Pioneer drives: Question regarding form factor and cross-flashing

[michael_duckless]

Hi there,

my BH16NS55 (5,25" drive) is slowly dying and I'd like to get a replacement better sooner than later. I have done my homework and I know which drives and firmware versions to look for. I am looking towards Pioneer drives now (obviously with old FW). Right now I still have a few general questions:

1. Does the 5,25" form factor have any disadvantes, other than the fact that it's not as portable? Any words on longevity? Many years ago the 5,25" drive were supposedly more robust than their laptop counterparts but I don't know if this has ever been true. My PC which is used for UHD backups has a 5,25" slot so I could easily put it in there.

2. Regarding slim drives/USB drives: Are there any advantages/disadvantages regarding slot drives vs. top loaders? Again, my feeling tells me that a top loader has less movable parts and should in theory be more robust. On the other hand I have read reports that Pioneer top loaders are louder than Pio slot drives and vibrations could potentially be an issue, especially when burning BD-XL.

3. Do cross-flashes have any disadvantages? My current drive is also cross-flashed and I never had any issues (well, they are starting now). I am just wondering. My understanding was/is that drives lacking AACS chips normally need cross-flashing and that's about it. Does that affect the ripping/burning result?

[Billycar11]

The 5.25 pioneer are the best you can get for UHD.
For LG/Asus it's swapped the 5.25 is junk and you should only get the slims.

They are slightly less reliable and for the slot load one much harder to do maintenance. Like cleaning the laser.

Cross flashing has no disadvantages for ripping but can mess up official playback.
But if you get an official UHD pioneer with old fw that won't be an issue.