Zappiti Going Out of Business | Is DIY Local Media Ripping/Serving Over?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 1 жов 2023
- With the new of Zappiti going out of business, I'm discussing all the risk factors to setting up ripped physical media servers for local playback.
Thank you for doing all the regular UA-cam stuff (like, subscribe, comment, share, and enable notifications) and for supporting the channel!
* Send a tip with UA-cam Super Thanks.
* Send a tip with PayPal. bit.ly/3Pm9LZd
* Send a tip with Venmo. bit.ly/3qYRTdF
* Become a UA-cam member. bit.ly/3P1Zvnv
* Shop Techthusiasm merchandise. bit.ly/47UE2FT
* Shop with Audio Advice (say "Techthusiasm" over the phone). bit.ly/3stw8mw
* Shop with Ascend AV (say "Techthusiasm" over the phone). bit.ly/3qUE2VA
* Shop with SVS Sound. bit.ly/48b84Fj
* Shop with Amazon. amzn.to/40bvUwN
* Shop with coolgadget. bit.ly/3YZSrN4
* Register a new Kaleidescape account with code "pyle21432" (USA only). bit.ly/44C7n4R
Follow on other social media!
* Instagram | @jaremypyle | bit.ly/45tKsdo
* Bio Site | bit.ly/3Esp501
* Personal Site | bit.ly/45xMlWB
NOTE: Some links are affiliate and share revenue with Techthusiasm. This costs you nothing and is an ideal way to support the channel in making more content.
#hometheater #zappiti #kaleidescape - Наука та технологія
Not everybody can afford a kaleidoscape. Zappiti was the poor mans Kaleidoscape
True on Kaleidescape. Hopefully that evolves and the platform entry price goes down in the future. Zappiti was getting up there in price itself though. The top end players plus their NAS were coming surprisingly close to K territory.
Thank you! Poor man's server that was looking almost better. I wanted the Nas! But now it's gone!!
They serve different purposes. Not all my media would be on kaleidoscope, plus most hardware devices like this also support music playback.
@@Techthusiasm I agree. I gave away all my blu ray discs (kinda regret doing that) and looked at both Kscape and Zappiti and found that for the higher end models the close was far too close. I decided to go with Kscape because it was officially approved by hollywood. No approval is forever and Kscape has been in financial trouble in the past but I hope they continue to be successful.
Why can't Netflix do 4k download purchase downloads like kscap?
I personally believe it is a stretch to believe Zappiti's closing is predicting the downfall of playing ripped discs. First, most of Zappiti's business was outside of the US, where laws are less stringent on ripping media. For example, they only stopped selling the Zappiti NAS in the US. It was available most other places. Second, Zappiti's downfall may have come more from the fact that their latest line of players out-priced many people in this market. For example, the lowest end Zappiti (the NEO) was around the same price as the highest end Zidoo (UHD3000). Not having entry-level devices in the $200-$500 range eliminates a large share of the market who can get a Shield for $200. I purchased the Zappiti NEO last November (2022) and like many, have my regrets today. However, I decided to replace it with a Zidoo UHD5000. Zidoo just released an entirely updated line in June 2023. While there are no guarantees, I am confident enough that Zidoo will continue on to make the investment.
The price of the top Zappiti models was getting up there, for sure. Hopefully Zidoo capitalizes on the situation.
No guarantee that Kaleidescape is any safer.
Right, Amazing how people forget they was about to close down 6 or 7 years ago.
I get why people say that. Any business can fail at any time for a number of reasons. However, K is legally doing what they do with contracts and support of the content holders, while Zappiti and others like them are not. That layers on an extra element of risk.
I literally just started ripping my physical media collection this past weekend. I don’t have much, about 30 movies. I share all your sentiments regarding the future of physical media, but kscape just too out of budget for me right now. There are a million things I could upgrade for the price. Just using infuse for right now but was looking at that Zidoo.
Having my library at a moments notice is well worth the investment in ripping media, at least right now. We’ll see how I’m feeling about that later down the line.
