HDTV News Poster
06-21-2008, 08:12 AM
<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/category/hdtv/" rel="tag">HDTV</a>, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/category/homeentertainment/" rel="tag">Home Entertainment</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.engadgethd.com/media/2008/06/kaleidescape_1080p_player_small.jpg" /><br /></div>
And you thought Toshiba's <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/30/toshiba-knows-no-shame-plans-to-release-super-resolution-dvd-pl/">super-resolution DVD player</a> taking on Blu-ray was comical. <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/tag/Kaleidescape/">Kaleidescape</a> -- the company famous for selling grossly overpriced (albeit fanciful) DVD / BD <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/05/kaleidescape-to-gain-blu-ray-support/">archiving systems</a> for wealthy home theater junkies -- has just announced two new standalone DVD players that "provide a viewing experience that rivals Blu-ray." The argument goes something like this: there are 170,000 titles on DVD, and "just 6,000" (wait, for real?) on BD -- why support the next-gen format when these two upscaling DVD players display content that is utterly indiscernible from Blu-ray. For starters, the outfit is launching the 1080p Player (pictured), which earns the "ultimate DVD player" label by featuring a Sigma Designs Gennum VXP chip, 10-bit processing and full support for Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG and PCM audio formats. The 1080p Mini Player offers the same, but in a tinier package meant for inconspicuous installations. Granted, both units <em>do</em> have exclusive access to Kaleidescape's Movie Guide database, but that hardly justifies the $4,295 / $2,995 price tags (in addition to the required $10,000 Kaleidescape System). Full release after the jump.<br /><br />
<div align="center"><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/photos/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-ray/">Kaleidescape claims new 1080p upscaling DVD players "rival Blu-ray"</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/photos/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-ray/867663/"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/06/kaleidescape_1080p_player_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.engadget.com/photos/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-ray/867662/"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/06/kaleidescape_1080p_mini_player_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /></div><p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Kaleidescape claims new 1080p upscaling DVD players "rival Blu-ray"</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>*|*<a href="http://www.engadget.com/forward/1228394/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>*|*<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
Link To Original Article (http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/)
And you thought Toshiba's <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/30/toshiba-knows-no-shame-plans-to-release-super-resolution-dvd-pl/">super-resolution DVD player</a> taking on Blu-ray was comical. <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/tag/Kaleidescape/">Kaleidescape</a> -- the company famous for selling grossly overpriced (albeit fanciful) DVD / BD <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/05/kaleidescape-to-gain-blu-ray-support/">archiving systems</a> for wealthy home theater junkies -- has just announced two new standalone DVD players that "provide a viewing experience that rivals Blu-ray." The argument goes something like this: there are 170,000 titles on DVD, and "just 6,000" (wait, for real?) on BD -- why support the next-gen format when these two upscaling DVD players display content that is utterly indiscernible from Blu-ray. For starters, the outfit is launching the 1080p Player (pictured), which earns the "ultimate DVD player" label by featuring a Sigma Designs Gennum VXP chip, 10-bit processing and full support for Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG and PCM audio formats. The 1080p Mini Player offers the same, but in a tinier package meant for inconspicuous installations. Granted, both units <em>do</em> have exclusive access to Kaleidescape's Movie Guide database, but that hardly justifies the $4,295 / $2,995 price tags (in addition to the required $10,000 Kaleidescape System). Full release after the jump.<br /><br />
<div align="center"><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/photos/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-ray/">Kaleidescape claims new 1080p upscaling DVD players "rival Blu-ray"</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/photos/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-ray/867663/"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/06/kaleidescape_1080p_player_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.engadget.com/photos/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-ray/867662/"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/06/kaleidescape_1080p_mini_player_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /></div><p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Kaleidescape claims new 1080p upscaling DVD players "rival Blu-ray"</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>*|*<a href="http://www.engadget.com/forward/1228394/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>*|*<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
Link To Original Article (http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/kaleidescape-claims-new-1080p-upscaling-dvd-players-rival-blu-r/)