Kaleidescape Limited Edition Cinema One Media Server Comes with 50 Movies

[Yetis]

Kaleidescape announced at CES 2014 the Limited Edition Cinema One media server that comes preloaded with 50 movies and will be available for a limited time starting January 14, 2014.

January 07, 2014
Kaleidescape is creating some buzz for its line of media players. That?s because its Limited Edition Cinema One, announced at CES 2014, will only be available for purchase for a short time.

Kaleidescape says a limited number of units will be available from Tuesday, January 14 through the end of February 2014.

This media server allows users to purchase movies over the web, with audio and video quality that rivals Blu-ray and DVD. However, you won?t have to make any purchases right away. The Limited Edition Cinema One actually comes with 50 preloaded movies, so you?ll have an instant collection right out of the box.

Some of the preloaded titles will include the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Happy Feet and Casablanca, as well as the TV?s The Big Bang Theory.

?With Cinema One, we?ve been able to create a novel way to combine content, services, and a movie player into a single device. This puts Kaleidescape in a unique position to deliver the ultimate movie experience right out of the box,? said Tom Furlong, CEO of Kaleidescape. ?On average, Kaleidescape customers import 200 movies within a few weeks of owning the system. This Limited Edition Cinema One now offers instant access to a great collection of popular titles as soon as you turn it on.?

The Limited Edition Cinema One is listed with an MSRP of $3,995.http://www.cepro.com/article/kaleidescape_limited_edition_cinema_one_media_server_comes_with_50_movies/

 

[iansilv]

Soo....... That's CES?

 

[digitalvd]

Yes, this is the innovation for the last months / years plus a store with some movies... And again waiting for the store launch in Germany...

 

[djb_rh]

Consider me....underwhelmed.


--Donnie

 

[ISW23]

Zzzzzz

Is that it after a year?

Ian.

 

[cinelife]

Tough crowd!

I'd like to point out that we really don't know what they are actually developing. They are always very quiet about such things. Just because CES didn't bring some of the things we are waiting for, doesn't mean they are not in some stage of consideration or development, but from a purely business perspective, K may or may not find some of these things important.

1. 4K support. I now have several 4K displays, so it would be nice to know my K system can support them, BUT, where's the 4K content that I'm looking to add to my server?? Is Sony going to allow me to send my 4K downloads to, or from, their proprietary, closed system, 4K media server? Doubt it. 4K movies on disc? Yup, plenty of those available......

2. 3D Support. Sure, this would be nice, especially for all three of us that actually take 3D seriously, and own more than 20 3D movies, but I doubt K sees this situation as a pressing concern. They may EVENTUALLY get there, but if we are being honest, the 3D market is still a question mark.

3. Internal HD audio decoding (the player's of course do bitstream). There are certainly folks that would like that capability, and I was one, especially given the cost of the high-end Processor's they own, and the fact that their Processor's do not decode internally (unlike just about every other Receiver and Processor in the market place). In this case, K is supposed to justify the expense of providing this function to perhaps half a dozen owners???

4. More studio's for the store. Okay, we ALL want this, and more are coming, but keep in mind that this process is not a unilateral decision on K's part, they need the studio's approval as well. There are many moving parts to be sorted out in adding a studio, along with all of the usual contractual issues. This is made even more complex for outside the U.S. support.

As usual in business, especially product based companies, product development, or product improvement, is a matter of using the firm's resources to prioritize projects and insure a proper financial return based on the investment of time and money. Companies like Sony can get away with mistakes, the smaller firms likely cannot, so it's not surprising to me that K takes it's time when deciding what's next on the development list. Just my two cents.



Jim

 

[Ken P]

Jim, please make that 4 owners seriously interested in and invested into 3D capability.

Although the aerobics associated with physically traveling between various rooms equipped with 3D capable viewing devices and the down stairs equipment room 3D Blu-ray player and associated 3D disks may contribute to a longer and healthier lifespan, it continues to be an unnecessary hassle. And, it makes for interesting conversations as I try and extoll the virtues of owning Kaleidescape systems. I have yet to devise a cogent response to the many folks for whom I've demonstrated this system when the question arises -- 'how come our $129 Sony Blu-ray player has a built in 3D capability, while your $25K Kaleidescape system does not?'.

