Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025

[Billycar11]

I'm so confused by the pioneer drives. I want to buy one to see if it helps with some disks that are giving me io errors. However there are multiple conflicting statements, even in this main thread. What is the current status with Pioneer drives? Are the green highlights (pioneer works, w/ drive list) accurate, or the yellow highlights accurate / must buy from re-seller?

Pioneer_Drives.png

the yellow you need one from a seller unless you fine one with fw before 12/22

[gunslingerfry]

So I'm pretty sure my WP50NB40 is a paperweight but I just wanted to check if anyone had any ideas on if this can be fixed.
I flashed the MK 1.02 build which it showed on MakeMKV and then I proceeded to do the cross flash to BU40N. In a moment of monumentally poor judgement I unplugged the drive when I mistakenly thought it was finished flashing. Now the drive reports its Revision as BOOT does not respond to the button press and the flasher GUI reports it is not an MT1959 and makemkv flasher just sits there.

I tried creating the bootable USB for the DOS flasher but it does not boot so I have not been able to try that yet.

20250303_18h48m53s_grim.png

flash it with the official LG updater sometimes they can unbrick it

No dice. It also recognizes it and marks the rev as BOOT but I immediately get a WRITE DRAM NG 05/26/03. Thank you!

[austeros]

Has anyone successfully done
Ashoka Season 1 UHD
Loki Season 2 UHD
Mandalorian Season 3 UHD
Hawkeye Season 1 UHD

Thank you

yes to all.

[mm13579]

Is it a problem if the disc says have never been played in a 4k player before trying to do them?
As I stated they show up but then once they spin down it says no disc. But I can do other 4K movies like labyrinth, Jumanji and Deadpool versus wolverine.

And I have zero issues with any Blu-ray or DVD?

[dcoke22]

Is it a problem if the disc says have never been played in a 4k player before trying to do them?

No. I rip 4K movies all the time. I don't even own a 4K disc player.

[Mr_Orange]

Is it a problem if the disc says have never been played in a 4k player before trying to do them?

No. I rip 4K movies all the time. I don't even own a 4K disc player.

Same. I have never owned a UHD player.

[Cubedxd]

Hello, I am very new at this and am a little confused on what drive to purchase.
I am currently looking at purchasing a drive but it looks like they are all sold out on amazon.

Any tips on which one to buy that is currently in stock?

Thanks!

[dcoke22]

Hello, I am very new at this and am a little confused on what drive to purchase.
I am currently looking at purchasing a drive but it looks like they are all sold out on amazon.

Any tips on which one to buy that is currently in stock?

Thanks!

I've answered this question a couple of times recently, so I'll just link those posts.

https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=170199#p170199
https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=170492#p170492

[Titanic]

Is there likely to ever be a way to downgrade the firmware of Pioneer drives made post 2022 or does it seem to be an insurmountable technical barrier that will make it forever impossible?

[nawfal07]

Hi everyone, first of all thank you so much for this wonderful thread, you guys are amazing.

I’m very new, I have thousands of BDs, a good number of them is 4K UHD and now I decided to back them up into MKV with bit-perfect quality. Found out about MakeMKV, which is also a superb software and plan to buy it if I can get a working drive.

Want to buy a pre-flashed drive, particularly from Asmcom but his eBay page says he’s away and the products seem to be out of stock. Other sellers here don’t ship to my country.

Been reading this thread the last couple of days, got until page 23 but I’ve found an LG WH16NS60 drive with special price that will end in a few hours so I need to find out the answer quickly I can’t wait until I finish reading the entire thread.

It says this in the description:

“New LG WH16NS60 Super Multi Blue Internal SATA 16x Blu-ray Disc Rewriter
LG WH16NS40 Flashed to WH16NS60 Firmware v1.00 4K UHD FRIENDLY UNLOCKED Discs- Bare Internal Drive”

Asked the seller he said all he knows it can play 4K UHD discs but no idea if it can rip them.

So my question is, can it rip discs right out the box? Or do I still need to flash the firmware?

Thank you in advance for any help!