Server cost is hugely more expensive than disc. I don't see physical media vanishing too soon. Some day yes, but there's a lot of years still ahead
I recently purchased the Zappiti Nas and have just spent two months ripping just over 1000 Blu-rays and 4K discs.
Really happy with the product and so sad to hear that Zappiti is closing down.
What is not clear though is what support the Nas will have?
They have said that will still be able to rip movies and access our content however the Nas is a closed system...
Will we be able to insert new drives into the empty slots?
And will we be able to replace broken hard drives ourselves?
If there closing down they really should give Nas owners full access to the Windows server Nas operating system, otherwise as soon as one of the hard drives fails the whole unit is a dustbin job.
I bought a Zappiti Neo last July just to upgrade my previous model and what happen with the warranty of three years? The product that I bought was sell with the hardware and software included but now, because the Zappiti Team (or should I say R_volution Team once they are the same) shut down the cloud I just lost 799€ in about 5 months. Now the same guys from R_volution want to take advantage of the clients and "suggest" to keep paying them 5,99€/month just to have what should be assured during the warranty of the equipment. The new said "R_volution PlayerOne" is exactly same of Zappiti Neo (please see specifications). They only change the Logo on the front and even kept the same price. If they can sell the R_volution PlayerOne for 799€ including the software R_video with enough profit why they can not provide this software to the clients that bought them the Zappiti?
I think Plex is going to be for the win here. It has had longevity in the market to playback lossless audio and video through shield since 2015. I’m gonna suggest to everyone that Plex or infuse 7 are for the win if you only rip MKV.
Plex is my main driver on my nVidia Shield Pro but if Plex can’t play it then I pull out VLC!💯
I wonder how the DIY local media hobby folks will respond if Nvidia cuts off and/or never updates the Shield line.
@@Techthusiasm I hope they are like me and have systems to fall back on. I have Fire Tv Cube,Firestick 4k,Roku Ultra,Apple Tv 4K,Xbox series X,PlayStation 5. My nVidia is the 2015 Pro version and surprisingly they’re still updating but it’s definitely coming to the end of its life.
Kodi and vlc are also another option since they support every video and audio format with the exception of hi res audio dsd.
Plex on Synology + Infuse + Apple TV got me 90% there, but I still bought a Zidoo z2000 pro in the end to get bitstream audio and full Atmos/DTS:X in my dedicated theater space for locally ripped movies
I can’t explain it, because Infuse decodes lossless to PCM, but my audio performance with Zidoo bit streaming went through the roof, even for stuff Infuse was doing lossless like TrueHD or DTS MA
Also of note, since TVOS 17, Infuse has NOT been lossless for me, as Apple TV is sending out 44.1Khz audio when the TrueHD or DTS MA source is 48Khz. I am shocked not more people are talking about that
Something new always comes along ... No need for tears
Long Live Zidoo.
It's probably the best hardware player option now.
Not sure if the device scrapped the media for meta data like artwork etc, that might go offline overtime as it would involve keeping the api updated. Same if there is any form of app control.
These closures and now Best Buy backing out of physical media gives K a advantage going forward ……..
Soon K will be the only way to enjoy uncompressed material
Zappiti got more attention on YT than it deserved. Zidoo is much better overall and hopefully it's not going anywhere.
I purchased there NAS before it was discontinued in the US and transitioned my whole 4K Blu-ray library, over to the NAS. I like you I purchased a Kaleidescape 18 months ago and any new material that I buy I get on that and I purchased a few titles.
How do you feel about the K experience so far overall?
I really enjoy it. I purchased a 2nd player for the master. I have a ton of content offline. But until they drop the server prices the 12 gig is going to have to do. I’m also an engineer, but I spent 22 years in the United States Navy as a fighter pilot went roomed room when we went to Japan, configuring audio systems. When I got out, I worked on the space station developing the power systems. It was fun.
