Best NAS for Video Editing Australia 2026

The best NAS for video editing in Australia in 2026 is the QNAP TS-473A ($1,369-$1,489) for solo editors working with 4K timelines, the Synology DS1525+ ($1,285-$1,399) for collaborative teams who value Synology Drive and snapshot replication, and the QNAP TVS-672XT ($3,057-$3,799) for multi-editor studios working with 6K/8K or ProRes RAW. But here is what most NAS guides for video editors get wrong: the NAS itself is rarely the bottleneck. Your network connection between the NAS and your editing workstation is almost always the limiting factor. A $3,000 NAS on a 1GbE connection delivers the same throughput as a $500 NAS on 1GbE. Roughly 110 MB/s, which is not enough for multi-stream 4K editing.

Why Network Speed Matters More Than NAS Hardware

Video editing workflows demand sustained sequential read speeds that consumer networking simply cannot deliver. Here is the reality of what different connection speeds mean for editing:

A single stream of 4K Apple ProRes 422 HQ runs at roughly 110-150 MB/s. Which saturates a 1GbE link immediately. Even 2.5GbE only gives you headroom for one stream with nothing else happening on the network. 10GbE is the baseline for serious video editing from a NAS. If your budget does not stretch to 10GbE networking, consider a Thunderbolt DAS (direct-attached storage) like the TerraMaster D4-320 ($329 at Scorptec) instead of a NAS. You will get better editing performance for less money. You just lose the network-shared and remote access capabilities.

Best NAS for Video Editing. Top Picks at a Glance

Prices last verified: 28 March 2026. Always check retailer before purchasing.

QNAP TS-473A. Best Overall for Solo Video Editors

The QNAP TS-473A is the standout NAS for solo video editors in Australia. The AMD Ryzen V1500B quad-core CPU delivers genuine multi-threaded performance for file indexing, thumbnail generation, and background tasks while you edit. With 8 GB RAM (expandable to 64 GB), two M.2 NVMe SSD slots for caching, and dual 2.5GbE ports with link aggregation, it punches well above its price class.

What makes the TS-473A particularly suited to video editing is the PCIe Gen 3 expansion slot. Drop in a QNAP QXG-10G2T dual-port 10GbE card (~$1269 at Scorptec, though stock is intermittent) and you have a NAS that can sustain 800-900 MB/s reads. Enough for multi-stream 4K ProRes editing directly from the NAS. Without the 10GbE upgrade, the dual 2.5GbE ports with link aggregation give you approximately 500 MB/s aggregate, which handles single-stream 4K ProRes editing with some headroom.

The TS-473A suits solo editors working primarily in 4K who want a NAS they can grow into. Start with 2.5GbE and proxy editing, then add 10GbE when the budget allows. At $1,369-$1,489, it is the best price-to-performance NAS for video editing available in Australia right now. For a broader look at QNAP's range, see our QNAP NAS Australia guide.

Synology DS1525+. Best for Collaborative Teams

The Synology DS1525+ is a 5-bay NAS that launched in 2025 with the AMD Ryzen R1600 dual-core CPU and 8 GB of DDR4 ECC RAM. For video editing, its strength is not raw horsepower. It is Synology's software ecosystem. Synology Drive provides seamless file syncing between workstations and the NAS, Active Backup for Business handles workstation backup, and Hyper Backup manages offsite replication. For a small post-production team, these tools save hours of manual file management.

Five bays in a desktop form factor is uncommon and genuinely useful for video storage. A RAID 5 array with 5x 16 TB drives gives approximately 58 TB of usable space. Enough for a meaningful project archive alongside active work. The DS1525+ also accepts the Synology DX525 expansion unit for an additional 5 bays, taking the total to 10 bays without replacing the NAS.

The DS1525+ suits post-production teams of 2-4 editors who prioritise reliable file syncing, automated backups, and a polished management interface. If your workflow involves multiple editors pulling footage from the same project library, Synology Drive's selective sync and version control are genuinely useful. The 5-bay form factor also means more storage density than competing 4-bay units. For a deeper comparison of Synology models, see our Synology NAS Australia guide.

