Strato V: UI resolution limited to 1080, not 4k!

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

Anyone here having a problem with the Strato V’s Movie Wall GUI (In grouped mode) being blurry and less colorful than previous Kaleidescape players? It’s like the GUI is transmitting in 720P with low dynamic colors compared to the razor sharp 4K SDR look of the previous player’s GUIs. I have a note into K-Scape support too, but thought I’d drop the question here too in case I am missing something simple. I’ve “controlled” for all the variables I can thinking of regarding HDMI cables, Lumagen ports, unit settings interface, and Web UI settings. As far as I can tell, this is no not effecting playback which looks great.

 

[Packers]

Anyone here having a problem with the Strato V’s Movie Wall GUI (In grouped mode) being blurry and less colorful than previous Kaleidescape players? It’s like the GUI is transmitting in 720P with low dynamic colors compared to the razor sharp 4K SDR look of the previous player’s GUIs. I have a note into K-Scape support too, but thought I’d drop the question here too in case I am missing something simple. I’ve “controlled” for all the variables I can thinking of regarding HDMI cables, Lumagen ports, unit settings interface, and Web UI settings. As far as I can tell, this is no not effecting playback which looks great.

From what I have read on this site, the GUI on the V is not 4K and is not capable of displaying the GUI in 4K due to hardware limitations.

 

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

I am having a hard time understanding why K would go backwards on their GUI. I thought hardware limitations were the reason why they created the V for DV?

 

[Packers]

I am having a hard time understanding why K would go backwards on their GUI. I thought hardware limitations were the reason why they created the V for DV?

Perhaps a FW update will fix it, unless there are chip limitations.

 

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

As a Kaleidescape user, I request the Strato V UI be fixed so that it can render at 4K SDR like previous Strato players.

I set up my new Strato V last night and instantly noticed the UI being far less sharp than previous Strato models. I actually spent hours trying to fix the problem by swapping out cables, resetting the device, and using different ports in my Lumagen. My internet searches for the problem didn’t lead me to this thread until this afternoon.

If this is something that can be fixed through FW updates, I certainly would like the team at K to dedicate time to it. Much of the allure of this high-end product is curating our collections and being able to navigate through a sleek and beautiful display. My old (probably from 2015) Strato was able to function this way and have a hard time understanding how swapping out hardware to render DV would come at a cost to rendering a 4K UI.

I understand the tech team’s focus on playback bugs first, but seriously want the UI to return to 4K.

 

[josh]

From previous posts here from kaleidescape team it seems this will not be possible with software - it’s a hardware limitation. I agree it’s a little disappointing but for me it’s not a deal killer for my strato V. I’m sure at some point there will be a new version of the hardware that can do it. For now, it’s a choice between DV plus new standalone capability at a lower price, or the sharper UI without DV and much higher entry price for a new system.

If you have a system already and are just adding a player, then it comes down to DV on the V vs sharper UI and dual HDMI on the C.

 

[MikeKobb]

As a Kaleidescape user, I request the Strato V UI be fixed so that it can render at 4K SDR like previous Strato players.

I set up my new Strato V last night and instantly noticed the UI being far less sharp than previous Strato models. I actually spent hours trying to fix the problem by swapping out cables, resetting the device, and using different ports in my Lumagen. My internet searches for the problem didn’t lead me to this thread until this afternoon.

If this is something that can be fixed through FW updates, I certainly would like the team at K to dedicate time to it. Much of the allure of this high-end product is curating our collections and being able to navigate through a sleek and beautiful display. My old (probably from 2015) Strato was able to function this way and have a hard time understanding how swapping out hardware to render DV would come at a cost to rendering a 4K UI.

I understand the tech team’s focus on playback bugs first, but seriously want the UI to return to 4K.

Are you using CinemaScape, by chance? There is a bug in 10.18 that causes the movie covers to be rendered with diminished quality on Strato V in CinemaScape. A fix for that issue is in the next software release.

 

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

Are you using CinemaScape, by chance? There is a bug in 10.18 that causes the movie covers to be rendered with diminished quality on Strato V in CinemaScape. A fix for that issue is in the next software release.

No, I don’t believe so. I have the OSD displaying at 16:9. I just received communication from Rusty at Kaleidescape tech support (tech support at K-scape has been top notch every time I’ve talked to them). He confirmed that the Strato V OSD displays at 1080P and that video playback is still at 4K.

 

[MikeKobb]

OK, just wanted to check, because CinemaScape can definitely degrade the appearance of the cover images in 10.18.

Rusty is correct -- the UI is rendered at 1080p internally before being scaled up to be output at 2160p. This is a hardware limitation of the new chip upon which this player was built. As mentioned in another thread, all product design involves a process of selecting the components that best fit the needs of the product. In the case of Strato V, this was the chip that gave us excellent CPU performance, Dolby Vision, the ability to have a player that could be either standalone or part of a system with a server, etc., plus excellent support from the chip vendor and a product roadmap that we can build upon.

 

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

OK, just wanted to check, because CinemaScape can definitely degrade the appearance of the cover images in 10.18.

Rusty is correct -- the UI is rendered at 1080p internally before being scaled up to be output at 2160p. This is a hardware limitation of the new chip upon which this player was built. As mentioned in another thread, all product design involves a process of selecting the components that best fit the needs of the product. In the case of Strato V, this was the chip that gave us excellent CPU performance, Dolby Vision, the ability to have a player that could be either standalone or part of a system with a server, etc., plus excellent support from the chip vendor and a product roadmap that we can build upon.

