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Should you upgrade your optical drive or not?

Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:25 pm
by SgtYoshi
Hello dear MakeMKV community,

I'm relatively new to ripping bluerays/UHDs but I'm a huge fan of MakeMKV. When I realized that my old drive can only rip Bluerays but no UHD Bluerays, I had to get a new one. After poking around the forums and finding the guide for the UHDs, I reluctantly settled on the LG WH16NS40 (because it was the only one available original i wanted the WH16NS60). I installed it and was happy so far. Unfortunately, what I have already read has happened, unfortunately I have a UHD Blueray that the drive cannot read. (Have flashed the firmware successfully, so it can't be the cause and the other works fine). That's why I bought the LG BU40N. Now I would be interested to know whether I should keep the LG WH16NS40 for Bluerays, or simply put my old CH12NS40 (built in 2018) back in and send the WH16NS40 back. One thing I noticed is that the WH is quieter than the CH. Is it generally better to use newer drives because they have certain technical advantages that older ones don't have? Or is it actually better to have an older one as they pose fewer problems.

I'm really looking forward to your answers!

Best regards
Yoshi

Re: Should you upgrade your optical drive or not?

Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:55 pm
by Woodstock
If you have a drive that can read UHDs, why bother getting a new one? Unless you're planning on ripping a lot of disks, most people only need one drive.

Finding out why the existing UHD disk doesn't rip in a UHD-compatible drive would probably help.

Re: Should you upgrade your optical drive or not?

Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2023 4:25 pm
by SgtYoshi
Woodstock wrote:
Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:55 pm
If you have a drive that can read UHDs, why bother getting a new one? Unless you're planning on ripping a lot of disks, most people only need one drive.

Finding out why the existing UHD disk doesn't rip in a UHD-compatible drive would probably help.
I read somewhere in the Forum that the LG WH16NS40/60 has a success rate of like 90% or less. And the LG BU40N apparently is far more successfull in ripping some UHDs. Tomorrow I will try the WH16NS40 again after I gave the UHD Bluray a good cleaning with soap maybe that will help.

Re: Should you upgrade your optical drive or not?

Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2023 5:39 pm
by audiom3
SgtYoshi wrote:
Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:25 pm
Hello dear MakeMKV community,

I'm relatively new to ripping bluerays/UHDs but I'm a huge fan of MakeMKV. When I realized that my old drive can only rip Bluerays but no UHD Bluerays, I had to get a new one. After poking around the forums and finding the guide for the UHDs, I reluctantly settled on the LG WH16NS40 (because it was the only one available original i wanted the WH16NS60). I installed it and was happy so far. Unfortunately, what I have already read has happened, unfortunately I have a UHD Blueray that the drive cannot read. (Have flashed the firmware successfully, so it can't be the cause and the other works fine). That's why I bought the LG BU40N. Now I would be interested to know whether I should keep the LG WH16NS40 for Bluerays, or simply put my old CH12NS40 (built in 2018) back in and send the WH16NS40 back. One thing I noticed is that the WH is quieter than the CH. Is it generally better to use newer drives because they have certain technical advantages that older ones don't have? Or is it actually better to have an older one as they pose fewer problems.

I'm really looking forward to your answers!

Best regards
Yoshi
Consider yourself lucky that you didn't get the 16NS60. That drive was doing great for me but only lasted ~8 months. Probably ripped between 100 and 200 discs total since I have 4 working drives installed at all times. I disassembled it and cleaned the laser lenses but it still won't register a disc. By comparison, I ripped between 3k and 4k discs (CD, DVD, BD and UHD) with my old 14NS60 (built early 2018) until it finally gave way. My replacement 14NS60 has been doing great in an external enclosure. As well or better than the 16NS60 ever did... Unless I'm mistaken, LG discontinued the 16NS60 because they probably knew it was a piece of junk.

Re: Should you upgrade your optical drive or not?

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2023 9:18 am
by SgtYoshi
audiom3 wrote:
Thu Jul 20, 2023 5:39 pm

Consider yourself lucky that you didn't get the 16NS60. That drive was doing great for me but only lasted ~8 months. Probably ripped between 100 and 200 discs total since I have 4 working drives installed at all times. I disassembled it and cleaned the laser lenses but it still won't register a disc. By comparison, I ripped between 3k and 4k discs (CD, DVD, BD and UHD) with my old 14NS60 (built early 2018) until it finally gave way. My replacement 14NS60 has been doing great in an external enclosure. As well or better than the 16NS60 ever did... Unless I'm mistaken, LG discontinued the 16NS60 because they probably knew it was a piece of junk.
OH! Okay thats REALLY good to hear to be honest. I hope the WH16NS40 isnt a piece of Junk then :D If you have 4 working drives installed at all times would you recommend that I buy the LG BU40N for only UHD BlueRays and use the WH16NS40 for normal BlueRays. So dont maybe I can prolong the life of my Drives ?

Re: Should you upgrade your optical drive or not?

Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2023 4:21 pm
by audiom3

SgtYoshi wrote:
audiom3 wrote:
Thu Jul 20, 2023 5:39 pm

Consider yourself lucky that you didn't get the 16NS60. That drive was doing great for me but only lasted ~8 months. Probably ripped between 100 and 200 discs total since I have 4 working drives installed at all times. I disassembled it and cleaned the laser lenses but it still won't register a disc. By comparison, I ripped between 3k and 4k discs (CD, DVD, BD and UHD) with my old 14NS60 (built early 2018) until it finally gave way. My replacement 14NS60 has been doing great in an external enclosure. As well or better than the 16NS60 ever did... Unless I'm mistaken, LG discontinued the 16NS60 because they probably knew it was a piece of junk.
OH! Okay thats REALLY good to hear to be honest. I hope the WH16NS40 isnt a piece of Junk then :D If you have 4 working drives installed at all times would you recommend that I buy the LG BU40N for only UHD BlueRays and use the WH16NS40 for normal BlueRays. So dont maybe I can prolong the life of my Drives ?
I would buy a recommended Pioneer if the drive will exclusively be used for UHD media. My 16NS40 rips UHD much more reliably than my LG BP60. And sorry, I listed the model incorrectly in my last post. It's definitely a 16NS40.

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