Frequently Asked Questions

Kaleidescape was founded with the goal of developing a new category of products that redefine the home entertainment experience. The Kaleidescape System is an entertainment server that has changed the way movies and music are collected and enjoyed in the home, yacht and private jet. The Kaleidescape System combines a compelling user interface, an outstanding industrial design, and services that set new standards in the consumer electronics industry. Kaleidescape was founded in 2001 and is privately held. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California; research and development is conducted by Kaleidescape Canada, Inc., based in Waterloo, Ontario. Our products are available through a network of custom-installation dealers and distributors throughout the world.

Kaleidescape is privately held and profitable. Kaleidescape's investors comprise fourteen individuals, most of whom have been successful entrepreneurs and investors in technology companies over the past 25 years.

The Kaleidescape System is an entertainment server that makes it much more fun and convenient to enjoy movies and music in your home. It lets you store your entire collection of DVDs and CDs on an array of fail-safe hard disk drives. It automatically documents and organizes them, and makes them instantaneously available for viewing or listening in every room of your home. The intuitive and entertaining Kaleidescape user interface provides various ways for you to browse and select your movies and music. You can play, pause, resume, even bookmark and later jump to favorite movie scenes, create personalized scripts and play lists, and exercise parental controls over which movies and music are available in each room of your home. Kaleidescape makes it easy for the whole family to enjoy a large collection of DVD movies and audio CDs.

Kaleidescape has 8 United States patents, and an additional 38 patents pending (22 of which are pending in the United States), over 3 million lines of source code, and substantial proprietary IP rights in circuit designs and industrial designs.

The Kaleidescape System solves the problem of managing a large collection of DVDs and CDs. Many of us have this problem in our home. The Kaleidescape System organizes DVDs and CDs, keeps them organized (and safe), catalogs them so you can find what you are looking for, and stores them for easy access. The Kaleidescape System has a fun and intuitive user interface that changes the "problem" of finding a movie or album into an entertaining experience for the whole family.

Kaleidescape Conductor is a PC application that copies music from your Kaleidescape Music Library to your computer so that you can enjoy it with your iPod or other portable music player. Once you have installed Kaleidescape Conductor, you can choose the Music Collection you wish to copy to your computer. Kaleidescape Conductor updates the Kaleidescape music on your computer as you add or remove music from your chosen Music Collection. The Kaleidescape music on your computer may be managed with iTunes and other media players, and Mix Albums are automatically converted to iTunes playlists. To install Kaleidescape Conductor, go to the Web Utility, and click on the link to install Kaleidescape Conductor. Kaleidescape plans to release a version of Conductor for Mac OS X in the future.

Those who appreciate classical music often organize their music differently than fans of other varieties of music. So Kaleidescape has added two new Classical Music Collections. The Classical Composers collection lists the composers of the classical music in your library and shows biographical information about each composer and the compositions in your library by that composer. The Classical Works collection displays the classical compositions in your library and shows you all the available performances of each work.

With User-defined Music Collections, you can organize your music any way you see fit. In this way, you can create "Dad's College Albums and Artists" or "Exercise Albums". Collections can contain Albums, Artists, Genres, and/or Mix Albums. To create a new Music Collection, use the Music tab of the Web Utility, choose "My Collections" and click on "Create New Collection". Once you name your new Music Collection, you can add music to it anytime using either the Web Utility or the onscreen display. With the onscreen display, add music to a Music Collection by selecting "Add to Collection" on the details page of any album, artist or genre. Whenever you import a new album, this music is automatically added to any Music Collection that contains the Artist or a Genre of that album.

Some movie subtitles may appear in the black letterboxing below the movie image. If you use automated screen masking, the subtitles may then be obscured by the mask. The Kaleidescape System now offers the option of repositioning subtitles within the movie image. Choose this option with the Web Utility by using the Screen Masking tab in the Video Settings window for any Movie Player — the subtitles of any movie in the Kaleidescape Movie Guide database will then be automatically repositioned.

Yes, scripts can be exported from one Kaleidescape System and imported on another, including its favorite scenes whenever the second System has the same movies. This feature lets you share your favorite scripts with other owners of Kaleidescape Systems, or between your Kaleidescape Systems.

Yes, you can use an in-wall keypad to control music. This is useful for listening zones that have no video display and no touch panel. Kaleidescape's very simple keypad interface includes button presets for playing specific albums, mix albums, artists, genres, collections, including User-defined Music Collections. You can cycle through any collection by using next and previous buttons, and you can press-and-hold a button to set it to the now playing list. With some compatible keypads, you can even determine the status of the System through selective lighting of buttons. For example, if Preset 1 is currently playing, the lights on the "Play" and "Preset 1" buttons may be active.

Kaleidescape's security architecture prevents movies and albums from being accessed or transmitted over the Internet. It is also impossible for computers inside or outside of the home to play back movies or albums stored on a Kaleidescape System. The content on a Kaleidescape Server is only accessible to Kaleidescape Players that are attached to the same Ethernet LAN.

You can use the Web Utility to restrict access to movies based on their MPAA ratings (e.g., G, PG-13, R). You can set a different restriction on each viewing zone. The Kaleidescape System completely hides the existence of restricted movies — no titles, no cover art, no indication of any kind. You can also use the Web Utility to create passwords that can be used to override these restrictions.

Yes.

Yes. Kaleidescape Players and Readers are only able to read Region 1 DVDs as shipped. The installer can use the Web Utility to set these components to any other region, but it is not possible to set them to be region-free, and you can only change the region of a given component up to four times. These restrictions are dictated by Kaleidescape's CSS License Agreement with the DVD Copy Control Association, Inc. You can have multiple Players and Readers in the same System set to different regions. The Movie Player and Movie Player 2 will play back any DVD movie once it is imported, regardless of its region code.

Yes.

You can import DVD-Video that you have authored with DVD authoring tools like Apple's iDVD, Microsoft's Windows DVD Maker, Pinnacle Studio 11, Nero Vision, Ulead DVD MovieFactory, Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Suite, DVDit Pro, or DVD-Video that you have received from VHS-conversion services like YesDVD, or DVD-Video that you have created using a set-top DVD Recorder. Any Movie Player or Music Player can import content in DVD-Video format from DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW discs. The video resolution should be "Full D1", that is either 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL). The video format should be MPEG-2. The frame rate for NTSC should be 29.97. The audio format should be PCM 48 kHz 16 bit, DTS, or Dolby Digital or MP2. If you want to use analog outputs from Dolby Digital, then it should be 2.0 or 5.1. Analog outputs are not available from DTS. DVDs that have been authored at lower resolution (e.g. Half-D1) will not play on the Kaleidescape System. If you author a DVD using MPEG-2 video and MPEG-1 Audio Layer II (MP2) audio, then you will need to either use the analog audio outputs on your Kaleidescape components or else use HDMI and ensure that your A/V receiver supports MP2 (most North American A/V receivers do not).