Wow, nice career! Most folks I see jump into K end up using it more deeply than they even thought they might. As long as you have fast internet and decent data caps, you don't necessarily have to add more storage, unless you really really want have more or all of your content local. I have 12TB, and I just cycle it.
I have Kaleidescape but I'm still keeping my Synology NAS (2 disk redundancy) and a second NAS that I use for backup. I have no intention of repurchasing Kaleidescape versions of my ripped media. In the past, whenever new technology comes out (SD to HD then HD to 4K), I've often repurchased large numbers of my movies, but only to watch just a small fraction of the repurchased movies. With Kaleidescape, since a movie is only a 10 minute download away, I feel no need to purchase movies ahead of time, except right before actually watching a movie. There are good K sales, but again, I wind up just purchasing more movies than I'll actually watch. I think K is great moving forward, but for old movies, I'll keep my Synology and Plex.
Makes total sense, nice!
Hi, R_VIdeo from R_Volution will be available for Dune HD and zappiti with a cloud based system. for 5€ /month or 50€/Year. a seller from R_volution said in a Paris Audio Video Show some days ago. in a french video.
R_Video will be available for other media player later.
Yeah, R_volution came back very fast.
I bought a Zappiti Neo last July just to upgrade my previous model and what happen with the warranty of three years? The product that I bought was sell with the hardware and software included but now, because the Zappiti Team (or should I say R_volution Team once they are the same) shut down the cloud I just lost 799€ in about 5 months. Now the same guys from R_volution want to take advantage of the clients and "suggest" to keep paying them 5,99€/month just to have what should be assured during the warranty of the equipment. The new said "R_volution PlayerOne" is exactly same of Zappiti Neo (please see specifications). They only change the Logo on the front and even kept the same price. If they can sell the R_volution PlayerOne for 799€ including the software R_video with enough profit why they can not provide this software to the clients that bought them the Zappiti?
I saw this earlier today and was surprised to hear Zappiti went under. I’m glad I had drug my feet on buying the Zappiti. I was definitely going to buy that or Zidoo but now I’m reluctant to even get the Zidoo. I rip my DVDs and Blu-rays to my computer and use Plex to play them. I don’t rip my 4K movies I pop them into my Oppo. I’m fine with that. My computer is backed up to the cloud so my Movies are safe and I have the disc! The way the World is ever evolving really none of these businesses are 100% safe. I use to work for McDonnell Douglas back in the 70s and when Boeing bought them out it really opened my eyes that no matter how big a company is you’re still not safe!👴🏽
I would say stick to playing the discs if you're happy with it.
@Techthusiasm Most definitely! I'm totally old school and having discs is part of my DNA. I've bought a few digital Movies off of Vudu. I'm trying to branch out a little. There's a guy that I saw online that had a $300,000 disc's collection in his basement.That equates to roughly 15,000 movies. I thought I had a decent collection at 2200.😄
So what will you do when iTunes takes away your digital purchases?
I don't believe that will happen. If anything, I believe Apple is interested to grow Apple TV, Apple TV+, iTunes, and the like rather than kill it. I don't fear digital ownership either. If there is something old or specific I want to ensure I have access to, then I can still keep a local/personal cloud version of that, per my comments in the video.
Love your channel but not your take on this. For me kaleidoscope is more likely to go under just like Z. The physical disks I have are mine. But what about the future? I don’t know but the physical disks I already own have a good future. I get you like your system and it’s great. But don’t understand why attack physical media? It’s here now and I collect what I want to own. If that changes so will we.
That's fair. I enjoy discussion and debate. It's my engineering/technologist coming through that it's intriguing to me to look at the future of tech and business and consider what might transpire.
I don't hate physical media. I did a bunch of content months back reconsidering how much I might use physical media and making how to content about ripping and setting up local media playback. Even rebought an Oppo and more to give folks guidance. I just want folks to understand the real/potential logistics of this route, so I try to speak honestly about it. I field questions all the time from folks considering just getting started. There are still positive virtues to physical media, whether you rip it or not.
