BW-16D1X-U viability for UHD ripping – internal drive lottery concerns

[aas88keyz]

Hello,

I’m looking for some guidance before purchasing an **ASUS BW-16D1X-U external drive**, specifically regarding its viability as a UHD-friendly drive and overall reliability.

### Background

I’ve been working through multiple UHD-friendly setups but have run into ongoing reliability issues:

* LG WP50NB40 (flashed to BU40N firmware)
* LG WH16NS40 (NS50 crossflashed to WH16NS60 1.02MK)

Current status:

* The **WP50NB40** is inconsistent with UHD discs (BD66 / BD100), producing read errors and timeouts depending on the disc
* The **WH16NS40 (NS50 → WH16NS60 1.02MK)** now **does not read any media at all** (CD, DVD, or Blu-ray), suggesting the drive may have failed or the flash did not take correctly

Because of this, I’m effectively down to one unstable drive and looking to replace my setup rather than continue troubleshooting.

---

### Question about BW-16D1X-U

I have access to the ASUS BW-16D1X-U locally (Micro Center), but I understand:

* The internal drive can vary (LG vs Pioneer, etc.)
* Some units may not be UHD-friendly at all
* Flashing capability depends entirely on the internal model

So my main questions are:

1. **How big of a gamble is the BW-16D1X-U currently?**

* Are most recent units still LG-based and flashable?
* Or has it shifted toward non-UHD-friendly internals (e.g., Pioneer)?

2. **If I do get an LG-based unit, is there still a reasonable chance of making it UHD-friendly?**

* Or are newer revisions increasingly locked down?

3. **Given my current situation (one failed drive and one inconsistent UHD performer), is switching to this enclosure likely to improve reliability—or just introduce more uncertainty?**

---

### Goal

I’m trying to land on a **stable, repeatable setup for UHD ripping**, including BD100, not just something that works intermittently.

At this point I’m less concerned with convenience and more with:

* Consistency across UHD discs
* Hardware reliability under sustained reads
* Long-term usability

---

### Final Thought

Based on my experience so far, I’m starting to suspect that UHD success (especially with higher-capacity discs) is heavily dependent on:

* Specific drive hardware tolerances
* Not just firmware / LibreDrive compatibility

If that’s the case, I’d really appreciate any recommendations for:

* Known **reliable UHD drives (especially for BD100)**
* Or confirmation that I should avoid enclosure-based “lottery” drives like this altogether

---

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[Billycar11]

i hate ai overview style questions

but really you should take almost any drive you can get now.

the pioneer is much better
the lg is junk but sorta usable but playing with it constant reboots and disc cleanings and exchanges.

all lgs are flashable in that drive
and all pioneers even 12/22+ fw are flashable except UD03

if you get an lg see guide below
or email me or marty for the auto flasher

for the pioneer its currently me only for the auto flasher

[skyrider]

All ASUS BW‑16D1X‑U units that can still be found in stores now are the last remaining stock, and they contain an LG drive inside.
In May 2025, Asus replaced Pioneer drives with LG drives because Pioneer discontinued the manufacturing of optical drives.
I have the last 3 units of the ASUS BW‑16D1X‑U crossflashed to Pioneer BDR‑S12UHT listed for sale on this forum.
These are truly very reliable and durable drives when it comes to handling 4K UHD 66/100 discs.

[aas88keyz]

i hate ai overview style questions

but really you should take almost any drive you can get now.

the pioneer is much better
the lg is junk but sorta usable but playing with it constant reboots and disc cleanings and exchanges.

all lgs are flashable in that drive
and all pioneers even 12/22+ fw are flashable except UD03

if you get an lg see guide below
or email me or marty for the auto flasher

for the pioneer its currently me only for the auto flasher

Got it! Thanks for the info.

I have a ride taking me to Micro Center tomorrow afternoon. So I will be picking up the drive then. I probably won't be able try it out until early tomorrow evening.

I'll come back and give an update once I have a chance to test it.

[aas88keyz]

All ASUS BW‑16D1X‑U units that can still be found in stores now are the last remaining stock, and they contain an LG drive inside.
In May 2025, Asus replaced Pioneer drives with LG drives because Pioneer discontinued the manufacturing of optical drives.
I have the last 3 units of the ASUS BW‑16D1X‑U crossflashed to Pioneer BDR‑S12UHT listed for sale on this forum.
These are truly very reliable and durable drives when it comes to handling 4K UHD 66/100 discs.

Thank you for the info, I really appreciate it.

That’s very helpful to know about the drives inside. I’ll definitely keep your preflashed drive in mind as an option as well.

Thanks again!

[OneDay]

Check the serial number on the box. It's located on the side where the model number is. If the the serial number starts with these 2 first letter number you will get a Pioneer drive. If not it will be LG BH50N drive.

Eq.
T1, T2, T3, T4 = Built Date 2024 with Pioneer 209
S1, S2, S3, S4 = Built Date 2025 with Pioneer 209 (212T)
W1 = Built Date 2026 with Pioneer 209 (212T)

I know this to be true because I have bought all of these for my family and friends and my self. Also members here have verified as well.

Anything else it has a LG BH50N drive branbed as Asus

Good luck.

Also on your LG WH16NS40 try flashing back to the DE_flash_HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_WH16NS40_1.02_NS50.bin found in the Downgrade Enabled Firmware V2 folder. I found this to be more stable with UHD.

[aas88keyz]

W2= Built Date 2025 with BH50N

Hope that helps. Got the last one off the shelf. There was 3 yesterday. 2 this morning. 1 this afternoon

Flash WH16NS60 1.02-MK correct?

[Billycar11]

W2= Built Date 2025 with BH50N

Hope that helps. Got the last one off the shelf. There was 3 yesterday. 2 this morning. 1 this afternoon

Flash WH16NS60 1.02-MK correct?

yeah see guide below for full guide

[aas88keyz]

Success! Thanks guys. No long times reads. Detected E.T. 4k instantly. ripping now with no issues. I'm going to take care of this one while not stressing it too much all at once and limiting reflashes (not at all if I can help it). Lesson learned.

Couldn't have done it without you all. Thank you again!

[OneDay]

Nice glad everything is working out. Happy ripping.