What is Strato V?
Strato V is Kaleidescape’s next-generation movie player. Providing stunning 4K Dolby Vision playback with lossless audio, Strato V works on its own and as part of a larger Kaleidescape system.
Standalone, Strato V has storage for approximately 10 reference 4K movies and downloads movies in as little as 10 minutes during playback, without sacrificing performance.
When grouped, Strato V scales up seamlessly, by adding servers for more storage and players for multiple zones.
Is Strato V replacing Strato C?
No. Customers now have the option to choose between Strato V or Strato C, depending on their needs.
When should I choose Strato V?
- New customers
- With its standalone option, Strato V provides customers with a lower cost of entry
- Customers can add storage with the purchase of Terra Prime movie servers
- When installing in a system that does not decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS:HD, such as an older processor, a two-channel system, or certain soundbars
- When the viewing zone has a TV or projector with Dolby Vision support
When should I choose Strato C?
- Existing customers with a large library of HD content
- When installing in a system that requires an HDMI audio output separate from the HDMI video output
Which player is better for video, Strato C or Strato V?
Both Strato C and Strato V provide full reference video quality. Strato V now incorporates Dolby Vision and has an improved HDMI port, resulting in a cleaner signal.
My Strato V's onscreen display looks softer than that of my Strato C. Why is this?
While the onscreen display of the Strato V is output at 4K resolution, the graphic elements including the cover art images are generated at 1080p resolution and then upscaled to 4K.
Which player is better for audio, Strato C or Strato V?
Both Strato C and Strato V support lossless audio.
I have a system with an older processor or stereo DAC and Strato V made it sound better than Strato C player. Why is that?
Strato V decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS:MA losslessly to 7.1 PCM at 96kHz. Earlier Strato models did not decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS:MA.
What is the difference between the standalone and grouped modes?
Standalone Mode
Strato V has onboard solid-state storage to hold approximately 10 reference reference 4K titles. Movies download in about 10 minutes over a gigabit network, even while watching previously downloaded movies.
When in standalone mode, Strato V:
- Must be activated as a separate system
- Plays movies stored locally on its internal storage drive
- Can convert to grouped mode by adding a Terra Prime movie server
Storage and playback zones can be expanded by grouping it with a Terra Prime movie server. This will change Strato V from standalone to grouped mode.
Grouped Mode
When Strato V is grouped with a system that includes a Terra or Terra Prime movie server, it automatically switches to
grouped mode. In this mode, all movies in onboard storage are deleted and storage is disabled. These movies will need to be redownloaded to the Terra Prime. Strato V will then view and play movies stored on the servers in the system.
To return Strato V to standalone mode, with the power on, initiate a factory reset by pressing and holding the pinhole reset button on the Strato V back panel for 5 seconds until the front panel LEDs begin blinking. The Strato V will reboot and switch to standalone mode. When reactivated in standalone mode, the onboard storage will be empty.
How many movies can Strato V hold?
Strato V has a solid-state drive large enough to store approximately 10 reference 4K titles. Note that this storage is available only when Strato V is operating in
standalone mode.
I have movies in my download queue but my Strato V’s storage is full.
A Strato V in
standalone mode will automatically mark previously downloaded movies that have been in the “Played” collection for at least 48 hours as candidates for deletion. These titles will then be deleted automatically as needed to free enough storage space for new download(s).
How can I prevent movies I’ve already watched from being deleted?
> Movies that have been in the “Played” collection the longest will be selected first. If you want to ensure that a particular movie is not marked as a candidate for automatic deletion, add it to the “Favorites” collection via the Collections flyout on the movie detail sheet on the onscreen display.
Do I need to download special versions of a title to see Dolby Vision?
Yes. To take full advantage of Strato V’s Dolby Vision playback capabilities, a Dolby Vision version of the movie must be downloaded to the system. In almost all cases, at time of purchase, the Kaleidescape store will automatically detect your Strato V player and download the correct Dolby Vision version.
When configured to minimize display mode changes, Strato V will convert HDR10 content to Dolby Vision format for playback on a Dolby Vision display.
If a Strato V player is connected to a display that only supports HDR10, then the player will play back in HDR10 on that display.
How many Dolby Vision titles are available?
There will be over 100 movies available in Dolby Vision at launch.
How can I find Dolby Vision titles in the store?