Yes. The Kaleidescape System has been designed for the anticipated widespread availability of HD content. The massive disk capacity of the Server is ideal for storing HD movies. A few HD titles are already being distributed by Kaleidescape pre-loaded on every new Kaleidescape System, and more will be available in the future.

Kaleidescape's patent-pending video bookmarks enhance your movie viewing experience. They provide the flexibility to begin playing a movie wherever you want: the start of the main feature, a trailer, or one of your favorite scenes. The Kaleidescape System also uses special video bookmarks to issue event cues to the control system, signaling the beginning of a feature movie, the beginning of the end credits, the end of the movie, and other significant events that may require changes in lighting, position of motorized curtains, screen masking, etc. Many of these bookmarks are provided automatically through Kaleidescape's Movie Guide service. In addition, users can insert custom bookmarks to mark their favorite scenes in movies. Using bookmarked favorite scenes, customers can showcase their theaters by playing a sequence of all their favorite clips. Favorite scenes are also compelling for demonstration purposes in A/V showrooms.

In order to change the region code of a Kaleidescape Player or Reader, a DVD containing the new region code must be present in the Player or Reader's DVD/CD-ROM drive. Kaleidescape recommends the following procedure when changing region codes. Locate the component (Player or Reader) whose region code you wish to change on the Components tab of the Installer Web Utility. Set "When Import Finishes:" to "Keep disc in drive" and click "OK". Click "Settings" to open the Video Settings pop-up window and select the "REGION" tab. Insert a DVD of the desired region code into the appropriate Player or Reader. Select the new region code using the pull-down menu and click "OK".

If we made it region-free, that would be in violation of our CSS License Agreement with the DVD Copy Control Association, Inc.

To delete a movie from your Kaleidescape System, you must use the Kaleidescape Web Utility. In the Web Utility, click on the Movies tab, check the box to the left of each movie you wish to delete, and click on "Move to Trash" at the bottom of the page. To delete the movies permanently, choose the "Trash Can" collection in the drop-down menu at the top left of the page, and click on "Delete Permanently" at the bottom of the page.

No. Subtitles are stored as images, not as text, on DVDs. The Kaleidescape System cannot change the color, font or size of subtitles.

Yes, you can create many favorite scenes for a movie so long as you give the scenes different names. Whenever you create a favorite scene, it gets a default name. If you create a second favorite scene for the same movie without changing the default name of the first favorite scene, then the second favorite scene will overwrite the first. You can change the default name of a favorite scene with the onscreen display by viewing the movie details and selecting "Name Favorite Scene"; or during movie playback by calling up the info menu, using the left/right arrows, and selecting "Name Favorite Scene". You can then enter a new name for the favorite scene. With a control panel you may be able to do this using an alphanumeric keybord, while with a remote control you can rename the scene to be something like "Scene 1" or "Scene 2".

You can also use the Web Utility to rename favorite scenes; go to the "Movies" tab of the Web Utility and select the "Favorite Scenes" collection. We suggest managing multiple favorite scenes with the Web Utility.

No. If you have already imported a multi-disc set, you can not selectively delete discs from the set. That is, you can not delete selected episodes, special editions, or alternate versions after they have been imported as a set. Use the Web Utility to delete the entire set and then re-import just the discs, or sides of discs, containing the content that you want. This applies to both DVD sets and CD sets.

No, if they are on the same disc side. You can not selectively import or delete parts of a disc side.

Some movie subtitles may appear in the black letterboxing below the movie image. If you use automated screen masking, the subtitles may then be obscured by the mask. The Kaleidescape System now offers the option of repositioning subtitles within the movie image. Choose this option with the Web Utility by using the Screen Masking tab in the Video Settings window for any Movie Player — the subtitles of any movie in the Kaleidescape Movie Guide database will then be automatically repositioned.

Yes, scripts can be exported from one Kaleidescape System and imported on another, including its favorite scenes whenever the second System has the same movies. This feature lets you share your favorite scripts with other owners of Kaleidescape Systems, or between your Kaleidescape Systems.

If you pause a DVD that you were playing without importing, then you can resume playback from the "New" tab of the Movie Collections page on the onscreen display, by selecting "DVD in drive" and "Resume Disc".

Scripts can be shared using the Scripts place of the Web Utility. You can export and import scripts as script files. A script file is a small data file containing all the instructions of the script but not the video content. You can send script files as email attachments or by any other method for sending files between computers. A script will play best on a Kaleidescape System that has all the necessary movies.

A DVD or CD changer can play only one DVD movie or audio CD at a time, and it is generally dedicated to one play-back zone in the home. The Kaleidescape System is based on hard-disk technology, which provides very fast, random access to your entire content collection, and makes it possible to use the system simultaneously from multiple play-back zones. A Kaleidescape System can play movies and music in different rooms at the same time, and it makes your entire DVD and CD collection available throughout your home. You can even play a movie or an album that is already playing in a different room. Kaleidescape's highly optimized software provides sub-second response times when you start a movie or album, play a trailer, or move from chapter to chapter, favorite scene to favorite scene, or track to track.

Kaleidescape's unique Movie Guide and Music Guide Services enhance your home entertainment experience with detailed information about the movies and albums you have imported. In addition, Kaleidescape's patent-pending video bookmarks provide the ability to begin playing a movie wherever you want: the start of the main feature, a trailer, or one of your favorite scenes. The Kaleidescape System also uses special video bookmarks to issue "event cues" to the control system (such as Crestron or AMX) to signal the beginning of a feature movie, the beginning of the end credits, the end of the movie, changes in aspect ratio, and other significant events that the control system can use to automatically control the lighting, motorized curtains, screen masking, etc.

