Double trouble... is LibreDrive the answer?

[seamus]

I have a Pioneer drive, and an ASUS drive. I've used them interchangeably with my macOS 15 Sequoia iMac (Apple Silicon). I updated the firmware on my Pioneer drive to a 2024 version (before I learned of LibreDrive).

Yesterday, I began ripping a collection of brand-new, out-of-the-box BluRays. I instantiated a 2nd 'MakeMKV' to use both drives simultaneously - one instantiation used the Pioneer drive; the other used the ASUS drive. I'm writing here to ask if there's an explanation/known cause for what I'm seeing:

• The Asus drive is performing well. The MakeMKV window reports read/copy speeds that complete a BD in about 15-20 minutes for a 30-35 GB output file.

• The Pioneer drive is not doing well; for a similar BD (30-35 GB), the Pioneer drive is requiring over an hour. IOW, it is ripping at a rate of approx 1/3 the Asus drive!

• This behavior has been consistent over several BDs.

I've been keen to try LibreDrive, but haven't done so because I don't know where to find/download the firmware. And now I'm motivated to try it to see if it will "fix" this performance disparity I am seeing. Following is the display for the drives I see in MakeMKV:

Code: Select all

Pioneer drive:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/rdisk6
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XD08
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: DGDL01XXXXXX
Firmware date: 2024-10-09
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS9330
Firmware version: GENE

No disc inserted

Asus drive:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/rdisk7
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1X-U
Revision: E113
Serial number: DIDL12XXXXXX
Firmware date: 2020-07-21
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8F00
Firmware version: ID76

No disc inserted

[MartyMcNuts]

I have a Pioneer drive, and an ASUS drive. I've used them interchangeably with my macOS 15 Sequoia iMac (Apple Silicon). I updated the firmware on my Pioneer drive to a 2024 version (before I learned of LibreDrive).

Yesterday, I began ripping a collection of brand-new, out-of-the-box BluRays. I instantiated a 2nd 'MakeMKV' to use both drives simultaneously - one instantiation used the Pioneer drive; the other used the ASUS drive. I'm writing here to ask if there's an explanation/known cause for what I'm seeing:

• The Asus drive is performing well. The MakeMKV window reports read/copy speeds that complete a BD in about 15-20 minutes for a 30-35 GB output file.

• The Pioneer drive is not doing well; for a similar BD (30-35 GB), the Pioneer drive is requiring over an hour. IOW, it is ripping at a rate of approx 1/3 the Asus drive!

• This behavior has been consistent over several BDs.

I've been keen to try LibreDrive, but haven't done so because I don't know where to find/download the firmware. And now I'm motivated to try it to see if it will "fix" this performance disparity I am seeing. Following is the display for the drives I see in MakeMKV:

Code: Select all

Pioneer drive:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/rdisk6
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XD08
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: DGDL01XXXXXX
Firmware date: 2024-10-09
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS9330
Firmware version: GENE

No disc inserted

Asus drive:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/rdisk7
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1X-U
Revision: E113
Serial number: DIDL12XXXXXX
Firmware date: 2020-07-21
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8F00
Firmware version: ID76

No disc inserted

You should never have updated the Pioneer firmware. The firmware version is too new and it cannot currently be downgraded to enable libredrive.

You did select the option in MakeMKV preferences to use "Single Drive Mode", didn't you?? This allows you to run mutliple instances, one for each drive, without interfering with one another.

[seamus]

I have a Pioneer drive, and an ASUS drive. I've used them interchangeably with my macOS 15 Sequoia iMac
...
I've been keen to try LibreDrive, but haven't done so because I don't know where to find/download the firmware. And now I'm motivated to try it to see if it will "fix" this performance disparity I am seeing. Following is the display for the drives I see in MakeMKV:

Code: Select all

Asus drive:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/rdisk7
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1X-U
Revision: E113
Serial number: DIDL12XXXXXX
Firmware date: 2020-07-21
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8F00
Firmware version: ID76

No disc inserted

You should never have updated the Pioneer firmware. The firmware version is too new and it cannot currently be downgraded to enable libredrive.

You did select the option in MakeMKV preferences to use "Single Drive Mode", didn't you?? This allows you to run mutliple instances, one for each drive, without interfering with one another.

I thought I read here (somewhere) that LibreDrive could be applied on the Pioneer even after the update? But no worries - I can return the drive.

So - that leaves my Asus drive - which has not been upgraded. How do I get LibreDrive for it?

Thanks,
~S

[MartyMcNuts]

I have a Pioneer drive, and an ASUS drive. I've used them interchangeably with my macOS 15 Sequoia iMac
...
I've been keen to try LibreDrive, but haven't done so because I don't know where to find/download the firmware. And now I'm motivated to try it to see if it will "fix" this performance disparity I am seeing. Following is the display for the drives I see in MakeMKV:

Code: Select all

Asus drive:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/rdisk7
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1X-U
Revision: E113
Serial number: DIDL12XXXXXX
Firmware date: 2020-07-21
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8F00
Firmware version: ID76

No disc inserted

You should never have updated the Pioneer firmware. The firmware version is too new and it cannot currently be downgraded to enable libredrive.

You did select the option in MakeMKV preferences to use "Single Drive Mode", didn't you?? This allows you to run mutliple instances, one for each drive, without interfering with one another.

I thought I read here (somewhere) that LibreDrive could be applied on the Pioneer even after the update? But no worries - I can return the drive.

So - that leaves my Asus drive - which has not been upgraded. How do I get LibreDrive for it?

Thanks,
~S

Keep the Pioneer. It should eventually be supported sometime in the future.

Email your ASUS drive info/libredrive info sections to Billycar11 and he should be able to help you with flashing it to enable LibreDrive and UHD readability.