Modern laptops are the thinnest they’ve ever been. But this sleek form factor has a cost: optical drives are a thing of the past, full-size USB ports are becoming less common, and card readers are often an optional extra. BluHub is aiming to restore a lot of this lost connectivity via a single box.
Designed as a hybrid workstation peripheral, the 9-in-1 device pairs a high-capacity optical burner with modern expansion ports. Built-in dual connectors mean that it can interface natively with both USB-A and USB-C hardware across different generations.
Unlike minimal USB hubs and dongles that hang from a port, the unit embraces a larger desktop-friendly footprint. Its aluminum body measures 165 x 160 x 34 mm (6.5 x 6.3 x 1.34 in) and weighs 409 g (14.4 oz), giving it enough heft to stay solidly anchored during disc insertion and high-speed spinning.
The optical drive is what really sets the BluHub apart from a standard connectivity hub. It can read and write Blu-ray, DVD, and CD media, and the Kickstarter campaign claims 6x Blu-ray burning and support for BD-R discs up to 100 GB. You can eject discs either physically by pushing a button, or through your computer.
That gives BluHub two fairly distinct jobs. You can use it to pull photos, videos, and files from your older disc-based archives, while also burning your current projects and backups to store offline.
The rest of the device handles more familiar connectivity duties. It has four USB-A ports sitting alongside SD and microSD/TF card slots, while a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection is rated for up to 10 Gbps. The company also says that BluHub can read memory cards at speeds above 160 MB/s.
Despite driving an optical laser alongside high-speed data transfer, the unit runs entirely on USB bus power and doesn’t need an external wall adapter. Note that the headline speed rating refers to total controller bandwidth across all ports, rather than guaranteed throughput for each connected device. That bandwidth ensures the hub remains useful for fast file transfers and daily peripheral access long after you’re done using it for any disc-burning operations.
The BluHub has an interesting design choice, too: a hinged 'grand piano' lid that can hold or display a spare disc while another one is in the drive. The aluminum body sits on four anti-vibration feet, which the company says helps the operating noise stay below 30 dB.
The 9-in-1 is listed as compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS, plus Android and iPadOS devices via OTG. It’s worth treating this mobile support with a little caution until it’s proven to work with finished hardware, though, as accessing discs on mobile hardware can depend heavily on the operating system and available software.
The creative minds behind this device have turned to Kickstarter to raise production funds, where super early birds can get one for just US$59. If you want multiple units, there are deals available for bundles of two to eight BluHubs.
Crowdfunding campaigns always carry an element of risk, and this is BluHub's first Kickstarter so you might want to keep that in mind if choosing to back the project. The rather modest funding goal has already been surpassed, and the campaign page does show prototypes in action as well as manufacturing photos. The creators also seem pretty responsive to backer queries. If all goes to plan, a fulfillment target for November has been set, with shipping charges including international freight, import taxes, and delivery.
If you can't wait or don't want to back a crowdfunding effort, comparable optical-drive hubs are already sold under other brands. BluHub isn’t creating an entirely new type of product here, and isn’t trying to resurrect the optical drive either; it’s exploring whether combining the physical media of yesterday with the connectivity of today might give discs a real, practical use case once again.
Source: Kickstarter
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