Comparisons: Valuing Other Metrics

[JonProphet]

I kind of enjoy hearing people's reasons for going K. hst, imo, the best "newby" posts are the ones that along the lines of "I just got K and X-Y-Z doesn't make sense, how do I do A-B-C".

In terms of Atmos, my main system is just 7.1 and I haven't experienced anything noteworthy in Atmos, even with the demo videos.


You'll need 2 solutions, I think:
1) Movies that can be streamed that K doesn't stock.
2) Movies that cannot be streamed from anywhere, disc only. (If you're happy with 1080p, cobble together a Premiere system?)

Yes, I never really considered K-Scape to be the end all be all (maybe after my first research stint I may have thought so). Sooner or later my disc player will go away as I transition to ripping discs that I own to a small NAS system that not are up to par quality wise . When K-Scape updates the movies I mentioned, I'll delete them from the NAS. I do not plan on having a large NAS, just large enough to hold a couple movies I already own and some I'll purchase from boutique disc vendors like Arrow or Critereon.

I still consider myself to be VERY new to K-Scape but as I've mentioned before, the pro's and con's were pretty apparent very quickly early on after I received my system.

 

[Brody]

I looked through the thread and I’m still puzzled as to what inspired this strange post…

I don't understand why there is a constant "need" for K owners to shill for the K system. Is it to justify the expense? Why criticize those who want to burn disks?

Who was criticizing people who want to burn discs?

Everyone has his/her own reasons for buying in and either liking or not liking it.

Exactly. And in this thread some of us Kaleidescape owners are giving our reasons for buying in to the KSystem.

Is that shocking to encounter on a Kaleidescape owner’s forum?

There is no doubt that it's expensive which for some people is a red line. But not for others.

Right.

And since one of the most salient issues about Kaleidescape among home theatre enthusiasts is the high cost of the service, this thread is essentially about discussing why we made the calculation for ourselves, whether it was worth it or not.

EVERYONE has their personal calculation, their justification as to why they bought every piece of gear in their home theatre. Whether it’s projectors or speakers or screens or TVs, etc. Whether it’s somebody explaining why they prefer the work of setting up a server themselves over spending on a Ksystem or the opposite.

This is what enthusiasts do, this is what enthusiast share on enthusiast forums.

What in the world is wrong with this? You have me totally baffled here.

And why would you criticize first time users for posting about their experience????

Personally since I’m new to Kscape and find myself thrilled with the experience, it’s not like I can share this with my non-home-theater-geek friends who wouldn’t give a damn.
This is a place where I get to express my enthusiasm and read about other people’s experience as well.

I enjoy reading about my fellow hobbyists experiences and is particularly fun to read of someone’s new experience just like I enjoy that for plenty of other hobbies. I have a friend who writes for a high-end audio publication and he has a series based on in introducing non-audiophiles who are “audio curious” to letting them live with high-end audio equipment for a while to see what they think . I love reading about their experiences which are sometimes eye-opening for them . This kind of stuff is part of human nature.

I can’t understand why anybody would be down on that.

Or why you wouldn’t just skip a thread with a subject that you don’t care about or which would annoy you for whatever bizarre reason.

 

[Edgar]

Welcome @RAGJr ! I appreciate you joining us and offering your fresh perspective on other metrics. I agree that's a necessary consideration for understanding Kaleidescape. It doesn't directly compare to a disc player or streaming box, all three of which belong more in a Venn diagram than a benchmarking chart anyway. Accordingly, I use all three – so I can have everything I want, as soon as possible. Which is what is good in life.

To respond, I think @mkozlows @Broncowrangler and @Roobot capture most of my thinking.

But I will emphasize the point that K cannot be a one-stop shop. The incredible proliferation of independent publishing houses, happily leaning into the myopic herd movement of the big studios toward streaming and subscription services, is a big part of my movie consumption joy these days. Several of my remaining Crown Jewel films are finally coming out in 4K HDR as disc exclusives from Arrow Video, StudioCanal, Imprint, Umbrella, Shout/Scream Factory, Vinegar Syndrome, Second Sight, 88 Films, BFI, and even venerable Criterion. This is a key part of my screening room's sourcing. And frankly, I prefer it this way, so that there's competition to close out getting everything in 4K HDR, and we're not beholden to a single bottleneck for full-fat 4K HDR films. In fact it may be that very competition that played a role in K's release of the new 4K Cinematic format. Add the new format to the platform's other cinema-specific presentation elements like the Cinemascope UI, the Cover Wall, and credits triggers for automations, plus the Still in Theaters program, together make Kaleidescape my preferred platform.

