape's Terra Prime media servers for storing content downloaded from the brand's store.
Australian pricing has been confirmed as AU$3,999 for the Strato M, AU$5,899 for the Strato C and AU$7,499 for the Strato V. Terra Prime servers start at AU$10,999 for 12TB of storage.
Big news for big-screen movie fans
While the brand is new to Australia, I've been familiar with Kaleidescape for some time as I'm a home cinema enthusiast and the brand has had a cult-like following overseas. What I'm unfamiliar with is exactly how its products work.
Fortunately, my US-based colleague Al Griffin has previously been given the opportunity to experience a full Kaleidescape system for himself and, based on his impressions, I can’t wait to experience it myself.
What seems apparent to Kaleidescape’s success isn’t necessarily the equipment it produces, but its online store for movie downloads and the user interface to navigate through a downloaded collection. As Al said in his article, “Videos downloaded from the company’s store have a 10 times higher bitrate than typical streaming services and consequently present a crisper image that’s free of compression artifacts."
“And unlike streaming services," he adds, "which all use the lossy and highly compressed Dolby Digital Plus audio format, Kaleidescape provides lossless, bit-for-bit soundtracks in the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats also offered on Ultra HD Blu-ray disc.”
Indeed, Priscilla Morgan, president and COO of the company told me, “Kaleidescape obtains the mezzanine files directly from the studios and we have a comprehensive review process from our content team ensuring the quality that the director intended.”
I’m a sucker for top-quality movies at home, both in terms of picture and sound. I’ve even claimed before that my TV’s built-in streaming apps sound better than the Apple TV 4K. While I’m currently happy with the quality I’m able to get at home, both from the best streaming services and my growing collection of Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray discs, the prospect of that being eclipsed by a Kaleidescape media player is one that’s hard not to be excited by.
Kaleidescape says 3,000 titles are available as of the launch today, with more being added on a daily basis. Content will of course be the true key factor to Kaleidescape’s success. When my colleagues at What Hi-Fi? reviewed the Strato C movie player in the UK last year, they noticed the movie store lacked content from major studios including Disney and NBC Universal, among others, due to licensing restrictions. I haven’t yet been able to confirm if these studios are also missing from the Australian store but will update this article as soon as I find out.
Bridging the gap
I was a little skeptical as to the breadth of the home theatre community in Australia, but Priscilla quickly debunked those thoughts, assuring me that “Australia has passionate home theatre enthusiasts who appreciate the very best in picture and sound quality.”
She added that “feedback from Australian dealers and distributors indicated there is a strong demand for Kaleidescape, and they are excited it is finally coming to their market."
Now, make no mistake, a Kaleidescape system is going to be best suited as an addition to a dedicated home cinema. Not only because it will likely be kitted out with a screen and sound system to faithfully reproduce the high-quality movies, TV shows and concert videos from Kaleidescape’s store, but also because those with a home cinema are likely going to be the only ones willing to spend big on the required equipment.
That being said, the Strato M in particular could present itself as a more cost-effective option. Priscilla Morgan adds, “With Strato players and Terra Prime servers that range in capabilities and price points, we offer a wide range of products for customers looking to enter the Kaleidescape ecosystem." So, what could have feasibly been seen as only an aspiration for many, could now be a more realistic temptation.
With Kaleidscape products now being available in Australia, I hope I don’t have to wait too long to discover what they’re truly capable of. I’m just worried that once I do, I’ll no longer be content with the reality of my living room setup.
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