What is the best optical drive in 2023?

[t3t4-]

Quick questions, but very specifically and 3 parts are required for one answer:

P1. What is the best optical drive currently on the market here in 2023?
What I mean specifically, which drive has the latest capabilities and all of them in one drive?

P2. Does that drive have firmware available to actually make it work to read/write/copy anything optically available?

P3. Which drive then is best of the best currently available with changeable firmware?

I'm currently running a pair of LG WH14NS40, ready to purchase the newer LG WH16NS40, but I really want a working Pioneer BDR-S13UBK. I recent sent back my BDR-S13UBK because no firmware is yet available. Is there anything as good or better than the Pioneer BDR-S13UBK that can be made to truly work?

Thanks in advance

[Billycar11]

I will soon be offering flashed s13ubks
The pioneer are the best for reliability but the LGs are faster
Email me about ordering

[t3t4-]

Not quite what I'm looking for, but you got my attention. I'd much prefer to buy my own and flash my own. But what is your price for a fully functional BDR-S13UBK drive? I recently purchased and sent back, all in with tax at $185 total and shipping.

I'll buy it again, gladly if, firmware is available for the rest of us.... I'll flash my own, I want to flash my own same as I have with every drive prior.

Thanks,
t3t4

[Billycar11]

Not quite what I'm looking for, but you got my attention. I'd much prefer to buy my own and flash my own. But what is your price for a fully functional BDR-S13UBK drive? I recently purchased and sent back, all in with tax at $185 total and shipping.

I'll buy it again, gladly if, firmware is available for the rest of us.... I'll flash my own, I want to flash my own same as I have with every drive prior.

Thanks,
t3t4

it will be in the $250 range flashed tested and shipped

there will be no public way to flash these ever
they will eventually be supported but without downgrade but not for at least another month.

[t3t4-]

That's where ya lose me.... If you can do it, then why can't I?

[t3t4-]

Oh, and what does supported mean?

Thanks.

[Billycar11]

the current fw that disabled libredrive will eventually be supported in makemkv.
with no flashing needed.
but mine will work out of the box now

[t3t4-]

[/quote]
the current fw that disabled libredrive will eventually be supported in makemkv.
with no flashing needed.
but mine will work out of the box now
[/quote]

Ooooh... Okay, that spells out a lot for me then.

So the drive that I already had, the one I really want to own (BDR-S13UBK), it will be supported by software regardless of firmware? Just gotta wait for it?

Thanks

[Billycar11]

Ooooh... Okay, that spells out a lot for me then.

So the drive that I already had, the one I really want to own (BDR-S13UBK), it will be supported by software regardless of firmware? Just gotta wait for it?

Thanks

yes but it will likely be months

[t3t4-]

Ooooh... Okay, that spells out a lot for me then.

So the drive that I already had, the one I really want to own (BDR-S13UBK), it will be supported by software regardless of firmware? Just gotta wait for it?

Thanks

yes but it will likely be months

Cool. Thank you for being honest!

[audiom3]

OP, I buy and rip a ton of discs still. Probably around 50/month. You'll keep hearing that Pioneer drives are the best. Which is true to an extent. They're also the most expensive (if you want quality) and the slowest. Well, I have finally figured out the problem with my Pioneer S12UHD. Although it is the best of my 6 drive lot for UHD discs (lowest failure rate), it is the worst ripper (by far) of 1080p blurays. Sure, it's nice and shiny and well built, but if a drive can't read discs, then what's the point? I rip entire TV series using 4 different drives simultaneously, and the Pioneer is consistently the most troublesome for me.

The best "OVERALL" drive that I own is the ASUS BW-16D1HT. I actually own two. Yes, it's not as good at ripping UHD as my Pioneer, but it almost never fails on any bluray. And all of our catalogs still contain significantly more BDs than UHDs. Especially if you love buying/ripping TV Series.
Long story short, there is no best drive to "rip all types of optical media available." One drive to rule them all?
I would never limit myself to one drive or even one maker of several drives. Sometimes, my LG(s) will rip a disc (or one episode on a certain BD) that my Pioneer and ASUS fail on over and over and with cleaning between each attempt. It's why many of us own several optical drives.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[t3t4-]

This is 'exactly' the information I'm looking for from 'experienced' users, thank you audiom3!

Like you I have 1k's plus of ripped media experience, had Asus then LG. Currently running two LG WH14NS40, and just purchased the LG WH16NS40. I've had really good luck with the LG's, but here just recently I'm running into trouble with UHD. Everything I purchase works aside from the rare fluke here and there. It's everything else that's giving me trouble and I think you know what I mean by 'everything else'.... So to eliminate the old maybe tired equipment question, I have a new LG WH16NS40 on the way. I really want the Pioneer because of some bells and whistles, but if it is not really doing better than anything else, then why spend the extra coin, is what I'm thinking.

Thanks again!

[Billycar11]

This is 'exactly' the information I'm looking for from 'experienced' users, thank you audiom3!

Like you I have 1k's plus of ripped media experience, had Asus then LG. Currently running two LG WH14NS40, and just purchased the LG WH16NS40. I've had really good luck with the LG's, but here just recently I'm running into trouble with UHD. Everything I purchase works aside from the rare fluke here and there. It's everything else that's giving me trouble and I think you know what I mean by 'everything else'.... So to eliminate the old maybe tired equipment question, I have a new LG WH16NS40 on the way. I really want the Pioneer because of some bells and whistles, but if it is not really doing better than anything else, then why spend the extra coin, is what I'm thinking.

Thanks again!

I have delt with 1000's of LG/Asus and 400+ pioneers the pioneers are better overall
There are bad pioneers out there but I haven't got one yet.
It don't make sense a pioneer had a harder time reading a BD 25/50 than a UHD bd66/100

[t3t4-]

I don't have a Pioneer anything, I only have LG drives with a new one on the way. And I only have a new LG drive on order to test and prove if my well used equipment is or is not the problem I've been having. And the only reason I even suspect that is because twice now I have one drive that would copy and the other would not. They are identical drives, but one has a lot less mileage on it than the other. Also, placing a problem disk in the refrigerator for 10 min also made a difference. I personally think I'm getting bad media. But I'm about to test and prove it once and for all.

When I have 3 drives and one plays while the other 2 don't, that will tell me something for sure. When I have 3 drives and the disk still fails to work in all of them, well, that tells me something too.

Cheers

[t3t4-]

Lol the cheers thing, I had no idea it would be that big hahaha!