For the subtitles of a DVD to be repositioned by the Kaleidescape System, the DVD must have been processed by the Kaleidescape Movie Guide Service. If the movie details page shows "Play Movie" or "Play Episode", then the DVD has been processed and the subtitles for that movie should reposition. If "Play Movie" or "Play Episode" are not shown, then please loan your DVD to Kaleidescape so that we process it. For more information about the Kaleidescape Movie Guide Service Loan Program, please see the DVD/CD Loan Process Quick Reference Guide at http://www.kaleidescape.com/files/documentation/Kaleidescape-QRG-001-DVD-CD-Loan-Process.pdf or http://www.kaleidescape.com/files/documentation/Kaleidescape-QRG-DVD-CD-Loan-Process-Europe.pdf.

No. We may add a feature for sharing Mix Album information in a future release of KEAOS.

Yes, the Kaleidescape System now supports this feature with Kaleidescape Conductor. Kaleidescape Conductor copies all or part of your Kaleidescape Music Library to your computer so you can enjoy it with your iPod portable music player or other portable music player.

The current release of the KEAOS software does not support this feature directly. However, Kaleidescape customers can burn CDs with the music on their PC and import these CDs into their Kaleidescape System. For best results, first import your CDs directly into your Kaleidescape System. A direct import has higher audio quality and fewer pops and dropouts. When a CD is imported into the Kaleidescape System, it is not compressed and all of the fidelity of the original CD is preserved.

No, you must import a CD to a Kaleidescape Server before you can play it. You can import a CD with the Movie Player 2, the Music Player, or the now-discontinued Reader.

This feature is generally part of a distributed audio control or automation system. Typical installations of these systems allow any source to be listened to in any room. Any music zone from your Kaleidescape System can be selected in any listening area. The way to play the same music throughout your entire home is to play the music from a single zone in every listening area.

We may add the ability to synchronize multiple Kaleidescape music zones in a future release of KEAOS for use by customers that do not have a distributed audio control system.

No. We may add this feature in the future.

The Music Server automatically controls the volume for fade-outs and fade-ins and for normalization. There is no way to explicitly control the volume through the Music Player or the Movie Player. Volume control should be performed via an audio amplifier. In distributed audio control and home automation systems the volume control is usually facilitated by touch panels and keypads throughout the home.

The Now Playing place shows the list of albums and songs that have been most recently played. This list is not remembered when you replace the music in Now Playing by something else. However, at any time, you can make a Mix Album from the music currently listed in Now Playing.

This situation can arise in the rare case that Conductor begins to copy music to your laptop computer but you move your laptop away from your Kaleidescape System before you start iTunes. In order to make sure that Conductor can update your music in iTunes, ensure that Kaleidescape Conductor is connected to your Kaleidescape System and that iTunes is installed and running. If your computer cannot make the connection to your Kaleidescape Server, then Conductor will not add music to your iTunes library even if Conductor has already copied some music files to your computer.

No. The Music Server software can play music through any Movie Player as well as through Music Players. You do not need any additional hardware to enjoy music with your Kaleidescape System once it is running the Music Server software.

Yes. The hard disks of the Kaleidescape Server store exact (lossless) copies of the digital data imported from your CDs. The Kaleidescape Movie Player, Movie Player 2 or Music Player will convert these bit streams into digital and analog audio outputs just as if you were playing the CD in a reference-quality CD player.

Kaleidescape Conductor can copy your entire Kaleidescape Music Library or any single Music Collection to your computer. If you want to copy just one song from an album, then create a Mix Album containing that song, and add it to the Music Collection that is copied to your computer. Of course, you can also add other songs to that Mix Album and you can add other albums, mix albums, genres and artists to that Music Collection.

The Movie Player 2 and the Music Player both have a DVD/CD drive, with which you can import CDs and DVDs. Most Kaleidescape Dealers and some third-party service companies provide bulk loading services that ease the importing of large collections of CDs and DVDs into Kaleidescape Systems.

You can browse the list of currently playing songs in the onscreen display from Now Playing. Now Playing will allow you to select songs, skip backwards or forwards between albums and tracks, and repeat and randomize playback.

You can select Repeat and/or Random from Now Playing in the onscreen display. Repeat plays the Now Playing list repeatedly; when it reaches the end it automatically starts over again at the beginning. Random plays all the songs in the Now Playing list in random order rather than sequentially. If both Random and Repeat are selected, the music will play continuously in random order. If neither is selected, the Now Playing list of songs will play sequentially and then stop at the end.

A CD needs to be recognized by the Kaleidescape Music Guide Service as a Classical Music album in order to appear in the Classical Music Collections. If you have a CD that is not recognized as a Classical Music album, please contact Kaleidescape about including this album in the Music Guide Service.

The Classical Music Collections (Classical Composers and Classical Works) will automatically appear once you have imported at least one CD that is recognized by the Kaleidescape Music Guide Service as a Classical Music album.

If you import your CDs into your Kaleidescape System, you will have an uncompressed lossless copy of each of your CDs on your Kaleidescape System. The Kaleidescape System uses a proprietary method for reading CDs that eliminates most of the clicks, pops, and other noises that can result from read errors when you rip a CD to your PC.

Yes. A Mix Album is a named, permanent playlist. A Mix Album is an album that you create yourself.

Kaleidescape's Music Server is a software option for the Kaleidescape System. There is also a Music Player hardware product that can be used with any Kaleidescape System that has a Music Playback license to deliver content to music-only zones. This is not a new product line — it is an extension of the Kaleidescape System.

Yes, but the Now Playing list is a temporary playlist without any special name. It is the list of the music you have chosen to play. It's like a few LPs stacked up on an old record changer, or a programmed sequence of tracks on a CD player or changer. If you wish to play some other music, and select "Replace playing music" then the Now Playing list will be replaced by your new selection; if you select "Let all playing music finish first," then your new selection will added to the end of the Now Playing list.

In the Preferences tab of the User Web Utility, you can select the normalization option; to do this check the box marked "During music playback: Adjust the volume so that songs play at similar volumes". When this option is turned on, the loudness level of each song is adjusted automatically to achieve a uniform average loudness level. By default, this option is turned off.

When playing music, songs smoothly fade out when stopping or pausing, and fade in when returning from pause. Songs played in the same order as on the original CD play exactly as if you were playing them on the CD, with no cross-fading and without extra gaps between songs.

In the Preferences tab of the User Web Utility, you can select the cross-fading option; to do this, check the box marked "When going from one song to another: fade out one song and fade in the next one, when appropriate". When this option is turned on, songs played out of order will cross-fade using a proprietary algorithm. By default, this option is turned on.

Those who appreciate classical music often organize their music differently than fans of other varieties of music. So Kaleidescape has added two new Classical Music Collections. The Classical Composers collection lists the composers of the classical music in your library and shows biographical information about each composer and the compositions in your library by that composer. The Classical Works collection displays the classical compositions in your library and shows you all the available performances of each work.

