Storage & NAS
How 4K Blu-ray collectors actually store ripped collections. Most start with a USB desktop external, graduate to NAS when it fills up. Both approaches are covered here. FAQ
CMR drives only for NAS and RAID.
WD Red (base, no Plus/Pro suffix) at 2–6TB is SMR. WD admitted this in 2020 after initially denying it. SMR drives fail under RAID rebuild conditions. Always verify CMR before buying: WD Red Plus and Red Pro are CMR. Base Red is not.
Start Here
Most collectors begin with a USB desktop external. Plug it in, point MakeMKV at it, done. Upgrade to NAS when it fills up.