Posted Wed Apr 24, 2013 at 09:30 AM PDT by Brian Hoss
Warner Bros. licensing allows Kaleidescape owners to bypass disc-ripping and housing.
The Kaleidescape movie server has existed as one of the more extravagant options to wrangle in an overflowing Blu-ray and DVD collection. While using the server to rip all of the owners DVDs and Blu-rays has allowed the user to maintain the quality of disc-based media without having to store and sort through the discs, Kaleidescape has now eliminated the disc entirely, allowing users to purchase and "download movies in exactly the same audio/video quality as Blu-ray discs."
Of course many users may prefer to keep purchasing discs, ripping them, and housing them, as opposed to waiting for 50GB of data per full dual layer Blu-ray to download.
While titles are limited to Blu-rays distributed by Warner Bros., Kaleidescape's Blu-ray prices are competitive and include a digital copy that can be accessed by the user for use on tablets, smartphones , and computers. Even better, Kaleidescape owners can upgrade their ripped "DVDs to Blu-ray quality" downloads through the Kaleidescape store.
The Kaleidescape does not currently support 3D playback, and thus 3D titles are not supported. Still, if Kaleidescape does offer 3D Blu-ray support in the future, then users should also be able to upgrade ripped Blu-rays to 3D Blu-rays.
While buying a Kaleidescape server and player can easily run over $15,000, the ability to own digital versions of movies that are bit-for-bit identical to Blu-rays is a significant feat for HD enthusiasts. Kaleidescape is looking to get more studios on board, and their trail-blazing may pay dividends beyond their current niche.
Source: Electronic House
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