Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Future of Hi-Res Video?

I read that Reavon will withdraw from producing its range of 4K UHD Players due to the increasing scarcity of appropriate production components.

Ignoring the likes of AppleTV, is Kaleidescape the practical/realistic future for ‘owning’ hi-resolution video content?

Discuss.

Not at there Kaleidoscope’s prices.

Kaleidescape is a fraction of what it used to be and is arguably the best source if you expect the utmost in audio and video quality.

Apple TV is still streaming, and with that comes all the compression and artifacts that streaming is known for.

You can have the best possible internet service, and it is still a roll of the dice as to what streaming services provide on any given day.

Kaleidescape is consistently good every time, just like our beloved Meridian components. Relying on a $200.00 streaming widget to provide a premium experience is just wishful thinking.

Have you looked at the UK prices?

Besides Reavon, the Magnetar UDP900 is arguably the more desirable 4K UHD player on the market- at £2,700 - but what happens if Magneter, like Reavon, can no longer acquire the components?

The Kaleidescape Strato E, by comparison, retails for £3,400. That's within touching distance of the Magneter UDP900.

If you're a Lyngdorf, Trinnov, or Storm|Audio owner, the entry-level Kaleidescape is an attractive proposition.

Once purchased, a movie is yours to keep - unlike iTunes: while you might falsely believe that you've purchased a movie, in reality, you only have access to it. If the distributor removes their content from Apple's servers, you lose access.

You can get a top of the line 4k device for 300-350 pounds. You are not comparing apples with apples

By the same token, you can also buy a much cheaper 'top of the line' AVP rather than a Lyngdorf MP-40.

It is possible to download an Apple TV purchased film to a number of devices and play it directly from these devices or stream without the internet. Once these films are downloaded, they are yours to keep even if they are removed from Apple's store.

Magnetar UDP9000 mk2 coming soon.

As well as the initial outlay for a Kaleidescape player, there is also the considerable cost of buying films to watch from them. I know they offer various discounts etc but to replicate a sizeable Bluray / 4K library is going to be very expensive. Plus I suppose you could argue that Kaleidescape is really only a streaming service, in that if it goes bust, where to then?

Some might express the same criticism about Roon.

Even so, in Kaleidescape, when loading your existing library of physical SD/ HD DVD's, you can download the latest hi-resolution audio/video versions of the same movies at heavily discounted prices.

Tip: buy cheap/used SD DVDs as low as £1 from a charity shop. Upload, say, 'Mission Impossible 2' to Kaleidescape: instead of paying $19.99 to buy the latest UHD version, it will only cost $4.92.

New, Kaleidescape 8TB Mini Terra Prime Movie Server to complement their existing Strato E Movie Player.

8TB is sufficient to store 125 UHD, 216 HD, or 1,200 SD movies.

In the UK, for example, both units can be purchased for <£9.5k.

Kaleidescape is to video what Roon is to audio.

John Archer comprehensively reviews both components.