Kaleidescape is known for its high-spec movie players, devices that rival the best 4K Blu-ray players and streaming devices. Its Terra Prime solid-state movie server may be the best movie system you can buy, but it’s also awfully expensive – nearly $14,000 (around £11,000 / AU$21,000) for the server and movie player. If that’s a little out of your budget, the new Strato V movie player is more affordable. It’s still a premium product, but it’s less than a third of the price.
The new player works both as a standalone device and as part of a wider Kaleidescape system, and can store around 10 reference-quality 4K movies on its internal SSD. There’s a new, streamlined version of the company’s interface (see below), which we’ve previously praised – this version has been refined to be more suitable for smaller libraries rather than full-blown movie servers. And it has Dolby Vision and lossless audio for a truly immersive home cinema experience.
Kaleidescape Strato V Movie Player: Key Features and Price
Image 1 of 4
As we said in our review of the Terra Prime system, “Kaleidescape setups can be found in the home theaters of the rich and famous, but are also ideal for more modest installations… it’s a truly unique system, and its performance, design, and features are unmatched by anything on the market.” With the Strato V, the cost of entry is now considerably lower.
The Strato V has a Gigabit Ethernet connection that allows you to download a Kaleidescape 4K movie in 10 minutes during playback without affecting performance. Additionally, downloads can be set to automatically delete 48 hours after playback so you don’t run out of SSD space. You can cluster one or more Strato Vs with Terra movie servers.
Kaleidescape says each signal has been carefully enhanced for higher quality and greater robustness, and the player connects to the Kaleidescape movie store to watch 4K and HD movies with lossless, object-based multi-channel audio in both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. There are currently over 100 titles in Dolby Vision, with more coming soon.
There are two versions of the Strato: the Strato V, which is aimed at new customers, and the Strato C, which is designed to connect to existing Kaleidescape systems. The recommended retail price for the Strato V is $3995 (around £3100 / AU$5900). You can find out more on the Kaleidescape website.