@@Techthusiasm You are right there any many benefits to physical media even if people do not back them up. Its entry barrier is very low and their are many nice 4k players that don't cost a fortune. With almost all of the movies I also get them available on many streaming services like Apple and Vudu. So as long as they stay alive and offer the movie then I have that as well as owning an actual physical copy in case things in the future change. Physical media is still a billion dollar business for Walmart so I think it may stick around for a bit but if not I still own all those movies I wanted to own. I am glad the kaliedoscape provides what you need but you can see from the comments the barrier to entry is high and many including myself can not afford it. That's what worries me about their longevity. Thanks for the great channel and chance to talk about these things as adults.
I guess technology continually changes and what we think is end game now will probably be obsolete in a few years. The studios got their wish to be the vendors of their movies. My only concern is that the quality they are streaming is not at the same level as physical media.
The likelihood of a backed up NAS failing at the same time as the backup is probably less than the possibility of Kaleidoscape and their business failing as it was already close to that. We’ll see I guess.
DIY situation going to be around a lot longer than Kscape....... It wasn't long ago that Kscape was going to close their doors to the public.
We'll see. It was like several years ago that K had their stumble, and they are flying now these last couple of years. Per the video though, K has just general business risk. The ripping scene has several independent risk factors that can cut it off.
Didnt watch but How is home media / ripping over just because of zapitti ? Zidoo .. dune .. plex .. emby .. jellyfin ? I mean come on.
It is another brick in the road, along with other things like way more 4K titles on digital than disc and physical media diminishing worldwide. We will see how the landscape continues to evolve.
@@Techthusiasm. Still pretty clickbaity.
Yes, streaming services will outpace physical, but it’s not the end… yet.
Maybe I could tweak the title from "Over" to "Diminishing" or something along those lines.
@@Techthusiasm it’s can be argued it’s the opposite. Disney have released long awaited streaming only titles in 4K disc. My copies of Mandalorian, Loki, and Wandavision will be hitting my doorstep Saturday. Disney’s CEO has stated that they will be looking toward physical media more. Heck even blockbuster video has a limited reopening of five stores in the LA and San Diego area. So yes casual people will stream but hi fidelity enthusiast will look towards two options Kscape or Disc. Kscape is just too pricey for people who can get a LG C3 or G3 and a Panasonic 820 for less than the lowest tier of a KScape.
Yeah, Disney had a weird couple of weeks there where they pulled physical media in some markets and then seemingly doubled-down on it with these extra releases. I think though some of that move was less about physical media and more about trying to monetize their content more. A number of formerly D+ exclusives also hit the Kaleidescape store recently, as well as disc. I think they are just looking for more revenue beyond D+ subscriptions.
I have a Zappiti setup but the new is not a big deal. I have my media for future use. That’s most important.
I bought a Zappiti Neo last July just to upgrade my previous model and what happen with the warranty of three years? The product that I bought was sell with the hardware and software included but now, because the Zappiti Team (or should I say R_volution Team once they are the same) shut down the cloud I just lost 799€ in about 5 months. Now the same guys from R_volution want to take advantage of the clients and "suggest" to keep paying them 5,99€/month just to have what should be assured during the warranty of the equipment. The new said "R_volution PlayerOne" is exactly same of Zappiti Neo (please see specifications). They only change the Logo on the front and even kept the same price. If they can sell the R_volution PlayerOne for 799€ including the software R_video with enough profit why they can not provide this software to the clients that bought them the Zappiti?
Have you tried the pioneers yet for ripping they are way better than LG/asus
No. I don't really rip any more though. The drive I have for various purposes is good for me.
Which Pioneer models?
@@PSYCHOV3N0M the ones billy sells on makemkv don't think I can link here
Pioneer 212
S13UBK
S13UX
Typical, just bought the Zappiti NAS and two players! I'm now worried that my expensive Nas will turn into a doorstop!
Argh, what a bummer. Can you still return them?
When i first heard how easy Zappiti made breaking DVD DRM, I thought this day might xome when US regulators and/or movie studios eould force them to close their doors. Sad day.
