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Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2025 9:44 pm
by Rojma
I have an internal Asus BW-16D1HT drive that seems to have recently died after ripping hundreds of discs with it. I went to go buy a new one, but it looks like this ASUS model is discontinued and the prices are really high on it (upper $100s into the $200s - I originally bought it for under $120).
Anyone recommend a similar internal drive that's not going to break the bank (~$120 or under)? I am comfortable flashing the drive myself. I already have a Pioneer drive but try to reserve that drive for ripping problematic discs. I would like to get something cheaper as my main workhorse drive.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 7:42 am
by MartyMcNuts
Rojma wrote: ↑Wed Nov 19, 2025 9:44 pm
I have an internal Asus BW-16D1HT drive that seems to have recently died after ripping hundreds of discs with it. I went to go buy a new one, but it looks like this ASUS model is discontinued and the prices are really high on it (upper $100s into the $200s - I originally bought it for under $120).
Anyone recommend a similar internal drive that's not going to break the bank (~$120 or under)? I am comfortable flashing the drive myself. I already have a Pioneer drive but try to reserve that drive for ripping problematic discs. I would like to get something cheaper as my main workhorse drive.
Verbatim 43888. it has a LG BU40N inside.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:18 pm
by Rojma
MartyMcNuts wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 7:42 am
Verbatim 43888. it has a LG BU40N inside.
That unfortunately is an external slim drive. I need an internal drive.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:34 pm
by Coopervid
Rojma wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:18 pm
MartyMcNuts wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 7:42 am
Verbatim 43888. it has a LG BU40N inside.
That unfortunately is an external slim drive. I need an internal drive.
Tell us your country of residence.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:57 pm
by Rojma
US
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:30 pm
by Coopervid
Rojma wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:57 pm
US
Even the LGs are hard to find and expensive.
Get this Pioneer and contact me then. It can be flashed easily to make it UHD capable.
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Electron ... cO4FVkJPvK
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:44 pm
by Rojma
I already have a Pioneer, including the flash for it that I bought from BillyCar11. I am looking for something a bit cheaper as my main workhorse drive (e.g. ASUS or LG). Personally, I have had very good experiences with my Asus drives and they pretty much have been able to rip anything that I throw at them, of course until now when one of them died on me (I did rip hundreds of discs with it though).
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:48 pm
by Coopervid
Rojma wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:44 pm
I already have a Pioneer, including the flash for it that I bought from BillyCar11. I am looking for something a bit cheaper as my main workhorse drive (e.g. ASUS or LG). Personally, I have had very good experiences with my Asus drives and they pretty much have been able to rip anything that I throw at them, of course until now when one of them died on me (I did rip hundreds of discs with it though).
ASUS and LG is indentical junk and now almost as expensive as the Pioneer I linked. Good luck!
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 4:02 pm
by Rojma
Coopervid wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:48 pm
Rojma wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:44 pm
I already have a Pioneer, including the flash for it that I bought from BillyCar11. I am looking for something a bit cheaper as my main workhorse drive (e.g. ASUS or LG). Personally, I have had very good experiences with my Asus drives and they pretty much have been able to rip anything that I throw at them, of course until now when one of them died on me (I did rip hundreds of discs with it though).
ASUS and LG is indentical junk and now almost as expensive as the Pioneer I linked. Good luck!
My experience has been different. I've had almost 100% success with two Asus drives ripping hundreds of discs. Only discs that they haven't been able to rip are discs that are damaged/pressing defects that the Pioneer also can't rip. I agree the Pioneers are better and if I were paying Pioneer prices, I would go with the Pioneer over ASUS/LG. But what I'm looking for is a workhorse drive that will do the majority of the ripping and then save the Pioneer for problematic discs.
