Physical & Digital EST: The Future of Home Video Discussion Thread

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Ender14

KALEIDESCAPE: A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE OF 4K HOME ENTERTAINMENT

https://thedigitalbits.com/featured/...-entertainment



This is an interesting read. I will cling to my discs until they pry them from my cold, dead hands. But if the future truly is disc-less then this sounds like the best viable option. What really piqued my interest was quality that is better than UHD disc. If the costs come down then it may be worth looking into for us disc folks assuming discs eventually go away.

That is a great read...thanks for sharing. I couldn’t agree more with your opinions as well. When I went to demo the Trinnov, they were using a Kaleidescape, and I was intrigued enough to ask about the cost. The quality was certainly impressive.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Ender14

Good to have you back!

Originally Posted by gotmule

Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed your collection during your “Time away.”

Thanks guys. Managed to add Twilight Zone series 4 and the war film ‘Come And See’ to my Collection. Looking forward to watching both.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Thank you all for your kind words. If I missed anyone out, I apologise.

I was suspended (imo) for using my right to free speech. I’m guessing another forum member went crying to the mods because they completely misunderstood my post

Never mind.

I am very pleased with your return! The forums just did not feel right without you. Welcome back!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Ender14

KALEIDESCAPE: A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE OF 4K HOME ENTERTAINMENT

https://thedigitalbits.com/featured/...-entertainment



This is an interesting read. I will cling to my discs until they pry them from my cold, dead hands. But if the future truly is disc-less then this sounds like the best viable option. What really piqued my interest was quality that is better than UHD disc. If the costs come down then it may be worth looking into for us disc folks assuming discs eventually go away.

Their downloads are full of DRM that requires that you use their hardware. And have you priced their hardware? The prices are ridiculous for what amounts to little more than a conventional hard drive and even the largest and most expensive ones that they offer still won't hold a very large collection.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchp...=960&keys=keys

Their stand alone "movie players" start at $6000 for a whole 6 TB of storage and go as high as $16,500 for 40 TB of storage. Utterly

If their service were to fail, you would be out a LOT of money.

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Their downloads are full of DRM that requires that you use their hardware. And have you priced their hardware? The prices are ridiculous for what amounts to little more than a conventional hard drive and even the largest and most expensive ones that they offer still won't hold a very large collection.

If their service were to fail, you would be out a LOT of money.

Yeah, I have researched it before. Disc would be my first choice but if the unthinkable happened and they stopped manufacturing discs this is the only option that would offer comparable or better quality. That alone makes it worth considering in my opinion. Much better than compressed, lossy streams for new movies that may not get a disc release.

And Bill mentions in the article the ridiculous price point but pointed to Tesla vehicles as how the pricing could come down to mortal levels over the next few years. Right now I am definitely priced out of owning one and wouldn't have any interest as long as I can still get discs. But if digital does fully replace discs this is the only purchase option for movies I would consider.

[bhampton]

K has gone out of business before.

I would not buy into it. Unless I was an athlete or some other profession where they just pay crazy money.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Ender14

Yeah, I have researched it before. Disc would be my first choice but if the unthinkable happened and they stopped manufacturing discs this is the only option that would offer comparable or better quality. That alone makes it worth considering in my opinion. Much better than compressed, lossy streams for new movies that may not get a disc release.

And Bill mentions in the article the ridiculous price point but pointed to Tesla vehicles as how the pricing could come down to mortal levels over the next few years. Right now I am definitely priced out of owning one and wouldn't have any interest as long as I can still get discs. But if digital does fully replace discs this is the only purchase option for movies I would consider.

I have tracked Kaleidescape prices off and on for years and their prices have never gone down in that time and if discs were discontinued Kaleidescape would have even less reason to lower their prices. If existing competition, discs, didn't result in them lowering their prices over the years a lack of competition certainly won't.

Currently, the entry level cost of admission to Kaleidescape is $6000 for the Strato S Movie Player with its whopping 6TB of storage. How much of a price drop would you need to see before that price became palatable? It wouldn't take very long to fill that up and you would quickly need another one. At $6000 and up per unit, that would become a tad tedious.

Even with their $16,500 40 TB Terra Movie Server, it would not even begin to hold a collection the size of mine. My 4K discs alone would use up two thirds of its storage capacity.

The prices that they charge for their downloads are no bargain, either.

Like with any other digital content provider, if Kaleidescape were to fail you would be left holding the proverbial bag and in this case a very expensive designer label bag.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I am very pleased with your return! The forums just did not feel right without you. Welcome back!

