Ignacy Giżyński
When we talk about cinema-quality in the comfort of home, one brand regularly comes up in professional discussions – Kaleidescape. The company known for delivering reference movie players has just announced that it is entering the world of 8K.
What is Kaleidescape?
Kaleidescape is a brand well-known in the home cinema world for its high-quality equipment and services for playing films. Their products are not just ordinary players – they are devices that download full versions of films in reference quality, with lossless sound and Dolby Vision image, intended for the most demanding users. Instead of streaming, like with Netflix, everything is stored locally on a disk, ensuring fluidity and no loss of quality.
Kaleidescape and 8K – a move towards the future?
The company has announced that it is joining the 8K Association (8KA), which includes members such as Samsung and Hisense. This is a clear signal that it sees a future for 8K resolution, at least in the premium segment. Currently, Kaleidescape does not offer any 8K players or content, but joining 8KA shows the direction in which the company aims to develop. The head of Kaleidescape, Tayloe Stansbury, emphasises that the growing interest in large screens and a more immersive experience means that 8K will become increasingly desirable in home cinemas.
Although Kaleidescape offers a quality that most can only dream of, it must be said openly – this is equipment for a fraction of users. The prices of their devices can reach tens of thousands. These are solutions designed for individuals who are building full-sized home cinemas and expect absolutely reference-quality image and sound.
Where is 8K today?
The 8K market is still in its infancy – very few people have such a television, and even fewer have content in this resolution. It's a classic chicken-and-egg problem: there are no 8K films because there is no one to make them for, and there is no one because no one has an 8K TV. Recently, Sony and LG have withdrawn from developing new models, but Samsung and Chinese brands like Konka are still trying. If Kaleidescape manages to provide 8K content, it could be the impetus that stimulates the entire premium segment. For now, however – it's more a signal of ambition than an announcement of a revolution.
