R_volution NAS ULTRA

R_volution NAS Ultra: media server and disc copier

A living-room server that copies your DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K UHD discs, stores them without any compression on eight hard drive bays, then streams them over the network to four screens simultaneously. The NAS Ultra takes the standard R_volution NAS formula and adds 50% more power, a 2.5 GbE network interface, and noise levels cut in half, at around 12.5 dB.

Automatic disc copying: insert, wait, remove

The built-in optical drive supports DVDs, Blu-rays (including 3D), and 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays. The process is simple: insert a disc, the NAS Ultra copies it bit for bit without any compression, then automatically ejects it. The copy preserves the entire original content (picture, audio tracks, subtitles) in ISO, BDMV, or VIDEO_TS formats. Allow around 20 minutes for a DVD, 30 minutes for a Blu-ray, and 45 minutes for a 4K UHD disc.

To speed up digitization of a large collection, two external USB optical drives can be connected to the NAS Ultra (versus only one on the standard version), bringing the number of simultaneous copies to three. R_volution specifies that the copy function works with around 95% of discs on the market: some titles may refuse analysis or extraction for reasons related to their structure.

Protected storage on eight hot-swappable bays

The NAS Ultra accommodates eight 3.5-inch SATA hard drives, not included. With 32 TB drives, raw capacity reaches 256 TB, equivalent to around 3,200 4K UHD discs or 6,400 Blu-rays. The hardware RAID controller supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and JBOD configurations. In RAID 5 (recommended), the loss of one hard drive causes no data loss: the content is automatically rebuilt on the spare drive, and the failed drive can be replaced hot, without shutting down the server or interrupting playback in progress.

When the capacity of a single NAS is no longer enough, several units can be grouped into a single system to create a larger centralized library.

Four UHD screens, each independent

The NAS Ultra streams video content to four zones simultaneously in 4K UHD quality (three zones on the standard model). Each R_volution media player connected to the network operates independently: a movie in Dolby Vision in the living room, a concert in HDR10 in the office, a cartoon in the children’s bedroom, all at the same time and without interference. The 2.5 GbE network interface delivers throughput 2.5 times higher than standard Gigabit Ethernet, ensuring smoother streaming of high-bitrate content across multiple zones.

Video playback supports 4K UHD with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, in 10-bit, with HEVC encoding and BT.2020 color space. On the audio side, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and AC-4 tracks are played back as is. Menus, warnings, and trailers present on the original discs are ignored: the movie starts directly.

Video playback requires an R_volution media player (PlayerOne, PlayerMini, or other) connected to each TV or video projector. The NAS Ultra has no built-in audio-video outputs of its own.

A music server with built-in Roon

The NAS Ultra is not limited to video. It stores and streams music files in FLAC, WAV, ALAC, AIFF, and DSD (SACD) formats, with gapless playback between tracks. A Roon server is built in: holders of a Roon subscription can access their music library from the Roon interface on tablet, smartphone, or computer. Audio streaming also works with Sonos and Bluesound systems, making it possible to cover every room in the house with speakers from different brands.

R_video: the library that organizes itself

Each copied disc is automatically identified by R_video, the built-in management software. The R_video DB database references more than 1,200,000 movie, concert, and series titles on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD, as well as more than 2,000,000 CD albums. For each title, R_video retrieves the cover art, synopsis, cast, genre, running time, and rating. The interface displays at 60 frames per second on R_volution players, and offers sorting by genre, director, actor, release date, or date added, with a built-in search engine.

The system works without an Internet connection once the metadata has been downloaded. R_volution mentions use on a yacht or private jet: only the retrieval of new cover art and trailers requires network access.

Designed to stay discreet in a living room

The chassis measures 316 × 285 × 208 mm and weighs 9 kg empty (without hard drives). The servo-controlled fans maintain a noise level of around 12.5 dB, which is twice as quiet as the standard model (around 25 dB). This is an important point for a device intended to operate in a living space or private cinema room, where background noise must remain minimal.

The one-piece aluminum heatsink and military-grade voltage regulator contribute to the system’s durability. The 650 W 80 Plus Gold-certified power supply consumes 62 W in normal operation, with efficiency reaching 92%. The system software module is installed on an SSD M.2 integrated into the motherboard, which eliminates traditional data cables and reduces vibrations related to the optical drive.

What sets the NAS Ultra apart from the standard NAS

Frequently asked questions

Are hard drives included with the NAS Ultra? No. The NAS Ultra is supplied without hard drives. It accommodates up to eight 3.5-inch SATA drives. The choice of drive capacity and brand remains open, making it possible to adapt storage to the size of the collection and the budget. R_volution offers support for installation and RAID 5 configuration.