 

[Yetis]

I am sorry Jim, but I am going to have to differ with you on some of this. I think that 4k and 3D are mere distractions for now. However, K seems to ignore their customer. The average customer of K isn't running down to Best Buy for a $1,000 flat panel. So I think if there is a likelihood of someone being an early adopter of a 4k projector/TV, it will be a K owner. Now, as for content, that is another issue. However, K has every reason in the world to be an early adopter, in by book.

As for decoding, here again, I cannot agree (largely because I own Meridian..). Given the level of investment, I cannot believe that paying Dolby or THX for the ability to decode hi-rez codec is going to screw up the economics of the business. When you are K, why lag, when you should innovate. K should be the envy of the movie world, not the laggard. Look at AVS.com, there are people already looking at next generation codecs and K is still on codecs from a decade ago. I appreciate that most processors do it for you, but many of the high end ones don't.
(As an interesting aside, there is an interview of Bob Stewart from Meridian on CEPro website, from CES 2014. The odd thing is that during the interview, you can see the Kscape logo playing on the screen in the background, during the whole thing.... So the primary ONE company whose processors don't decode hi-rez, used K for their demo room at CES.) That doesn't exactly help my argument I know, but still, it seems like K is going cheap on this one.

As for studios, I think it would be nice to know if some are ever going to happen. I get the commercial reason for keeping people in the dark, but I think some two-way with K would be nice.

Let me add something else to the list. I don't agree with K's decision that Ultraviolet is a one way deal. That is, if I buy or digital verify a movie on Vudo or Flixter, it shows up on my Unltraviolet account and all the services EXCEPT the K one, However, if I buy a movie on K, it shows up on my ultraviolet account. What is up with that? I am assuming it has something to do with the legal position of K, but it seems odd that K is a member of the Ultraviolet organization, but is some how excluded? OR is it that K sells movies for more than Vudu and others, and doesn't want others cutting into their vig?

 

[cinelife]

All good points guys. I've no doubt these things are important to you (us), I'm just pointing out what I "think" is behind the lack of development in these areas. I certainly don't expect (nor desire) agreement with my comments, it's just another viewpoint.

I was joking about the 3D numbers, but that doesn't change the fact that just about every AV industry guru has commented in the negative regarding 3D acceptance and growth. Personally, I was not a 3D supporter based on the limited exposure I had to poor 3D setups, but after bringing in components that could actually show off what good 3D should look like, I became a believer, and would certainly like to have that support.

What often sounds simple to us, like 3D capability, HD audio decoding capability, etc., based on what we see in $100 components, may not be that easy for K to add to their Player's without a complete redesign, and if so, those business considerations I mentioned come into play, whether we like it or not.

That said, nice to have voices reminding K these things are desired.



Jim

 

[JohnJ]

My comments:

1. I will never care about 4K/UHD support until there is 4K content available.

2. I would like to have 3D but it would not be a deal breaker for me.

3. HD audio decoding: don't care. Also, I think the issue on this is more about suport of the codecs than cost. Just check out processor and blu-ray player threads and see all the codec issues every now and then when another BR comes out that has something slightly different and everyone is having to do firmware updates to handle. I don't want K using resourses in this way.

4. More studios: Yep, I want this and have seen good progress from K on this front - keep it up.

One other comment, K made all of its splash this year at CEDIA as opposed to CES (new C1, Lionsgate). I didn't expect anything new at CES. Based all all the reivews of the new C1 and talk on other forums, this product has been a real success. This is great for increasing the customer base and then for getting more leverage for movie studios.

John

 

[Calm-One]

It seems like the tone in this thread runs counter or interprets in a very different way from what Kaleidescape is marketing about the "Premiere" product line.

I am happy that there is a limited edition Cinema One and hope it sells well into the market segment it is being positioned for. I am happy to see Kaleidescape expanding it's product line.

Can someone help me understand their point of view about how features like 4K/UHD (which provides better 3D support), better audio, better video for non 4K/UHD, etcetera etcetera do not support Kaleidescape's statements such as:

"A Truly Theatrical Movie Experience" "Your Movies. Like You’ve Never Seen Them." "FOR THE ULTIMATE MOVIE SERVER".

