Kaleidescape and/or PC based servers

[rayand]

I have a K-scape systems with 2 players and about 600 movies + 900 tracks installed. I buy a new drive every 4 months or so and have another player on order.

However I just bought a high spec media centre PC for theree main reasons:

(1) HD Content.
I want to see HD material other than that broadcast by SKY (&BBC), so I need to get a Blu-ray device. I can also download and store HD material - including my own - onto a PC and watch it. I can also watch things with BBC iPlayer. A good UI is important but functionality is also necessary. I suspect Blu-Ray is effectively already obsolete due to internet/satellite downloads, but I still want one.

(2) Music.
Almost all the music I buy now is as MP3 files. Its a real hassle having to make CD's to import into the K-scape, and I also then have to make album covers etc. With a PC I can host the files easily. In addition, I can easily get access to the files from my mobile, other house, office, laptop etc. The iTunes idea by Kscape was a move in the right direction, but iTunes is too restricted and proprietary for me, and does not support Nokia or Sony Ericsson devices. I wish K-Scape would allow upload of MP3 files over the internet (and HD files of course...).

(3) Parties / Visualization.
PC players can have exciting visualizations like whitecap and g-force which fill the video screens nicely during parties etc. The K-scape music screens are a nice but a bit @geeky@.

Just some thoughts.

Wishlist:

- Allow upload of MP3 and HDvideo files to K-Scape
- Release Bluetooth reader
- Commision G-force to write some visualizations

 

[MrCaseyB]

Hello Rayand, I added a Playstation3 to my home for those same reasons. It plays Blu-Ray, can play HD content and has HD downloads (trailers) it also plays MP3s, videos and photos from my networked Mac or PC.

No surprise though that I use my Kaleidescape System a LOT more than the PS3, despite all those features.

Casey

 

[Byron]

MP3's have a place and that is not on a Kaleidescape server. An equivalent would be buying a Porsche and using retreads for tyres.....

Digital downloads is definitely a nice feature though and I am certain that this will come in time, possibly when the studios and record companies start to embrace the technology instead of fighting against it.

 

[josh]

A big step to pleasing Rayand would be for Kaleidescape Conductor to become 2-way sync, rather than just 1-directional import. If Conductor could sync anything in my iTunes to Kaleidescape, then we'd all find it more useful.
--josh

 

[AnOutsider]

MP3's have a place and that is not on a Kaleidescape server. An equivalent would be buying a Porsche and using retreads for tyres.....

Digital downloads is definitely a nice feature though and I am certain that this will come in time, possibly when the studios and record companies start to embrace the technology instead of fighting against it.

I don't know about that. I find myself pulling up music more than movies (background noise to work to, fall asleep to etc)

 

[JerryL]

Rather than discuss the sonic issues with MP3, I believe the problem you will have with MP3 is simply the fact that Kaleidescape is a legitimate product with a legitimate license- albeit in this case one from the video/ movie industry, but I do not think they wish to risk ill will from the music industry.

So yes, I agree with Josh, going two ways, and having a macintosh version of the sync would be very nice. But I understand the position they are in. I have to say that ultimately Rayand is right. The customer always is and people nowdays want MP3s.

As to sonic quality, those who want it, like me, will buy CDs which hopefully are mastered still from uncompressed sources. But the sad reality is today's pop music is not mastered that well, especially in terms of dynamics. A few weeks ago I downloaded a song off iTunes for my wife- "Pocket full of Sunshine" (I like it too, not ducking it ) and she then asked me to get the CD so I got the CD and I decided to compare the sonics of both. Granted, I did this on my computer but- in this one instance- the 128kps AAC version from itunes sounded better to me than playing direct off the CD. I suspect the record companies and apple are optimizing these tracks. The sound had more life to it. So this is my long winded way of saying that for pop or rock music MP3s and AACs are probably more than fine for most people.

For the same legal reasons I brought up earlier, they are not going to let you upload HD content you got from the internet.

And as far as HD quality material, the best place for it is blu ray- the legal downloadable content is really not that good right now in terms of content and in terms of quality.

Are you aware that Kaleidescape announced that in 2009 they will update their system to Blu Ray?

The last part is personal taste but I find the kind of visualizations you are discussing to be geeky and I much the Kaleidescape screens as I find them to be more "classy". But thats just personal taste. Maybe Kaleidescape should consider adding some of these for those who want them.