I feel really vad for the non enthusiasts who may not have seen this coming, or the intallers supporting them.
Edit God bless why does youtube override auto correct
They were shutdown not because of DRM but due to bankruptcy. Their slow demise has been documented in the French courts.
I was curious to get more detail about the reasons behind the closure. Bummer they couldn't make it financially. I was definitely curious because the pulling of the NAS for US sales, I assume, had to be drive my legal forces.
I have Zidoo, QNAP and Synology and am again out of disc space. Honestly, I am to the point of a pilgrimage to K-scape. I determined I will get more enjoyment from a new projector and K-scape than a Trinnov, JTR speakers, or even new furniture.
People can argue for ripping et al, but I am tired of it. Tired of discs not ripping, shipping/returning, wasting time, migrating and managing media. It’s simply a refocus of priorities for me.
I agree. That's the path I took.
This I do agree with, luckily my library is small but I’m already finding movies of mine that just won’t rip, and I’ll likely have to replace. Huge bummer :/. I could see how the appeal of KScape grows especially to people with already huge collections finding out some disks are botched and keep failing.
I would submit the writing is on the wall for physical media. With Best Buy announcing they will no longer carry disks, how long will it be before Walmart, Target, etc. does the same? While the Zappiti device may now be a brick, I would imagine you could harvest the industry standard ISO, MKV files and use them elsewhere. To my knowledge, you can't do that with KScape. If they suffer the same fate, you're now looking at a brick that rivals the cost of a small family car, and media that won't work on any other system. I'm sure not too many feel KScape is at risk, but I would imagine they are for the same reason Zappiti is, and likely any other company who's offerings are singularly focused.
I also enjoy your channel, mostly for the rational measured discussion you bring, but when it comes to the subject of ripping discs you make it very clear where you stand but to suggest that Kscape is the a great alternative is hardly an unbiased opinion. I purchased a Reference player 2 days prior to this announcement. Am I unhappy, of course but believe me the thought of “investing” in a Kscape has never crossed my mind. You just seemed a little too happy with the Zappiti announcement.
Thanks! I talk about this concept because I've done it all for a long time leading me to where I am today (with a lot of debate and second guessing), so trying to share that experience. I want K to succeed because I want the platform to thrive and get even better. I'm not happy about Zappiti. I don't want to see business go under and folks lose their jobs. It is a step though in what I expect to see happen over time.
I bought a Zappiti Neo last July just to upgrade my previous model and what happen with the warranty of three years? The product that I bought was sell with the hardware and software included but now, because the Zappiti Team (or should I say R_volution Team once they are the same) shut down the cloud I just lost 799€ in about 5 months. Now the same guys from R_volution want to take advantage of the clients and "suggest" to keep paying them 5,99€/month just to have what should be assured during the warranty of the equipment. The new said "R_volution PlayerOne" is exactly same of Zappiti Neo (please see specifications). They only change the Logo on the front and even kept the same price. If they can sell the R_volution PlayerOne for 799€ including the software R_video with enough profit why they can not provide this software to the clients that bought them the Zappiti?
It looks like I made the right choice to have my movies in apple tv or iTunes it is sad they went broke.
Going to the ATV/iTunes route is a great one, IMO.
@@Techthusiasm Thank you I will have a look at it.
If I own content and want it in another format there’s always piracy. It’s no different to ripping
Unfortunatly Kaleidescape is not in bussines in Europe
Good point. I should qualified the Kaleidescape elements of this video with the caveat of it being a US-centric option. I'll work to remember that next time.
I added comment on Spare Change and I really feel "Jilted" after hearing the Zappitti news. I'm a home theater 🎥 enthusiast and had my sites on acquiring one because I truly feel Kaleidescape is just too DAM EXPENSIVE!!
Zappitti's NAS was really looking fantastic with thier wonderful looking interface that looked and operated similar to Kaleidescape 's .