The drive just arrived, my country not so far from China usually arrives in one week but this time it took 20 days with tracking barely active after a week got me scared a bit. But the drive is brand new, looks very well made.

Best thing is that it’s 100% plug & play, connect with a powered SATA-USB adapter (5-year-old UGREEN, just lazy to open the CPU), detected in seconds. I put the ARRIVAL UHD disc and just start ripping. Took 35 minutes, not sure if that’s slow but good enough for me. I’m finally ripping UHD discs!

[Billycar11]

Hi everyone, first of all thank you so much for this wonderful thread, you guys are amazing.

I’m very new, I have thousands of BDs, a good number of them is 4K UHD and now I decided to back them up into MKV with bit-perfect quality. Found out about MakeMKV, which is also a superb software and plan to buy it if I can get a working drive.

Want to buy a pre-flashed drive, particularly from Asmcom but his eBay page says he’s away and the products seem to be out of stock. Other sellers here don’t ship to my country.

Been reading this thread the last couple of days, got until page 23 but I’ve found an LG WH16NS60 drive with special price that will end in a few hours so I need to find out the answer quickly I can’t wait until I finish reading the entire thread.

It says this in the description:

“New LG WH16NS60 Super Multi Blue Internal SATA 16x Blu-ray Disc Rewriter
LG WH16NS40 Flashed to WH16NS60 Firmware v1.00 4K UHD FRIENDLY UNLOCKED Discs- Bare Internal Drive”

Asked the seller he said all he knows it can play 4K UHD discs but no idea if it can rip them.

So my question is, can it rip discs right out the box? Or do I still need to flash the firmware?

Thank you in advance for any help!

The drive just arrived, my country not so far from China usually arrives in one week but this time it took 20 days with tracking barely active after a week got me scared a bit. But the drive is brand new, looks very well made.

Best thing is that it’s 100% plug & play, connect with a powered SATA-USB adapter (5-year-old UGREEN, just lazy to open the CPU), detected in seconds. I put the ARRIVAL UHD disc and just start ripping. Took 35 minutes, not sure if that’s slow but good enough for me. I’m finally ripping UHD discs!

seen this one other time not sure whats up with that pretty sure they are re stickered

[austeros]

Can a Pioneer BDR-XS07 with 2020-09-03 firmware be flashed to work with UHD?

I know there is a UHD version of this drive, but sadly I purchased the grey model back in 2021. The drive does work with BDXL discs but it does not mount the UHD Blu-ray disc. Thanks in advance.

Drive Information
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XS07
Revision: 1.01
Serial number: ...
Firmware date: 2020-09-03
Bus encryption flags: 13
Highest AACS version: 77

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: RS8E20
Firmware name: PIONEER BDR-BDS7
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.01
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

[Coopervid]

Can a Pioneer BDR-XS07 with 2020-09-03 firmware be flashed to work with UHD?

I know there is a UHD version of this drive, but sadly I purchased the grey model back in 2021. The drive does work with BDXL discs but it does not mount the UHD Blu-ray disc. Thanks in advance.

Drive Information
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XS07
Revision: 1.01
Serial number: ...
Firmware date: 2020-09-03
Bus encryption flags: 13
Highest AACS version: 77

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: RS8E20
Firmware name: PIONEER BDR-BDS7
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.01
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

PM sent.

[mm13579]

Figured out my issue got another bu40n and it works for everything my old one was manufactured in 2019 I think it was just burned out because of age new drive is 2024 dated.

Thank you everyone for assistance

[Shermin3656]

I'm having issues with one of my drives. It's a Pioneer BDR-XD05 and won't read any discs. I have tried multiple blu rays and dvds but it still won't read anything. I don't even hear the discs spin and the laser try to read them. I have used both included cable, a micro b to usb A cable, and a micro b to usb-c cable. Nothing has worked so far. The drive will power on but won't read anything.
Drive Information
OS device name: D:
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XD05
Revision: 3.10
Serial number:
Firmware date: 2017-06-22
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 81

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: RS8232
Firmware name: PIONEER BDR-XD05
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 3.10/ID34
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted