Need help choosing correct firmware

[pmiles]

Consider me confused...

I have a Hitachi-LG BH16NS40 (NS51) Rev 1.05 drive manufactured in July 2020 (firmware date? of 2020-07-30). MKV reports it as an HL-DT-ST BD-RE BH16NS40 Rev 1.05 with a firmware date of 2120-05-06. I want to make it a regionless as I have a region 4 BD that I would like to convert with MKV. LibreDrive information shows the MT1959 et al indicators that the drive is a possible candidate.

I have downloaded the GUI SPF Tool. I have downloaded the "The all you need firmware pack" and the GUI developer's "DE-firmware-pack".

The process seems straightforward enough, it's the firmware selection which is muddled. "The all you need firmware pack" only offers HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_WH16NS60-1.02-NM00100-211810291936.bin. The "DE-firmware-pack" offers DE_LG_BH16NS40_(NS50)_1.02.bin and DE_LG_WH16NS40_(NS50)_1.02.bin as potential choices.

Which firmware should I be choosing for my particular drive? If something different than I have listed here, where do I find your recommendation for downloading?

Thanks in advance

[d00zah]

Consider me confused...

I have a Hitachi-LG BH16NS40 (NS51) Rev 1.05 drive manufactured in July 2020 (firmware date? of 2020-07-30). MKV reports it as an HL-DT-ST BD-RE BH16NS40 Rev 1.05 with a firmware date of 2120-05-06. I want to make it a regionless as I have a region 4 BD that I would like to convert with MKV. LibreDrive information shows the MT1959 et al indicators that the drive is a possible candidate.

I have downloaded the GUI SPF Tool. I have downloaded the "The all you need firmware pack" and the GUI developer's "DE-firmware-pack".

The process seems straightforward enough, it's the firmware selection which is muddled. "The all you need firmware pack" only offers HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_WH16NS60-1.02-NM00100-211810291936.bin. The "DE-firmware-pack" offers DE_LG_BH16NS40_(NS50)_1.02.bin and DE_LG_WH16NS40_(NS50)_1.02.bin as potential choices.

Which firmware should I be choosing for my particular drive? If something different than I have listed here, where do I find your recommendation for downloading?

Thanks in advance

The Guide recommends:

WH16NS40 on any Firmware directly to > WH16NS60 1.02MK

(HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_WH16NS60-1.02-NM00100-211810291936.bin).

When in doubt, trust the guide.

BTW F/W DOES NOT make the drive "regionless", but MakeMKV should just ignore disc region.

[pmiles]

The Guide recommends:

WH16NS40 on any Firmware directly to > WH16NS60 1.02MK

(HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_WH16NS60-1.02-NM00100-211810291936.bin).

When in doubt, trust the guide.

BTW F/W DOES NOT make the drive "regionless", but MakeMKV should just ignore disc region.

Many thanks. Just ran the update. You are correct, it doesn't allow watching the disc due to region code, but MKV processes the disc anyways, so all is good.

Interesting side note, the Region 4 disc now reads as Region A... or maybe I just thought it said 4? Eyesight not what it used to be. It was a two movie BD set and one movie (the first one) was region locked and the other one was apparently not (it plays normally). Shenanigans...

Blu-ray + Digital HD Fantastic 4 Double Feature (Blu-ray Cat. # 2326815) bought as new if anyone is curious.

[d00zah]

Interesting side note, the Region 4 disc now reads as Region A... or maybe I just thought it said 4? Eyesight not what it used to be. It was a two movie BD set and one movie (the first one) was region locked and the other one was apparently not (it plays normally). Shenanigans...

Probably because LibreDrive code (loaded when MakeMKV processes disc... see link in sig for particulars) remains in ODD RAM until drive is power-cycled? LibreDrive bypasses F/W imposed restrictions.

IF your player plays original discs w/out complaint in this state, it'll most likely be seamless w/ a paid MakeMKV license & checking appropriate boxes on the 'Integration' preferences tab.