QNAP TS-664. Best 6-Bay Value for Growing Libraries

Video editors burn through storage fast. A single day of 4K ProRes shooting can generate 500 GB to 1 TB of footage. The QNAP TS-664 addresses this with six bays, an Intel Celeron N5095 quad-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, dual 2.5GbE, two M.2 NVMe slots, and a PCIe Gen 3 expansion slot for 10GbE. All at $1,549-$1,649 depending on the retailer.

Six bays in RAID 5 with 16 TB drives delivers roughly 73 TB usable. Enough to store months of active projects alongside an archive. The Celeron N5095 is not as strong as the Ryzen V1500B in the TS-473A, but it handles NAS duties competently and supports hardware transcoding via Intel Quick Sync if you also use the NAS for media serving. The PCIe slot means 10GbE is a future upgrade away.

The TS-664 suits solo editors who know they will need storage capacity over the next 2-3 years. If you are choosing between a 4-bay and a 6-bay NAS, buy the 6-bay. Expanding storage after the fact. Either migrating data to a new NAS or adding expansion units. Is always more expensive and more disruptive than buying the extra bays upfront.

QNAP TVS-672XT. Best for Multi-Editor Studios

For professional studios with 2-4 editors working simultaneously from a shared NAS, the QNAP TVS-672XT is the Australian-available option that ticks the most boxes. It ships with a built-in 10GbE RJ45 port. No add-in card needed. Plus two 1GbE ports, an Intel Core i3-8100T quad-core CPU, 8 GB RAM (expandable to 64 GB), and six bays. At $3,057 from Mwave and $3,799 from PLE, it is a significant investment, but the built-in 10GbE alone saves $250-$650 over buying a NAS plus a separate 10GbE card.

The i3-8100T is an older desktop-class CPU that nonetheless provides strong performance for NAS duties. It handles concurrent 10GbE file serving to multiple editors without the performance dips you see from Celeron or low-power ARM processors under sustained multi-user load. If multiple editors are scrubbing through 4K timelines simultaneously, CPU headroom matters.

The TVS-672XT suits professional studios where multiple editors need simultaneous 10GbE or Thunderbolt access to shared project storage. The Thunderbolt 3 ports are a standout feature. Connect a Mac directly via Thunderbolt and you bypass your network entirely, getting DAS-like speeds with NAS-like sharing capabilities. This is particularly useful in Mac-based Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve workflows.

Asustor Lockerstor 4 AS6804T. High Performance Alternative

The Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T is worth considering for video editors who want raw hardware performance. The AMD Ryzen V3C14 quad-core CPU is one of the strongest processors available in a 4-bay NAS, paired with 16 GB of DDR4 ECC RAM out of the box. Dual 5GbE network ports provide approximately 1,000 MB/s aggregate throughput with link aggregation. Close to 10GbE performance without the 10GbE infrastructure cost.

The AS6804T suits editors who want premium hardware specifications and are willing to work within Asustor's smaller ecosystem. The 16 GB ECC RAM and Ryzen V3C14 CPU give it genuine muscle. However, the lack of a PCIe expansion slot means you are locked into the built-in 5GbE networking. Which is fast, but not upgradeable to 10GbE down the track. For more on the Asustor range, check what is available at Scorptec and PLE, or see our Best NAS Australia roundup.

What About Budget Options? The DS925+ and DS425+

If your budget sits under $1,100 and you are editing compressed formats (H.264/H.265) rather than ProRes or RAW, both the Synology DS925+ ($995-$1,029) and the Synology DS425+ ($980-$1044) deserve a look. Neither is purpose-built for video editing, but both have features that make them workable for lighter editing workflows.

The DS925+ is a 4-bay NAS with an AMD Ryzen quad-core CPU, 4 GB RAM (expandable), dual 2.5GbE, and two M.2 NVMe slots. It supports the Synology E10G22-T1-Mini 10GbE adapter for network upgrades. At $995 from Scorptec or $1,029 from Mwave, it is the most affordable path into a Synology NAS with 10GbE potential. See our Synology DS925+ review for a detailed breakdown.

The DS425+ is a 4-bay unit at $819-$999 depending on the retailer. It shares the same Intel Celeron platform as other Plus-series models and offers 2.5GbE networking. For proxy-based editing or as a storage/backup target for finished projects, it is perfectly capable. Don't expect to edit full-resolution 4K ProRes directly from it over the network, though. That requires 10GbE, which the DS425+ does not easily accommodate. For a head-to-head with the DS925+, see our Synology DS925+ vs DS725+ comparison.

