Kaleidescape Strato C Movie Player and Compact Terra Movie Server Review

Today, I’ll be reviewing a Kaleidescape Movie System that consists of a Strato C Movie Player and a Compact Terra Movie Server. Together, these two components serve up video that is equal to that of any Ultra HD Blu-ray and audio that in many cases, surpasses what’s found on disc. The user interface is second to none in its ease of use, flexibility, and convenience. It puts a huge library of films right at your fingertips with no splash screens or piracy warnings to spoil the fun.

What do video and audio enthusiasts seek most when considering a component purchase? Performance of course. But what do most entertainment seekers want? Convenience. In some circles, convenience is almost a profane term, and it conjures up another nasty C word, compression. The quest for convenience has brought us crappy streamed video and compressed music that sounds more like a picture of the original rather than the moving piece of art its creators intended.

But what if you could have it all? Movie buffs know that the very best audio and sound quality are found on optical discs where compression is minimal. Object-oriented formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X deliver fantastic sound at home that rivals and even surpasses the best commercial cinemas. But those discs take up physical space. I have six tall bookcases filled to capacity with my movie collection. Boy, would I love to put them all on a couple of compact servers. And as it turns out, Kaleidescape offers that service for discs you already own.

Kaleidescape has been doing this for more than twenty years. When I started in the business, they had a DVD server that you could rip your discs to. When Blu-ray appeared, Hollywood made the process of copying data much more difficult and Kaleidescape was forced to adopt an online movie store model to continue serving its clients. Luckily, they have survived and are still the preeminent vendor of movie servers.

You can build a system with as much storage as you like and as many players as needed for multiple home entertainment systems. Everything is networked through IP which keeps cabling to a minimum. You can store all the servers on a single rack and just put the players where needed. The latest versions are very compact and easy to hide or display them as they are very nicely styled. I received a Strato C Movie Player and a Compact Terra Movie Server to enjoy and review. Let’s take a look.

• Kaleidescape Strato Ultra HD Movie Player Review

Kaleidescape systems can take on several forms, but the basic configuration consists of one or more players and one or more servers. Each display or entertainment system needs a player which outputs both video and audio from an HDMI 2.0a port. If you have an older processor or receiver that doesn’t support HDMI 2.0, the Strato C has an additional HDMI 1.4 output that just passes audio. You can send it in PCM format if you wish.

The Strato C Movie Player is very compact; narrow enough in fact that you can rack-mount two of them side by side in a 1RU space. It’s small enough to attach to the back of a flat-panel TV or the wall if you prefer. It only needs an Ethernet connection to get on your home network. There is no Wi-Fi, so you’ll need a router or switch nearby.

The front panel has a Kaleidescape logo backlit in the center and indicators for network status that light up orange. A tiny power button is hidden at the bottom right. On the back are the two HDMI ports plus digital optical and coax outputs, an IR input, and an RJ-45 jack. The case is made from aluminum and feels very substantial, much more so than its 4.2-pound weight would suggest.

The Compact Terra Movie Server comes in 6 and 22TB sizes. I received a 12TB model which is no longer offered but has the same functionality as the current units. It is the same size as the Strato C from the front but has more depth, 14 inches versus 10. Like the player, two Compact Terras can be mounted side by side in a 1RU rack space. It has just a single RJ-45 jack for its network connection. Both the player and server have external power supplies.

The 12TB system I received has room for 200 Ultra HD or 325 Blu-ray or 1,800 DVDs. If you need more storage than that, the full-size Terras come in 48 or 88TB versions. For the ultimate system, Kaleidescape offers a Strato C player with two 88TB Terras pre-loaded with every currently available Ultra HD movie title. It can be yours for just $90,000.

Though I’ve spent some time describing the hardware, the star of the show here is Kaleidescape’s user interface. This is what you’re paying for and honestly, once you’ve played with it for a few minutes, the price ceases to matter.

You can view your movie collection as covers or in a list. The cover view shuffles itself every time you make a selection to create a browsing experience. The list is alphabetical and can be organized by category if you wish. A powerful search function lets you drill down through genres, actors, directors, and other key fields to find your content.

How does all that goodness get there? Through the Kaleidescape Movie Store of course. Since ripping discs is no longer legal, they’ve moved everything online, and I mean everything. They have a tremendous collection of Ultra HD titles, and their full catalog is nearly 14,000 titles strong, with 9,000 available for rental. At this writing, 700 of their UHD titles are not available on disc.

The best part of all this is the sound. Many titles include audio that is less compressed than what comes on a disc. And if a movie is available in Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, Kaleidescape makes those codecs available. The latest video formats are there too like 4K UHD and HDR10. Movies cost about the same as their disc-based counterparts to own and many titles can be rented.

