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NEWS: New Kaleidescape "M-Class" players announced, with Blu-ray support

Mr.Poindexter said:
What is missing is probably room for 8 extra RCA jacks on the back of the player for 7.1 decoding....
Click to expand...

We're talking about onboard decoding up to 7.1 LPCM over HDMI so that the Meridian/Halcro processors can do their magic with this format. They can't do anything with lossless bitstream from the M-series K, other than pass it. I don't think there is any wide demand for onboard decoding lossless audio to analog out, hence space for RCA 7.1 is not an issue.

About the trade-in program, and this is an academic question only because I will not be upgrading to M-series, so the traded player doesn't have a dollar value but rather a percent discount off new. So if you trade-in a KPLAYER-6000 on an M500 it's worth about $2000, yet if you trade it in on a M300 it's worth about $1250. Is that the way it works?
 
Is it any more embarassing than a very expensive Halco or Meridian that cannot do what a Sony receiver from best buy can do? Not to pick on those companies, but when neither one does the decoded, how is it only Kaleidescape's fault and not the surround sound processor manufacturer's fault that they cannot decode the new format?

The way the tradein works is they are giving you a discount on new gear as a percentage of what you are spending, not a fixed amount of money per player, kind of like a 50% off coupon gets you more savings if you buy something expensive. It was like that with the 5U->3U server tradeins. My first server tradein was worth 4 drives, the next one was only worth 2 because the first one got me 2 drives plus a parity and hot spare drive. I traded in just one server. Also, note that you get as much tradein value trading in a mini-player vs a full player with a reader...
 
brodricj said:
Same same for the Halcro SSP. I have recently invested a lot of money in a Halcro SSP in anticipation of the new K-player supporting lossless PCM. Heck, it doesn't even support lossless 5.1 PCM let alone 7.1 PCM anything. Never in my wildest dreams did I consider K would not be supporting lossless PCM in a new player.

My Halcro stays. It sounds awsome with lossless PCM from my PS3. There is no place in my system for a new Kaleidescape player that can't send lossless PCM to my Halcro SSP.

About some of the other comments:

1. I like the form factor of the new player, cosmetically the same as the old player is fine by me.

2. I don't like the change to RCA connectors. So this was to appease the dealer/installer market so they didn't have to use a $5 BNC to RCA adapter. Well, now I'd have to go and change my considerably more expensive than $5 BNC cables for RCA.

3. Having to have the BR disc in the tray to play a movie is not much different to my existing capability with the PS3. Why couldn't they at least let you import a BR title to the server and have it stay there for 7 days (before self erasing) without needing the disc to be in the tray?? I could import 7 days worth of future watching and then have the whole familiar Kaleidescape experience available to me for the next week. I'd be more than happy with that arrangement.

4. Why has there been no mention in the forum so far about the Region A and B issue??? I know, because all you guys only have Region A discs. What about the many international K customers who hold libraries of mixed region content. I'm not buying 2 players!! Heck, I'm not even going to buy one player :(
Click to expand...

Region encoding sucks and is pointless except to make like annoying for people.

As far as the connector is concerned, couldn't you just buy a $5 BNC to RCA adapter?
 
OK- so a device needs to be found that will take in an encoded True HD or DTS Master signal and export it as decoded LPCM while maintaining the original channels.

Anyone?
 
Mike you are correct on that- but if I'm building a source for high end people with high end systems and if many of those systems need help I am best served with providing that help.
 
Well, you cannot be all things to all people - especially with a crazed rabid monkey riding on your back trying to gouge out your eyes and set you on fire.

I suspect you will get what you need in their next bluray player that likely will have 3D and whatever other features they had to leave out of this one.
 
I think that's correct. However I'm not waiting on this. I have made my own br solution but I don't want to discuss it here. Anyone is free to pm me.
 
Mr.Poindexter said:
Is it any more embarassing than a very expensive Halco or Meridian that cannot do what a Sony receiver from best buy can do?...
Click to expand...

Halcro didn't put onboard hi-rez bitstream decoding in their SSP upgrade because they figured any decent player would be capable of doing the decoding and sending out MPCM. So why duplicate that capability when onboard resources were tight. Unfortunately, as it now turns out, Halcro figured wrong. Actually I think most of us figured wrong because it was a given that those expecting onboard bitstream decoding "would not be disappointed".

I'm just curious if any one here is now considering changing their Meridian or Halcro to something else (like any Sony receiver bought from Best Buy!) that can decode bitstreamed audio purely because they want the new K player and lossless audio.

Perhaps the Mods can start a poll on the forum to guage the mood, whether owners are going to upgrade, not upgrade, or are still undecided?
 
brodricj said:
......I'm just curious if any one here is now considering changing their Meridian or Halcro to something else (like any Sony receiver bought from Best Buy!) that can decode bitstreamed audio purely because they want the new K player and lossless audio....
Click to expand...