The video quality filter in the store can be used to find movies in Dolby Vision.
Can Strato V be used to rent movies?
Yes. Movies rented on the Kaleidescape movie store can be played by Strato V in either
standalone mode or when grouped with a server. Rentals are automatically removed from onboard storage after their expiry.
Does Strato V support playback of DVDs or Blu-ray Discs?
No. Strato V can only play content that has been downloaded from the Kaleidescape movie store. It cannot play disc-based content of any format.
What happens when the onboard storage is full?
When full, Strato V automatically frees up space for new movie downloads by removing movies you’ve already watched as necessary. For movie lovers who want to keep their movies available on demand, you can add a movie server.
What if I don’t want specific movies deleted?
If you have played a movie on Strato V but do not want it to be automatically deleted, open the movie details page, scroll down to Collections, and add it to “Favorites”. Adding your movie to the “Favorites” collection will ensure it stays on your system until you remove it from “Favorites” or manually delete it from your player.
Can I add a Terra Prime movie server to Strato V for more storage?
Yes. You can expand the storage capacity of your system by adding a Terra or Terra Prime movie server. However, when you do so, the Strato V player will switch to
grouped mode which disables its internal storage drive. Any content stored on that drive will need to be redownloaded to the Terra server.
Can multiple Strato V players be grouped together?
Strato V players cannot be grouped directly with other Strato V players; they require a server to group. Without a server, the player operates in
standalone mode as a separate, unique system.
There are no limitations on the number of Strato V players that can be grouped with a Terra Prime movie server. However, it is recommended that the number of players in the system be limited to the servers’ maximum guaranteed concurrent playbacks as specified in the Kaleidescape System Server and Component Limits Knowledge Base article.
Does Strato V support an HDR10+ display?
Kaleidescape does not distribute HDR10+ content. When connected to an HDR10+ capable display device, Strato V can play any downloaded HDR10 content. In addition, any downloaded Dolby Vision content will be converted to HDR10 for playback.
Does Strato V have a separate HDMI output for audio?
Strato V does not have a dedicated, audio-only HDMI port. If a separate audio port is needed, use the digital coax or optical audio port. Note, however, that the digital coax and optical audio ports are only active when Strato V’s audio output behavior is set to “PCM Stereo”.
Why is no audio output present on the digital coax or optical audio ports?
The non-HDMI ports on Strato V are only active when the player’s audio output behavior is set to “PCM Stereo”.
Can I use Strato V and Strato C players in the same system?
A Strato V player in
grouped mode can be grouped with a Terra Prime movie server that also has one or more Strato C players grouped with it. Only the Strato V player will be able to play downloaded Dolby Vision content.
I am a long-time Kaleidescape user. How come some of my HD content won’t play on my Strato V player?
Strato V plays a different HD movie format than earlier Kaleidescape players. By launch, most but not all HD content in the store will have been transcoded to be playable on Strato V. More will come over time. Be sure to download movie updates as they become available. All SD and 4K store content will play on Strato V.
A Strato V compatibility report is available on the Kaleidescape movie store to view movies that are playable on Strato V, movies that require an update to be playable on Strato V, and movies that are not yet playable on Strato V.
Does Strato V support an external Blu-ray drive for disc-to-digital offers?
Yes. Refer to the
Registering Discs for Disc-to-Digital Offers Using an External USB Blu-ray Drive Knowledge Base article for full instructions. DVDs and Blu-ray discs that have been cataloged will not appear on the Strato V’s onscreen display and will not be playable.
Does Strato V support Co-Star pairing?
With kOS v10.19.0 or later, Strato V supports Co-Star pairing but only when grouped with a Terra or Terra Prime server. A Strato V in standalone mode does not support Co-Star pairing.
Does Strato V play discs from a Disc Server?
No. Strato V can only play content that has been downloaded from the Kaleidescape store. It cannot play disc-based content of any format.
How will Strato V receive software updates or support going forward?
Kaleidescape provides software updates periodically throughout the year that are automatically rolled out to products, including Strato V, which provide enhancements to user experience, new features, and bug fixes. There is no cost associated to customers to receive these updates, and no action is required.
Can I connect Strato V to a Wi-Fi network for software updates and movie downloads?
No. Strato V does not support Wi-Fi networking. A hard-wired Ethernet connection with internet access is required to receive software updates and download content from the Kaleidescape store.