Thanks, Mike. I wasn’t tracking this limitation before deciding on the V. When weighing the trade-offs for your new unit, I understand why one would focus on playback versus UI. However, It appears the C would be better for my use case. I don’t need DV (Lumagen and projector) or a single unit (have a TP22TB) player functionality, but the Audio HDMI out and 4K UI would be superior for my situation. Thanks again for your team’s time and attention on this. K-Scape has been very responsive to their customers!!!

 

[rafaelsmith]

I admit, when I first setup the V I was a little taken back by how the UI looked. Its literally the first thing you see after setting up a $4k device...and it looked like something 10+ years old. Making matters worse, I have to set the OSD to 24hz to minimize/avoid black screens which makes it not only look bad but perform sluggish.

Thankfully, the one positive of such a minimal/simplistic UI is you don't spend much time in it.

 

[josh]

Thankfully, the one positive of such a minimal/simplistic UI is you don't spend much time in it.

That's true if your V is in standalone config. But it's worth pointing out to others weighing the V vs. C tradeoffs that you'll see a lot more of that lower-res UI if:
1) you someday moved to using the V in a Terra-paired setup
or
2) Kaleidescape adds direct Store access on-screen for the standalone V, as has been promised.

 

[Packers]

That's true if your V is in standalone config. But it's worth pointing out to others weighing the V vs. C tradeoffs that you'll see a lot more of that lower-res UI if:
1) you someday moved to using the V in a Terra-paired setup
or
2) Kaleidescape adds direct Store access on-screen for the standalone V, as has been promised.

I have my V connected to a Terra 12 TB server and the UI really doesnt look that bad to me. As long as the movie I am watching is 4K when I download a 4K movie, that's all that really matters to me.

 

[Mr_X]

Have to admit that when I first read that the UI on the new V was only 1080p, I was hugely disappointed.

Now having actually lived with it in use on my OLED, does not bother me me in the slightest and not the deal breaker that my over initial over reaction thought it was.

 

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

I agree, I am starting to get over it. Denial, anger, bartering, depression, acceptance…this is not serious enough to give me depression, so I am somewhere between bargaining and acceptance. Like most of us in this hobby, I want my cake and to eat it too. I see the K-Scape Movie Wall as a moving piece of art on a 173” diagonal screen. If this trade off needed to happen to significantly improve playback, I get it and support it. I just wish it didn’t shake out this way, and hope we can clean it up as much as possible through future updates.

 

[Substance]

How bad is this issue on a 85”ish OLED?

Is there a setting to output GUI in 1080p? Maybe an outboard video processor like a Radiance Pro will do a better job in upscaling it to 4K.

 

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

I have a Radiance Pro. It works magic on 4K content. However, there is an absolutely noticeable difference in the rendering of the OSD between the V and earlier models (which rendered natively in 4K SDR). If you don’t spend a lot of time curating your K collection, this probably won’t bother you. If you have spent several hours retooling your movie posters through TMDB, and see your movie wall as a piece of art that you enjoy, then you will be disappointed. I was not aware of this limitation when I purchased the V, so I spent hours trying to “fix” the problem through HDMI cord swaps, Lumagen port swaps, and V Web UI settings. Then I found this thread for the good/bad news. All this said, V movie playback has been great so far, and that should rightly be the area where we don’t accept compromise. The entire K support Team has been wonderful, and hope they ultimately work past the hardware limitations related to the OSD and can clean it up as much as possible. I understand completely why this would not be their top priority though.

 

[Erod]

I have a Radiance Pro. It works magic on 4K content. However, there is an absolutely noticeable difference in the rendering of the OSD between the V and earlier models (which rendered natively in 4K SDR). If you don’t spend a lot of time curating your K collection, this probably won’t bother you. If you have spent several hours retooling your movie posters through TMDB, and see your movie wall as a piece of art that you enjoy, then you will be disappointed. I was not aware of this limitation when I purchased the V, so I spent hours trying to “fix” the problem through HDMI cord swaps, Lumagen port swaps, and V Web UI settings. Then I found this thread for the good/bad news. All this said, V movie playback has been great so far, and that should rightly be the area where we don’t accept compromise. The entire K support Team has been wonderful, and hope they ultimately work past the hardware limitations related to the OSD and can clean it up as much as possible. I understand completely why this would not be their top priority though.

Do you find the V to play content exactly like the C?

If the Kscape is only used for a projector, is the C a better option overall? What advantages does the V even offer is so?

 

[LoveCinema]

If the Kscape is only used for a projector, is the C a better option overall? What advantages does the V even offer is so?

Previously, the single advantage of the Strato V in that environment would be the internal storage for those without a Terra.

However, now there may be an additional advantage if you have a video processor. I believe both Lumagen and MadVR are adding support for Low -Latency Dolby Vision (LLDV). There's a possibility that this would allow for an improved picture from a Strato V over a Strato C. However, I would need to hear that from someone like: @KrisDeering

Also, for those with projectors and large screens worried about 1080p OSD: In another thread, K staff stated that the chip selected was also because of the chipmaker's roadmap. There's nothing to say that a future Strato won't return the native 4K display. If you've got a Strato C doing it's thing, let it keep on rolling and see what happens down the road.

 

[EpicenterHomeTheater]

Do you find the V to play content exactly like the C?

If the Kscape is only used for a projector, is the C a better option overall? What advantages does the V even offer is so?

I am not enough of a subject matter expert between the two systems to answer this. I am sure there is a host of potential in the new V. To me, the picture quality during playback is equally awesome between my new V and what I remember from my Strato. My beef has simply been that the OSD “Movie Wall” isn’t nearly as sharp in 1080P.

To LoveCinema’s point, I did see that Lumagen recently pushEd a beta firmware update to support LLDV. But I am reasonable certain that is only a benefit for OLED users. Chris Deering or Jim Peterson would be better resources for that information. I haven’t updated my firmware yet, but can report back when I do.