I did find some Asus BW-16D1HT at a good price on eBay so I rolled the dice and bought two of those.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 1:32 am
by MartyMcNuts
Rojma wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 4:02 pm
Coopervid wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:48 pm
Rojma wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:44 pm
I already have a Pioneer, including the flash for it that I bought from BillyCar11. I am looking for something a bit cheaper as my main workhorse drive (e.g. ASUS or LG). Personally, I have had very good experiences with my Asus drives and they pretty much have been able to rip anything that I throw at them, of course until now when one of them died on me (I did rip hundreds of discs with it though).
ASUS and LG is indentical junk and now almost as expensive as the Pioneer I linked. Good luck!
My experience has been different. I've had almost 100% success with two Asus drives ripping hundreds of discs. Only discs that they haven't been able to rip are discs that are damaged/pressing defects that the Pioneer also can't rip. I agree the Pioneers are better and if I were paying Pioneer prices, I would go with the Pioneer over ASUS/LG. But what I'm looking for is a workhorse drive that will do the majority of the ripping and then save the Pioneer for problematic discs.
I did find some Asus BW-16D1HT at a good price on eBay so I rolled the dice and bought two of those.
ASUS don't make drives. The BW-16D1HT is a rebadged LG. Since prices at the moment aren't that much different, you'd be better off getting the Pioneer coop recommended and using it as your workhorse.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 1:57 am
by Rojma
MartyMcNuts wrote: ↑Fri Nov 21, 2025 1:32 am
ASUS don't make drives. The BW-16D1HT is a rebadged LG. Since prices at the moment aren't that much different, you'd be better off getting the Pioneer coop recommended and using it as your workhorse.
I got the drive for under $100. The drive was marked as new. The seller had a good rating on eBay. Hopefully it works out. I admit I am rolling the dice a bit. But I agree that if I was buying the drive on Amazon, I would've gone with the Pioneer since the price differences are very great.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 2:09 am
by MartyMcNuts
Rojma wrote: ↑Fri Nov 21, 2025 1:57 am
MartyMcNuts wrote: ↑Fri Nov 21, 2025 1:32 am
ASUS don't make drives. The BW-16D1HT is a rebadged LG. Since prices at the moment aren't that much different, you'd be better off getting the Pioneer coop recommended and using it as your workhorse.
I got the drive for under $100. The drive was marked as new. The seller had a good rating on eBay. Hopefully it works out. I admit I am rolling the dice a bit. But I agree that if I was buying the drive on Amazon, I would've gone with the Pioneer since the price differences are very great.
There's been an absolute ton of ASUS BW-16D1HT drives on ebay of late that are the older MT1939 drive platform and are incompatible with flashoing for UHD readability.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 4:04 am
by Rojma
MartyMcNuts wrote: ↑Fri Nov 21, 2025 2:09 am
There's been an absolute ton of ASUS BW-16D1HT drives on ebay of late that are the older MT1939 drive platform and are incompatible with flashoing for UHD readability.
The pictures on the listing show the drive was manufactured in 2022, which is newer than the drive that died on me (2019). Hopefully the pictures match the actual product they ship. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 4:06 am
by MartyMcNuts
Rojma wrote: ↑Fri Nov 21, 2025 4:04 am
MartyMcNuts wrote: ↑Fri Nov 21, 2025 2:09 am
There's been an absolute ton of ASUS BW-16D1HT drives on ebay of late that are the older MT1939 drive platform and are incompatible with flashoing for UHD readability.
The pictures on the listing show the drive was manufactured in 2022, which is newer than the drive that died on me (2019). Hopefully the pictures match the actual product they ship. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
You can't really go by the label these days but you might be lucky. A lot of these drives are the older models with new labels on them.
Re: Recommendations for a new internal UHD drive
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 4:14 am
by Rojma
MartyMcNuts wrote: ↑Fri Nov 21, 2025 4:06 am
You can't really go by the label these days but you might be lucky. A lot of these drives are the older models with new labels on them.
Thanks for the tip. The drive hasn't shipped yet, so I asked the seller to confirm its drive platform MT1959. Don't know if he will know what I am talking about. I'll await his reply.