Importing Movies and Music

[esabet]

Hi;

I am in market for purchasing a Media Server for my HA system. I have read great reviews about the K System but have one impotent consideration that no matter what I have read on the website don't seem to be able to find an answer to.

I currently have lots of home videos and MP3s on my NAS. Would I be able to import these media directly onto the K server or do I have to "author" them first onto a disc before I can have them imported onto the server?

Thank you for the responses in advance.

 

[djb_rh]

You have to author them to disk. It's considered by many K users to be one of the bigger limitations of the system. It's really for commercially produced content only. As you state, you can get around that by authoring your own disks and ripping those, but that's more trouble than it's worth if you already have a NAS.

I do think you'd find the K experience to be worth it and just maintain your NAS for locally produced content, but that is up to you...


--Donnie

 

[esabet]

You have to author them to disk. It's considered by many K users to be one of the bigger limitations of the system. It's really for commercially produced content only. As you state, you can get around that by authoring your own disks and ripping those, but that's more trouble than it's worth if you already have a NAS.

I do think you'd find the K experience to be worth it and just maintain your NAS for locally produced content, but that is up to you...


--Donnie

WOW...Truly a shame. It will take me DAYS to do that!!!! Is there a way to integrate the NAS with K system so the content can be maintained and retrieved through the K system interface?

 

[josh]

Welcome to the forum, Esabet. If you're currently in the market, I assume you know about the impending deadline now just 48 hours away. Any Kaleidescape system purchased after Nov. 25th this year will NOT be able to import DVD movies and store them for playback on the server unless you keep the disc in a Kaleidescape disc vault. Systems purchased before 25th can fully import DVDs so you no longer need to keep the DVD available. There's more info here on the forum about that, but if you're considering a new system, the value of one bought before wednesday will be significantly higher than one purchased on Thursday or later.

 

[esabet]

Welcome to the forum, Esabet. If you're currently in the market, I assume you know about the impending deadline now just 48 hours away. Any Kaleidescape system purchased after Nov. 25th this year will NOT be able to import DVD movies and store them for playback on the server unless you keep the disc in a Kaleidescape disc vault. Systems purchased before 25th can fully import DVDs so you no longer need to keep the DVD available. There's more info here on the forum about that, but if you're considering a new system, the value of one bought before wednesday will be significantly higher than one purchased on Thursday or later.

Hi,

Yes I am aware of that and much thanks for the reminder. That is why I am trying to make a decision very quickly.

Regretfully though that doesn't solve the problem with my hundreds of MP3 music files and the home videos that I have on my NAS. To burn and author EACH one of the movies and mp3 files will take me HOURS!!! Its truly a shame as after reading the reviews I am very excited about the system and would love to own it if I can find a solution to the videos and MP3 files that I already have on my NAS!!!

BTW, a stupid question as I think I already know the answer to this: Assuming I purchase the system before the deadline, do I need the VAULT in order to import DVDs and/or Blue-Ray discs or can it be done with the M500 Player and a server (i.e. 1U Server)?

Also, does the K-System support 4K playback?

 

[djb_rh]

To answer again on the first thing, yes, you'd have to author to DVD to get that content as part of the K interface. There's no other way. K systems do not integrate with anything else other than control systems (and they are industry leading in this space anyway) and output devices (TVs, projectors, and sound systems).

No 4K, and no talk of when on that front. K is always VERY tight lipped about upcoming features and when/if, etc. You can bet they are working on it, and you can also bet they won't release it until they have it RIGHT. They have every incentive to release it, though, because they control their hard drive market (you can't use generic drives, you have to buy them from K) and this will require a LOT of people to upgrade their drives in short order.

On legacy systems (what we'll call used systems today and pre-Nov 25 systems otherwise), you do not need a vault to import DVD content. You can import with any device with a tray from a KREADER 2500 to KPLAYER5000, M500, etc.

For BluRay, however, you have to have an M500 and play from the tray -or- have the BluRay disk in a vault. Period, end of story. So while it's possible to rip rented or borrowed DVDs and never *own* the physical disk, it's NOT possible to do the same with BluRay. That's why vaults are so big. That was a requirement to get access to legally play BluRays. That's why vaults are sealed and often "checkpoint" themselves to make sure what they think is loaded is what's still loaded.

I've never heard of any underground hacks to get around these limitations, either. If you want that, best to just stick with NAS type solutions.


--Donnie

 

[esabet]

To answer again on the first thing, yes, you'd have to author to DVD to get that content as part of the K interface. There's no other way. K systems do not integrate with anything else other than control systems (and they are industry leading in this space anyway) and output devices (TVs, projectors, and sound systems).

No 4K, and no talk of when on that front. K is always VERY tight lipped about upcoming features and when/if, etc. You can bet they are working on it, and you can also bet they won't release it until they have it RIGHT. They have every incentive to release it, though, because they control their hard drive market (you can't use generic drives, you have to buy them from K) and this will require a LOT of people to upgrade their drives in short order.

On legacy systems (what we'll call used systems today and pre-Nov 25 systems otherwise), you do not need a vault to import DVD content. You can import with any device with a tray from a KREADER 2500 to KPLAYER5000, M500, etc.

For BluRay, however, you have to have an M500 and play from the tray -or- have the BluRay disk in a vault. Period, end of story. So while it's possible to rip rented or borrowed DVDs and never *own* the physical disk, it's NOT possible to do the same with BluRay. That's why vaults are so big. That was a requirement to get access to legally play BluRays. That's why vaults are sealed and often "checkpoint" themselves to make sure what they think is loaded is what's still loaded.

I've never heard of any underground hacks to get around these limitations, either. If you want that, best to just stick with NAS type solutions.


--Donnie

Thank you for very well detailed reply. It was truly helpful and answered all my questions.

I have done some further research and it seems Mozaex doesn't have any of these limitations. I know that its no K-System but I haven't read much negative things about it either.

I guess my search continues......

Thank you again.

 

[JohnJ]

No 4K, and no talk of when on that front. K is always VERY tight lipped about upcoming features and when/if, etc. You can bet they are working on it, and you can also bet they won't release it until they have it RIGHT. They have every incentive to release it, though, because they control their hard drive market (you can't use generic drives, you have to buy them from K) and this will require a LOT of people to upgrade their drives in short order.

--Donnie

On 4K, Kaleidescape has said they expect to have a player by next year:

http://www.cepro.com/article/cedia_2014_how_kaleidescape_will_stay_relevant_with_content_4k_cost/

John