Cheers Vilya. I have still been reading the threads. i even missed Alchav!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Cheers Vilya. I have still been reading the threads. i even missed Alchav!

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I wouldn't mind testing the theory myself, but he never leaves long enough for me to verify the phenomena.

I kid, of course; this thread would not feel right without him, either.

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I have tracked Kaleidescape prices off and on for years and their prices have never gone down in that time and if discs were discontinued Kaleidescape would have even less reason to lower their prices. If existing competition, discs, didn't result in them lowering their prices over the years a lack of competition certainly won't.

Currently, the entry level cost of admission to Kaleidescape is $6000 for the Strato S Movie Player with its whopping 6TB of storage. How much of a price drop would you need to see before that price became palatable? It wouldn't take very long to fill that up and you would quickly need another one. At $6000 and up per unit, that would become a tad tedious.

Even with their $16,500 40 TB Terra Movie Server, it would not even begin to hold a collection the size of mine. My 4K discs alone would use up two thirds of its storage capacity.

The prices that they charge for their downloads are no bargain, either.

Like with any other digital content provider, if Kaleidescape were to fail you would be left holding the proverbial bag and in this case a very expensive designer label bag.

Well, I guess if their prices never came down and disc went away that would be the end of my movie purchasing other than the second-hand disc market. But I'm fairly certain disc will still be around in 20 years. At least they better be.

[moreorless]

Originally Posted by Ender14

KALEIDESCAPE: A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE OF 4K HOME ENTERTAINMENT

https://thedigitalbits.com/featured/...-entertainment



This is an interesting read. I will cling to my discs until they pry them from my cold, dead hands. But if the future truly is disc-less then this sounds like the best viable option. What really piqued my interest was quality that is better than UHD disc. If the costs come down then it may be worth looking into for us disc folks assuming discs eventually go away.

I would imagine that 8K will probably take the form of something like this.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Ender14

Well, I guess if their prices never came down and disc went away that would be the end of my movie purchasing other than the second-hand disc market. But I'm fairly certain disc will still be around in 20 years. At least they better be.

I, and others here, certainly do our part to support physical media. I believe that physical media will remain a niche market for those of us that actually care about something greater than mere economy and convenience.

Digital distribution of music, including downloads that are entirely free of DRM, hasn't even been able to kill off the 38 year-old compact disc. Whether I am being astute or delusional, I remain optimistic that physical media will endure.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I, and others here, certainly do our part to support physical media. I believe that physical media will remain a niche market for those of us that actually care about something greater than mere economy and convenience.

Digital distribution of music, including downloads that are entirely free of DRM, hasn't even been able to kill off the 38 year-old compact disc. Whether I am being astute or delusional, I remain optimistic that physical media will endure.

Has not killed off vinyl either !

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by moreorless

I would imagine that 8K will probably take the form of something like this.

If there was any 8K content beyond a few youtube clips, maybe so.

I am not aware of a single studio that is preparing 8K content for consumer usage. I doubt that there are even any, or extremely few, commercial theaters that are equipped to show 8K content.

Hell, TV stations to this day mostly just broadcast in 720p; many haven't even embraced full 1080p and none broadcast in 4K as far as I know. I don't envision there being any significant amount of 8K content to watch anytime soon.

[Vilya]

I am thinking of buying a mechanical keyboard; my current membrane one is getting a little worn out thanks to age and all of the intriguing contributions I make to this forum. Key mashing during years of playing video games might be a factor, too.

I am leaning towards this one:



https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Plati...s%2C166&sr=8-3

Opinions and advice would be welcome.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I have tracked Kaleidescape prices off and on for years and their prices have never gone down in that time and if discs were discontinued Kaleidescape would have even less reason to lower their prices. If existing competition, discs, didn't result in them lowering their prices over the years a lack of competition certainly won't.

Currently, the entry level cost of admission to Kaleidescape is $6000 for the Strato S Movie Player with its whopping 6TB of storage. How much of a price drop would you need to see before that price became palatable? It wouldn't take very long to fill that up and you would quickly need another one. At $6000 and up per unit, that would become a tad tedious.

Even with their $16,500 40 TB Terra Movie Server, it would not even begin to hold a collection the size of mine. My 4K discs alone would use up two thirds of its storage capacity.

The prices that they charge for their downloads are no bargain, either.

Like with any other digital content provider, if Kaleidescape were to fail you would be left holding the proverbial bag and in this case a very expensive designer label bag.

I was playing around on their site and some of the prices for movies are way out of line with Terminator Dark Fate costing $36.99 as an example.