With User-defined Music Collections, you can organize your music any way you see fit. In this way, you can create "Dad's College Albums and Artists" or "Exercise Albums". Collections can contain Albums, Artists, Genres, and/or Mix Albums. To create a new Music Collection, use the Music tab of the Web Utility, choose "My Collections" and click on "Create New Collection". Once you name your new Music Collection, you can add music to it anytime using either the Web Utility or the onscreen display. With the onscreen display, add music to a Music Collection by selecting "Add to Collection" on the details page of any album, artist or genre. Whenever you import a new album, this music is automatically added to any Music Collection that contains the Artist or a Genre of that album.

A Mix Album is a user-defined list of songs. The user can create, name, and edit Mix Albums with the Web Utility or the onscreen display. A Mix Album can be played just like any other album.

Kaleidescape Conductor is a PC application that copies music from your Kaleidescape Music Library to your computer so that you can enjoy it with your iPod or other portable music player. Once you have installed Kaleidescape Conductor, you can choose the Music Collection you wish to copy to your computer. Kaleidescape Conductor updates the Kaleidescape music on your computer as you add or remove music from your chosen Music Collection. The Kaleidescape music on your computer may be managed with iTunes and other media players, and Mix Albums are automatically converted to iTunes playlists. To install Kaleidescape Conductor, go to the Web Utility, and click on the link to install Kaleidescape Conductor. Kaleidescape plans to release a version of Conductor for Mac OS X in the future.

The Kaleidescape Music Player is a high-performance audio component that is designed to play up to four independent music zones through digital and analog audio outputs. A Music Player can be used to provide audio to zones not equipped with a video display. Also, the Music Player incorporates a combo DVD/CD disc drive that can import CDs and DVDs to the Kaleidescape System. Each Music Player can be controlled by a touch panel, an in-wall touch pad or one of the Control Panels available in the Web Utility.

The imported CD music data is stored on the hard disks of your Kaleidescape Server(s), along with the data from imported DVDs. The CD music is imported and stored without losing any quality from data compression, and your CD and DVD data will all be protected against disk failure by Kaleidescape's proprietary RAID-K storage system.

The Kaleidescape System has the best user interface in the industry — finding and playing your music is easy, intuitive and fun for everyone. The Kaleidescape System provides the richest information about your music along with a very flexible way to navigate through such information onscreen. The Kaleidescape System is more reliable — it just works. Your music files are protected on hard disk by Kaleidescape's proprietary RAID-K storage system, which means you don't need to worry about losing data when a single disk drive fails. You can add more music zones to your home without having to buy more storage; and you can add more storage without having to add more music zones. The Kaleidescape System is by far the most scalable music server, with the ability to store all of your music without losing any quality by compressing files, and with the ability to simultaneously serve music to as many zones as you can find in any home or yacht. And, the same Kaleidescape System can also store all of your DVD movies and serve them to any viewing zone in your home or yacht. In short, the Kaleidescape Experience for music and movies is unmatched in the industry.

Kaleidescape Movie Players and Music Players provide reference-quality audio and video output that is comparable to the very best CD and DVD players that are available today.

No. The Kaleidescape System imports an exact digital copy of the DVD or CD onto the Server, without removing any copy protection. No additional compression is applied; therefore no quality is lost. The same exact bits (including copy protection) are streamed via Ethernet to a Player. Kaleidescape's Players use state-of-the-art DVD and CD playback hardware and software to provide reference-quality video and audio playback.

There can be a large variation in the storage required from one DVD movie to another, but an "average" DVD movie requires approximately 6.7 gigabytes of storage. Therefore, you can expect to store approximately 112 DVDs on a 750 GB Disk Cartridge and 150 DVDs on a 1 TB Disk Cartridge.

There can be a large variation in the storage required from one CD to another, but an "average" audio CD requires approximately 0.60 gigabytes of storage. Therefore, you can expect to store approximately 1,250 CDs on a 750 GB Disk Cartridge and 1,650 CDs on a 1 TB Disk Cartridge.

A single Kaleidescape 1U Server fully loaded with four 1 TB Disk Cartridges can hold approximately 450 DVDs or 5,000 CDs. A single Kaleidescape 3U Server fully loaded with fourteen 1 TB Disk Cartridges can hold approximately 1,800 DVDs or 20,000 CDs. The exact numbers will vary depending on the specific DVDs and CDs that you import. Larger collections can be accommodated by clustering multiple Servers to act as one very large storage system. We believe that user interface performance will likely be the most important practical issue that will limit how many DVDs and CDs you can reasonably load and manage on a Kaleidescape System. We intend to continuously improve the Kaleidescape user interface to make it easier to deal with very large content collections. We expect that these improvements will eventually make it practical to have collections of well over 10,000 DVDs and CDs — perhaps up to several tens of thousands — on a single Kaleidescape System.

Most DVDs take around 20-25 minutes and most CDs take around 5-10 minutes to import using a Kaleidescape Movie Player or Music Player. The Kaleidescape Speed Reader utilizes two DVD/CD-ROM drives to achieve import speeds of six DVDs or sixteen CDs per hour. Several factors affect import performance. A scratched or dirty disc may take longer to import or it may fail to import altogether. If the import device is simultaneously in use for playback, or if the Ethernet network connecting the import device to the Server is congested, imports may take longer. (We don't use the term "rip" because it suggests "ripping-off" the content owner, and we require — through an end-user service and license agreement — that you must own any DVD or CD that you import into your Kaleidescape System.)

The number of simultaneous movie and music zones that can be played at the same time depends on the types of movies that are being played (e.g., HD vs. DVD), and on how many Servers and Disk Cartridges are reading the movies and music being played. For any practical purpose we know of (meaning even the largest palaces and yachts in the world), the Kaleidescape System can be configured easily to serve an adequate number of independent movie and music zones. (However, pulling the Ethernet cables can be a challenge in a palace!) Each Movie Player can deliver either a movie or music to one zone. Each Music Player can simultaneously serve up to four independent music zones. Kaleidescape has demonstrated that an individual 1U or 3U Server has the ability to simultaneously deliver DVD movies and music to 45 independent zones, even if all of the movies and music are coming off the same Disk Cartridge. Kaleidescape's largest installation to date has 37 Movie Players. And one customer has a System with 7 Servers.

