LibreDrive for Pioneer drives

[Dr.Shaw]

I have a drive, Pioneer BDR-X13, bought with the modification to rip UHD already applied because I'm not so technical myself.

And it was all fine, ripped loads of discs. Now I tried it today and it won't read a 4K disc. First time I've used it for 4K in maybe a year I guess.
I remember the MakeMKV status for the drive used to say "MT1959" and that this was somehow important, but I noticed that is NOT there now.

Could it somehow regain the ability it had? Where's it gone?!? Hoped to get "The Shining" from my disc to drive this afternoon but not looking good now!

[dcoke22]

I have a drive, Pioneer BDR-X13, bought with the modification to rip UHD already applied because I'm not so technical myself.

And it was all fine, ripped loads of discs. Now I tried it today and it won't read a 4K disc. First time I've used it for 4K in maybe a year I guess.
I remember the MakeMKV status for the drive used to say "MT1959" and that this was somehow important, but I noticed that is NOT there now.

Could it somehow regain the ability it had? Where's it gone?!? Hoped to get "The Shining" from my disc to drive this afternoon but not looking good now!

If your drive really is a Pioneer, it would not have said MT1959. MT1959 would indicate an LG based drive.

In any case, copy & paste the MakeMKV drive info (from the first screen of MakeMKV) into a post on the forum.

[Dr.Shaw]

I have a drive, Pioneer BDR-X13, bought with the modification to rip UHD already applied because I'm not so technical myself.

And it was all fine, ripped loads of discs. Now I tried it today and it won't read a 4K disc. First time I've used it for 4K in maybe a year I guess.
I remember the MakeMKV status for the drive used to say "MT1959" and that this was somehow important, but I noticed that is NOT there now.

Could it somehow regain the ability it had? Where's it gone?!? Hoped to get "The Shining" from my disc to drive this afternoon but not looking good now!

If your drive really is a Pioneer, it would not have said MT1959. MT1959 would indicate an LG based drive.

In any case, copy & paste the MakeMKV drive info (from the first screen of MakeMKV) into a post on the forum.

Right, the 1959 was what I thought I could remember seeing, perhaps that's just something I remember from message posts around the forums.

It is definitely Pioneer though, the logo is on the drive. This is what MakeMKV says:

Drive Information
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-X13
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: DDDL000915WL
Firmware date: 2023-08-01
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 81

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS9400
Firmware version: ID56


Like I say, it worked fine last year but today it won't even accept a UHD, so I really don't know what the issue might be.

[dcoke22]

Right, the 1959 was what I thought I could remember seeing, perhaps that's just something I remember from message posts around the forums.

It is definitely Pioneer though, the logo is on the drive. This is what MakeMKV says:

Drive Information
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-X13
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: DDDL000915WL
Firmware date: 2023-08-01
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 81

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS9400
Firmware version: ID56


Like I say, it worked fine last year but today it won't even accept a UHD, so I really don't know what the issue might be.

If you purchased the drive from a seller on this board and it supported UHD, the firmware date would've been before December 2022. The LibreDrive status would've said 'enabled' and it would've worked with UHDs.

Pioneer released firmware dated December 2022 specifically to disable MakeMKV's support for ripping UHDs with Pioneer drives. All firmware after that date disables MakeMKV's ability to rip UHDs and prevents the firmware from being flashed with an older version of the firmware. Pioneer firmware update February 2023

So, it would appear that a firmware update has been applied to the drive and now it is only useful ripping DVDs and regular blu-rays with MakeMKV.

Mike, MakeMKV's author, has stated that eventually all Pioneer drives regardless of firmware level will be supported, but there's no ETA for when this will be. All Pioneer drives will be LibreDrive supported For this drive to rip UHDs again, that support will have to be released.

[Dr.Shaw]

Right, the 1959 was what I thought I could remember seeing, perhaps that's just something I remember from message posts around the forums.

It is definitely Pioneer though, the logo is on the drive. This is what MakeMKV says:

Drive Information
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-X13
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: DDDL000915WL
Firmware date: 2023-08-01
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 81

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS9400
Firmware version: ID56


Like I say, it worked fine last year but today it won't even accept a UHD, so I really don't know what the issue might be.

If you purchased the drive from a seller on this board and it supported UHD, the firmware date would've been before December 2022. The LibreDrive status would've said 'enabled' and it would've worked with UHDs.

Pioneer released firmware dated December 2022 specifically to disable MakeMKV's support for ripping UHDs with Pioneer drives. All firmware after that date disables MakeMKV's ability to rip UHDs and prevents the firmware from being flashed with an older version of the firmware. Pioneer firmware update February 2023

So, it would appear that a firmware update has been applied to the drive and now it is only useful ripping DVDs and regular blu-rays with MakeMKV.

Mike, MakeMKV's author, has stated that eventually all Pioneer drives regardless of firmware level will be supported, but there's no ETA for when this will be. All Pioneer drives will be LibreDrive supported For this drive to rip UHDs again, that support will have to be released.

Thanks for explaining about that. I had wanted to buy one off this board but there was some reason I couldn't (not shipping to UK maybe?) so it was bought off ebay. It definitely was all working fine last year though so I guess a firmware got installed since, not something I knowingly did. I have used the drive for non-UHD discs some months ago so quite possible I clicked a pop up window without realising what was happening.

Good to hear that it will be supported in future. I've found it to be a really good drive for burning discs so my simplest option now might be to get a new cheap drive for 4K if I really have to rip something. Not an urgent issue, I do have "The Shining" on AppleTV already so I could use that instead of a rip for now.