SSD Caching. Why It Matters for Video Editing on a NAS

Every NAS recommended above includes M.2 NVMe SSD slots. For video editing, these slots should be used for read-write SSD caching, not additional storage. Here is why.

When you open a DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro project stored on a NAS, the application reads thousands of small metadata files. Project settings, clip thumbnails, audio waveforms, colour grades, timeline data. These are random reads, and spinning hard drives are slow at random I/O (typically 1-5 MB/s for random reads versus 150-200 MB/s for sequential). SSD caching stores frequently accessed small files on fast NVMe storage, dramatically reducing the lag when opening projects, scrubbing timelines, and loading thumbnails.

The sequential throughput for actual video files (the large reads during playback) will still come from the HDD array. And that is fine, because hard drives excel at sequential reads. The SSD cache handles the random I/O that would otherwise make the NAS feel sluggish during editing. Budget $150-$500 per NVMe SSD depending on capacity. A 500 GB NVMe drive is sufficient for caching in most editing workflows.

10GbE Networking. What You Need in Australia

If you decide to go with 10GbE (and for editing full-resolution 4K+ footage from a NAS, you should), here is what the full setup looks like in Australia:

NAS-side: Either a NAS with built-in 10GbE (like the TVS-672XT) or a PCIe 10GbE card. The Synology E10G18-T1 single-port 10GbE card is $239-$289 at Mwave/Scorptec. QNAP's QXG-10G2T dual-port card is $649 at Scorptec (stock availability varies). For a single editor, a single-port card is sufficient.

Workstation-side: You need a 10GbE NIC in your editing workstation. Budget $150-$300 for a PCIe 10GbE card (Asus XG-C100C or similar from local retailers). For a Mac, Sonnet and OWC make Thunderbolt-to-10GbE adapters at $350-$500.

Switch (if more than one editor): A 10GbE switch is needed when multiple devices share the 10GbE network. The QNAP QSW-1105-5T ($159 at Scorptec) provides five 2.5GbE ports. Not 10GbE. For actual 10GbE switching, look at the QNAP QSW-3216R-8S8T or similar models, which start around $1,000-$1,500 in Australia. Alternatively, for a single editor, run a direct 10GbE cable between the NAS and workstation and skip the switch entirely. This is the cheapest and highest-performance option.

How Much Storage Do Video Editors Actually Need?

Video storage requirements depend entirely on your codec and resolution. Here is a rough guide:

For a wedding videographer shooting 8 hours of 4K H.264, that is roughly 360 GB per event. Manageable. For a production house shooting 4K ProRes 422 HQ, 8 hours generates approximately 2.8 TB of raw footage. That fills a 4-bay NAS in RAID 5 in under 10 events. Plan your storage around your actual codec and shooting volume. Not marketing claims about "massive storage."

NAS-grade drives in Australia have risen in price through 2025-2026. Expect to pay $299-$429 for a 4-6 TB NAS drive (Synology HAT3300 series at Scorptec), $499 for 8 TB, and $599-$829 for 12-16 TB. The Seagate IronWolf and WD Red Plus lines are also available at similar price points from Mwave and PLE. For a detailed breakdown, see our Best NAS Hard Drive Australia guide.

Remote Editing and NBN Limitations

Remote access to NAS-stored footage is technically possible via Synology QuickConnect, QNAP myQNAPcloud, or a VPN. But the reality in Australia is that NBN upload speeds make remote editing of raw footage impractical for most connections.

A typical NBN 100 plan provides roughly 15-20 Mbps upload (not the 40 Mbps theoretical maximum. Real-world is significantly lower). That is approximately 2 MB/s. Downloading a 50 GB 4K project from your NAS at that speed takes roughly 7 hours. Even NBN 250 or 1000 plans, which offer faster upload tiers, rarely exceed 50-80 Mbps upload in practice. Still far too slow for real-time editing.

If remote editing is part of your workflow, the practical approach is to pre-sync proxy files to your laptop before leaving the office, edit proxies remotely, then relink to full-resolution footage when back on the local network. Synology Drive and QNAP Qsync both support selective folder sync, making this workflow manageable.

