Following the launch of the Strato V player, Kaleidescape has released a series of FAQs and comparisons with existing Kaleidescape equipment for dealers to enable dealers to make an at a glance assessment of the new products abilities and specifications.


In Standalone Mode, Strato V delivers…

•        Storage for approximately 10 reference 4K movies

•        Fast download

•        Faster than Terra, slower than Terra Prime

•        ~10 minutes over gigabit Ethernet for a 2-hour movie

•        Simplified onscreen user interface

•        A single view for a seamless movie-watching experience

•        Downloads become candidates for deletion 48 hours after playing

•        Truly standalone

•        Doesn’t group directly with other Strato V players

•        (or Strato or Strato S players)

In Grouped Mode, Strato V can…

•        Group one or more Strato V players with Terra or Terra Prime servers

•        Onscreen interface reverts to full power and complexity

•        Except Collections view is modernised

•        Strato V internal storage is not active when grouped with a server

What does Strato V do that Strato C cannot?

•        Standalone operation

•        Dolby Vision capability

•        Lossless audio decoding from multi-channel bitstreams

What does Strato V not do that Strato C can?

•        No Audio-only HDMI

•        Does not support Co-Star

•        Strato V will not be able to play all HD titles at launch but will play all 4K & SD from the Kaleidescape movie store

Key Points of Strato V

•        Drops the entry price of a Kaleidescape system

•        Reference video for every 4K display. SDR, HDR10 and now Dolby Vision.

•        Lossless spatial audio. Clear dialogue and immersive sound effects.

•        Standalone. An entry-level Kaleidescape system that works on its own.

•        Scalable. Add a server for more movies and whole-house entertainment.

•        Ultimate performance. New electronics and grounding topology for audiophiles.

Positioning

•        Strato V is appropriate for new customers

•        Strato C is appropriate for customers with existing systems

•        Strato V can be added to an existing system if Dolby Vision is desired for a viewing zone(s)

When should I choose Strato V?

•        New customers

•        With its standalone option, Strato V provides customers with a lower cost of entry

•        Customers can add storage with the purchase of Terra Prime movie servers

•        When installing in a system that does not decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS:HD, such as an older processor, a two-channel system, or certain soundbars

•        When the viewing zone has a TV or projector with Dolby Vision support

When should I choose Strato C?

•        Existing customers with Co-Star configuration

•        Existing customers with a large library of HD content

•        When installing in a system that requires an HDMI audio output separate from the HDMI video output

•        Which player is better for video, Strato C or Strato V?

•        Both Strato C and Strato V provide full reference video quality. Strato V now incorporates Dolby Vision and has an improved HDMI port, resulting in a cleaner signal

•        Which player is better for audio, Strato C or Strato V?

•        Both Strato C and Strato V support lossless audio

What is the difference between Grouped and Standalone Mode

Standalone Mode

•        Strato V has onboard solid-state storage to hold approximately 10 reference 4K titles

•        Movies download in about 10 minutes over a gigabit network, even while watching previously downloaded movies

•        When in standalone mode, Strato V:

•        Must be activated as a separate system

•        Plays movies stored locally on its internal storage drive

•        Can convert to grouped mode by adding a Terra Prime movie server

•        Storage and playback zones can be expanded by grouping it with a Terra Prime movie server. This will change Strato V from standalone to grouped mode

Grouped Mode

•        When Strato V is grouped with a system that includes a Terra or Terra Prime movie server, it automatically switches to grouped mode

•        In this mode, all movies in onboard storage are deleted and storage is disabled

•        These movies will need to be redownloaded to the Terra Prime

Strato V will then view and play movies stored on the servers in the system

•        To return Strato V to standalone mode, with the power on, initiate a factory reset by pressing and holding the pinhole reset button on the Strato V back panel for 5 seconds until the front panel LEDs begin blinking

•        The Strato V will reboot and switch to standalone mode

•        When reactivated in standalone mode, the onboard storage will be empty

Can Strato V be used to rent movies?

•        Yes

•        Movies rented on the Kaleidescape movie store can be played by Strato V in either standalone mode or when grouped with a server

•        Rentals are automatically removed from onboard storage after their expiry

Can multiple Strato V players be grouped together?

•        Strato V players cannot be grouped directly with other Strato V players; they require a server to group

•        Without a server, each player operates in standalone mode as a separate, unique system

Do I need to download special versions of a title to see Dolby Vision?

•        Yes

•        To take full advantage of Strato V’s Dolby Vision playback capabilities, a Dolby Vision version of the movie must be downloaded to the system

•        In almost all cases, at the time of purchase, the Kaleidescape store will automatically detect your Strato V player and download the correct Dolby Vision version

•        When configured to minimize display mode changes, Strato V will convert HDR10 content to Dolby Vision format for playback on a Dolby Vision display

•        If a Strato V player is connected to a display that only supports HDR10, then the player will play back in HDR10 on that display

Does Strato V support an HDR10+ display?

•        Kaleidescape does not distribute HDR10+ content

•        When connected to an HDR10+ capable display device, Strato V can play any downloaded HDR10 content

•        In addition, any downloaded Dolby Vision content will be converted to HDR10 for playback


Can I use Strato V and Strato C players in the same system?

•        A Strato V player in grouped mode can be grouped with a Terra Prime movie server that also has one or more Strato C players grouped with it

•        Only the Strato V player will be able to play downloaded Dolby Vision content.

Does Strato V support an external Blu-ray drive for disc-to-digital offers?

•        Yes

•        Refer to the ‘Registering Discs for Disc-to-Digital Offers Using an External USB Blu-ray Drive’ knowledge base article for full instructions

•        DVDs and Blu-ray discs that have been cataloged will not appear on the Strato V’s onscreen display and will not be playable.

Does Strato V support Co-Star pairing?

•        Strato V does not currently support Co-Star pairing

•        If Co-Star support is required, a Strato C should be chosen for that zone

Does Strato V play discs from a Disc Server?

•        No

•        Strato V can only play content that has been downloaded from the Kaleidescape store. It cannot play disc-based content of any format

Can I connect Strato V to a Wi-Fi network for software updates and movie downloads?

•        No, Strato V does not support Wi-Fi networking

•        A hard-wired Ethernet connection with internet access is required to receive software updates and download content from the Kaleidescape store

More Information

Product information here. 

Comparison Chart here.