Audio Video News

Few products invoke the raw, carnal "I must have you!" lust like Kaleidescape. They invented the concept of the DVD movie server and then wrapped it in an interface that would get Steve Jobs hot and bothered. Let's face it; their system is awesome. And I don't care about that computer that you've Franken-modded together to kind of be like a Kaleidescape. Face it: It's not a Kaleidescape.

Oh, but the sexy-sexy joys of Kaleidescape ownership has always come with a price. That price being a wallet clutching, credit card melting, take-out-a-third-mortgage-on-your-sub-prime-loan price tag that many found excruciating. Rejoice, for Kaleidescape has heard your cries and finally answered them in the form of a price drop.

Before you get too carried away, this is a modest price drop that mainly comes in the form of restructuring the way that Kaleidescape systems are sold. In the past, users were required to purchase a "license" granting them yearly or lifetime access to Kaleidescape's movie and/or music service. This price added a couple thou to the overall price of a system. Now the lifetime subscription to both movies and music services are included with every system. Also, they have increased the size of the hard disk cartridges to 1 Terabyte each (from 750 Gigabytes). This means that a fully loaded 1U server can now store any combination of 450 movies or 4950 CDs and be yours for under $16,500.

Also, Kaleidescape's CEO, Michael Malcolm, has gone on record saying that Kaleidescape will offer support for Blu-ray discs in 2009. This will require a new Blu-ray capable player, which will be able to import discs to the server in the same manner that current DVDs and CDs are loaded. This new Blu-capable player is expected to sell at the same price as the current Movie Player ($3995).

If you're wondering just what Kaleidescape is or why you need to have one, you can read my reviews here and here. – John Sciacca