I'll also address the comment on the high price. The system does, of course, appear expensive compared to an AppleTV. At the same time, as home theater enthusiasts, we should be familiar with the geometric relationship between price and the diminishing returns of incremental improvements. From that perspective, a Kaleidescape is more or less in line for where my JVC NZ7 laser projector sits on the relative value for incremental performance versus say a mid-range pixel-shift bulb-based projector. Expanding beyond home theater, I dare say many of us likely have other luxury items that sit on the advanced end of that geometric scale. What I find personally true for me, is that the value I personally derive from those things ends up being very very high, relative to the apparently better-value products on market. For instance, I love my car. I drive it around just for fun, and zip onto freeway onramps for the rocket-ride thrill. I never did that with my more reasonable cars. My wife loves her piano. I hear her playing on the weekend, and it fills the home better than the smart speakers that are never playing. I loved our last family vacation. We all talk about the unique and extraordinary wildlife experiences we had. And I love my Kaleidescape. I watch more movies and movie scenes than ever before, because I enjoy my Kaleidescape. I'm hosting more movie nights and even a Dad's Summer Film Festival, all accelerated by Kaleidescape.

Oh, and I'm not spending any time on the AppleTVOwnersForum. Because there isn't one. Because AppleTV is a commodity consumer product. Kaleidescape is a home cinema component.

 

[DrNeal]

Risky Business has been on Kscape for awhile. I purchased it in August 2025. It’s only HD, but available.

 

[JonProphet]

Risky Business has been on Kscape for awhile. I purchased it in August 2025. It’s only HD, but available.

Yup, I know. I don't want HD. I want 4K, I only have 1 maybe 2 HD titles in my library. One is Color of Money and I've sworn off HD titles in K-Scape. I already have Color Of Money on a streaming service and I'm not duplicating resources.

Thanks for response btw.

I looked through the thread and I’m still puzzled as to what inspired this strange post…




Who was criticizing people who want to burn discs?




Exactly. And in this thread some of us Kaleidescape owners are giving our reasons for buying in to the KSystem.

Is that shocking to encounter on a Kaleidescape owner’s forum?




Right.

And since one of the most salient issues about Kaleidescape among home theatre enthusiasts is the high cost of the service, this thread is essentially about discussing why we made the calculation for ourselves, whether it was worth it or not.

EVERYONE has their personal calculation, their justification as to why they bought every piece of gear in their home theatre. Whether it’s projectors or speakers or screens or TVs, etc. Whether it’s somebody explaining why they prefer the work of setting up a server themselves over spending on a Ksystem or the opposite.

This is what enthusiasts do, this is what enthusiast share on enthusiast forums.

What in the world is wrong with this? You have me totally baffled here.

And why would you criticize first time users for posting about their experience????

Personally since I’m new to Kscape and find myself thrilled with the experience, it’s not like I can share this with my non-home-theater-geek friends who wouldn’t give a damn.
This is a place where I get to express my enthusiasm and read about other people’s experience as well.

I enjoy reading about my fellow hobbyists experiences and is particularly fun to read of someone’s new experience just like I enjoy that for plenty of other hobbies. I have a friend who writes for a high-end audio publication and he has a series based on in introducing non-audiophiles who are “audio curious” to letting them live with high-end audio equipment for a while to see what they think . I love reading about their experiences which are sometimes eye-opening for them . This kind of stuff is part of human nature.

I can’t understand why anybody would be down on that.

Or why you wouldn’t just skip a thread with a subject that you don’t care about or which would annoy you for whatever bizarre reason.

Unfortunately, some folks just can't stand allowing for alternative view points or has some sort of personality disorder where they believe that their view point is the only valid viewpoint. Its unfortunate and toxic. Your post was 100% spot on. One last note, this is just a theory but certain people post negative view points or view points that don't allow alternative narratives just to stir the pot and create drama to get other people to respond just to either entertain or justify some sort of mental "tiger blood winning" moment. Anymore, its just best to ignore them.

