Press Release Kaleidescape Introduces the New Strato M Movie Player (Entry Level Movie Player) (1 Viewer)

[John Dirk]

Could be. As I said, I don't know who the market for K-scape is these days except for the top affluent, rich and wealthy. (And the really hardcore enthusiasts who decide that a $10,000 digital movie kit really is their mid-life crisis dream purchase. I mean, I get it, the Kaleidascape is pretty awesome, and if I all I watched were movies, I can imagine splurging on one as a midlife crisis buy.)

I could spend the money and I'm sure others here could too. I'm not going to spend it on this specific product because it doesn't deliver what I need. I'm not super rich but I have money to spend. Kaleidascape just needs to convince me to spend it with them.

 

[DaveF]

And they offer, in effect, a $10,000 ultra-luxe version of a $100 streaming dongle. You have to be a super enthusiast for watching movies or quite affluent for that price premium to make sense or not matter.

 

[DaveF]

I mean, people balk at the extreme premium of a $199 AppleTV over a $50 Roku firestick.

 

[Sam Posten]

But maybe I’m wrong, and K really does believe this is an exciting new entry level product, closing the price gap for normal enthusiasts.

They do.

 

[DaveF]

Then Kaleidescape is a dead man walking

 

[DaveF]

Plus this “entry level” $2000 box is going to be $3000 in short order.

 

[John Dirk]

Then Kaleidescape is a dead man walking

Seems that way to me as well. Luke's attitude in the You Tube video suggests they really don't understand [or possibly care about] the enthusiast community.

There is that ultra-rich segment who will just hire a professional to fill their room with toys but I think it's relatively small and most of them would opt for a higher-end product anyway. I'd expect the Strato M to be quietly discontinued within a few years.

 

[Carl David]

Think I am going to buy this along with a $10,000 HDMI cable.

 

[JohnRice]

Think I am going to buy this along with a $10,000 HDMI cable.

Don’t even get me started on.

Don’t forget the $2,000 power cord.

 

[Carl David]

Don’t even get me started on.

Don’t forget the $2,000 power cord.

Confession time.

I actually thought a while ago that a $500 HDMI cable was superior to a $40 one.

It was only upon stumbling onto an expert review article about HDMI cables that indeed I was a sucker.

Imagine spending $500 on a cable and then finding out a $10 one is actually the same.

Kind of like buying a Kaleidescape before finding out there is a 4k UHD player market.

 

[DaveF]

The thing is, Kaleidascape really is a fantastic product. It is better than any physical disc player, having digital-instant access to your entire library by remote control. And it’s better than any streaming box, having full bitrate (or better) movie files.

But it’s profoundly hindered by its luxury-good pricing. And increasingly who wants to pay $30 for a digital movie when you can stream it for free in your normal subscriptions?