Will my drive lock again when inserting a disk with recent AACS version?

[b1n0ry]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and hoping for some help.

First of all, to avoid confusion I want to make clear that everything that follows in this post is related to "standard" HD BluRay - no UHD involved.

Earlier today, I attempted to rip Top Gun: Maverick (sourced from Amazon Germany) which releases tomorrow with my Asus BC-12D2HT. When inserting the disk and trying to back up, I got this error:

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Can't read AACS VID from disc - most likely current AACS host certificate is revoked by your drive
Saved AACS dump file as C:\........\MKB_v68_TOP_GUN_MAVERICK_4770.tgz
The volume key is unknown for this disc - video can't be decrypted
Backup failed

Furthermore, the drive seems to have locked. It now refuses to decrypt even disks that worked before. Researching the problem afterwards, I found that this apparently can happen. I have since driven to a local electronics shop and got myself an Asus BW-16D1HT. I have flashed the new drive to firmware version 3.10 following the guide viewtopic.php?f=16&t=19634. This is what MakeMKV shows now:

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Drive Information
OS device name: \Device\CdRom0
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1HT
Revision: 3.10
Serial number: KLNL8IB0318
Firmware date: 2119-01-04 10:14
Bus encryption flags: 1F
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)
Firmware version: 3.10
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted

I verified that I can now rip my old disks again. But I'm a bit afraid to put the new Top Gun disk in the new drive. I worry it will lock up again. Therefore, this is my question:

Will the custom firmware that I flashed prevent the drive from revoking host certificates? The old drive had LibreDrive enabled, too, btw.

Thanks for your help.

[d00zah]

While this topic is about the benefits of LibreDrive, it also does a good job explaining what you ran into...

LibreDrive and AACS

FW update for ASUS-BC-12D2HT available...

Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2022

[b1n0ry]

Thanks for your reply, d00zah.

The first post you linked is actually the one where I got the information that a drive can "lock" itself. It says:

In LibreDrive mode you always would be able to use this drive with MakeMKV or any other software that uses (open source) LibDriveIo library. No AACS revocation or other update would affect usability of your drive in LibreDrive mode.

This to me reads as if I can safely insert the new disk into the drive without fear of it blocking my host / my MakeMKV instance because my drive is in LibreDrive mode. However, my old drive was also in LibreDrive mode according to MakeMKV and it did become unusable. Do you have any insights on that?

[d00zah]

Thanks for your reply, d00zah.

This to me reads as if I can safely insert the new disk into the drive without fear of it blocking my host / my MakeMKV instance because my drive is in LibreDrive mode. However, my old drive was also in LibreDrive mode according to MakeMKV and it did become unusable. Do you have any insights on that?

Only speculative, but occasionally a user will report a "lock-up/hang/etc" which requires a device power-cycle (not just a reboot) to resolve. Some sort of rare, unhandled event in the "LibreDrive magic" running in device RAM? Had you power-cycled the drive before retry? Maybe just a drive at the end of "its time"?

Beyond that, I think only Mike would know enough to theorize?

[b1n0ry]

It may very well have been a fluke due the age of the 12D2HT, label says it's from 2014. But I tested it again today and it successfully backed up old disks as well as the new Top Gun.

Next for me will be trying out UHD. If that works consistently with the old drive, I'll probably return the new one.

Thanks again for your time!

[d00zah]

... label says it's from 2014...

2014 HW is too old for UHD. Observe what MakeMKV reports for 'Drive platform':

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959 = UHD capable
- vs -
Drive platform: MT1939 = pre-dates UHD. Flash wrong FW & brick it!

[Coopervid]

I also just wanted to warn him. You were first!

[d00zah]

I also just wanted to warn him. You were first!

As often as it's been discussed, it pains me each time it happens.

[Coopervid]

I write a PM to Billy. He should put the MT1959 check as a pre-requisite before someone even thinks about flashing a LG drive.

[b1n0ry]

Thanks for the warnings MakeMKV does indeed report the drive platform to be MT1939.

The reason I haven't flashed the Asus BC-12D2HT already is because I couldn't find any instructions for it. I may be new to BluRays, but I have bricked other hardware in the past to know not to use any old firmware image and hope for the best... I tried using the SDFtool Flasher, but it said that the drive is not supported. Now I know why.

2014 HW is too old for UHD.

That I did not know. Is this a hardware limitation?

[Coopervid]

Thanks for the warnings MakeMKV does indeed report the drive platform to be MT1939.

The reason I haven't flashed the Asus BC-12D2HT already is because I couldn't find any instructions for it. I may be new to BluRays, but I have bricked other hardware in the past to know not to use any old firmware image and hope for the best... I tried using the SDFtool Flasher, but it said that the drive is not supported. Now I know why.

2014 HW is too old for UHD.

That I did not know. Is this a hardware limitation?

Yes.