NEWS: Strato K Movie Player with 8K capability and new "4K Cinematic" full-chroma & higher bitrate support

[J.Green]

how about those of us with a Strato V? Is the power supply the same as the K?

Strato K ships with the same power supply as Strato V/E/M.

@todo There is no updated Crestron module specifically for Strato K. If you are using a Crestron module with Strato V, that will work with Strato K as well.

 

[by96]

There is an updated Control4 driver package (v02.07) posted to our Support site that includes a specific driver for Strato K:

https://support.kaleidescape.com/support/article/Control4-Control-System-Guide

I noticed that with the Control4 file, there are different drivers for each current players (V, E, M, and now K). What is different in the drivers that make them player-specific?

 

[LoveCinema]

Catching up on the K announcement after some thinking...

Prior Me: "K has never claimed superior video to disc. This is a misunderstanding."

Recent Me: "K is now producing marketing that infers superior video to disc which I find misleading, why are they doing this? Also, there's almost no native 8K content so why fight upscaler wars with the big boys?"

K: "We're announcing our new 8K Player alongside our rebrand to Kaleid-BetterVideoThanDisc-escape!"

Well, ok then. Honestly, I'm intrigued by what I'm seeing. I think it's slightly unfortunate that there isn't a second HDMI audio port as this would make the player equal or superior to the Strato C on every bullet point. I realize this is likely cost related, but it's the flagship. This doesn't affect me personally though, so no harm done.

I also think it's unfortunate that again we have an "all players or double the downloads" situation that was introduced by the Strato V but mitigated (somewhat) by the E/V/M. I think it's obvious that K will release future mini-players capable of reading 4K Cinematic files, but as a Strato C owner I would see myself jumping to K and never looking at the currently offered models again. Honestly, I could see their used values ending up south of a Strato C which still has unique and valuable attributes.

I'm planning theater upgrades for the current year and this wasn't on the list. But, again, I'm intrigued. I'm going to want to hear more about results with video processors as a (used) Lumagen Radiance Pro WAS on the list and an Artisan really isn't.

Overall, I'd say good on K for leaning on maximum quality given assets and taking a leap. I can't say I'm without content concerns but will hold those for another day. Congratulations to the K team and all the new owners.

 

[Edgar]

Come on man, get your priorities in order!!

But seriously, thanks again for all that you have been able to share!

Actually since the power brick thing was nagging at me, I went back and replaced that, and got this (unedited) pic from my phone. I know you specifically asked me not to do this. I think that is in fact exactly the way to get me to do something. Very sorry!

 

[Darthbishop79]

Well, I just ordered a Strato K. The whole idea of Kaleidescape has been the premise that it is not constrained to the limits of a a BD-66 or BD-100 disc. This new 4K Cinematic format no matter how small the difference is finally delivers on that premise! I have a high performance sports car home theater, this new Strato K is basically high octane fuel. If I had an OLED TV I would definitely not invest in a K. However, for a large screen top of the line projection system? How can you NOT want a Strato K if you are already in the KScape ecosystem? Again, now matter how small of a percentage of an uptick in performance. This is the product we have been waiting for.

 

[J.Green]

I noticed that with the Control4 file, there are different drivers for each current players (V, E, M, and now K). What is different in the drivers that make them player-specific?

Control4 uses a process called SDDP ("Simple Device Discovery Protocol") to autodiscover devices on your network and automatically link them to the correct driver. A Strato K advertises itself as such and specifies the name of the driver that should be used with it. While from a pure functionality standpoint, a Strato V driver would work with the Strato K if you manually configured the Strato V driver with the IP address of the Strato K, it would break the autodiscovery code (so, for example, if your Strato K's IP address were to suddenly change, the force-mapped Strato V Control4 driver would stop working since you hard-coded the IP address).

 

[thrillcat]

@Edgar You need one of these for your rack:

Mini Disco Ball Toy

Nothing says “party” like a disco ball, and this mini version will add a touch of glamour and excitement to any gathering. This compact design is packed with dazzling reflections that will transform any space into a mesmerizing dance floor. Powered by three AA batteries (not included), it's...

store.moma.org

 

[MovieChef]

My recollection is that Strato C can play some HD files that Strato V cannot. Is that correct? If so, does the Strato K play all the HD movies that Strato C can play, or does it play only the files that the Strato V can play?

 

[thrillcat]

So, I'm noticing all the pre-orders currently available are in 4KCinematic, as obviously many titles.

Is there any situation where a future title in the store would NOT be provided in 4KCinematic, if there is a 4K mezzanine to work from? Or will all new releases going to get the 4KC treatment?

 

[by96]

My recollection is that Strato C can play some HD files that Strato V cannot. Is that correct? If so, does the Strato K play all the HD movies that Strato C can play, or does it play only the files that the Strato V can play?

KScape has updated the HD titles to make them compatible with the V and E. I think they are done updating or almost done.

