audioguy123
Well-known member
New Alto owner here and have some questions.
I. Non-Alto Supported Movies: I have an Alto (with 6TB) and have discovered that I did inadequate research prior to making that decision. I probably would not have gone this direction had I known in advance that there are bunches of movies that I own the K does not currently support. But I do own it so I now need to make a decision on how to handle these unsupported movies.
Option 1: When I want to watch or re-watch a film that K can not support, I go into the media room, select if from the shelf and stick it in the Alto. While “cost effective”, this approach significantly reduces the reason I chose to go with a Kaleidescape solution - the User Interface AND having all movies I ever expect to watch (or watch again) immediately and automatically available. If this was only a very occasional occurrence, it would not be a big deal, but probably 25% of the movies I own (about 700 at this date) are not supported.
Option 2: Buy the Disc Vault but I so struggle with the price on this component. It is 10 times what I paid for a similar product many years ago — A Stand alone CD player equivalent product that could play any of the 300 discs in it. Price notwithstanding, this certainly provides the most seamless solution.
Option 3: Buy a pre-built media server for storage of just the Alto non-supported movies. This would cost much less than Option 2, and in theory, be more automated than Option 1. BUT, my wife needs to be able to run our theater and switching from the Control4 remote to search the Alto but then be required to pick up an iPad, for a non-Alto stored movie, then start up the Media Server Application, search for the movie that is not on the Alto and then start the movie AND be required to pause, stop and start the movie on the iPad would probably not please her. Plus, pausing a movie on the Alto with Control4 brings up the lights, etc and that would not happen if using a separate system. (She loves technology when it works but HATES it when it doesn't or she thinks it’s too complicated).
Option 4: Sell the Alto and use a Media Server for all films. I would really take it in the shorts on the resale and would hate to give up the K Interface opportunity. I would also give up the ability to at a reasonable price, upgrade some of my DVD’s to Blu Ray quality.
As I type this, I just figured out that I need to eliminate Option 3. Much too clumsy for my wife - just too many moving parts.
Any comments or suggestions related to this would be most welcome.
II. Cataloging with the Disc Vault: I have read that when the Vault is installed, it will catalog all of the movies placed in it. However, by the time I would get a Disc Vault installed, I will have already cataloged every movie I own. So, will the K-System match up the Discs I have already cataloged with the Discs in the Disc Vault or will it double count them and force me to go back and delete hundreds of titles.
Thanks
I. Non-Alto Supported Movies: I have an Alto (with 6TB) and have discovered that I did inadequate research prior to making that decision. I probably would not have gone this direction had I known in advance that there are bunches of movies that I own the K does not currently support. But I do own it so I now need to make a decision on how to handle these unsupported movies.
Option 1: When I want to watch or re-watch a film that K can not support, I go into the media room, select if from the shelf and stick it in the Alto. While “cost effective”, this approach significantly reduces the reason I chose to go with a Kaleidescape solution - the User Interface AND having all movies I ever expect to watch (or watch again) immediately and automatically available. If this was only a very occasional occurrence, it would not be a big deal, but probably 25% of the movies I own (about 700 at this date) are not supported.
Option 2: Buy the Disc Vault but I so struggle with the price on this component. It is 10 times what I paid for a similar product many years ago — A Stand alone CD player equivalent product that could play any of the 300 discs in it. Price notwithstanding, this certainly provides the most seamless solution.
Option 3: Buy a pre-built media server for storage of just the Alto non-supported movies. This would cost much less than Option 2, and in theory, be more automated than Option 1. BUT, my wife needs to be able to run our theater and switching from the Control4 remote to search the Alto but then be required to pick up an iPad, for a non-Alto stored movie, then start up the Media Server Application, search for the movie that is not on the Alto and then start the movie AND be required to pause, stop and start the movie on the iPad would probably not please her. Plus, pausing a movie on the Alto with Control4 brings up the lights, etc and that would not happen if using a separate system. (She loves technology when it works but HATES it when it doesn't or she thinks it’s too complicated).
Option 4: Sell the Alto and use a Media Server for all films. I would really take it in the shorts on the resale and would hate to give up the K Interface opportunity. I would also give up the ability to at a reasonable price, upgrade some of my DVD’s to Blu Ray quality.
As I type this, I just figured out that I need to eliminate Option 3. Much too clumsy for my wife - just too many moving parts.
Any comments or suggestions related to this would be most welcome.
II. Cataloging with the Disc Vault: I have read that when the Vault is installed, it will catalog all of the movies placed in it. However, by the time I would get a Disc Vault installed, I will have already cataloged every movie I own. So, will the K-System match up the Discs I have already cataloged with the Discs in the Disc Vault or will it double count them and force me to go back and delete hundreds of titles.
Thanks