Welcome @RAGJr ! I appreciate you joining us and offering your fresh perspective on other metrics. I agree that's a necessary consideration for understanding Kaleidescape. It doesn't directly compare to a disc player or streaming box, all three of which belong more in a Venn diagram than a benchmarking chart anyway. Accordingly, I use all three – so I can have everything I want, as soon as possible. Which is what is good in life.

To respond, I think @mkozlows @Broncowrangler and @Roobot capture most of my thinking.

But I will emphasize the point that K cannot be a one-stop shop. The incredible proliferation of independent publishing houses, happily leaning into the myopic herd movement of the big studios toward streaming and subscription services, is a big part of my movie consumption joy these days. Several of my remaining Crown Jewel films are finally coming out in 4K HDR as disc exclusives from Arrow Video, StudioCanal, Imprint, Umbrella, Shout/Scream Factory, Vinegar Syndrome, Second Sight, 88 Films, BFI, and even venerable Criterion. This is a key part of my screening room's sourcing. And frankly, I prefer it this way, so that there's competition to close out getting everything in 4K HDR, and we're not beholden to a single bottleneck for full-fat 4K HDR films. In fact it may be that very competition that played a role in K's release of the new 4K Cinematic format. Add the new format to the platform's other cinema-specific presentation elements like the Cinemascope UI, the Cover Wall, and credits triggers for automations, plus the Still in Theaters program, together make Kaleidescape my preferred platform.

I'll also address the comment on the high price. The system does, of course, appear expensive compared to an AppleTV. At the same time, as home theater enthusiasts, we should be familiar with the geometric relationship between price and the diminishing returns of incremental improvements. From that perspective, a Kaleidescape is more or less in line for where my JVC NZ7 laser projector sits on the relative value for incremental performance versus say a mid-range pixel-shift bulb-based projector. Expanding beyond home theater, I dare say many of us likely have other luxury items that sit on the advanced end of that geometric scale. What I find personally true for me, is that the value I personally derive from those things ends up being very very high, relative to the apparently better-value products on market. For instance, I love my car. I drive it around just for fun, and zip onto freeway onramps for the rocket-ride thrill. I never did that with my more reasonable cars. My wife loves her piano. I hear her playing on the weekend, and it fills the home better than the smart speakers that are never playing. I loved our last family vacation. We all talk about the unique and extraordinary wildlife experiences we had. And I love my Kaleidescape. I watch more movies and movie scenes than ever before, because I enjoy my Kaleidescape. I'm hosting more movie nights and even a Dad's Summer Film Festival, all accelerated by Kaleidescape.

Oh, and I'm not spending any time on the AppleTVOwnersForum. Because there isn't one. Because AppleTV is a commodity consumer product. Kaleidescape is a home cinema component.

Well said sir. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Would love to have my house filled with Piano music.

 

[Brody]

I'll also address the comment on the high price. The system does, of course, appear expensive compared to an AppleTV. At the same time, as home theater enthusiasts, we should be familiar with the geometric relationship between price and the diminishing returns of incremental improvements. From that perspective, a Kaleidescape is more or less in line for where my JVC NZ7 laser projector sits on the relative value for incremental performance versus say a mid-range pixel-shift bulb-based projector.

Very good point!

A lot of us enthusiasts engage in upgrading equipment often significant expense for what are often relatively minor differences in the big scheme of things. Whether is projector upgrading or AVRs or whatever.

Like many on the AVSForum I used to upgrade my projectors fairly regularly.
I’d always suck with JVC projectors because I wanted the highest contrast possible, and so about once every two or three years when JVC came out with a new projector with higher contrast or other features I would upgrade. This would be the cost of thousands of dollars. But hey… that’s the kind of stuff many enthusiasts enjoy doing, and I certainly enjoyed every projector I owned and every upgrade.

But certainly in the big picture those thousands of dollars each time yielded relatively minor differences in contrast.
But I still really appreciated those differences because I cared about it.

In the same way, for me, purchasing the Strato E fits in pretty well with this pattern.
It was a couple thousand dollars, but it’s augmented the user experience for my home theatre in a way that I truly appreciate.

I’m considering a similar upgrade of my remote control for similar reasons.

(I no longer upgrade my projectors since I bought the RS 600 back in 2016. The new JVC native 4K laser projectors have priced me out of upgrades, which is OK because my projector still has just about the highest contrast ratio you can find in a projector, and can project almost-4K resolution, which I’m just going to start exploiting since I bought my Strato E, Lumagen Pro and I just have to update my HDMI cables)