Training Example: The Verge – Review the Data, Give Your Score & Compare to the Real AI Evaluation

Top StoriesLatestFollowing
[IMG: Our long national sunscreen nightmare is almost over]
Our long national sunscreen nightmare is almost overOther countries have been doing it right for over 20 years. It’s about time we caught up.Victoria Song2:00 PM UTC
[IMG: Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away]
[IMG: Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away]
0Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, awayJohn Higgins
[IMG: Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem]
[IMG: Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem]
Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystemJennifer Pattison Tuohy
[IMG: Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limits]
[IMG: Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limits]
Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limitsHayden Field
[IMG: How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trials]
[IMG: How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trials]
How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trialsBrad Bourque
[IMG: Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away]
[IMG: Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away]
0Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, awayJohn Higgins
[IMG: Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem]
[IMG: Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem]
Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystemJennifer Pattison Tuohy
[IMG: Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limits]
[IMG: Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limits]
Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limitsHayden Field
[IMG: How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trials]
[IMG: How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trials]
How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trialsBrad Bourque
[IMG: Vibe-decoding the White House-Anthropic fight over Fable]
[IMG: Vibe-decoding the White House-Anthropic fight over Fable]
Vibe-decoding the White House-Anthropic fight over FableThere are multiple versions of the Mythos omnishambles. Whose is right?Tina Nguyen
[IMG: Anthropic got hit by export rules nobody understands]
Anthropic got hit by export rules nobody understandsGoverning AI through opaque, ad hoc interventions is unsustainable, experts warn.Robert Hart
[IMG: Inside the fight over Claude Mythos 5]
Inside the fight over Claude Mythos 5The government torpedoed Anthropic’s newest, most powerful model. Sources tell The Verge that the AI lab and other AI boosters spent the weekend trying to explain that Fable 5 wasn’t too powerful.Hayden Field
[IMG: Trump’s Anthropic shutdown just made the case for non-American AI]
Trump’s Anthropic shutdown just made the case for non-American AIAnthropic may bring Fable and Mythos back online, but the shutdown fired up sovereign AI efforts around the world.Robert HartView all stories
[IMG: The Verge’s Father’s Day 2026 gift guide]
[IMG: The Verge’s Father’s Day 2026 gift guide]
The Verge’s Father’s Day 2026 gift guideOur staff contributed a mix of fun and practical ideas to pair you with the right gift for the dads you care about.Cameron Faulkner
[IMG: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes is a great last-minute Father’s Day gift]
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes is a great last-minute Father’s Day giftIf you want to get dad a deluxe, hardcover book, there are also some deals on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth classics.Cameron Faulkner
[IMG: Amazon’s capable sound system is over $100 off ahead of Prime Day]
Amazon’s capable sound system is over $100 off ahead of Prime DayThe wireless kit includes a soundbar, two satellite speakers, and a subwoofer.Brad Bourque
[IMG: The best early Amazon Prime Day deals so far]
The best early Amazon Prime Day deals so farThere are already plenty of deals to shop while we wait for Prime Day to arrive on June 23rd.Cameron Faulkner
[H2] Most Popular
1Midjourney goes from generating cat images to full-body ultrasound scansRichard LawlerJun 182Barret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five monthsHayden Field4:49 AM UTC3Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, awayJohn Higgins12:00 PM UTC4Our long national sunscreen nightmare is almost overVictoria Song2:00 PM UTC5This robotic self-driving toilet comes to youAndrew LiszewskiJun 18
[IMG: My backyard made me a color-changing smart lighting convert]
[IMG: My backyard made me a color-changing smart lighting convert]
My backyard made me a color-changing smart lighting convertTesting Govee’s over-the-top RGB lineup convinced me there might actually be room in my garden for a horse-race light show this summer.Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
[IMG: Apple’s weird anti-nausea dots cured my car sickness]
Apple’s weird anti-nausea dots cured my car sicknessVehicle Motion Cues let me read and write in the passenger seat without wanting to die.Thomas Ricker
[IMG: The library rules (and so do library streaming services)]
The library rules (and so do library streaming services)This summer, take advantage of everything you can do indoors with the AC on.Jay Peters
[IMG: I went to the woods to drink surprisingly great espresso]
I went to the woods to drink surprisingly great espressoIs a $200 portable coffee machine what Thoreau meant by living deliberately?Thomas RickerView all stories
[IMG: Honor’s Magic V6 sets three foldable firsts]
[IMG: Honor’s Magic V6 sets three foldable firsts]
8Verge ScoreHonor’s Magic V6 sets three foldable firstsBut the bigger battery is the only one that matters.Dominic Preston
[IMG: Apple’s smart home camera service is starting to impress me]
Apple’s smart home camera service is starting to impress meiOS 27 brings AI-powered summaries, natural-language search, and improved reliability to Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video — making it much more competitive.Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
[IMG: The Rivian R2 is too much fun to let drive itself]
The Rivian R2 is too much fun to let drive itselfA muscular electric SUV that’s off-road capable, with tech that feels leaps and bounds better than anything from legacy automakers.Lawrence Ulrich
[IMG: Dell’s new XPS 14 is better in almost every way]
Dell’s new XPS 14 is better in almost every wayExcept in price. The prices suck.Antonio G. Di BenedettoLatestFollowing
[IMG: Emma Roth]
Emma Roth28 minutes agoGoogle’s Nobel Prize-winning AI researcher is joining Anthropic.John Jumper, who has worked as a researcher at Google DeepMind since 2017, announced his departure from the company on X. In 2024, Jumper and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing an open-source AI model that predicts protein structures.Nobel Winner John Jumper to Leave Google DeepMind for Anthropic[Bloomberg]
[IMG: Stevie Bonifield]
Stevie Bonifield38 minutes agoNorway is putting restrictions on AI use in school.As Reuters reports, the new restrictions will go into effect in August, limiting how students in different age groups use AI:Pupils from first ​through seventh grade, aged 6 to 13, should as a general ​rule not be using AI, while those in lower secondary school, aged 14 to ‌16, can ⁠cautiously adopt tools under teachers’ supervision, the government said. In upper secondary education, from ages 17 to 19, students should learn to use AI appropriately so that they are prepared for further education and work, it added.
