All Pioneer drives will be LibreDrive supported

[ChameleonScales]

Hardware restrictions for what? If you are talking about UHD disc playback, although direct UHD disc playback is not recommended, it can be done on any decent spec PC (including yours) using any UHD compatible libredrive enabled drive via an unofficial player such as VLC, MPC_HC, Jriver, etc once integrated with MakeMKV.

Sorry, I'm still a bit unclear. To my understanding, the BDR-XS07UHD can't be flashed currently. Right now mine is unaltered and I can't do anything with UHD discs (whether playing or ripping) due to my PC hardware being incompatible. I'd prefer being able to rip but I just want to use my UHD discs in some way. Are you saying this will be possible with my hardware once this drive will have LibreDrive support?

[MartyMcNuts]

Hardware restrictions for what? If you are talking about UHD disc playback, although direct UHD disc playback is not recommended, it can be done on any decent spec PC (including yours) using any UHD compatible libredrive enabled drive via an unofficial player such as VLC, MPC_HC, Jriver, etc once integrated with MakeMKV.

Sorry, I'm still a bit unclear. To my understanding, the BDR-XS07UHD can't be flashed currently. Right now mine is unaltered and I can't do anything with UHD discs (whether playing or ripping) due to my PC hardware being incompatible. I'd prefer being able to rip but I just want to use my UHD discs in some way. Are you saying this will be possible with my hardware once this drive will have LibreDrive support?

Yes, with a drive that has UHD compatible & libredrive enabled firmware, playback can be done on any decent spec PC using an unofficial player that is integrated with MakeMKV.

A player, such as VLC should be integrated in MakeMKV's preferences as it is used as the on-the-fly decrypter for UHD playback.

For ripping, you just need to have UHD compatible & libredrive enabled firmware.

[ChameleonScales]

Thank you MartyMcNuts. I will wait patiently then.
(Love your nick btw, and I can report that Dr. Emmet Balls does too)

[obitwan7]

208 and newer for desktop will do UHD and
xd05 and newer for usb will do UHD

thanks for the heads up and this useful post. this is very useful information on what pioneer drives to look out for hoarding since they will no longer be made.

shame on pioneer for that ultra-nazi 2023 encrypted firmware scandal! serves them right for being driven out of business in the optical drive sector. money talks and the rest walk indeed... in one rare instance now, customers made a company "walk" through the power of their consumer dollar.

Was Pioneer driven out of business though? Every company has done something that affects customers and the movie and music people put pressure on other companies that make it so people can't copy their discs. I think Pioneer just thinks like all the others. Physical media is a niche category now and even though I would rather own my stuff, but most of the younger generations don't care. My only kid can receive all of my discs when I pass and I doubt that my kid will even care about having them, much less continue to store them and view them with my NAS or OPPO UHD blu-ray player. My nephew has expressed an interest and he very well might inherit that part of me.

I kind of wish that the studios would do something like Kaleidescape does. Let us buy it digitally (be just as good as a physical disc or better) and have us download it, then let us use it any way we want. Kaleidescape is basically a NAS on steroids, but way out of the average person's range for price. Heck, the Synology NAS I have has 10 22TB hard drives in a RAID 5 configuration and that was something around $6k, just with the hardware and hard drives. My DVD, Blu-ray and UHD collection is well over $40k (average prices, not fully what I paid for) and growing. I would hate to see my collection get dismantled and sold piece by piece. My daughter just wants to have the ability to stream (which I understand), but does not want to digitize them. She doesn't care or want to learn that aspect of it. Just show her the money! Heck, I even have the chapter names of the DVD's or blu-ray discs, to keep it all correct. I found a few weird errors on movies. Audio that say they are a certain language and when clicked on, they are a complete other language. Same for subtitles. If I digitize them, I can correct those mistakes and have it closer to 100%.

Not hard to do, but time consuming and hard to catch if you are not that familiar with certain titles you've only watched once. Even subtitles I had to figure out how to make Anime ones turn on by default for just the signs and such, not the entire thing. Even movies like Mission impossible have places where you don't need the subtitles when they speak Russian in just a few lines, but i force them, because I'd like to know what was said. Not all movies does this or the very few that burn just those foreign subtitles in, I salute them for doing so. Sorry for the long rant.

[TEKUNIX]

So, just to be 101% ultra mega super clear about this post... the BDR-XS07UHD with firmware 1.03 will be supported? Thanks in advance!

[Billycar11]

So, just to be 101% ultra mega super clear about this post... the BDR-XS07UHD with firmware 1.03 will be supported? Thanks in advance!

thats what mike says

[TEKUNIX]

So, just to be 101% ultra mega super clear about this post... the BDR-XS07UHD with firmware 1.03 will be supported? Thanks in advance!

thats what mike says

Thank you! So... I am not dreaming, no outer body experience, no drugs, no nothing... it's legit and really happening. OMG! Just wow...

[TEKUNIX]

A bit out of topic... but wanted to share this:

https://youtu.be/Hzz_d9Y44ZE?si=XIZTePkQzo7mvLxF

special attention to around the 9:22 mark... amazing how companies walk the extra mile to save and grab some extra cash... MakeMKV was even aware of the rip-off, lol.

Edit:

By reading the comments on the video... probably the set was actually done by Jack/Mac the ripper... lol (Bootlegs/Pirated DVD's)

[g0th1ckn1ght]

Just wondering if there were any updates if the BDR-XS07TUHD can be LibreDrive enabled as I saw the BDR-XS07UHD Slim Slot load USB listed on the Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025. I have 2 that I am eager to use again

Cheers

[Coopervid]

Just wondering if there were any updates if the BDR-XS07TUHD can be LibreDrive enabled as I saw the BDR-XS07UHD Slim Slot load USB listed on the Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025. I have 2 that I am eager to use again

Cheers

Currently the firmwares have to be older than Dec. 2022. If you have one with it post your Makemkv info.

[g0th1ckn1ght]

Just wondering if there were any updates if the BDR-XS07TUHD can be LibreDrive enabled as I saw the BDR-XS07UHD Slim Slot load USB listed on the Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025. I have 2 that I am eager to use again

Cheers

Currently the firmwares have to be older than Dec. 2022. If you have one with it post your Makemkv info.

Drive Information
OS device name: J:
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XS07U
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: BFDL006258WL
Firmware date: 2023-01-06
Bus encryption flags: 13
Highest AACS version: 82

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8E21
Firmware version: ID05

[Coopervid]

You gotta wait until Mike comes up with a solution. No ETA. But he pomised.

[g0th1ckn1ght]

You gotta wait until Mike comes up with a solution. No ETA. But he pomised.

No worries. I have an LG that I bought from Marty that I am using in the meantime. Cheers

[Coopervid]

Yeah. Patience is also not one of my virtues. Just check the forum from time to time.

[nicholfd]

Just a reminder that I currently have flashable today (old firmware) Pioneer drives on-hand, and generally ship next day.

Please see my "For sale" thread for details: NiB ASUS USB drives for sale w/Poineer drives & firmware flashable TODAY for UHD!