I'm also using the Halcro, and being Bryston dealer's as well, I've decided to wait on their upcoming SP3 (supposedly late summer/early fall) to give that a listen. If that fails, it'll likely be the Classe SSP-800.

OR

Wait for a KPLAYER that will decode the HD codecs.


Jim
 
People will probably stick with what they have. If they have a Halcro or Meridian, they might hold off on the new KPlayer. If they have Kaleidescape, they might pass on Halcro or Meridian should they need to upgrade their processor.

I think that is far more likely than somebody ditching one to get the other.
 
Hey, I just realized what else K didn't announce today - Internet downloads. Frankly, I was thinking that would offset what was going to be a disappointing blu-ray announcement. But they didn't announce anything in that direction either.
 
No homemade BD imports? Major downer. I've been shooting HD video and burning BD disks for years now.
 
Exactly. So the high end individuals with HD home movies and who have high end audio setups can't do anything with this system but- oh goodie- they've used (or wasted depending on your point of view) valuable processing power and space on a pretty UI and possible internet downloads..... boo hiss.
 
If resource management is the problem, and trying to keep everybody happy is the aim, too bad K didn't take a modular approach to the M-Class hardware design. I'd take out the "content download" module, which I don't need, and replace it with the "lossless audio decoding module" which I do need. Everybody would be happy, except of course those who wish to do both.

I waited almost a year for this player. I'll wait another year or however long until the player with the features I want comes along. Until then I'm very happy with what I have now, 576p from my KPLAYER-5000 on a 90 inch screen is plenty good to my eyes. I'll just have to suffer missing what my Halcro SSP can do with lossless PCM....oh, sorry, no I won't, I also have a PS3.

p.s. haven't we had a lot of traffic on the forum today!! I wonder how many times we're over the normal traffic load? Mods?
 
Q. Why the restriction on not importing non-encrypted BR disks? Home videos are an obvious reason why this is a useful feature.

TomBarnett said:
Support for import of unencrypted Blu-ray Disc content isn't in the initial software release. There is no restriction to prevent this from being added in a software update.
Click to expand...

I find this very interesting? Is this something K software engineers are working towards or have planned for the near future?

Rgds

Panamar
 
Multi-Disc Blu-rays

How will the requirement that the BR disc be in the player work if you have a multi-disc blu-ray set (i.e. movie on one disc and extras on the second or maybe more common - a TV series with multiple discs). Will it be sufficient if one disc of the set is in the player or, for example, if I am watching episode 12 of a TV series, will I have to find the specific disc that has episode 12 on it?

Rhetorical question - when will the MPAA ever learn that they could make a lot more money by embracing and using new technology rather than always fighting it and treating every user as a potential thief?

Scott
 
Joe said:
No homemade BD imports? Major downer. I've been shooting HD video and burning BD disks for years now.
Click to expand...

Well, I was thinking of that and here would be a bit of an interesting development if you get a program to rip a BluRay, strip the AACS and then reburn it. (Hmm, seems like there are programs that do that to DVDs...) Oh my, add a step and BluRay discs on your Kaleidescape with no disc in tray requirement. ;)

I am pretty sure we will be getting the ability to import homemade BD in the future, although do we have to go through the disc to do that? couldn't it just be uploaded through a web utility and pulled through the network instead of burning a disc to put in another tray to load it into the system?
 
sshearer said:
How will the requirement that the BR disc be in the player work if you have a multi-disc blu-ray set (i.e. movie on one disc and extras on the second or maybe more common - a TV series with multiple discs). Will it be sufficient if one disc of the set is in the player or, for example, if I am watching episode 12 of a TV series, will I have to find the specific disc that has episode 12 on it?
Click to expand...

I will let you know when I get my player if nobody else can answer it before then.

sshearer said:
Rhetorical question - when will the MPAA ever learn that they could make a lot more money by embracing and using new technology rather than always fighting it and treating every user as a potential thief?

Scott
Click to expand...

I doubt it will happen but you never know. I heard the RIAA has finally learned that DRM actually decreases sales because they discovered that people don't want to buy music that they cannot move to a new player or computer when they want to upgrade.
 
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Mr.Poindexter said:
sshearer said:
How will the requirement that the BR disc be in the player work if you have a multi-disc blu-ray set (i.e. movie on one disc and extras on the second or maybe more common - a TV series with multiple discs). Will it be sufficient if one disc of the set is in the player or, for example, if I am watching episode 12 of a TV series, will I have to find the specific disc that has episode 12 on it?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Mike, I'm checking this now. I'm loading the LOTR Twin Towers extra's disc (I've already got the main feature on the Server). I'll try playing both back after import (but I think I know the answer).


Jim
 
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