[IMG: Emma Roth]
Emma Roth57 minutes agoA little fun with iOS 27’s Spatial Reframing.The AI-powered feature is designed to adjust the angle of a photo you’ve taken… but maybe not reconstruct your entire head.
[IMG: NASA selects Eric Schmidt’s rocket company for a 2028 mission to Mars]
[IMG: NASA selects Eric Schmidt’s rocket company for a 2028 mission to Mars]
NASA selects Eric Schmidt’s rocket company for a 2028 mission to MarsRelativity Space will launch NASA’s Aeolus payload, which will gather data on the Martian atmosphere.Stevie BonifieldTwo hours ago
[IMG: Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem]
[IMG: Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem]
Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystemBut they’re only available in Europe.Jennifer Pattison Tuohy5:24 PM UTC
[IMG: Emma Roth]
Emma Roth5:24 PM UTCDoom composer Bobby Prince has died at age 81.In addition to creating the heavy-metal soundtracks for Doom and Doom II, Prince also worked on the music for Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, and Duke Nukem 3D.You can read his obituary here.Bobby Prince, the composer of Doom’s iconic soundtrack, has died at 81 | VGC[VGC]
[IMG: Terrence O]
Terrence O'Brien5:06 PM UTCAkai quadruples the processing power of its cheapest full-featured MPC.The $799 MPC One G2 has an 8-core processor with 4GB RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. That means you can run 32 plugin instances and 16 audio tracks simultaneously, up from eight of each in the previous model, and polyphony is now 256 notes, up from 64.
[IMG: Terrence O]
Terrence O'Brien4:25 PM UTCApple says dropping support for some Watches is about processing power.Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing Manager, was quick to tell TechRadar that older Apple Watch models will still work with newer iPhones and receive security updates. It’s just that Siri AI and some other watchOS 27 features require a bit more horsepower.“The great new features in watchOS, including the capabilities of Siri AI and the new tap gesture, work best with the processing power that is in Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3. Older devices can still be paired with iPhones that are running the latest software and continue to receive security updates, so they can continue to have a great Apple Watch experience.”
[IMG: The NTS Radio Player brings the best of internet radio to your hi-fi]
[IMG: The NTS Radio Player brings the best of internet radio to your hi-fi]
The NTS Radio Player brings the best of internet radio to your hi-fiIt also supports your streaming service of choice.Terrence O'Brien2:53 PM UTC
[IMG: The film about Sam Altman has been dropped by Amazon MGM]
[IMG: The film about Sam Altman has been dropped by Amazon MGM]
The film about Sam Altman has been dropped by Amazon MGMThe film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, covers the week in 2023 that the OpenAI CEO was fired and re-hired.Hayden Field2:15 PM UTC
[IMG: Our long national sunscreen nightmare is almost over]
Our long national sunscreen nightmare is almost overVictoria Song2:00 PM UTC
[IMG: Hayden Field]
Hayden Field1:30 PM UTCGoogle DeepMind announced an “AI Control Roadmap” for improving AI agent security.“Think of it like a driving instructor with dual controls,” Google’s blog post stated. “The instructor trusts the student but stays ready to take the wheel or hit the brakes if a mistake occurs.” Google DeepMind’s plan itself lays out “internal guardrails designed to catch potential adversarial behaviour by AI agents, even as they become increasingly harder to oversee and contain,” naming methods like chain-of-thought monitoring, asynchronous alerts, real-time access control, and shutdown infrastructure.GDM AI Control Roadmap[Google DeepMind]
[IMG: Terrence O]
Terrence O'Brien1:24 PM UTCIs Wordle actually easier on hard mode?Looking at the data suggests as much. The average number of guesses drops from 4.3 to 4.1, and the failure rate drops from 4.3 percent to just 2.5. It might be because more confident players are choosing hard, but the constraints might also keep players from making bad guesses.Wordle’s Hard Mode Is Actually Easier, 730 Million Games Show[New York Times]
[IMG: Hayden Field]
Hayden Field1:20 PM UTCSpike Jonze, director of Her, warned of AI systems’ ability to manipulate.“AIs that pretend to be human are, you know, manipulative,” Jonze said Wednesday at Replit’s Vibecon conference in New York City. “The kids need to grow up knowing these are going to be very, very convincing and very seductive — and very useful and very powerful — but they’re still just a system, an incredible system of pattern recognition.”Spike Jonze, Filmmaker Behind 'Her,' Warns of 'Manipulative' AI Chatbot Design[Gizmodo]