Backup Strategy for Video Editors. Your NAS Is Not a Backup

This point cannot be emphasised enough: a NAS with RAID is not a backup. RAID protects against a single drive failure. It does not protect against accidental deletion, ransomware, theft, fire, NAS hardware failure, or firmware corruption. If your NAS dies and you have no other copy, that footage is gone.

For video editors, the minimum viable backup strategy follows the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two different media types, with one copy offsite. In practice for an Australian video editor, this might look like:

Copy 1: NAS (primary working storage, RAID 5 or SHR).
Copy 2: External USB drive rotated weekly. Keep one at home, one at the office. A bare 16 TB drive and a USB dock costs under $500.
Copy 3: Cloud backup via Backblaze B2, Synology C2, or similar. This is slower for large video libraries but protects against physical disaster.

For a comprehensive backup planning guide, see our 3-2-1 Backup Strategy NAS Guide.

Buying a NAS for Video Editing in Australia. Where and How

Australian NAS pricing is relatively uniform across the major retailers. Most operate on 3-5% margin, so price differences between Scorptec, Mwave, and PLE are typically $20-$50 on any given model. The more important difference is stock depth, pre-sales guidance, and after-sales support.

For video editing NAS purchases, buy from a specialist retailer like Scorptec or PLE where you can get genuine pre-sales advice. These stores list most models, hold reasonable stock of popular units, and have staff who understand the product category. Mwave is also solid for Synology models specifically. Amazon AU has started holding NAS stock directly in 2026 at prices sometimes 10-20% below local retailers. But their support model means you are on your own if the unit fails with your data inside it.

For business purchases, always request a formal quote rather than buying at listed retail price. Resellers can request pricing support from distributors and vendors. Discounts that never appear on the website but are routinely available for quoted deals. The larger the order (NAS plus drives plus accessories), the more leverage you have.

UGREEN and TerraMaster. Worth Considering?

UGREEN has entered the NAS market with its NASync range (DXP2800, DXP4800, DXP6800 Pro, and others), which feature competitive hardware specifications at lower prices than the established brands. However, UGREEN does not yet have an official Australian distributor, which means warranty claims currently go through international channels. For a NAS holding critical video production data, this is a significant risk. The software ecosystem is also immature compared to Synology's DSM or QNAP's QTS. If you are technically confident and comfortable managing your own support, UGREEN could be an interesting budget option. But for most video editors, the after-sales risk is not worth the saving in 2026.

TerraMaster offers some compelling hardware for the price. The TerraMaster F4-424 Pro at $1,099-$1,100 (Scorptec/Mwave) packs an Intel Core i3 and 32 GB RAM into a 4-bay chassis. Impressive specifications that rival the QNAP TVS-672XT on paper. However, TerraMaster's software (TOS) is significantly less mature than Synology or QNAP, the app ecosystem is limited, and Australian support through DSTech is minimal. For a dedicated storage box managed by a technically competent user, the F4-424 Pro is a bargain. For anyone who wants reliable software and a proven support chain, stick with Synology or QNAP.

Which NAS Should You Actually Buy?

Choosing a NAS for video editing comes down to three questions: how many editors, what resolution/codec, and what is your total budget including networking and drives?

Solo editor, 4K H.264/H.265, proxy workflow: The Synology DS425+ ($819-$999) or DS925+ ($995-$1,029) with 2.5GbE is sufficient. Edit proxies, export full-res. No 10GbE needed.

Solo editor, 4K ProRes, editing from NAS: The QNAP TS-473A ($1,369-$1,489) with a 10GbE card upgrade. Budget approximately $2,500-$3,500 total (NAS + drives + 10GbE networking).

Small team (2-3 editors), shared project storage: The Synology DS1525+ ($1,285-$1,399) for its collaboration tools, or the QNAP TS-664 ($1,549-$1,649) for more bays. Add 10GbE networking for each workstation.

Professional studio, 4K+ ProRes/RAW, multiple simultaneous editors: The QNAP TVS-672XT ($3,057-$3,799) with built-in 10GbE and Thunderbolt 3. Budget $6,000-10,000 total including drives, a 10GbE switch, and workstation NICs.