 

[lujan]

Strato K ships with the same power supply as Strato V/E/M.

@todo There is no updated Crestron module specifically for Strato K. If you are using a Crestron module with Strato V, that will work with Strato K as well.

This is good to know because I was thinking I may be moving the K between two rooms and now I won't have to change the power supply when moving it.

 

[txfeinbergs]

Well, I just ordered a Strato K. The whole idea of Kaleidescape has been the premise that it is not constrained to the limits of a a BD-66 or BD-100 disc. This new 4K Cinematic format no matter how small the difference is finally delivers on that premise! I have a high performance sports car home theater, this new Strato K is basically high octane fuel. If I had an OLED TV I would definitely not invest in a K. However, for a large screen top of the line projection system? How can you NOT want a Strato K if you are already in the KScape ecosystem? Again, now matter how small of a percentage of an uptick in performance. This is the product we have been waiting for.

Sort of depends on the size of your OLED and how far away you sit from it.

 

[rafaelsmith]

Catching up on the K announcement after some thinking...

Prior Me: "K has never claimed superior video to disc. This is a misunderstanding."

Recent Me: "K is now producing marketing that infers superior video to disc which I find misleading, why are they doing this? Also, there's almost no native 8K content so why fight upscaler wars with the big boys?"

My hope is that now that they are specifically marketing "better than" disc...that it means they will focus on ensuring the encoding and processing of titles is top notch and free of the various artifacts we have been seeing. That can only benefit everyone...even those of use not able to have a K.

 

[RAGJr]

Here was a response from an earlier question I asked Kscape engineering. Hope this helps a few of you out there

Engineering's response to your question -
Strato K question- if the user has a Strato K but does not want to use the "PC" mode of an LG OLED to enable 4:4:4, as this disengages calibration settings, is there any advantage? IE 4:2:2 or should they stay with Strato V for

Answer: Strato V is limited to 4:2:0. 4:2:2 has double the colour information of 4:2:0, so there still is a meaningful upgrade even if the display's processing cannot achieve (be set for) 4:4:4. Plus, the content itself is encoded at a higher bitrate, leading to better quality.

I just returned the E to BB (still in the 60-day return window) for a refund and pulled the trigger on a new K. No regerts, right? lol

 

[ahard]

I just returned the E to BB (still in the 60-day return window) for a refund and pulled the trigger on a new K. No regerts, right? lol

Just think of all of the FOMO that you're avoiding by making this move . FOMO is real.

 

[stanrozenfeld]

Sort of depends on the size of your OLED and how far away you sit from it.

I agree. I have 83 inch G5 oled and sit around 8 to 9 feet from the screen. So maybe I am a borderline case. I will wait until I get some reliable feedback based on set up similar to mine. But in principle, I really would like to upgrade.... I think. lol

 

[LoveCinema]

My recollection is that Strato C can play some HD files that Strato V cannot. Is that correct? If so, does the Strato K play all the HD movies that Strato C can play, or does it play only the files that the Strato V can play?

KScape has updated the HD titles to make them compatible with the V and E. I think they are done updating or almost done.

The HD re-encoding was needed for the modern Stratos' chipsets. I assume the K is likewise limited. Kaleidescape is very nearly complete with the initial pass to bring all movies compatible. However, there is still a pending effort to restore Alternate Cuts and other Extras. Personally, about a third of my HD movies are awaiting this final effort. There was progress for a while and then it stopped, I guess we now know why.

 

[AlanG]

With regard to the HD re-encoding project, just like the Strato V/E/M, the Strato K will not play a title yet if it still awaits re-encoding. For example the following title will not play yet on the Strato K:

Mahler: Symphonies No. 1 - 7

Claudio Abbado leads the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in an illustrious interpretation of Mahler's symphonies. Classical, Music, Performance. Directed by Michael Beyer. Starring Claudio Abbado, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Yuja Wang, and Eteri Gvazava. Purchase and download today in HD.

www.kaleidescape.com

Having said that, out of the over 1000 HD titles in our library, the above title is the only remaining that needs re-encoding. The Strato C does play it of course. So my solution is to continue to keep the Strato C hooked to same display device as the Strato K in order to play it.

Cheers,
Alan

 

[Furnace Inferno]

Ip Man 3 is also still MIA on the update front, slightly concerned it’s never going to be fixed as they don’t seem to have added any new titles from that studio in a while and didn’t get Ip Man 4 or Master Z films so maybe don’t have access to mezzanine files and can’t re-encode what they have.

I bought the first 2 hoping it might move things along but alas so far no dice.

 

[Wonkavision]

Sort of depends on the size of your OLED and how far away you sit from it.

And also whether you’re sporting a projector as well. Storage space is NOT infinite. Why would I want to clog my overpriced Terra server(s) with two copies of every movie — effectively reducing their storage by 40 to 50 percent?