[IMG: T1 Phone PR firm is ‘not assisting Trump Mobile any further’]
[IMG: T1 Phone PR firm is ‘not assisting Trump Mobile any further’]
T1 Phone PR firm is ‘not assisting Trump Mobile any further’Trump Mobile will have to talk to the press itself now.Dominic Preston1:00 PM UTC
[IMG: Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away]
0Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, awayJohn Higgins12:00 PM UTC
[IMG: In season 2 of Sugar, Colin Farrell’s quirky detective becomes much more human]
[IMG: In season 2 of Sugar, Colin Farrell’s quirky detective becomes much more human]
In season 2 of Sugar, Colin Farrell’s quirky detective becomes much more humanThe show’s star talks about keeping secrets, helping John Sugar grow, and why wearing jeans can be so odd.Andrew Webster12:00 PM UTC
[IMG: Barret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five months]
Barret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five monthsHayden Field4:49 AM UTC
[IMG: Valve is so behind on Steam Controller orders that some won’t ship until 2027]
[IMG: Valve is so behind on Steam Controller orders that some won’t ship until 2027]
Valve is so behind on Steam Controller orders that some won’t ship until 2027Any reservations made today ‘indicate a 2027 date for shipping.’Jay PetersJun 18
[IMG: You can now use the Game Boy Camera with your phone]
[IMG: You can now use the Game Boy Camera with your phone]
You can now use the Game Boy Camera with your phoneA new mobile app for the GB Operator lets you snap terrible 2-bit, 128 x112 photos without the need for a Game Boy.Andrew LiszewskiJun 18
[IMG: HBO Max’s annual plans are 28 percent off right now]
[IMG: HBO Max’s annual plans are 28 percent off right now]
HBO Max’s annual plans are 28 percent off right nowNew and returning subscribers can save up to 40 percent compared to paying monthly, with plans starting at $78.99.Sheena VasaniJun 18
[IMG: Snap’s Specs look good on nobody]
[IMG: Snap’s Specs look good on nobody]
Snap’s Specs look good on nobodyOn The Vergecast: What to make of Snap’s glasses, Fox’s Roku, and Facebook’s AI Mode.David PierceJun 18
[IMG: The best early Amazon Prime Day deals so far]
[IMG: The best early Amazon Prime Day deals so far]
The best early Amazon Prime Day deals so farThere are already plenty of deals to shop while we wait for Prime Day to arrive on June 23rd.Cameron FaulknerJun 18
[IMG: Richard Lawler]
Richard LawlerJun 18Now Google Meet works in Android Auto.When the Google Meet UI for Apple CarPlay launched in April, Google said Android Auto would follow soon, and now it’s here,

[H1] Sign in orcreate an account
orSign in with GoogleSign in with FacebookSign in with Apple

TechGadgetsReviews
[H1] Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away
The Strato E combines the convenience of streaming and the quality of Blu-ray without discs — at a high cost.If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.by John HigginsJun 19, 2026, 12:00 PM UTCIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
[IMG: 268526_Kaleidescape_JHiggins_0009]
[IMG: 268526_Kaleidescape_JHiggins_0009]
The Strato E player (here with a Mini Terra Prime server on top of it) is smaller than a Blu-ray disc collection, but you can get a lot of 4K discs for $3,000.
[IMG: John Higgins]
John Higgins is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed.We’ve lost something in the past 15 years. Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple; they’ve all convinced us that streaming is the best way to watch movies and shows at home. With everything at our fingertips, there’s no need to run to Blockbuster for the weekend’s entertainment, or wait for a DVD rental to arrive in the mail. And going to the movie theater is a luxury — one that keeps getting more expensive.But we were, all of us, deceived. We traded quality for convenience. And while TVs have improved drastically, we feed them inadequate, bitrate-starved, internet-throttled streams that won’t let our fancy screens show their full potential. Blu-ray sales have plummeted, and even though 4K Blu-ray sales went up slightly last year, they’re never returning to what they were. Throughout all of that, I’ve always known there was a better way.
[IMG: The Kaleidescape Strato E player on a gray surface.]
[IMG: The Kaleidescape Strato E player on a gray surface.]