I am nowhere near considering this as a possibility, but if discs do unfortunately meet their demise at some point down the road, I would consider something like this as an option. Given a choice of a compromised quality experience like streaming currently offers, or rolling the dice on something like Kaleidescape to get the highest quality representation available, I would probably be on board. These are some big “Ifs” though, and hopefully I don’t have to make that decision.

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I am thinking of buying a mechanical keyboard; my current membrane one is getting a little worn out thanks to age and all of the intriguing contributions I make to this forum. Key mashing during years of playing video games might be a factor, too.

I am leaning towards this one:



https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Plati...s%2C166&sr=8-3

Opinions and advice would be welcome.

I have the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2, which is the step below that keyboard. I've had it a little over a year now and have no issues with the keyboard itself. It's very responsive and comfortable to use. The Corsair iCUE software that controls the lighting can be buggy at times. About 5 minutes after start-up it will change the color scheme on the keyboard and fans to colors I have never used. But if I close the program and open it back up it usually behaves after that.

You can see pics of my setup here https://pcpartpicker.com/b/xvGG3C. It includes some shots of the keyboard. I've since added a second monitor but haven't updated the pics.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Ender14

KALEIDESCAPE: A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE OF 4K HOME ENTERTAINMENT

https://thedigitalbits.com/featured/...-entertainment

This is an interesting read. I will cling to my discs until they pry them from my cold, dead hands. But if the future truly is disc-less then this sounds like the best viable option. What really piqued my interest was quality that is better than UHD disc. If the costs come down then it may be worth looking into for us disc folks assuming discs eventually go away.

I just keep remembering Kaleidescape dying and reappearing. Recently their Premier system components are being discontinued. Their marketing is to discount the vitality of physical medium to convince customers that they are the future. And no surprise Bill Hunt is trying to be a troll again to raise site hits.

And keep in mind, I say this as someone who has championed movie discs for more than twenty years now. No one has fought harder than I have for the ability of fans to enjoy their favorite films on disc at home in the best possible quality. But while I hate the idea that discs are eventually going to go away… they are. I named this website The Digital Bits for a reason: Hollywood has firmly set its sights on a Digital future. This is true for cost reasons, for efficiency reasons, for control reasons, even for environmental reasons. Discs might stick around for 10 more years, maybe even 20 at the outside. But what you will start to see much sooner—if current downward sales trends continue—is fewer titles released on disc and more indie distributors throwing in the towel. And one day, the major studios will stop producing discs altogether.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is very likely to be the last physical home entertainment format.

See I mean? Look we don’t need Bill Hunts opinions on his implied disappointment with media and he suggests we get stuck with a proprietary system in the future that has almost gone out of business multiple times. Yeah it has! Even if the components of this system got cheaper, what happens if they did go out of business?

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Ender14

I have the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2, which is the step below that keyboard. I've had it a little over a year now and have no issues with the keyboard itself. It's very responsive and comfortable to use. The Corsair iCUE software that controls the lighting can be buggy at times. About 5 minutes after start-up it will change the color scheme on the keyboard and fans to colors I have never used. But if I close the program and open it back up it usually behaves aftyer that.

You can see pics of my setup here https://pcpartpicker.com/b/xvGG3C. It includes some shots of the keyboard. I've since added a second monitor but haven't updated the pics.

You have a very nice set-up; it's so colorful and mesmerizing. Building your own pc is the only way to go!

I am really enjoying my new curvy monitor and I am thinking about buying another. The old flat 23" monitor next to it kinda ruins the aesthetic now.

What do you think of Cherry MX silver switches? The K95 offers other choices such as brown or blue switches, too. The K95 with Cherry MX silver switches is currently on sale, so my purchase trigger finger is poised over my mouse.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the K70.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

I just keep remembering Kaleidescape dying and reappearing. Recently their Premier system components are being discontinued. Their marketing is to discount the vitality of physical medium to convince customers that they are the future. And no surprise Bill Hunt is trying to be a troll again to raise site hits.

See I mean? Look we don’t need Bill Hunts opinions on his implied disappointment with media and he suggests we get stuck with a proprietary system in the future that has almost gone out of business multiple times. Yeah it has! Even if the components of this system got cheaper, what happens if they did go out of business?

When they do go under, and I bet they will as they have come close so many times, their customers will be screwed. They will be left with a bunch of unplayable downloads and the world's most expensive conventional hard drives.

I have no use for The Digital Conniption Fit. Most of his articles are trash and he constantly begs for money to keep his floundering website afloat. I esteem Sound & Venison above his rag any day.