The Speed Reader processes discs in the order they were loaded starting from the top of the input bin stack(s) and working down. This makes it significantly easier to return discs to their correct case when importing is complete. The Speed Reader uses two DVD/CD-ROM drives to improve throughput. If two discs are loading simultaneously, and the second disc finishes before the first, the Speed Reader will not eject it until after the first import completes. In order to minimize waiting time Kaleidescape recommends separating CDs and DVDs because CDs usually import faster than DVDs. A scratched or dirty disc may take exceptionally long to import or may fail to import altogether. In order to prevent these discs from blocking overall progress you may configure the Speed Reader to abort an import after one hour elapses. This selection is made from the Components tab of the Installer Web Utility.

Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks. A storage system that employs two or more disk drives in combination for fault tolerance and (sometimes) increased performance. RAID storage systems are frequently used on servers, especially for enterprise applications.

RAID Level 5 is a type of RAID that uses block-level striping (spreading out the blocks of each file across multiple disk drives) and block-interleaved distributed parity to spread the redundant parity information used to achieve fault tolerance across all the disks in the array. If any disk fails, the distributed parity data are used to compute the contents of the "virtual" (failed) disk. An advantage of RAID 5 is that there is no single dedicated parity disk causing a write bottleneck. A disadvantage of RAID 5 is that the capacity of the array of disks cannot be increased without rebuilding the array. RAID 5 is the most popular version of RAID. The Kaleidescape Server does not use RAID 5; it uses RAID-K.

RAID Level 4 is a type of RAID that uses block-level striping (spreading out the blocks of each file across multiple disks) and a dedicated parity drive to store the redundant parity information that is used to achieve fault tolerance. If a data disk fails, the parity data are used to compute the contents of the "virtual" (failed) data disk. An advantage of RAID 4 is that the storage capacity of the array can be increased one disk drive at a time. A disadvantage of RAID 4 is that the parity disk can become a write bottleneck. RAID 4 has been very successful with the enterprise file servers sold by Network Appliance. The Kaleidescape Server uses a proprietary type of RAID called RAID-K which has some of the features and advantages of RAID 4.

RAID-K is a type of RAID that is proprietary to Kaleidescape. RAID-K has similarities to RAID 4, but it does not use block-level striping of file data — it attempts to keep each movie or music album wholly contained on a single disk. Also, the redundant parity information may exist on more than one disk in order to accommodate a mixture of different sizes of disks. Finally, there is more than just parity data in the redundant information used to achieve fault tolerance. These features provide better performance for movies and music, and increased safety for the storage of such data. Finally, RAID-K permits the user to incrementally add storage capacity; it is possible to add larger disks, and it is possible to add disks that contain content (movies or music) and incorporate them automatically into the RAID-K array and the Kaleidescape file system.

A Hot Spare Disk Cartridge is an additional Disk Cartridge installed in a 3U Server that is immediately available as a replacement if a hard disk drive fails. If an active drive fails, the Server continues to operate, no content or user-entered data is lost, and information that was stored on the failed drive is automatically restored to the hot spare. This eliminates the need for an urgent service call and provides peace of mind in marine and other remote installations. The failed Disk Cartridge should be replaced as soon as practical, and upon replacement the new Disk Cartridge becomes the hot spare. The Hot Spare Disk Cartridge feature provides an additional measure of data protection. If a drive fails, the Server is at risk of losing content should a second drive fail. Without a hot spare, the Server can not begin repairing itself until a replacement Disk Cartridge is installed. With a hot spare, the repair begins immediately — minimizing the window of time that the Server is at risk of losing content. The Hot Spare Disk Cartridge feature is standard on 3U Servers; it is not available on other Kaleidescape Server products. Please refer to http://www.kaleidescape.com/files/documentation/Kaleidescape-TN-005-Hot-Spare-Disk-Cartridges.pdf for further information.

The slow blink of the blue LED identifies the Hot Spare Disk Cartridge, and indicates that it is ready. Please see "What is a Hot Spare Disk Cartridge?" above for further information.

RAID-K reserves storage for redundant parity information, and this storage capacity is not available for storing DVD and CD content on the Server. The amount of storage capacity allocated to parity is equal to the capacity of the largest Disk Cartridge in the array. For example, a RAID-K array with seven 500 GB Disk Cartridges has 500 GB allocated to parity information. A RAID-K array with seven 500 GB Disk Cartridges and four 750 GB Disk Cartridges has 750 GB allocated to parity information. A Hot Spare Disk Cartridge is not incorporated into a RAID-K array and does not affect the amount of storage allocated to parity.

When adding a Disk Cartridge to a Server, the amount of storage realized depends on 1) the capacity of the newly installed Disk Cartridge compared to the capacity of the drives already in the array, and 2) whether or not the Server is a 3U Server. A 3U Server behaves differently than a 1U or 5U Server because of its Hot Spare Disk Cartridge.

For 1U and 5U Servers, if the newly installed Disk Cartridge is no larger than the largest drive already incorporated into the array, the Server's storage increases by the size of the newly installed Disk Cartridge. If the newly installed Disk Cartridge is larger than the largest drive already incorporated into the array, a portion of its capacity will be allocated to additional parity information. For example, a 5U Server with seven 500 GB Disk Cartridges has 500 GB allocated to parity information. If a 750 GB Disk Cartridge is added to this array, 250 GB will be allocated to additional parity and 500 GB will be used to increase capacity of the Server. If yet another 750 GB Disk Cartridge is added, no additional parity information is required and the entire 750 GB of incremental storage is available for DVD and CD content.

The Hot Spare on a 3U Server must be capable of replacing any Disk Cartridge in the RAID-K array. Therefore the 3U Server ensures that the capacity of the Hot Spare is equal to or greater than the largest disk drive in the array. For example, a 3U Server with eight 750 GB Disk Cartridges has 750 GB allocated to parity information, and one Disk Cartridge reserved as the Hot Spare. If a 1 TB (1,000 GB) Disk Cartridge is added to this array, the 750 GB Hot Spare is incorporated into the array, and 750 GB of incremental storage is available for DVD and CD content. The newly installed 1 TB Disk Cartridge becomes the Hot Spare. If yet another 1 TB Disk Cartridge is added, 250 GB will be allocated to additional parity, and 750 GB will be used to increase the capacity of the Server. One of the 1 TB Disk Cartridges remains as the Hot Spare. If a third 1 TB Disk Cartridge is added, no additional parity information is required and the entire 1 TB of incremental storage is available for DVD and CD content.