[H3] Kaleidescape Strato E player
$2995$2995
[H4] The Good
High bitrate capability for visually lossless qualityAtmos sounds clear and accurateFar superior to popular streaming apps
[H4] The Bad
Incredibly priceyLimited internal storageOnly supports expensive in-ecosystem storage$2995 at Best Buy$2995 at Audio Advice$2995 at KaleidescapeHow we rate and review productsKaleidescape gets movie files directly from the studios, encodes them at reference quality, and makes them available for download to its high-end media players and servers. They offer 4K Blu-ray quality, or better, without a disc, and the ease of streaming without the quality loss. But they’ve always been expensive — so expensive that even in my 20 years of reviewing AV systems I’ve never had the chance to use one. They’ve been the purview of pricey, custom-installed home theater spaces. But now, Kaleidescape has released its most affordable 4K movie player yet. Although, at $2,995, the term affordable is extremely relative.The Strato E isn’t a streaming device. It has a built-in 480GB solid-state drive, which is enough to store five to six 4K movies, plus a USB port and an HDMI 2.1 port that handles both audio and video output. What makes Kaleidescape unique is that it’s not constrained by bitrate in the same way as streaming or even Blu-ray can be. 4K UHD discs have a maximum bitrate of 144Mbps, although most discs are limited to 128Mbps. That maximum is most important for movies with lots of action and detail, like Top Gun: Maverick, although even Maverick won’t be at that maximum for the entire movie.The average throughput for a title on 4K Blu-ray is around 50Mbps. The max throughput on most streaming services is significantly lower — usually around 20Mbps — with an average of under 10Mbps. Sony Pictures Core, which has a max bitrate of 80Mbps, is an exception, but it’s only available on Sony devices. Compression can add artifacts to the signal, which can visually show as color banding or a loss of detail, especially in dark scenes, and can limit the dynamic range and spatiality of the audio.Kaleidescape gets its movies directly from the studios and does its own encoding pass, allowing it to determine what bitrate the movie requires for each frame to be visually lossless. Movies with lots of action, detail, and color — like Maverick, Incredibles 2, and Mad Max: Fury Road — can hit a higher maximum bitrate than Blu-ray, and way higher than most streaming services.
[H3] Title
[H3] Average bitrate
[H3] Maximum bitrate
[H3] File size
Top Gun: Maverick71Mbps166Mbps84.6GBIncredibles 266.9Mbps160Mbps69.3GBMad Max: Fury Road68Mbps152Mbps69.6GBGodzilla vs. Kong67.4Mbps143Mbps64.5GBPacific Rim70.7Mbps137Mbps78.1GBGhostbusters (1984)65Mbps123Mbps58.4GBAgainst streaming, the Strato E was a big improvement in almost all situations. The spice-laden sand of Dune sparkled, and there was more devastatingly handsome detail in Oscar Isaac’s face than in the streamed version from HBO Max. When Paul first encounters Shai-Hulud in the darkness of the desert planet, the stream’s shadow detail gets crushed, and there can be banding artifacts from the compression. But because of the higher bitrate, the Kaleidescape doesn’t have those issues. Even though the scene is dark, the great worm is visible in the shadows. Compression artifacts inevitably pull me out of the story and the action, so when the image stays pristine, I’m able to stay immersed in the movie. It’s the great benefit of Kaleidescape: supporting the storytelling by faithfully presenting the material.Fellow reviewer Dennis Burger noted in his review for SoundStage a drastic improvement in The Godfather Part II (a film he is very familiar with) over the stream from the Apple TV app, particularly in the natural grain structure. The extra bitrate likely helped the difficult task of causing the excessive film grain to look more organic. On the other hand, The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel found Ghostbusters to be noisier on Kaleidescape than the version he’s watched through Sony Pictures Core on his A95L.For an audio comparison, I set up the new Bose Lifestyle Ultra system, which has good virtualized Atmos performance in my living room, but not as good as my discrete 5.1.2 SVS and Revel system with speakers on the ceiling. On the Bose, there’s still an audible difference between Kaleidescape and HBO Max, but the quality gap isn’t as wide as with my speakers.
[IMG: A closeup of the back connections on the Kaleidescape Strato E and Mini Terra Prime server, stacked on a wooden table.]
The Strato E (top) has just a single HDMI port for video and audio, and both it and the Mini Terra Prime connect via Ethernet to a home network.The Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks on the Kaleidescape are also far better than you can get on streaming. Streaming delivers lossy audio via Dolby Digital Plus, while Kaleidescape uses lossless tracks with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (same as 4K Blu-ray discs, although audio format is dependent on title). After level matching Dune on the Kaleidescape and through HBO Max, the lossless version has more presence and clarity in the height channels. The placement of sand encircling Paul as he gets his first unexpected dose of spice during the ornithopter rescue is more distinct on the Kaleidescape, instead of the more muted wash of sound I got from HBO Max.Kaleidescape has the technical ability to surpass Blu-ray, but in practice it depends on the movie — and your home theater setup. When I compared the Kaleidescape versions of Mad Max: Fury Road and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to my 4K Blu-ray versions played on a $3,300 Magnetar UDP900 MKII, with both players going through an Onkyo TX-RZ30 receiver, it was hard to see any difference. And that’s to say it looked equally excellent with both. The colors on Mad Max might have been a touch more vibrant with the Kaleidescape version, but not enough to put it far ahead of the Blu-ray. The animated film Incredibles 2 looks amazing on the Strato E, with colors that really pop onscreen and no issue with artifacts during fast motion.
