What am I missing? What's the point of copying the disc to a server if it also has to be in the player? So you can watch in a different room? And why not an option to not upconvert DVDs for people with their own high-end video processors?

Amen to that, GT! One might as well stick with the DVD system and just buy a stand-alone blu-ray since you'll have to get up and feed it in anyway. That's a waste of effort and someone else's money just to "see" your blu-ray titles listed on screen with your other titles!

Yeah the whole thing seems quite worthless to me. For $14,000 I could get a nice display and standalone bluray player for several rooms of the house and save myself the trouble of walking downstairs to the "server" to insert the disc if I'm upstairs and want to watch a movie...

To address the concerns raised here, Kaleidescape is developing a large-capacity disc loader that can import Blu-rays in bulk and keep them in the system so you don't have to insert a disc each time you want to play it. I didn't include it in the main text because it won't be available until next year, but after reading these comments, I see that I should have, so I will add it now.

Once again, UAV, be ware with being a ridiculous magazine for extravagant people who does not know what to do with their money and their lifes.

Bruno, as I've said many times, UAV is about the ultimate in A/V, which means that we cover extreme products such as this. It's not a ridiculous orientation at all, as clearly demonstrated by the many other websites, magazines, and TV shows dedicated to extreme products of various sorts (cars, boats, homes, etc.). Of course, you're entitled to your opinion about our site and the few people who can afford such products, but I feel no need to "be ware" as you warn.

The idea of a media server/network capable of streaming content seemingless to different locations with lossless quality is a very compelling one. Unfortunately, the industry's obsession with protecting content has made it absolutely pointless to even think about the idea as a consumer. Now, on the whole thing about protecting content, one would have thought that with location services (GPS) being so prominent nowadays, it would be fairly simple to add a password-protected solution to blue rays that would allow downloading content once password and location of owner are validated. Even the IP connection can serve as a means of validation in cases where GPS signal and/or cellular tower signal triangulation are weak. And with today's technology, you wouldn't have to do that everytime; just once when you purchase the product the first time. I don't know, just a thought.

OK, Bruno, here is a reader's take on Kaleidescape and other high-end products: No, I can't afford them either, but I'm glad sites like UAV cover them. Since Moore's Law applies to consumer electronics as well as computers, today's outrageously expensive piece of equipment is tomorrow's affordable item -- look at plasma and LED-lit LCD TVs, blu-ray players, AVRs with room correction and advanced surround deconding, etc. Without UAV and other sites, however, none of us consumers would know what's out there, nor would other manufacturers know there's a market for products like media servers. It's sad to see high end consumer electronics so disparaged by people who seem to take these products as a personal affront just because they can't afford them, forgetting that without the expensive first generation product, you don't get a reasonably priced next generation.

Well said, Dakmart!

Capability to load 100 Blu-Rays coming in 2011, big deal I've got more than that now, who knows how many by then. Until we can copy our own purchased product at full quality and resolution any streaming product is pointless.

Meridian26, you can put as many loaders and servers on the network as you want, so there is no limit to the number of discs you can have on the system...except, of course, your budgetary limit.

Dackmart...I agree with you about the process of high tech spreading to mass consumers but, pleaase, try to distinguish between innovative tech and this useless staff (have you read about Runco´s Window Wall, jajaja). Otherwise, you say you can not aford this staff but you are glad UAV cover them...why do you asume my opinion is because I can not aford them?. Some times is necesary to have money to don´t get amazed for everything that costs a lot. Dear Scott...I love your magazine, I foollow your advices and actually I bought a speaker system highly recomended by you. When I dare to coment about the risk to get in to a show off-extravagant magazine, I was thinking in helping, not purely ctriticise. Thank you for answer me!.

I like the artical and view such products as an early adopter item. This is mainly for the reasons expressed here. I'm not an overly rich man either, but I like nice practical technology in my arsenal. Like Dakmart said, without sites like UAV, I wouldn't know what is out there or is being worked on in R&D. At the same time I see Bruno's point of going to far with just out of reach technology, eventhough I do see a fair share of both ends of the spectrum so far on this site.

moronic. At $15,000 or $500. Until ripping, storing, backing-up, etc of 30GIG BD discs becomes less time consuming, mind-numbing, work-intensive, and (I know this word is meaningless here) EXPENSIVE, these units are a complete non-starter. Let's not even begin to consider the absolute udder stupidity of having to re-insert the disc you just ripped for playback. "they're going to develop a 100 disc loader". Ludicrous. Just spend 5-$600 on a 400 disc BD changer that can load up any disc you want in 28 seconds. Why on earth would you go ahead and create such a device with LESS capacity, only to continue to read off the HDD. MPAA? I could care less. Only an imbecile with more money than brains would consider such a inane act. Changer: No ripping. No storing. No Backing-up. No compression. 20 terabytes...instantly. Plug and play. Sure the GUI isn't as aesthetically appealing, but the reasoning above alone surpasses that reality by about, oh, the distance between the sun and

Complete waste of money. Can get same results for $1,400 + 300/TV for universal RF remote. See Sony 400 Disk BR Changer ($700) + HDTV Supply, Inc. 4x4 HDMI Matrix Switcher (each output can output full 1080p 24fps to either HDMI or 2 cat 6 runs with a receiver at the TV that converts back to HDMI) + Harmony RF Remote ($300). Plus can connect 3 additional sources to the Matrix Switcher and can play any source on any of 4 TVs or one source on all 4 TVs. I have this setup with the 400 Disk BR Changer, PS3 (for games/netflix), Cable Box, and Tivo. It's simply awesome for way way less money. Also just to see if it would work, I plugged an old 4 input 1 output switcher ($150) I had into one input of the matrix switcher and then hooked up all four of my sources to the inputs of the switcher. It worked, which essentially meant for an extra $150 I created a 7x4 matrix switcher. Not many people have more than 7 sources. And if you have more than 4 HDTVs, for another $2,000 you can step up to the 8x8 Matrix Swit

I think Kaleidescape is afraid of the movie industry and did not want to be bogged down with numerous lawsuits. I always thought innovation and cutting edge technology was always questioning conventional wisdom. With this design Kaleidescape is only giving into the industry bully because that got there nose a little bloody the last fight.