It's clear that the best streaming services have ruined the market for Blu-ray and DVD players, but interest is still very strong from enthusiasts as multimedia company Kaleidescape is bringing a new 4K video player to market with some exciting features.
The info comes via FlatpanelsHD, which highlights the new Strato V as a potential game changer in home entertainment thanks to lossless audio and performance that rivals even 4K Blu ray and Dolby Vision. Kaleidescape claims it can produce 4K movies at an average encoding speed of 65mbps, a feat far surpassing that of streamers (sub 20mbps on average) and even Blu-ray discs (sub-50mbps).
Its potential does come at quite the cost, though. Kaleidescape is offering you the chance to experience 4K movies like never before for just $4,000. That's four times the amount spent on the world's best 4K Blu-ray player.
Even more interesting is at that price, the Kaleidescape Strato V can only fit a mere ten 4K movies on its internal 960GB SSD, with more options to build out a larger library with its separate Terra movie servers. After all, Netflix this is not.
The best 4K video ever?
The Strato V by Kaleidescape picks up after its Strato C, yet another $4,000 DVD player that drops the SSD in favor of a requisite Terra server for access to 4K movies. These Terra servers can cost anywhere from $5,000 to as much as $25,000, which is quite the investment for the pure 4K movie experience.
Its newest Strato V, on the other hand, simplifies the decision with just the player itself netting you all the access you need to its lineup of 4K movies. Keep in mind you also have to pay for its movies, as well, which use a credit system and are then downloaded to the Strato V or one of the aforementioned servers, which the new also player supports.
Don't worry, these videos are nowhere close to the same quality as presented by the streaming services you already know, as Kaleidescape offers 4K movies "encoded at an average of 65mbps," in tandem with lossless audio and higher bitrates.
HDR support via Dolby Vision and HDR10 also come highlighted as making the Strato V even more appealing. Kaleidescape claims it will "over one hundred" Dolby Vision 4K movies in its library at launch.
Lossless audio and availability
Beyond its video capabilities, the Strato V also brings lossless audio to the foray, allowing the video player decoding capabilities across DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and Dolby Atmos codecs. Given that Kaleidescape also has several concerts available, this should make it feel as if you're in the crowd — provided that you have one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
The Strato V is available now across a wide range of retailers in the US with additional regions coming soon, per Kaleidescape. At $4,000, this is quite the investment, but at least it's making it easier and cheaper to access its library of high quality, lossless audio 4K videos.
Or, you could always go with one of Panasonic's relatively cheaper options, like its $1,000 DP-UB9000.
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