[IMG: Hisense UR9 RGB LED TV showing Top Gun Maverick.]
Movies with lots of motion, like Top Gun: Maverick, have less potential to exhibit artifacts because of the high bitrate capability of Kaleidescape.As you might expect from a movie player this expensive, the better your TV and sound system are, the more you’ll notice the differences between Kaleidescape and the competition. I tested the Kaleidescape while reviewing a series of higher-end TVs, including the TCL X11L, Hisense UR9, and Sony Bravia 7 II (Nilay used his Sony Bravia A95L). You won’t see as much benefit from a lower-end TV (but also, who is going to hook up a $3,000 movie player to a $1,000 TV?).For this review, Kaleidescape loaned Nilay and me each a Strato E and a $9,995 Mini Terra Prime server. It has an 8TB SSD, increasing storage capacity to around 125 4K movies, and bringing the total cost of my review system to $12,990.It’s important to put that price into context. After all, in case your yacht doesn’t have room for all the Blu-rays you might want to watch at sea, the company also has a package deal that includes a player, every 4K title that’s available on the Kaleidescape store when you buy it (2,845, at last count), and two 120TB servers (enough to download all of them) for $127,995. That price doesn’t cover future releases, just what’s in the store now, so expect it to go up over time. So $2,995 for the Strato E is a steal!
[IMG: The browse user interface view on the Kaleidescape Strato E displayed on a TV.]
The collections view will show movie store suggestions, newly downloaded titles, paused movies, and selections that have already been watched.
[IMG: The list view user interface on the Kaleidescape Strato E displayed on a TV.]
Titles downloaded to the Kaleidescape Strato E (and connected server, if there is one) can be viewed in an alphabetical list.You can buy or rent movies, TV shows, and concert films from the Kaleidescape store, and they can be added to or removed from your local storage as necessary to make room for other titles. 4K movies range from $5 to $40 for purchase. Regular rentals are $6 to $10, but usually $8, and if you decide to purchase them during the rental period, you’ll get a credit of half the rental price toward the purchase. Premium rentals, which are generally movies still in theaters, are up to $30 and are not eligible for the purchase discount. On gigabit internet (the minimum Kaleidescape recommends), downloading a movie took around 10 to 15 minutes. It’s not the instant gratification of streaming something from Disney Plus, Prime Video, or Netflix, but still quick enough that I could set up the living room and get some snacks ready for the family before sitting down to watch.Unfortunately, high-fidelity video takes up a lot of storage space, and that’s the biggest downside of the Kaleidescape system. The 480GB drive on the Strato E only has enough room for around six 4K movies, so its drive fills up fast, and there’s no way to upgrade the onboard storage. (The $3,995 Strato V has a 960GB drive, both optical and coaxial digital audio out, and comes with a remote.) If you want more, you can buy one or more of Kaleidescape’s Terra servers, which start at $4,995 with an 8TB platter hard drive (also non-upgradeable) and can stream to multiple Strato players on your network. You can’t use your own server, either, and adding a server actually disables the internal storage in the Strato player.When asked why there’s no ability to upgrade a Strato player or server’s storage, Kaleidescape director of technical marketing André Floyd said, “It is much more straightforward, once someone has filled a Terra server, to add another server to their system and simply continue to add downloads to their system. Removing drives full of content and throwing them away to make room for larger drives and then re-downloading all the original content is not a supported operation.”As for why you can’t keep using the internal storage on the Strato player when you add a server, Floyd said it’s because each Strato system has a four-server limit, and each player’s storage, if left on, would count toward that limit. In a household with one server and three players, “When that first server becomes full, the owner needs to determine which player(s) to disable the storage for and then re-download any content that was stored there onto the new server when it is online. Having to figure that all out is not the experience we want to provide for our customers.”
[IMG: The covers view user interface on the Kaleidescape Strato E player.]
When a Strato E is grouped with a server, the covers view becomes available.The Kaleidescape Strato E really is a pleasure to use. That focus on customer experience does differentiate Kaleidescape from the most obvious, and much less expensive, alternative: a NAS full of Blu-ray rips running a service like Plex or Jellyfin. It takes time and technical know-how to set one up and rip your discs (or acquire media in other ways), and there can be playback issues with high-res files. And NAS boxes and hard drives are still expensive — granted, nowhere near as expensive as a Strato E or Kaleidescape’s add-on media servers, but storage isn’t cheap these days. It’s fair to say Kaleidescape’s target audience doesn’t mind spending money to avoid building and maintaining their own NAS setups. They just want to add a system (or, more accurately, have their custom installer add a system) that is easy to use and delivers the best quality they can get.Back when Kaleidescape first started in the early aughts, it was a way to rip and store digital versions of your movie collection onto local servers, displayed on an attractive user interface. The DVD Copy Control Association was not happy with that and sued Kaleidescape for breach of contract in 2004. After a lengthy process that included a decision for Kaleidescape and an appeal ruling in favor of the DVD CCA, the two sides came to a joint settlement in 2014. That led to the current incarnation of Strato players and Terra servers, first available in 2015. Kaleidescape gets the movie files directly from the studios, encodes them at the highest bitrate necessary for each title at different resolutions, and makes them available on the Kaleidescape store for purchase and download. This allows Kaleidescape to keep a closed, piracy-free, and controlled system, and is surely part of the reason you have to buy Kaleidescape’s servers instead of using your own.That industry connection is also why, while it’s still possible to scan your physical disc collection to your Kaleidescape, it only gives you a discount, not a free download. And some discounts are only a couple bucks — pricing is set by the studios and distributors. Kaleidescape will also only recognize DVDs and HD Blu-rays for discounts on the standard and 1080p formats. If a 4K disc is recognized, it would be catalogued as an HD Blu-ray and receive the corresponding credit. (Kaleidescape’s Floyd says this is “because Kaleidescape

[H1] Tech
FollowThe latest tech news about the world’s best (and sometimes worst) hardware, apps, and much more. From top companies like Google and Apple to tiny startups vying for your attention, Verge Tech has the latest in what matters in technology daily.