IMHO the Kaleidescape "Premiere" line is being marketed to those who want the best of the best. It was the product featured in Robb Report a couple years ago. It is a luxury product. When I read or hear that Netflix or Apple or other upstart is pushing into 4K/UHD, 3D, better audio, better video, etcetera territory, I want to know that there is a legitimate Kaleidescape roadmap covering this too. CES, CEDIA, and other industry tradeshows are good public forums (amongst others) to communicate that roadmap. These are not as another poster said, "distractions"; these are driving upgrades and spend.

I also recall debates a few years ago about how HD DVD and Blu-Ray were fringe, had an unclear/hazy future, and other conservative oriented opinion occurring. Isn't it strange how cycles repeat themselves?

Cheers

 

[Yetis]

Calm-One,

Couldn't agree more!

 

[JohnJ]

Let me clarify what I said previously. Until there is content available for 4K/UHD there is no valure for me in K having the capability. However, once content IS avaiable and there is verified market for this technology, I will be the first one to expect K to have that capability also.

From all the hardware announcements at CES and and all the standards work that have been going on it sure looks like 4K/UHD is coming. I do hope that K is seeing this and is currently working on it.

John

 

[cinelife]

I don't believe anyone thinks we shouldn't have the capabilities being discussed. My main point is that my experience with K indicates they prioritize projects based on their assessment of the marketplace, and they may have decided that 4K and 3D haven't reached a level that compels them to develop support in those areas. My comments are purely speculative regarding those technologies, I have no direct inside knowledge regarding their plans to support or not support 4k and 3D going forward. I believe they will, but only after they are convinced the time and money spent on development will have a positive affect on their bottom line.

No doubt that K is conservative in their approach to product development, but that might be why they are still around.



Jim

 

[Mr.Poindexter]

Developing all these new features costs real money and it might not pay off for a long time - sometimes well after a new feature dies on the vine.

Sure, a while ago, HD-DVD and Blu-ray were considered fringe. Now Blu-ray is mainstream and is supported by Kaleidescape. HD-DVD on the other hand is a doorstop, or at least my HD-DVD player is. To this day, I still only have one 3-D compatible Blu-ray player in my house, even though I have 2 TV sets that are 3-D capable. I have a couple DVD-Audio players and fewer but some SACD players in my house. I consider both of these to be dead ends on the electronics path. 3-D seems to be alive but struggling and will possibly perish or be permanently a fringe thing.

I can see support for 3D as being something people would want but it needs to be a proven survivor in the marketplace before a company would want to invest a substantial amount of money into development. Companies like Apple or Sony can do it because they are huge and can spread those costs over more customers. Kaleidescape is not like that.

Also, it is worth noting that Sony is able to support 4K because they can sell their own content. Kaleidescape is not in that same boat either. Notice that not even Texas Instruments has brought out 4K DLP chips for the consumer market yet.

 

[nineball]

It appears that there are two schools of thought in this thread. One is that Kaleidescape's prudence in adopting new features is a good business decision that manages scarce resources in a business model that punishes attempts to pursue distractions that are yet to be proven in the market place. In other words, Kaleidescape will not be first to the party but when they do it will be right.......aaaannnd there are good reasons why they would not want to disclose their plans to the marketplace in advance.

This view appears to be held by the dealer population.

There is another view that feels there should be a strategic 'roadmap' that is public and relatively transparent. This group feels that the company should be one step in front of the general consumer market with features and programs that are industry leading in order to be consistent with the brand.

This view appears to be held by owners and or non industry players.

I belong in the second camp. I do not believe that Kaleidescape can continue to maintain its brand without some form of responsible risk taking in the form of continued product innovation (not just product tweaking), continued morphing of its business model to remain profitable and attractive in the marketplace and dramatically changing the corporate culture to respect its customer base by actively promoting its strategy to its various stakeholders. The albeit overly simplified sentiment expressed agin and again is that we (the owners) would very much like to know where the company is going with respect to technology (the list is in this thread....uhd, 3D. audio, portability etc.) as well as programs leveraging Studio involvement.