Installing the two-piece system I received was fairly easy. The only challenge was to find two free network ports on the router behind my TV. Each component needs its own hardwired Ethernet connection. There is no Wi-Fi here. The Strato C and Terra are small enough to require external power bricks. Once I had them on the network, I ran the included HDMI cable from the Strato C to my Anthem MRX-740 receiver. A remote control is included that I suspect will get very little use in most systems as the Strato can interface with all the latest home automation systems like Control 4 and Crestron. It is backlit and has all the necessary transport and navigation buttons. I had to turn on the Terra Server with its tiny hidden power button and once everything was up and running, it stayed on full-time.

The player and server found each other within a few moments, then the interface appeared. Kaleidescape was kind enough to load up the Terra with lots of movies, many of them in Ultra HD with HDR and object-oriented sound. I also downloaded an app that not only controls the Strato C Player but also accesses the movie store and runs on smartphones and tablets. It has a cool swipe function for navigation that is very precise. And the best part is it uses IP rather than IR, so you don’t need a line of sight.

Using a Kaleidescape system is easy enough that literally anyone with or without opposable thumbs can figure it out. I wouldn’t be surprised to come home one day and see my Chihuahua watching Top Gun: Maverick. The main screen shows thumbnails of all the movies stored on the server. This is great for surfers because the covers shuffle themselves to relevant titles every time you make a selection. If you’d rather browse a list, you can see all the stored titles in alphabetical order. Picking one takes you to a comprehensive info screen with all the vital statistics and a list of scenes. You can add to this list to create your own demos. Starting the movie takes you straight to the opening with almost no delay and no splash screens, previews, or piracy warnings. Even my Apple TV isn’t this responsive.

The Kaleidescape experience encompasses everything one does to watch movies and other content. If you want to add something to your collection, the Movie Store is right there. You can buy or rent any title and download it right then or queue it up for later. Speeds obviously depend on your internet service but with some movies topping 100Gb in size, it’s probably best to download new items well before you want to watch them.

I also found movies loaded on my Terra that are not available on disc. Avatar: The Way of Water isn’t even out for pre-order on Blu-ray yet but it’s available from Kaleidescape for $25 in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos. And remember, when you’ve bought it, you own it like a disc and can watch it forever.

To evaluate video and audio quality, I started with a familiar title, Top Gun: Maverick. It’s there in HDR of course with a killer Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Dynamic range is tremendous with perfect clarity in the loudest and quietest sequences. Even the most bombastic effects are distortion-free with every fine detail preserved. Films like this are a great way to showcase premium audio gear. And the picture looks great too. A recent release like this is truly a visual feast. I can’t imagine finding a better-looking version of this film.

Many older movies are available in 4K HDR like Vertigo. You can see just how Alfred Hitchcock was a stickler for quality when watching this transfer. It absolutely destroys my Blu-ray version with gorgeous film-like video and audio to rival any commercial cinema. The soundtrack is DTS-HDMA and sounds fantastic with clear and balanced dialog and a warm musical background.

Speaking of music, I found some fun concerts in the Terra’s preloaded collection. I watched a few clips from a performance of all six Brandenburg Concerti by J.S. Bach. The audio was PCM 5.1, and it truly delivered a concert hall effect with just enough surround information to create a 3D envelope. I also watched parts of performances by Adele and Chris Botti and had the same experience. Both had uncompressed audio (DTS-HDMA and True HD respectively) and sounded amazing. My only complaint is that there aren’t more concerts available from the Kaleidescape Movie Store. This system is a real music machine.

The Kaleidescape Strato C Movie Player and Compact Terra Movie Server are certainly expensive but have no real equal or competition in the marketplace.

I’ll likely never be able to afford a Ferrari but years ago, I rode in one around a racetrack. It was an eye-opening experience because I suddenly realized why it cost so much and why the price didn’t matter. Kaleidescape movie systems are the same way. The Strato C Player and Compact Terra Movie Server retailed for almost $12,000 but within a few minutes of firing them up, I forgot about the price and just sat back and enjoyed. The hardware delivers the best possible video and sound quality and does so with no fuss or fiddling. I had the two boxes installed and running in less than 10 minutes and they worked flawlessly.

With a tremendous library of titles, the Kaleidescape Movie Store will keep your server filled with Ultra HD movies. You can also add concerts and TV shows to your library without ever getting off the couch. The user interface is unparalleled and probably the single best thing for media surfing since the invention of cable TV.

The Kaleidescape Strato C Player and Compact Terra Movie Server are some of the most fun I’ve had writing a review. I wish I could afford them, but I am grateful to have had the opportunity to symbolically drive a Ferrari. These are truly the coolest and most capable video components I’ve experienced.