[IMG: Nothing cancels this year’s CMF phone due to RAM prices]
Nothing cancels this year’s CMF phone due to RAM pricesNothing’s co-founder says CMF couldn’t build a phone ‘at a price that makes sense.’Stevie Bonifield13 seconds ago
[IMG: Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem]
Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystemBut they’re only available in Europe.Jennifer Pattison Tuohy5:24 PM UTC
[IMG: Emma Roth]
Emma Roth11 minutes agoMadison Square Garden accused of exposing millions of visitors’ data.A proposed class action lawsuit alleges MSG failed to protect the data of over 26 million guests. It comes just days after 404 Media reported that hackers claimed to have published data stolen from MSG, which is known for its extensive surveillance system.
[IMG: Madison Square Garden’s surveillance system banned this fan over his T-shirt design]
[H2] Madison Square Garden’s surveillance system banned this fan over his T-shirt design
Mia SatoMar 28
[IMG: Emma Roth]
Emma RothAn hour agoGoogle’s Nobel Prize-winning AI researcher is joining Anthropic.John Jumper, who has worked as a researcher at Google DeepMind since 2017, announced his departure from the company on X. In 2024, Jumper and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing an open-source AI model that predicts protein structures.Nobel Winner John Jumper to Leave Google DeepMind for Anthropic[Bloomberg]
[IMG: Emma Roth]
Emma RothTwo hours agoA little fun with iOS 27’s Spatial Reframing.The AI-powered feature is designed to adjust the angle of a photo you’ve taken… but maybe not reconstruct your entire head.
[IMG: Terrence O]
Terrence O'Brien5:06 PM UTCAkai quadruples the processing power of its cheapest full-featured MPC.The $799 MPC One G2 has an 8-core processor with 4GB RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. That means you can run 32 plugin instances and 16 audio tracks simultaneously, up from eight of each in the previous model, and polyphony is now 256 notes, up from 64.
[IMG: Terrence O]
Terrence O'Brien4:25 PM UTCApple says dropping support for some Watches is about processing power.Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing Manager, was quick to tell TechRadar that older Apple Watch models will still work with newer iPhones and receive security updates. It’s just that Siri AI and some other watchOS 27 features require a bit more horsepower.“The great new features in watchOS, including the capabilities of Siri AI and the new tap gesture, work best with the processing power that is in Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3. Older devices can still be paired with iPhones that are running the latest software and continue to receive security updates, so they can continue to have a great Apple Watch experience.”
[IMG: The NTS Radio Player brings the best of internet radio to your hi-fi]
[IMG: The NTS Radio Player brings the best of internet radio to your hi-fi]
The NTS Radio Player brings the best of internet radio to your hi-fiTerrence O'Brien2:53 PM UTC
[IMG: Hayden Field]
Hayden Field1:30 PM UTCGoogle DeepMind announced an “AI Control Roadmap” for improving AI agent security.“Think of it like a driving instructor with dual controls,” Google’s blog post stated. “The instructor trusts the student but stays ready to take the wheel or hit the brakes if a mistake occurs.” Google DeepMind’s plan itself lays out “internal guardrails designed to catch potential adversarial behaviour by AI agents, even as they become increasingly harder to oversee and contain,” naming methods like chain-of-thought monitoring, asynchronous alerts, real-time access control, and shutdown infrastructure.GDM AI Control Roadmap[Google DeepMind]
[IMG: T1 Phone PR firm is ‘not assisting Trump Mobile any further’]
[IMG: T1 Phone PR firm is ‘not assisting Trump Mobile any further’]
T1 Phone PR firm is ‘not assisting Trump Mobile any further’Dominic Preston1:00 PM UTC
[IMG: Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away]
0Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, awayThe Strato E combines the convenience of streaming and the quality of Blu-ray without discs — at a high cost.John Higgins12:00 PM UTC
[IMG: In season 2 of Sugar, Colin Farrell’s quirky detective becomes much more human]
[IMG: In season 2 of Sugar, Colin Farrell’s quirky detective becomes much more human]
In season 2 of Sugar, Colin Farrell’s quirky detective becomes much more humanAndrew Webster12:00 PM UTC
[IMG: You can now use the Game Boy Camera with your phone]
[IMG: You can now use the Game Boy Camera with your phone]
You can now use the Game Boy Camera with your phoneAndrew LiszewskiJun 18
[IMG: HBO Max’s annual plans are 28 percent off right now]
[IMG: HBO Max’s annual plans are 28 percent off right now]
HBO Max’s annual plans are 28 percent off right nowSheena VasaniJun 18
[IMG: Snap’s Specs look good on nobody]
[IMG: Snap’s Specs look good on nobody]
Snap’s Specs look good on nobodyDavid PierceJun 18
[IMG: Richard Lawler]
Richard LawlerJun 18Now Google Meet works in Android Auto.When the Google Meet UI for Apple CarPlay launched in April, Google said Android Auto would follow soon, and now it’s here, with the rollout set to finish by June 26th. If you want to take a work call while in the car, you can see your schedule, dial colleagues, or join calls (audio only, both ways) without picking up your phone.