I see no reason to be defensive on Kaleidescape's part or on behalf of Kaleidescape. They are in business to make a profit, hopefully. These suggestions are some of the things the owners feel would enhance that outcome. Bear in mind, we are all Kaleidescape fans or we wouldn't persistently keep coming back to this forum. It is also important for the new management team to hear that some of the owners feel that something is missing and the simplest response would be that 'roadmap' alluded to earlier.


Peter

 

[Transepoch]

when the question arises -- 'how come our $129 Sony Blu-ray player has a built in 3D capability, while your $25K Kaleidescape system does not?'.

The answer is probably something similiar to when their $2,500 Sony Blu-ray player could play Blurays and our $35k K-system couldn't... point at something shiny and dash off to await the day when K caught up (with flaire, flourish, and fanfare.)

It does seem a little wasteful to go through the effort of a CES dog-n-pony show just to say you still exist as a manufacturer.

 

[JohnJ]

It appears that there are two schools of thought in this thread. One is that Kaleidescape's prudence in adopting new features is a good business decision that manages scarce resources in a business model that punishes attempts to pursue distractions that are yet to be proven in the market place. In other words, Kaleidescape will not be first to the party but when they do it will be right.......aaaannnd there are good reasons why they would not want to disclose their plans to the marketplace in advance.

This view appears to be held by the dealer population.

There is another view that feels there should be a strategic 'roadmap' that is public and relatively transparent. This group feels that the company should be one step in front of the general consumer market with features and programs that are industry leading in order to be consistent with the brand.

This view appears to be held by owners and or non industry players.

I belong in the second camp. I do not believe that Kaleidescape can continue to maintain its brand without some form of responsible risk taking in the form of continued product innovation (not just product tweaking), continued morphing of its business model to remain profitable and attractive in the marketplace and dramatically changing the corporate culture to respect its customer base by actively promoting its strategy to its various stakeholders. The albeit overly simplified sentiment expressed agin and again is that we (the owners) would very much like to know where the company is going with respect to technology (the list is in this thread....uhd, 3D. audio, portability etc.) as well as programs leveraging Studio involvement.

I see no reason to be defensive on Kaleidescape's part or on behalf of Kaleidescape. They are in business to make a profit, hopefully. These suggestions are some of the things the owners feel would enhance that outcome. Bear in mind, we are all Kaleidescape fans or we wouldn't persistently keep coming back to this forum. It is also important for the new management team to hear that some of the owners feel that something is missing and the simplest response would be that 'roadmap' alluded to earlier.


Peter

I am an owner not a dealer but I am in the first camp. I don't expect K to be leading edge but I do expect them to have support for the next generation format whenever the next format takes off.

All it is interesting to look back at K and 3D. There is a article from Home Cinema Choice that I think was back in 2011 (it does not have a date but I think this was the time frame).

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/article/kaleidescape-spills-the-beans-on-3d-bd/10606/

I don't know if they acutally did any work on 3D or are still waiting for the technology to make a business case.

John

 

[Calm-One]

You seem to be making two points in your post.

Developing all these new features costs real money...

Companies like Apple or Sony can do it because they are huge and can spread those costs over more customers. Kaleidescape is not like that.

I believe the point you were making was that Kaleidescape does not have the resources to afford a mistake.

I do not have any idea what percentage of Kaleidescape's spend is on R&D, but I would hope that it is in line with these companies (don't confuse this with total spend) and will remain a consistant percentage of company spend.

...is mainstream and is supported by Kaleidescape.

...but it needs to be a proven survivor in the marketplace before a company would want to invest a substantial amount of money into development.

I believe your point here is that Kaleidescape's product will only pursue low risk, established, mainstream development paths.

But wait, there are plenty of low risk, mainstream features to work through.

Here is a use case to argue:

Based on the information below and other quickly available articles, it seems Android is "mainstream" enough, right?

So where is the Android version / port of Kaleidescape Apps for iPad and iPhone?

Ref: http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/29/apples-ipad-market-share-chopped-in-half-as-android-takes-over/

Ref: http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/12/wi...ple-slips-despite-growth-in-iphone-shipments/

Cheers

 

[Mr.Poindexter]

I suppose that would be a good question to ask the folks at Kaleidescape. Of course, this is yet one more thing for them to develop and comes out of the same R&D pool of both money and time/talent.

On a side note, WOW, BlackBerry is getting crushed.