Note that if a Server is degraded, highest priority is given to rebuilding the array, and then to restoring a missing Hot Spare Disk Cartridge (3U Servers only). In either of these situations, the newly installed Disk Cartridge may be used for one of these purposes and would not increase the space available for DVD and CD content.

Although Kaleidescape uses high quality hard disk drives, drives do fail occasionally. On average, drives in Kaleidescape Systems fail at a rate of one or two percent per year. To prevent loss of information from a drive failure, every Kaleidescape Server uses RAID-K to store redundant information. The 3U Server also features a Hot Spare Disk Cartridge as an additional measure of data protection.
If a disk drive fails, then the LED on the Disk Cartridge with the failed drive changes from blue to amber (or does not light up at all) and Kaleidescape automatically receives an alarm message via the Internet. Kaleidescape then notifies the customer's installer. The customer will see a message on the onscreen display and Web Utility saying "Disk is missing or damaged" or "Disk has failed; please phone your dealer". The Kaleidescape System continues to operate and the customer can still enjoy all the Movies and Music in their library, but the Server will no longer be able to import CDs or DVDs.
A 3U Server with a Hot Spare Disk Cartridge immediately begins rebuilding the information on a failed disk drive onto the Hot Spare. The rebuild status is shown in the System Status window of the Web Utility. Once the information is rebuilt, the Server can once again import CDs and DVDs. A Disk Cartridge with a failed drive should be replaced as soon as practical. A Disk Cartridge in a 3U Server can be replaced easily by the customer or the installer while the System is operating.

If a drive fails in a 1U or 5U Server, the front panel glow of the Server changes from blue to amber. The Server becomes vulnerable to losing data if a second drive should fail. Therefore, it is very important to replace a failed drive in a 1U or 5U Server as soon as possible. As soon as the Disk Cartridge is replaced, the information on the failed disk drive is rebuilt onto the new Disk Cartridge. A Disk Cartridge in a 1U or 5U Server can be replaced easily by the customer or the installer while the System is operating.

When a hard disk drive fails in a Kaleidescape System, you will still be able to enjoy all the Movies and Music in your library, but the System will not be able to import CDs or DVDs. Your Kaleidescape System will also be vulnerable to losing data from a second disk drive failure, until the first failed disk drive has been replaced and the data on it rebuilt. If you suspect that a disk drive has failed, then always call Kaleidescape Technical Support first. They will help you check whether or not the disk drive has failed. If the disk drive has failed, Kaleidescape Technical Support will help you replace the failed drive as soon as possible.

1. Do not remove any Disk Cartridges that are displaying a solid blue or blinking blue LED light.
2. Do not remove the Disk Cartridge containing the failed drive, other than to re-insert it only once.
3. Do not move the suspect Disk Cartridge to another slot.
4. Do not put a different Disk Cartridge in the suspect slot.
5. Do not put the suspect Disk Cartridge in another Server.
6. Do not put a Disk Cartridge from another Server in this Server.
7. Do not reboot the Server.

To help you check whether or not the disk drive has really failed, Kaleidescape Support may ask you to remove the suspect Disk Cartridge and re-insert it firmly in case it is seated incorrectly. They may ask you to gently touch the logo button of the suspect 1U or 3U Disk Cartridge — if the button is loose, the Disk Cartridge may not be fully latched. They may ask you to check whether the white optical sticker on the inside surface of the handle of a suspect 5U Disk Cartridge has fallen off — if it has, it may need to be replaced.

Kaleidescape recommends that all Disk Cartridges should be left in the Server until the replacement Disk Cartridge has arrived. Please do not remove a Disk Cartridge unless instructed to do so by Kaleidescape Technical Support. The Server chassis will cool properly only when all its slots are filled with a Disk Cartridge (blank or containing a hard disk drive).

The following audio and video outputs and formats are supported by the Kaleidescape Players:

KPLAYER-5000 Movie Player 2
Video Outputs: HDMI™ w/HDCP, Component YPbPr (BNC), S-Video (mini-DIN), and Composite (BNC)
Video Formats: NTSC 480i, 480p; PAL 576i, 576p; High-Definition 720p, 1080i at 50 and 60 Hz
Audio Outputs: HDMI, Digital Coaxial (BNC), Digital Optical (TOSLINK), Analog Stereo (RCA)
Audio Formats: Dolby™ Digital, DTS, MPEG Audio, PCM

KPLAYER-2500 Movie Player
Video Outputs: HDMI w/HDCP, Component YPbPr (BNC), S-Video (mini-DIN), and Composite (BNC)
Video Formats: NTSC 480i, 480p; PAL 576i, 576p; High-Definition 720p, 1080i at 50 and 60 Hz
Audio Outputs: HDMI, Digital Coaxial (BNC), Digital Optical (TOSLINK), Analog Stereo (RCA)
Audio Formats: Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG Audio, PCM

KMUSIC-4000 Music Player
Audio Outputs: Four Digital Coaxial (RCA), four Digital Optical (TOSLINK), four Analog Stereo (RCA)

The Movie Player 2 provides progressive scan video output formats NTSC 480p and PAL 576p using DCDi de-interlacing by Faroudja. DVD content may be up-scaled to 720p or 1080i at 50 Hz and 60 Hz for the HDMI output only.

Yes. The Kaleidescape Movie Player and Movie Player 2 include support for HDMI (and therefore also DVI). HDMI and DVI displays must support HDCP to view copy-protected movies.

No, the HDMI outputs on the Movie Player and the Movie Player 2 carry video and PCM stereo audio only. When using HDMI for video, you can use digital coaxial, digital optical, or analog stereo outputs for audio.

No. The DVD CCA License does not permit the use of RGBHV video output during DVD playback. The Kaleidescape Movie Player 2 supports both HDMI and component video (YPbPr) for high-quality video output.

No, the Kaleidescape Movie Player supports 1080i60 output (1080 interlaced at 60 fields per second). Most digital movies were originally shot on film at 24 frames per second. To display this content at 1080p60, it must be post-processed into 1080p60. Some or all of this post-processing can happen inside a source device, such as the Movie Player, and some or all can happen externally, in a processor or display device. Many displays advertised as 1080p do not accept 1080p input signals, and instead post-process the input signal into 1080p60.

Regardless of where the processing takes place, there should be no loss of information, and the display should show the same 1080p60 presentation.

