The A/V Strato-Sphere

"Kaleidescape is the only digital platform that delivers movies with the same A/V quality as their disc counterparts."

I’VE BEEN keenly aware of Kaleidescape since the company’s start when I first laid eyes on its beautiful onscreen interface at a high-end A/V store in Seattle. Since then, I’ve regularly encountered that same interface in the homes of my video calibration clients, in stores, and at trade shows. Back in Kaleidescape’s early days, when the only comparable media server was early Windows Media Center on home theater PCs, the company’s offering was not only innovative, but awe-inspiring. The home video world has changed drastically since then, and slick interfaces from the likes of Apple TV, Netflix, and others are now the norm. But Kaleidescape has also changed, with the company having now moved to a digital media experience that bypasses shiny discs in favor of internet-delivered content with audio and video quality on par with pre-recorded media.

THE PLAYER

For this review, Kaleidescape sent me its Strato S 4K Ultra HD Movie Player. The focus of a product review is typically an actual product, but I honestly feel that Kaleidescape is more about the experience than a single product. Yes, with its anodized aluminum case, the Strato S 4K Ultra HD Movie Player is a gorgeous-looking high-tech component reviewed the original Strato model back in 2016 (review available on ). Specifically, the Strato S case is half the height of the original and it now offers either 6 TB ($5,995) or 12 TB ($8,995) of onboard storage. You can also opt for the smaller Strato C player ($4,995), with no onboard storage. A Strato C can access content stored on a networked Strato S player or one of the company’s Terra Servers (starts at $12,495) from any room throughout your home. Which direction you go will be a matter of need—and also budget—as all of the Strato players offer an identical Kaleidescape experience—the focus of this review.