Kaleidescape just announced its new M500 and M300 Players.  Built on the company’s proprietary M-Class architecture, this next generation of players delivers a new and improved onscreen user interface and Blu-ray support.  The M500 Player copies Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and CDs onto a server.  The imported content can then be played back instantly by M500 and M300 Players, creating the world’s first multi-zone movie server for Blu-ray.

To address the concerns of the studios, Kaleidescape requires the disc to be present when playing Blu-ray content from the server.   Today this means the Blu-ray Disc must be in the tray of an M500 Player.  To enable the full Kaleidescape experience for Blu-ray, the company is developing a disc loader which will keep a large number of discs present within the Kaleidescape system.  It will also provide bulk import, and make it easy to find and retrieve a disc.

“We have invested a great amount of time and resources in developing the M-Class architecture, which is our platform for future innovation,” said Michael Malcolm, Kaleidescape’s founder, chairman and CEO.  “We now have the tools to improve our world-renowned user experience and offer an even greater variety of content.”

Further enhancing the Kaleidescape experience, the company’s award-winning onscreen user interface has been substantially improved with M-Class players.  The Kaleidescape Movie Guide, the largest and most comprehensive of its type with over 135,000 titles, has been expanded to include over 3,300 Blu-ray Disc titles.  Your treasured collection of movies and music is presented in high definition, with eye-popping detail and improved performance.  The company’s patent pending video bookmarks enable advanced features, including instantaneous start of a feature or concert, easy access to favorite scenes or songs, and control triggers to automatically adjust screen masking, lighting and curtains during playback.

The Kaleidescape M500 and M300 Players, when coupled with a Kaleidescape server, play back Blu-ray content and include support for 1080p video with 24 frames per second and bitstream pass-through of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

The Integrated Home is accepting orders now for M500 and M300 Players, and shipments are scheduled to begin May 18th from Kaleidescape.  U.S. MSRP is $3,995 for the M500 Player and $2,495 for the M300 Player.  Both players are compatible with existing Kaleidescape products.  The disc loader is expected to be available in the first half of next year.  Please contact us or visit the new M500 Player Page for more information about the new players and trade-up program for current systems!

Article courtesy of Electronic House Magazine and Photo courtesy of Michael Valentine

Elegant Theater Controls Entire Home

Racks serve audio, Kaleidescape video, Blu-ray and DVRs to any room in the house.

SILVER WINNER: Home Theater $25K-$50K

May 03, 2010 | by Stephen Hopkins

This elegant theater can control the entire house. Most of the time it’s bad when the tail wags the dog, but this elegant theater space serves up audio/video and control of the whole house with composure and class.

When you step through the first set of custom-made brown leather tufted doors, you might think you’re on the wrong side of a bouncer at a trendy club. A red velvet rope separates prying fingers from Middle Atlantic racks serving audio, Kaleidescape video, Blu-ray and DirecTV DVRs (one for each family member) to any room in the house.

The entire rack, including components, was assembled, programmed and tested off-site for easy on-site installation. The theater, along with the rest of the home, is driven and controlled by a Denon audio/video receiver and a Crestron Infinity automation system.

Step through another set of doors and you immediately forget everything in the adjacent room, as you marvel at the elegance and detailed craftsmanship of this dedicated theater. With a JVC HD-ILA projector flashing against a 120-inch Stewart Studiotek 130 screen hiding Paradigm Studio speakers, you’ll just as quickly lose yourself in a classic film or high-def sports action.

“The homeowner had a very clear vision of what he wanted, including all design, construction, and equipment functionality,” says J.W. Anderson of electronics installer The Integrated Home in Charlotte, N.C. The builder, Arcadia Homes of Charlotte, N.C., was instrumental in the craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Items like the custom doors and ceiling finish were selected and arranged by the homeowner, who was extremely hands-on throughout the process. This forethought and focus on priorities led to very few changes and a final cost close to the original budget.

Value speakers, an audio/video receiver and a projector, along with an entry-level Samsung Blu-ray player, were selected for their high performance-to-price ratio, as they could be upgraded at any time.

More expensive items, such as the Kaleidescape DVD server and Crestron control and A/V distribution system, were used because there were few or no other options with the same functionality desired. Room construction and home integration took precedence over pure A/V performance. The custom Crestron interface is identical throughout the home, and all A/V sources can be navigated and selected from any display.

While the homeowner doesn’t have any immediate upgrade plans, there is one major thing he would like to do over. “The homeowner enjoyed the entire build process so much, he says he would love to do it all over again,” says Anderson. He enjoys the theater and control system, but he enjoyed the design and build just as much.

Balancing the Budget
The homeowner and installer focused the budget on room build, automation and equipment not easily upgradeable. A tight balance of modest A/V equipment with strong price/performance ratio kept the room looking and sounding great, while putting the bulk of the electronics money toward automation and distribution.

The Kaleidescape DVD server and Crestron system controls that feed A/V sources throughout the entire house couldn’t be easily integrated later, so they were prioritized as higher-cost items. Speakers, receivers and Blu-ray players are value models, and good candidates to be hot-swapped down the road.

About the Author:

Stephen Hopkins Stephen Hopkins is chief technology editor for EH Publishing. He writes product reviews, features, and focuses heavily on 3D TV, iPhone and iPad apps, and digital content.

Installer/Equipment List

System Design & Installation
The Integrated Home
Charlotte, N.C.
http://www.theintegratedhome.net

Builder
Arcadia Homes
Charlotte, N.C.
http://www.arcadiahomesinc.com

Room Size
22 x 20 feet

Equipment
Samsung BDP-1500 Blu-ray Player
Stewart Filmscreen 120” Luxus Deluxe Fixed Screen
JVC DLA-HD1 1080p Front Projector
Denon AVR-4308CI 7.1 channel receiver
4 Paradigm AMS-150R-30 In-Ceiling Loudspeaker
2 Paradigm DSP-3400 14” front firing powered subwoofer
2 Paradigm Reference Studio 40 2.5-way bookshelf loudspeaker
Paradigm Reference Studio CC-690 center channel loudspeaker
Premier Mounts NOVA-EXT Universal Projector Mount
2 Middle Atlantic Products clamp kits for custom racks
AudioQuest HDMI extender
AudioQuest 1-meter HDMI cable
AVL Systems custom sound panels
4 Dynamic Control DynaBox
RGPC PowerLink in-wall extension kit
Robinson & Robinson non-motorized luxury theater seating