Some manufacturers have recently begun advertising "HD DVD / Blu-ray Media Servers" that can store HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs on hard disk. These discs use a copy control technology called AACS. It is our understanding that AACS must be licensed by the manufacturer of any HD DVD or Blu-ray disc playback device. We have been informed that the manufacturers of various unlicensed "HD DVD / Blu-ray Media Servers" advise their dealers and customers that "it is first necessary for you to obtain your own decryption software" in order to play or copy such discs. This unlicensed decryption software may be available from third parties. It is our understanding that the use of such unlicensed software to break the copy protection on discs is generally illegal in the USA and could constitute a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the "DMCA"). Violations of the DMCA are criminal offenses subject to fines of up to $500,000 and up to 5 years in jail. Based on its current knowledge, Kaleidescape believes that the installation of these "HD DVD / Blu-ray Media Servers", including obtaining the third-party software to get them working as advertised, would result in dealers and/or their customers in the USA committing criminal acts and risking heavy fines or jail time.

Kaleidescape manufactures and sells only properly licensed products. Kaleidescape has licenses from technology licensing bodies that include the DVD Copy Control Association, Inc., the DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation, Dolby, Macrovision, DVI Promoters, HDMI Licensing LLC, Digital Content Protection, LLC (HDCP), MPEG LA, LLC, Nissim Corporation, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (acting for three different patent pools), Toshiba Corporation (on behalf of the DVD Patent Licensing Group), and many others.

You can connect a second display to a Kaleidescape Movie Player or Movie Player 2. The Player normally sends video to all video outputs but they cannot be controlled independently. The settings you make for the Primary Video Output in the Installer Web Utility apply to all video outputs. For example, if you set the Primary Video Output to match a 16×9 display and a secondary video output is connected to a 4×3 display, the image on the 4×3 display will be distorted accordingly. The audio synchronizes with the Primary Video Output as well. In some configurations, the audio from a secondary output might be perceptibly out of sync with the video. If HDMI is specified as the Primary Video Output and the connected HDMI device is not powered on, the Player does not output video to the component, composite or S-Video outputs. This is because the HDCP handshake is required for primary HDMI output and if the HDCP handshake is not present for any reason, the Player will not output any video. If HDMI is a secondary output, loss of the HDCP handshake will not affect the Primary Video Output. If there is a matrix switch between the Player and the HDMI display, the HDMI link may remain active when the HDMI display is switched to another HDMI input. However, the Player no longer receives the HDCP handshake. If the HDMI output is the Primary Video Output in this case, all outputs are disabled, including component, composite and S-Video outputs, and an error message appears. If you specify component video as the Primary Video Output and you are using HDMI as a secondary video output, you are limited to 480i or 480p output to support the HDMI display. Many HDMI and DVI devices cannot display a 480i HDMI or 480i DVI signal, so set the component Primary Video Output to 480p.

The SACD and DVD-Audio formats are not supported by the Kaleidescape System at this time. It is unlikely that we will support SACD or DVD-Audio due to the tepid market acceptance and declining sales of these audio formats.

Yes, we plan to introduce the Kaleidescape Blue-Laser Player in 2009. The Blue-Laser Player is designed to play all Blu-ray Discs in addition to DVDs, CDs, and content from other sources.

They will be able to play DVDs and CDs imported by the Blue-Laser Player, but not Blu-ray Disc content.

Yes. Kaleidescape's new Blue-Laser Player will be compatible with all existing Kaleidescape Servers, and it will be easy to add Blue-Laser Players to any existing Kaleidescape System.

Early indications suggest that the average Blu-ray Disc contains approximately 22 GB of data, which means that a single fully-loaded 3U Server could hold most of the Blu-ray discs so far released.

The Advanced Access Content System ("AACS") copy control requirements are phasing out all analog outputs, including component video outputs. We intend to provide component video outputs for as long as they are permitted. Eventually, the only permitted video outputs will be protected digital outputs, such as HDCP-protected uncompressed digital video over HDMI.

Yes, the Blue-Laser Player will support content in both the H.264 and the VC-1 video codecs, not only from Blu-ray discs, but also from other sources in the future, including the Internet. We currently have no plans to support HD DVD optical discs.

The comprehensive Kaleidescape Control System Protocol enables users to navigate their movie and music libraries using a range of interactive touch panels, touch pads and keypads. Kaleidescape supports a wide variety of infrared remote control devices. The Kaleidescape System can also be controlled from a Java-enabled web browser, allowing almost any computer to control any Kaleidescape Player. Kaleidescape provides a setup program so that any Windows web tablet can be turned into a dedicated Kaleidescape controller. For more details on all of these options, see the Control Systems section of the Kaleidescape Support site, http://www.kaleidescape.com/support/control-systems.php.

Kaleidescape provides dealers with control modules and touch panel templates suitable for a variety of control devices, using both RS-232 and TCP/IP. These include modules and sample code for Crestron 2-Series Processors and templates for the wide variety of Crestron touch panels and keypads and a module and sample code for AMX NetLinx Processors and templates for the wide variety of AMX touch panels. These modules can control both movies and music from Kaleidescape Movie Players and music from Kaleidescape Music Players. The Kaleidescape System can also be controlled from a Java-enabled web browser, allowing almost any computer to control any Kaleidescape Player. Kaleidescape provides a setup program so that any Windows web tablet can be turned into a dedicated Kaleidescape controller. Kaleidescape provides IR codes and templates to support a variety of remote control devices including the Elan Home Systems VIA! Valet touch panel, Universal Remote Control Home Theater Master and Professional series, Philips Pronto remotes, Logitech Harmony Universal Remotes, and RTI Universal Controllers. Kaleidescape provides a generic IR command set for use with any PC-programmable IR remote. For more details on all of these options, see the Control Systems section of the Kaleidescape Support site, http://www.kaleidescape.com/support/control-systems.php.

Touch panel controls can be an integral part of the Kaleidescape Experience. We invest extensively in touch panel user interface design — as we do in the Kaleidescape System's onscreen display — to ensure consistent and intuitive navigation. There are two modules (macros) for controlling the Kaleidescape System with a Crestron controller: the onscreen display (OSD) module and the stand-alone touch panel (SATP) module. The OSD module supports touch panels that navigate an onscreen display, and some of these touch panels also include video capabilities. The SATP module supports touch panels designed for installation without a display present — these are the stand-alone touch panels. The AMX control module supports both touch panels that navigate an OSD and stand-alone touch panels (SATP). All of these modules may communicate with Kaleidescape components via RS-232 or TCP/IP.