[IMG: Google Meet screenshot showing previous calls]
[IMG: Screenshot of Google Meet’s Android Auto UI showing scheduled calls]
1/2Image: Google
[IMG: This robotic self-driving toilet comes to you]
[IMG: This robotic self-driving toilet comes to you]
This robotic self-driving toilet comes to youAndrew LiszewskiJun 18
[IMG: Firefox’s new home page widgets are helping me focus]
[IMG: Firefox’s new home page widgets are helping me focus]
Firefox’s new home page widgets are helping me focusStevie BonifieldJun 18
[IMG: The Onion’s rebooted InfoWars is coming July 2nd]
[IMG: The Onion’s rebooted InfoWars is coming July 2nd]
The Onion’s rebooted InfoWars is coming July 2ndMia SatoJun 18
[IMG: Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limits]
Amazon employees say they’re facing termination for backing data center limitsAfter speaking up for regulation on data centers, Seattle activists say they were called into meetings with HR.Hayden FieldJun 18
[IMG: Jay Peters]
Jay PetersJun 18You can now add individual captions in Instagram carousels.Check out how it works in a post from Instagram. However, you’ll only be able to write individual captions to photos and videos in new carousels, not old ones, according to Meta’s Nicole Rechtszaid.
[IMG: Jay Peters]
Jay PetersJun 18iOS users in Brazil will now be able to install alternative app marketplaces.We knew this was coming thanks to a settlement Apple made with Brazil’s competition watchdog last year, but now it’s official.Apple opening up iOS in Brazil follows similar changes made for users in Japan and the EU.Apple announces changes to iOS in Brazil[Apple Newsroom]
[IMG: Google Calendar finally has more color options for events]
[IMG: Google Calendar finally has more color options for events]
Google Calendar finally has more color options for eventsJess WeatherbedJun 18
[IMG: The midterms are going to be a data security nightmare]
[IMG: The midterms are going to be a data security nightmare]
The midterms are going to be a data security nightmareLauren FeinerJun 18
[IMG: The Verge’s guide to Amazon Prime Day 2026]
[IMG: The Verge’s guide to Amazon Prime Day 2026]
The Verge’s guide to Amazon Prime Day 2026Cameron FaulknerJun 18
[IMG: Who decides when AI is too dangerous?]
Who decides when AI is too dangerous?With the Mythos debacle, Anthropic gets its first taste of the Trump admin’s new AI regulation regime.Nilay PatelJun 18
[IMG: The best robot vacuum deals available ahead of Prime Day]
[IMG: The best robot vacuum deals available ahead of Prime Day]
The best robot vacuum deals available ahead of Prime DaySheena VasaniJun 18
[IMG: Andrew Liszewski]
Andrew LiszewskiJun 18You can turn this LED candle on by pretending to light it with an imaginary match.The creators of the Birdie and Birdie Pro air quality monitors are expanding their offerings to include two new products focused on “healthier indoor climates” expected to launch in November. An emission-free LED candle called the Birdie Flame, and a towering air purifier called the Birdie Podium designed to look like a decorative wooden pedestal.
[IMG: <em>The Birdie Flame will be available in a small ($49), medium ($59), and large ($69) versions and can be turned off by blowing it out like a real candle.</em>]
[IMG: <em>The Birdie Podium is expected to cost $749 this fall.</em>]
[IMG: <em>The Birdie Podium is designed to hide its internal components that include a fan and filter, while still facilitating air flow through perforated panels.</em>]
[IMG: <em>The Birdie Pro air quality monitor is available through a <a href=]
1/4The Birdie Flame will be available in a small ($49), medium ($59), and large ($69) versions and can be turned off by blowing it out like a real candle. Image: Birdie
[IMG: Adobe’s redesigned AI studio remembers what your creations look like]
[IMG: Adobe’s redesigned AI studio remembers what your creations look like]
Adobe’s redesigned AI studio remembers what your creations look likeJess WeatherbedJun 18
[IMG: Photoshop and Premiere now have AI assistants]
[IMG: Photoshop and Premiere now have AI assistants]
Photoshop and Premiere now have AI assistantsJess WeatherbedJun 18
[IMG: This Ghost in the Shell keyboard feels like it came from anime]
8Verge ScoreThis Ghost in the Shell keyboard feels like it came from animeIqunix’s special edition EV63 is decked out in ’90s anime charm.Antonio G. Di BenedettoJun 18
[IMG: Andrew Liszewski]
Andrew LiszewskiJun 18It’s now Sennheiser’s turn to release a pair of open clip-style wireless earbuds.Following the recent debut of its Momentum 5 headphones, Sennheiser is joining companies like Bose and Sony with a new pair of open earbuds worn on the back of the ear. The Accentum Clip offer up to nine hours of battery, and while they won’t launch in the US, they’ll be available in Canada starting July 23rd for $269.95 CAD.
