NAS for Video Editing. The Complete Guide
If you are a video editor still working from a stack of external drives, this is your exit ramp. This guide covers everything. what to buy, how to connect it, how to set it up in DaVinci, Premiere, or Final Cut Pro, and how to plan for footage growth and remote collaboration. AU pricing and NBN realities included throughout.
Start Here
Why Video Editors Outgrow External Drives - Next Steps
External drives slow you down. Why video editors hit the wall with USB storage and what to move to next, NAS, DAS …
How Much NAS Storage for Video Editing? Size Calculator
RAW, 4K, ProRes and H.264 projects need very different capacity; calculate usable NAS storage from real project sizes before choosing drive bays.
Hot vs Cold Storage for Video Editors - NVMe Caching
Use hot storage for active edits, cold tiers for finished projects and NVMe cache only where repeated reads justify the cost and …
Choose Your Hardware
NAS for Video Editors AU: Thunderbolt vs 10GbE (2026)
Thunderbolt vs 10GbE for editors, Mac-specific picks, client delivery workflows and Drobo migration - the practical decision guide, not just a spec …
Best NAS for Video Editing Australia (2026)
QNAP TS-473A prioritises throughput while Synology DS925+ favours ease of use; compare 10GbE, SSD cache, codec benchmarks and current Australian prices.
Best NAS for Australian Creatives: 2026 Buying Shortlist
The Synology DS925+ leads for photographers and video editors, with AU-priced alternatives ranked by sustained throughput and workflow fit for RAW and …
Best NAS Hard Drives for Video Editing (2026)
IronWolf Pro and WD Red Pro suit 4K and ProRes workloads; compare CMR budget options and throughput specs. AU pricing from live …
Thunderbolt vs 10GbE vs 2.5GbE for Video Editing NAS
Thunderbolt limits your NAS choice, 10GbE works with anything. Which connection is worth the cost depends on your codec, bitrate and simultaneous …
QNAP vs Synology for Mac Video Editing (2026)
Thunderbolt favours QNAP for direct Mac workflows; Synology favours DSM simplicity. Compare shared storage for Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro.
Set It Up
DaVinci Resolve NAS Setup That Actually Works (2026)
DaVinci Resolve over a network is tricky. wrong settings cause dropped frames. Correct project server setup, cache config and which NAS hardware …
Premiere Pro on NAS: Fix Media Pending Errors
Media Pending in Premiere Pro from a NAS? Wrong cache location is usually the cause. Correct shared storage config,
Final Cut Pro NAS Setup: Avoid Library Corruption
FCP library on a NAS can corrupt if setup is wrong. Correct shared workflow for multi-Mac editing, ProRes speeds and NAS models …
QNAP Remote Access for Video Editors - Preview Sharing
Share client previews without Frame.io using QNAP remote access, VPN configuration and upload-aware settings for distributed video-editing workflows.
Plan Your Workflow
Video Production Data Retention: What to Keep and When
Set retention periods for project files, masters and backups, then match hot, cold and archival storage to Australian compliance needs and recovery …
Best Drobo Alternatives for Mac Video Editors Australia
Drobo is dead. the best alternatives for Mac video editors in Australia. NAS and DAS replacements with AU pricing and Thunderbolt compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
For 4K ProRes or RAW workflows, yes. 1GbE tops out around 100-110 MB/s which is not enough for high-bitrate codecs. 2.5GbE works for compressed 4K (H.264/H.265). 10GbE is recommended if you are editing ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes RAW, or BRAW. Use the Transfer Speed Estimator to check your specific codec and drive configuration.
With a fast enough connection (2.5GbE minimum, 10GbE for RAW), you can edit directly from the NAS. This is called direct-attached or network-attached editing. DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro all support it. The bottleneck is usually the network, not the NAS.
QNAP's Thunderbolt-enabled NAS units (TVS-h874T, TS-464T) are the only consumer NAS options with Thunderbolt ports, which matters for FCP workflows on Mac. Synology does not offer Thunderbolt. If you are on 10GbE, Synology DS925+ and QNAP TS-464 are both strong options.
Significantly. NBN 100/20 gives you roughly 2.5 MB/s upload. Enough for proxy files but not for full-res footage. NBN 250/25 or business-grade connections (with symmetric speeds) are much better for remote access workflows. The Transfer Speed Estimator has NBN presets built in.