Why? Just why? Did this have to happen? $5,000 for Zappitti compared to $10,000 for a Kaleidescape? Kaleidescape is a nice don't get us wrong! But you have to sell a kidney 😢 just to afford it!
Can't somebody step up (a Grant Cardone dude) and maybe put up some money to save this company?
Yes and what if Kaleidescape gos out of business!
The entry point on K right now is 8k, not $10k. With a Zappiti NAS, hard drives, and a high end player, you were pretty much knocking on the door of K's entry point for a high end Zappiti setup. Hopefully we might see K options get even better in 2024. You can also go used. You can get a Strato S player plus storage from a qualified owner, probably still with some warranty, for $3,500 or so.
Regardless, it is sad to see companies go down like this and a lot of folks will get left with un/less usable hardware.
@@Techthusiasmagree. I went used as well for the Stratos S and am happy.
Do you really think kaleidescape is the answer? It's not even available for sale outside your market. I think you're at as much risk of kaleidescape failing as Zappiti .
I don't believe the risks are the same given that K is legally approved and partnered with the content holders. It is true though that K is best in the US and so physical media and DIY servers are a bigger factor in other markets. Great point!
This isn’t great at all lol. I have 2 zappiti players that are most likely useless now unless they have a way of playing the drives without the cloud sign in
Zappiti are rumoured to be working on a app, so that the players can be played without signing in to the cloud, you could also you Zappiti Explorer to play your drives.
Yeah, it's sad to lose a company that a lot of folks were using. Zappiti was arguably the leader in this media player space.
I bought a Zappiti Neo last July just to upgrade my previous model and what happen with the warranty of three years? The product that I bought was sell with the hardware and software included but now, because the Zappiti Team (or should I say R_volution Team once they are the same) shut down the cloud I just lost 799€ in about 5 months. Now the same guys from R_volution want to take advantage of the clients and "suggest" to keep paying them 5,99€/month just to have what should be assured during the warranty of the equipment. The new said "R_volution PlayerOne" is exactly same of Zappiti Neo (please see specifications). They only change the Logo on the front and even kept the same price. If they can sell the R_volution PlayerOne for 799€ including the software R_video with enough profit why they can not provide this software to the clients that bought them the Zappiti?
Plex, jellyfin and Emby. Anything else is a waste of time.
Zappiti seemed overpriced for awhile. Zidoo seems to be doing well as there is no cloud service hosting library data and great next gen players that just hit the market.
Yeah, this opens the door for Zidoo to capitalize.
@@Techthusiasm I bought a Zappiti Neo last July just to upgrade my previous model and what happen with the warranty of three years? The product that I bought was sell with the hardware and software included but now, because the Zappiti Team (or should I say R_volution Team once they are the same) shut down the cloud I just lost 799€ in about 5 months. Now the same guys from R_volution want to take advantage of the clients and "suggest" to keep paying them 5,99€/month just to have what should be assured during the warranty of the equipment. The new said "R_volution PlayerOne" is exactly same of Zappiti Neo (please see specifications). They only change the Logo on the front and even kept the same price. If they can sell the R_volution PlayerOne for 799€ including the software R_video with enough profit why they can not provide this software to the clients that bought them the Zappiti?
Ripping Media ist a hobby and watching movies is another hobby. When watching movies is your more important hobby, then there ist no need for ripping all movies. Imagine ripping just your favorite movies, only these you definitely watch very often. You can probably save a lot of time and money.
When ripping media ist your hobby, then you will always find a solution, but will it bee technically equal to Itunes? Today it is even better, but what brings the future? Die you really think you can compete against Itunes in 10 to 15 years?
I agree with this very much. Doing the ripping and administering that style of setup is a hobby unto itself. :) For a long time, I did quite enjoy it. Having your hands on your content, setting it up as you like, and so on was quite fun until I hit a wall of time and frustration with it. I was doing more of that than actually enjoying the content itself and had to change things for me.
IMO, I look forward to Apple winning the content race. I'd love nothing more than for Apple to stream with high bit rate video and lossless audio. I cross my fingers every year for that announcement.