Maximum hardware specs, willing to work outside the mainstream ecosystem: The Asustor Lockerstor 4 AS6804T ($1,799-$2,175) with its Ryzen V3C14 and 16 GB ECC RAM, or the TerraMaster F4-424 Pro ($1,099-$1,100) for sheer specs-per-dollar.

Free tools: Transfer Speed Estimator and NAS Sizing Wizard. No signup required.

See also: our NAS for Video Editors hub.

Can I edit video directly from a NAS?

Yes, but only with adequate network speed. Editing compressed formats (H.264, H.265) over 2.5GbE is workable for single-stream 1080p and light 4K work. Editing ProRes or RAW footage requires 10GbE networking between the NAS and your workstation. Without 10GbE, you will experience dropped frames, stuttering timelines, and long load times. The alternative is proxy editing. Edit low-resolution copies on the NAS and swap to full-resolution for final export.

Is 10GbE essential for video editing on a NAS?

It depends on your codec. If you edit compressed H.264/H.265 footage or use a proxy workflow, 2.5GbE is sufficient. If you edit Apple ProRes, DNxHR, or any uncompressed/lightly compressed format at 4K or above, 10GbE is essential. A single 4K ProRes 422 HQ stream runs at 110-150 MB/s, which saturates 1GbE and pushes the limits of 2.5GbE. 10GbE provides approximately 1,000 MB/s. Enough for multiple simultaneous 4K streams.

How many hard drive bays do I need for video editing?

Four bays is the minimum for a useful RAID configuration (RAID 5 gives you three bays of usable space plus one for parity). With 4x 16 TB drives in RAID 5, you get approximately 44 TB usable. Six bays in RAID 5 gives about 73 TB. If you shoot 4K ProRes regularly, 6+ bays is strongly recommended. Video editors consistently underestimate storage needs. Buy more bays than you think you need today. Expanding later via migration or expansion units is always more expensive and disruptive.

Synology or QNAP for video editing?

For raw editing performance and hardware flexibility, QNAP has the edge. Models like the TS-473A offer PCIe expansion slots for 10GbE cards, higher RAM ceilings, and HDMI output. QNAP's Qtier auto-tiering and SSD caching are also well-implemented for mixed workloads. For team collaboration, file syncing, and a polished user experience, Synology is the better choice. Synology Drive, Active Backup, and DSM's interface are best-in-class. Both brands are well-supported in Australia through BlueChip distribution. For a detailed comparison, see our Synology vs QNAP Australia guide.

Can I use a NAS for DaVinci Resolve collaboration?

DaVinci Resolve's collaboration features (Project Server and multi-user timelines) work over a network and are compatible with NAS-stored project files. However, the media files themselves still need adequate bandwidth. All editors accessing the NAS must have fast enough connections to stream footage smoothly. A NAS with 10GbE serving 2-3 editors running DaVinci Resolve is a viable setup, provided each workstation also has 10GbE connectivity. Resolve's PostgreSQL database for shared projects can run on the NAS or a dedicated machine.

What is the warranty situation for NAS in Australia?

Most consumer and prosumer NAS units (under $2,000) come with a 3-year warranty. Enterprise and rackmount models typically offer 5 years. Extended warranties are available from both Synology and QNAP, usually extending coverage from 3 to 5 years. In Australia, warranty claims go to your retailer. Not the manufacturer. The process runs through the full chain (retailer to distributor to vendor in Taiwan), and expect 2-3 weeks minimum for resolution. Advanced replacements are generally not offered through standard warranty processes, though some resellers will allow you to purchase a replacement and get refunded when the faulty unit is returned. For production environments, have this conversation with your retailer before purchasing. This is general guidance. For official consumer rights information, visit accc.gov.au.

Should I buy a NAS or a DAS for video editing?

If you are a solo editor working from a single workstation, a DAS (direct-attached storage) via Thunderbolt or USB 3.2 gives better performance for less money. A Thunderbolt 3 DAS delivers up to 2,500 MB/s. Far faster than any NAS over 10GbE. TerraMaster's D4-320 4-bay USB 3.2 enclosure is $329 at Scorptec. However, a DAS only works for one computer at a time. If multiple editors need access to the same footage, multiple workstations need the files, or you need remote access and backup automation, a NAS is the right tool. Most production studios end up with both. A NAS for shared storage and backup, and a DAS on the primary editing workstation for active projects.