Kaleidescape Strato C Movie Player

The Kaleidescape Strato C is a 4K Ultra HD movie player designed specifically for whole-home and multi-room installations where a central Terra movie server provides content and the Strato C serves as a dedicated playback client in individual rooms. Unlike the Strato M, E, V, and K, the Strato C has no internal movie storage and plays all content streamed locally from a Terra server over a Gigabit Ethernet network. The Kaleidescape Strato C is available at Trutone Electronics in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Kaleidescape Strato C does not support Dolby Vision and is the only current Strato player without this HDR format. The Strato C supports HDR10 and SDR via HDMI 2.0b but Dolby Vision is not part of its specification. Buyers who require Dolby Vision should consider the Strato E, Strato V, or Strato K, all of which include full Dolby Vision support.

The Kaleidescape Strato C supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, and PCM up to 7.1 channels at 96kHz/24-bit. Its audio connectivity is the most comprehensive in the current Strato lineup, including a primary HDMI 2.0a output, a dedicated HDMI 1.4 audio-only output, coaxial RCA, and TOS-link optical. One distinction from newer Strato models is that the Strato C does not support Dolby MAT 2.0 and its internal lossless decoding of DTS:X and TrueHD to PCM operates in a lossy mode.

The Kaleidescape Strato C cannot function as a standalone player and requires a Kaleidescape Terra movie server or another Kaleidescape player with internal storage to provide movies over a local Gigabit Ethernet network. The Strato C has no internal movie storage of any kind. For buyers who want a single-room Kaleidescape system without a server, the Strato M, E, or V are all capable of standalone operation.

The Kaleidescape Strato C supports unlimited player components in a system when grouped with Terra servers. A single Terra movie server can serve up to 10 simultaneous 4K Ultra HD streams or up to 15 simultaneous Blu-ray-quality streams to Strato C players anywhere in the home over a standard Gigabit Ethernet network. A system can include any number of Strato C players, each independently accessing the same shared library, with up to four Terra servers per system for maximum storage capacity.

The Kaleidescape Strato C includes two HDMI outputs where most current Strato players have one — the primary HDMI 2.0a output carries combined video and audio, while the second HDMI 1.4 output carries audio only, allowing simultaneous feeding of a display and a separate audio component. The Strato C also includes coaxial RCA and optical digital outputs. On the video side it uses HDMI 2.0b rather than the HDMI 2.1 of the Strato E and V, and does not support Dolby Vision.

The Kaleidescape Strato C is the purpose-built player for whole-home multi-zone installations where a central Terra server manages the library and distributes content to rooms throughout a property. It is the right choice for custom integration projects, large residences, vacation properties, marine vessels, and commercial spaces where multiple viewing zones need simultaneous access to a shared library. For a single-room system or any use case where standalone operation matters, the Strato M, E, or V are more appropriate.

The Kaleidescape Strato C is housed in a compact silver anodized aluminum chassis measuring 7.87 x 1.52 x 10.0 in, matching the form factor of the Strato V but distinguishable by its silver colour — the only silver-chassis player in the current Strato lineup. It operates silently with no internal fan, drawing a maximum of 20W. The Strato C mounts in a 1U rack space or wall-mounts behind a display using Kaleidescape's standard rack and wall mount hardware.

The Kaleidescape Strato C integrates with Josh.ai, Crestron, AMX, Control4, and Savant via the Kaleidescape control protocol over Ethernet, with Lutron RA3 and HomeWorks lighting control supported directly over Ethernet. A front-panel IR receiver and rear IR input allow integration with IR-based control systems. The Strato C does not support HDMI CEC, which is a relevant consideration in AV systems that use CEC for power and input switching.