LG launches first NAS with Blu-ray writer

LG Electronics announced over the weekend it will soon bring to market the first Network Attached Storage (NAS) device with an integrated Blu-ray drive to consumers. Meant for home and small business users, the four-bay NAS not only gives users support for hard drives with up to 4TB of storage but also the option of backing up data onto Blu-ray discs regardless of where they are at home.

The N4B1 includes a gigabit Ethernet jack along with three USB 2.0 connections in standard form. LG supports up to RAID 5 for joining the drives, but can also set them to RAID 0, 1, or 1+0 in addition to leaving each disk separate.

To reflect the intended consumer base for the N4B1, LG depends on a streamlined web-based graphic user interface meant to simplify managing the storage without depending on any one operating system. A version management system keeps track of what files have been downloaded and backed up, and will only transfer new files when performing routine back-up operations. The data written on each back-up CD, DVD or Blu-ray disc is cataloged to help the archiving process.

The N4B1 is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac computers and networks, allowing any combination of the various operating systems to access the NAS simultaneously.

LG’s N4B1 NAS will be available starting in December, although LG has not announced pricing information.