Yes. One or more touch panels can be programmed to control multiple Kaleidescape Movie Players or Music Zones. This is useful for wireless touch panels that roam between different rooms in the home, or installations in which multiple Kaleidescape Players are installed in a central location for distribution using an audio/video switcher.

When programming a Crestron control system, use either crosspoint routing or a combination of buffers and interlocks. Use a unique TCP/IP client for each instance of a Kaleidescape Module. For example, to control all four zones of a Kaleidescape Music Player, use four instances of the Kaleidescape SATP module, and connect each to its own TCP/IP client with the IP address of the Kaleidescape Music Player. For more information, please refer to our Crestron reference manual: http://www.kaleidescape.com/files/documentation/Kaleidescape-Crestron-Programming-Reference-Manual.pdf

When programming an AMX control system, define multiple Kaleidescape Virtual Devices, each of which can then be controlled from any defined touch panel. You can modify the Controlled Kplayer array at runtime and assign a particular touch panel to the desired virtual device as needed. See the bottom of the multiple panel include file included with the Kaleidescape AMX module for a way to do this. For more information, please refer to the "Controlling Multiple Players with Multiple Touch Panels" section of our AMX reference manual:
http://www.kaleidescape.com/files/documentation/Kaleidescape-AMX-Programming-Reference-Manual.pdf

Yes. Your music library can be browsed, selected, and played back using a stand-alone interactive touch panel. You can view information about their music on these touch panels, navigate lists, and select music to play, all without the use of the onscreen display. The bi-directional Kaleidescape Control System Protocol can supply music information fields to a touch panel or other devices with data display capabilities. A touch panel video feed is not required to display music information such as artist, album, track, time, genre, year of release, music review, cover art, playback time, and progress information.

Yes, you can use an in-wall keypad to control music. This is useful for listening zones that have no video display and no touch panel. Kaleidescape's very simple keypad interface includes button presets for playing specific albums, mix albums, artists, genres, collections, including User-defined Music Collections. You can cycle through any collection by using next and previous buttons, and you can press-and-hold a button to set it to the now playing list. With some compatible keypads, you can even determine the status of the System through selective lighting of buttons. For example, if Preset 1 is currently playing, the lights on the "Play" and "Preset 1" buttons may be active.

The Music Player does not provide any IR inputs. However, it is possible to provide IR control of a Music Player indirectly through an external control system such as those offered by Crestron or AMX.

You can control music zones with any of the control devices that you already use to control your Kaleidescape System. You can control music with the onscreen display, the Web Utility or the Java Control panels. Any touch panel or touch pad, either with a video display or not, can control a music zone; a video feed is not required to display music information such as artist, album, track, time, genre, year of release, music review, cover art, playback time, and progress information. You can also use an in-wall keypad to control music.

The DVD CCA does not provide any certification, testing or approval service.

A Kaleidescape customer has a fair-use right to make copies of DVDs and CDs that he or she owns onto the Kaleidescape System's hard disks. No license is required provided the copies will only be used for that customer's personal home video entertainment.

The Motion Picture Association of America ("MPAA") does not issue licenses of any kind. The MPAA is a domestic trade association of the American film industry that serves as "the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries."

The Kaleidescape System is manufactured and sold pursuant to licenses from a number of technology licensing bodies, including the DVD Copy Control Association, Inc., the DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation, Dolby, Macrovision, DVI Promoters, HDMI Licensing LLC, Digital Content Protection, LLC (HDCP), MPEG LA, LLC, Nissim Corporation, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (acting for three different patent pools), Toshiba Corporation (on behalf of the DVD Patent Licensing Group), and many others.

No. It is sufficient to execute one Service and License Agreement no matter how many Kaleidescape Systems you buy.

No. Most commercial DVDs are protected by the Content Scramble System ("CSS"), a method used to encrypt the video and audio data. Manufacturers of legitimate DVD playback products must obtain a license from the DVD Copy Control Association (the "DVD CCA") to remove CSS encryption. Kaleidescape has obtained such a license, and Kaleidescape scrupulously adheres to its required procedures and restrictions. For example, when playing back DVD content, the System only allows the audio and video outputs permitted by the CSS License Agreement. The System's analog video outputs are further protected by certain Macrovision technology, which was obtained pursuant to a separate license from Macrovision Corporation. The CSS License Agreement does not prohibit the copying of CSS-protected DVD data into memory or onto a hard disk. However, in order to comply with the CSS License Agreement, any such copying must be done without exposing certain types of DVD data (keys or unscrambled audio/video data) on "user-accessible buses," such as the PCI bus in a personal computer. The Kaleidescape System complies with this restriction by virtue of being a closed system comprised of proprietary hardware and software that Kaleidescape designed from the ground up with content security as a major design objective.

Macrovision is a copy protection technology that applies to the analog video outputs of DVD players. Kaleidescape has a Macrovision license and our products have been tested and approved by Macrovision Corporation. That license and certification enable Kaleidescape to apply the Macrovision copy protection technology to a Movie Player's analog video outputs. This has nothing to do with making a digital copy of the information on a DVD disc.

The Kaleidescape System complies with all applicable licensing requirements, including those of the DVD FLLC, the DVD CCA, and Macrovision. The specifics of how we comply with each license are proprietary and confidential, and not available to the public.

Kaleidescape plans to implement this feature for music. However, such a feature would not be practical for movies for many years due to the enormous amount of data involved and the relatively slow uplink speeds of most broadband Internet connections.

Kaleidescape will certainly sell you a Kaleidescape System for use in such a shared theater.

If you have questions about the legality of your contemplated use of the Kaleidescape System, we encourage you to consult an attorney because Kaleidescape cannot provide legal advice, and the specific facts of your situation may be significant. However, we believe that viewing videos in this type of shared theater would most likely not be considered a "public performance," assuming that the theater is never open to the public and there are never a substantial number of persons in attendance outside of the normal circle of family and social acquaintances of the owner who booked the theater. If the DVDs imported into the Kaleidescape System are purchased by the condominium complex or by the individual owners, and they are not used for anything else, then the shared use of these DVDs would be analogous to loaning some DVDs to a friend, which to our knowledge is perfectly legal.

No. There is no way for a Kaleidescape System to automatically tell the difference between a rental DVD and a purchased DVD because the two are identical. Similarly, there is no way for the System to automatically tell the difference between a borrowed or pirated DVD and one that is legally owned. However, the person in possession of the DVD or CD should know if it is rented or borrowed, and such content is not permitted to be imported into a Kaleidescape System.