Three grand for a mini DVD player that upcoverts?  Four grand for a rack version?  Really?  There are actually dealers out there ripping their clients off like this?

Do you have any idea what a Kaleidescape system is?  It is not a DVD player.  While the marketing is pretty silly, having the scaling chip in the player is a great addition and the mini-player actually lowers the cost of a Kaleidescape system.

While I commend any effort to improve video quality and it looks like Kaleidescape has incorprated very good video processing to say it rivals Blu-ray is a push. Lets not forget no matter what you do, the source is 480 lines and will always be 480 lines and will never look as good as a well done transfer of a 1080p source.

To piggy back on what Brian said you’re also not getting the superb uncompressed audio you would from blu ray.

Anyone let these guys know that you cant polish a turd?

Um..OhMyGod-If you are looking at it like a stand alone DVD player then you are missing the point. That is not what it is. Try to take your 100.00 DVD player and save all of your movies, heck SAVE EVERY DVD EVER MADE! including your home videos, kids soccer games, wedding videos, and then play them in any room of the house, search by genre, actor, title, time and pause and pick up where you left off later.
This is not a matter of ripping a client off, its a matter of giving clients convenience and simplicity.

Oh and by the way, once you burn those in, you don’t have to worry about scratching discs, losing discs. If you have kids and look at how many DVD’s you own of disney movies, cartoons, etc and the fact a 4 year old can pick up a remote and operate (I know this because my own does and my clients children do) and clients don’t have to re-buy movies, spend time searching through DVD cases for movies, running around the house, etc.

Is it more money-Sure. Is it for everyone-No, but then again, so is BMW, MERCEDES, LEXUS, AUDI, etc, etc-are you on the boards telling everyone those car companies and dealers are ripping people off because a Tata at 2500.00 from India can take them to the store and let them pick up their milk?

Oh and another thing-unless anyone on here has ACTUALLY seen the Kscape upconverting DVD player next to a DVD player and compared them, how can you honestly bash them and say there crazy? Is Bluray theoretically have a better picture-sure-but that doesnt mean that EVERY BluRay disc and BluRay player looks better than ANY DVD player and ANY DVD disc.

Do I think it will be the same as BluRay-of course not-will it be close enough that on a 42” plasma, 32” LCD or other similar standard size/quality of TV that a homeowner would notice “significant” quality difference-I don’t know. Homeowners think their HD cable box hooked up using composite to their Vizio 42” plasma looks INCREDIBLE..

Ok, my last comment was a little abrupt.  I love the K-scape system and yes, it is sooooo much more than a DVD player, but come on guys!  I am very much tired of hearing people say that upconversion rivals true 1080p!  There is simply no comparison.  If you notice who says crud like this, it is companies who do not have a Blu-Ray solution yet (such as Toshiba!) Do you get the feeling that upconversion would NEVER be an acceptable substitute if they had a product shipping that supported native 1080p?  Statements like these are a serious disservice to customers and the industry in general!  Next you will have Apple saying that MP3s played on an iPod are just as good as vinyl!

Yawn e_e And to think I have to constantly see red ants complaining about how Blu-ray players are too expensive. Give me a break. This is rubbish and does not even come close to rivaling the true 1080p/24 high bitrate 1080p video and high-res audio capabilities of Blu-ray.  And, to answer Jason Gotz, yes, ANY Blu-ray player and/or Blu-ray Disc DOES look better than ANY DVD player and ANY DVD disc. Period. Next topic please.

Actually Hidden Gamma-

The Samsung BluRay players that wouldnt pass the whole signal and would actually have less resolution on the outside of the picture and some poorly mastered Bluray’s hooked up using composite to a Non HD TV do not look better than a great DVD transfer on a great DVD player with a scaler to a great display.

The point is, yes, Bluray is a better format, but that doesnt mean it is automatically better. Does that mean some cheap knockoff digital camera with more pixels is better than a great Canon, Nikon or other professional grade camera with lower resolution…

I think not. Resolution is not the end all be all of picture quality..

Please, Blu-ray players hooked up using composite to a Non HD TV? That’s not even worth a debate. Lame argument. Blu-ray is always better. You cannot add resolution that doesn’t exist onto a DVD, I don’t care HOW great the scaler is, it’s still only going to be 480 line. That’s a fact. You can stick pearls on swine, and it’s still just a pig wearing expensive jewelry. Yes, Blu-ray is that good. I’ve had this debate a million times over even with SACD vs. CD. An inexpensive SACD can and will sound better than a high end CD player - believe me, I know—simply because their native formats are their weakest links. It’s the same thing with DVD and Blu-ray. DVD is the weakest part of the equation. A cheap Blu-ray player will destroy a high end DVD player on PQ every time. Every time. And, yes, every title. It would have to be a HORRENDOUS transfer to Blu-ray for it to be otherwise. Even the worst Blu-ray titles still look better than their DVD counterparts. The first release of Fifth Element, which was lambasted was actually more film like than the DVD version and looked very much like an answer print.  There’s no debate. This Kaleidescape is a joke.

I agree with everything that HiddenGamma says.
One thing stood out in the article though:-
“a “Play Movie” feature that starts the movie instantly without trailers or advertisements. And, yes, this applies to rented movies.”

Man, I would LOVE this feature in BD and DVD players.
I pay $20-$30 for a movie and still MUST watch trailers etc unless I fumble with the fast forward many times to get to the movie.
I hate this so much that I am tempted to re-copy the movies with none of this forced crap to watch!
Imagine this.... Insert movie, press play and the movie begins!!