Can it copy audio CDs in addition to video discs? Yes. The optical drive also copies audio CDs, which are converted to FLAC, ALAC, or MP3 formats. Album covers and artist information are retrieved automatically. The copying time for a CD is around 3 minutes.

Does movie playback require an R_volution player? Yes. The NAS Ultra has no HDMI output and no audio-video output. It communicates exclusively over the home network with R_volution media players (PlayerOne, PlayerMini, etc.), each connected to a TV or video projector.

Is it possible to connect the NAS Ultra to a Wi-Fi network? R_volution recommends a wired Ethernet RJ45 connection for each player, especially for streaming Blu-ray and 4K UHD content, which require stable, high bandwidth. The NAS Ultra has a 2.5 GbE Ethernet port.

What happens if a hard drive fails? In RAID 5 configuration, the data is automatically rebuilt on the spare drive. The failed drive can be removed and replaced hot, without shutting down the server and without interrupting playback in progress in the other zones.

Can you add your own video or music files without going through disc copying? Yes. The NAS Ultra is accessible from any computer on the local network. Simply copy and paste files (MKV, ISO, FLAC, etc.) into the corresponding folders. R_video automatically identifies and indexes video content added manually, provided that the titles are referenced in its database.

Technical specifications

Overview

The R_volution NAS Ultra is a high-performance 8-bay media server designed for backing up DVDs, Blu-rays, and UHD Blu-rays, centralizing a video and music library, as well as streaming content in multiroom setups to up to 4 UHD zones. This is the optimized and accelerated version of the standard R_volution NAS, offering improved network and acoustic performance.

Key features

• Ultra-fast 2.5 GbE network
• Up to 4 simultaneous UHD video zones
• Automatic disc ripping (DVD, Blu-ray, UHD)
• Uncompressed audio and video playback (bit-perfect)
• Ultra-quiet operation (~12.5 dB)
• Hardware RAID 0 / 1 / 5 / JBOD
• Compatible with the R_video library (automatic)

Differences from the standard version

• Network: 1 GbE (standard) / 2.5 GbE (Ultra)
• UHD zones: 3 (standard) / 4 (Ultra)
• Simultaneous rips: 2 (standard) / 3 (Ultra)
• External drives: 1 (standard) / 2 (Ultra)
• Cooling: standard (standard) / servo-controlled (Ultra)
• Power: standard (standard) / +50% (Ultra)

Storage and capacity

• Architecture
  • 8 x 3.5” SATA HDD bays
  • Hot-swap
  • Drives not included
• RAID modes
  • RAID 0 (performance)
  • RAID 1 (security)
  • RAID 5 (recommended)
  • JBOD (simple expansion)
• Automatic data protection in the event of drive failure

RIP function

• Disc digitization: DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
• Operation
  • Insert the disc, then automatic copy
  • Bit-perfect extraction (no compression)
  • Automatic ejection after copying
• Multi-rip
  • 1 internal drive
  • Up to 2 external USB drives
  • Up to 3 simultaneous discs

Video performance

• Formats: ISO, BDMV, MKV
• Video quality: 4K UHD HDR, Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+
• Audio formats: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD

High-fidelity audio

• Supported formats: FLAC, WAV, ALAC, AIFF
• DSD (SACD)
• Gapless playback
• Compatible with multiroom audio (Roon, Sonos, Bluesound)

Multiroom

• Video
  • Up to 4 simultaneous UHD zones
  • Each screen independent
• Audio
  • Streaming throughout the house
  • Control via smartphone, tablet, third-party apps (Roon, Sonos)

R_video software

• Automatic movie indexing
• Retrieval of cover art, synopses, and cast
• Smart sorting (genre, rating, date…)
• Smooth 60 fps interface
• Removal of disc menus and advertisements

Connectivity

• Ethernet: 2.5 GbE
• USB for external optical drives
• Local network (plug & play)

Quietness and cooling

• Servo-controlled fans
• Noise level: ~12.5 dB
• Optimized for quiet home theater use

Technical specifications

• Bays: 8 × 3.5” SATA
• Built-in hardware RAID
• Power supply: 650 W
• Power consumption: 62 W
• Temperature
  • Operating: 0 to 40 °C
  • Storage: -40 to 65 °C
• Humidity: 20% to 80%

Dimensions and weight

• Dimensions: 316 × 285 × 208 mm
• Weight
  • 9 kg (without HDD)
  • 10 kg (packaged)

Box contents

• NAS R_volution Ultra
• Power cable
• Quick guide

Positioning

Product intended for:

• Blu-ray and UHD collectors
• Multiroom home theater installations
• Users demanding high network performance
• Audiophile systems and advanced home servers