[IMG: <em>The Accentum Clip will run for up to nine hours on their own, but that can be boosted to up to 36 hours with their charging case.</em>]
[IMG: <em>The earbuds each feature a 12mm driver that works alongside a dynamic EQ that automatically makes adjustments when volume is raised or lowered.</em>]
[IMG: <em>The Accentum Clip support Bluetooth 6.0 plus SBC, AAC, and high-res LDAC codecs.</em>]
1/3The Accentum Clip will run for up to nine hours on their own, but that can be boosted to up to 36 hours with their charging case. Image: Sennheiser
[IMG: Jess Weatherbed]
Jess WeatherbedJun 18Step into the Criterion Closet.Developers Oliver and Patrick Evans have made a digitized 3D version of the famous movie closet that lets you explore 1,247 films distributed by The Criterion Collection. So now you can peruse the shelves and pull out titles to learn more about them, just like your favorite celebrities (kinda).If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.The Closet — the Criterion Collection[The Criterion Closet]
[IMG: Thomas Ricker]
Thomas RickerJun 18Co-lead of Gemini joins OpenAI.Noam Shazeer spent twenty years at Google before returning in 2024 after the Big G reportedly paid Character.AI — a company co-founded by Shazeer in 2021 — $2.7 billion to bring him and a team of researchers back home.
[IMG: Sean Hollister]
Sean HollisterJun 18Valve’s big SteamOS 3.8 update is now available for everyone.Three months after Valve’s doozy of an update arrived in preview — the first with support for the Steam Machine and a whole lot more — it’s getting a full stable release. Here’s the changelog. But when will the Steam Machine arrive? Valve’s had quite a few shipments now...SteamOS 3.8.10 has just been released for all users[Valve]
[IMG: Lauren Feiner]
Lauren FeinerJun 17US cybersecurity coordinator finally got access to Mythos Preview, report says.The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) gained access to the limited release cybersecurity-focused model last week, Nextgov/FCW reports. It’s just a little late, since the rest of the world has mostly moved onto the drama around the Trump administration’s block of the safeguarded public version of the model, Fable.CISA now has full Mythos Preview access, people familiar say[Nextgov.com]
[IMG: Tim Cook says RAM expenses are ‘unsustainable’ and Apple is going to raise prices]
[IMG: Tim Cook says RAM expenses are ‘unsustainable’ and Apple is going to raise prices]
Tim Cook says RAM expenses are ‘unsustainable’ and Apple is going to raise pricesEmma RothJun 17
[IMG: Emma Roth]
Emma RothJun 17Another iPhone Air rumor.Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that the next version of Apple’s ultra-slim device could arrive in spring 2027, echoing a previous report from The Information. Apple is reportedly working to improve the iPhone Air’s battery life and may add an ultrawide camera.Apple Prepares Second-Generation iPhone Air for Spring 2027[Bloomberg]
[IMG: VSCO launches Studio Pro mobile photo editing app and plans $500 per year subscription]
[IMG: VSCO launches Studio Pro mobile photo editing app and plans $500 per year subscription]
VSCO launches Studio Pro mobile photo editing app and plans $500 per year subscriptionStevie BonifieldJun 17
[IMG: David Pierce]
David PierceJun 17Today’s Vergecast: The best headphone mic we’ve ever tested.Your headphones’ microphone matters. A lot. And yet we never know how we sound to others, or whether we’re clear to our AI assistants! So every once in a while, we like to grab a bunch of headphones and put their microphones through some tough real-world tests. This time, with the help of The Verge’s John Higgins, we discover the best-sounding mic we’ve ever tested. And no, it’s not on a pair of AirPods. Not even close.Watch | Listen | Get ad-free
[IMG: The Echo Dot Max is cheaper than ever in an early Prime Day sale]
[IMG: The Echo Dot Max is cheaper than ever in an early Prime Day sale]
The Echo Dot Max is cheaper than ever in an early Prime Day saleSheena VasaniJun 17
[IMG: Andrew Liszewski]
Andrew LiszewskiJun 17Samsung phones are getting a new feature for checking the health of your pets.During the VivaTech 2026 conference in Paris, Samsung announced a new feature for its mobile devices created through a collaboration w