BP50NB40 Help please!!

Forum for discussions about UHD-capable dives
Coopervid
Posts: 3595
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:32 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by Coopervid »

spacecowboy2050 wrote:
Tue Nov 04, 2025 7:57 pm
Thank you very much - much appreciated.

I found this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Verbatim-43890 ... iewsAnchor
I meant 43888 or 43890. Get the 43888 with USB-C if you have a USB-C port. USB-A sometimes doesn't deliver enough power and causes issues.
Coopervid
Posts: 3595
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:32 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by Coopervid »

That's OK.
spacecowboy2050
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2025 12:57 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by spacecowboy2050 »

Many thanks for your help - it is much appreciated. Sorry to anyone who was watching this thread witht he 2 way conversation! Just proves what an awesome communiuty this is.
spacecowboy2050
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2025 12:57 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by spacecowboy2050 »

I got the 43888 - flashed perfectly! Many thanks!!!!
BDbackerupper
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2025 3:39 am

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by BDbackerupper »

I have two LG BP50NB40 drives that I purchased from Best Buy in the US in the last month.

One is still in the box. I'm keeping it as a standby, in case I brick the first one while flashing it for LibreDrive capability. Or in case I need another drive some day. It seems the good, LibreDrive-able/UHD-flashable drives are only going to get more scarce and more expensive.

The BP50NB40 I am using states a manufacture date in April, 2024. It came with firmware 1.03.

MakeMKV sees it as platform MT1959 and a LibreDrive candidate.
Coopervid wrote:
Tue Nov 04, 2025 7:32 pm
There is a high chance you got scammed. People in China even put old Pioneer components in housings from other companies and sell them with new stickers.
This is for sure happening on Amazon. There is a rash of unknown brands, many with seemingly randomly-generated names such as "LLLMHHMYK" repackaging used Blu-ray drives (probably sourced from recycled laptops) in new enclosures & selling them as "new" drives. The one I returned was in fact a Sony/Optiarc drive manufactured in 2011. It had trouble with several Blu-ray titles that the BP50NB40 can back up error-free.
Coopervid wrote:
Tue Nov 04, 2025 8:14 pm
USB-A sometimes doesn't deliver enough power and causes issues.
Another hallmark of the fake "new" drives. Most use an oddly short USB cable, permanently wired in, with both USB A and USB C plugs.

The instructions state you only need to plug in one or the other. It would be hard to plug in both, as they do not provide enough cable between the two.

The A-plug is described as "USB 3.0" and does have the blue plastic insert, but is probably USB 2.0 electrically. Inside the enclosure was a simple PCB, that appeared to only act as a USB-to-SATA adapter.

LG BP50NB40 provides two USB 2.0 A-plugs, and recommends connecting both for reliable operation. If I'm looking at the right specs, USB 2.0 can deliver at most 500 mA @ 5V, but twice that seems to be sufficient for making Blu-ray backups. Have not tried burning BD-R.
ben79968
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by ben79968 »

I got the same one. When I install it on my notebook, it shows BD-MLT UJ272. So it's not the MT1959 platform,and not LG's BD Driver too.
MartyMcNuts
Posts: 4133
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:45 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by MartyMcNuts »

ben79968 wrote:
Sat Nov 08, 2025 4:17 pm
I got the same one. When I install it on my notebook, it shows BD-MLT UJ272. So it's not the MT1959 platform,and not LG's BD Driver too.
So someone has replaced the drive in it with the UJ272 which would most likely be either a Matshita or a Panasonic.
Cheers :D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For UHD enabled drives (AU/NZ/SG + Others) & DIY Single Drive Flasher (WW): https://uhdenableddrives.com
ben79968
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by ben79968 »

MartyMcNuts wrote:
Sun Nov 09, 2025 3:36 am

So someone has replaced the drive in it with the UJ272 which would most likely be either a Matshita or a Panasonic.
They do something modifications on the board that converts slimline SATA to USB to change the optical drive's model number.
MartyMcNuts
Posts: 4133
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:45 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by MartyMcNuts »

ben79968 wrote:
Sun Nov 09, 2025 3:59 pm
MartyMcNuts wrote:
Sun Nov 09, 2025 3:36 am

So someone has replaced the drive in it with the UJ272 which would most likely be either a Matshita or a Panasonic.
They do something modifications on the board that converts slimline SATA to USB to change the optical drive's model number.
Can you remove the drive from the enclosure? then you can check the model on the drive label.
Cheers :D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For UHD enabled drives (AU/NZ/SG + Others) & DIY Single Drive Flasher (WW): https://uhdenableddrives.com
ben79968
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: BP50NB40 Help please!!

Post by ben79968 »

MartyMcNuts wrote:
Sun Nov 09, 2025 10:45 pm

Can you remove the drive from the enclosure? then you can check the model on the drive label.
In fact, I did exactly that, but unfortunately they removed the metal casing. Unlike general laptop optical drives that have metal casing protection, this optical drive only has the core.
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