Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025

[Mr_Orange]

Hey guys! I'll appreciate any help.
I own 2 Asus BW-16D1HT.
Drive 1 (manufactured on May/2018) is basically "about to die" (still works here and there but it's failing most of the time), did a great job during the rips/burns I did during this time and it's patched.

Informações da Unidade
Nome do dispositivo do SO: F:
Fabricante: ASUS
Produto: BW-16D1HT
Revisão: 3.10
Número de série: [REDACTED]
Data do Firmware: 2119-01-04 10:14
Sinalizações de criptografia bus: 1F

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

Drive 2 (manufactured on November/2023) I got these days ago and I didn't patched yet.

Informações da Unidade
Nome do dispositivo do SO: D:
Fabricante: ASUS
Produto: BW-16D1HT
Revisão: 3.11
Número de série: [REDACTED]
Data do Firmware: 2120-12-01 17:59
Sinalizações de criptografia bus: 1F

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: MT1959

Judging by the manufacture date and the firmware information above, is it safe to patch with the current Libredrive pack available here to download?
Thanks in advance!

Just flash it directly to 3.10MK and you're good to go.

[Plane]

With Pioneer no longer being viable for buying new, what drives are recommended for quality?

Reviewing the drives listed, some clearly have quality issues and low ratings. And some have buy before a certain manufacture date.

It seems like the only buy new drives are poor quality, does one stand out as better quality?

[d00zah]

With Pioneer no longer being viable for buying new, what drives are recommended for quality?

Reviewing the drives listed, some clearly have quality issues and low ratings. And some have buy before a certain manufacture date.

It seems like the only buy new drives are poor quality, does one stand out as better quality?

Pre-flashed/tested drives for whatever region you are in can be had...

Drives for sale, Flashing Services, where to buy...

Vendors request you contact them via email w/ questions (consult respective topics).

[Plane]

With Pioneer no longer being viable for buying new, what drives are recommended for quality?

Reviewing the drives listed, some clearly have quality issues and low ratings. And some have buy before a certain manufacture date.

It seems like the only buy new drives are poor quality, does one stand out as better quality?

Pre-flashed/tested drives for whatever region you are in can be had...

Drives for sale, Flashing Services, where to buy...

Vendors request you contact them via email w/ questions (consult respective topics).

I am ok with attempting to flash a drive, so I am not looking to buy a preflashed drive. The flashing guide lists compatible drives, and comments that Pioneer drives are of higher quality, but are no longer viable do to an updated firmware. However no additional comments on drive quality, or ranking is made for other drives.

[Billycar11]

I am ok with attempting to flash a drive, so I am not looking to buy a preflashed drive. The flashing guide lists compatible drives, and comments that Pioneer drives are of higher quality, but are no longer viable do to an updated firmware. However no additional comments on drive quality, or ranking is made for other drives.

drive quality rank here you go best to worst

Pioneer BDR S13UX
Pioneer BDR S13UBK
Pioneer BDR 213 212/S12
Pioneer BDR XS07, XD07, XD08
Pioneer BDR UD04, UD03, XD05

LG BU40N BP50NB40 BP60NB10 ect..
LG/ASUS WH14xx-WH16xx Asus BW16D1HT BH14xx-BH16xx ect... all the same junk if your getting one of these they are all the same get the cheapest available and hope you get a good one.

All pioneers need old FW or to be professionally flashed
for most i recommend the UBK as the UX is way over priced in the USA. the UX has a fw cents worth of better caps black paint job and slightly more sound deadening on the disc tray not worth it.
i myself have a UBK.

[chronomac]

drive quality rank here you go best to worst

Pioneer BDR S13UX
Pioneer BDR S13UBK
Pioneer BDR 213 212/S12
Pioneer BDR XS07, XD07, XD08
Pioneer BDR UD04, UD03, XD05

I'm not quite up to date on the Pioneer news so I'll just ask this simply: if I get a 212DBK, listed here on Amazon, today would I be able to use it for UHD discs, with or without new firmware?

[Billycar11]

drive quality rank here you go best to worst

Pioneer BDR S13UX
Pioneer BDR S13UBK
Pioneer BDR 213 212/S12
Pioneer BDR XS07, XD07, XD08
Pioneer BDR UD04, UD03, XD05

I'm not quite up to date on the Pioneer news so I'll just ask this simply: if I get a 212DBK, listed here on Amazon, today would I be able to use it for UHD discs, with or without new firmware?

It would need to be professionally flashed you can email me for that only the 212 for now is still remote flashable

[JustSittingHere]

I'm not quite up to date on the Pioneer news so I'll just ask this simply: if I get a 212DBK, listed here on Amazon, today would I be able to use it for UHD discs, with or without new firmware?

It would need to be professionally flashed you can email me for that only the 212 for now is still remote flashable

Was not my question, but I'll take that answer also since I ordered that same 212DBK this morning and wondered later if it could read UHD.

Fate.

I'll be in contact tomorrow after I get the MakeMKV drive specs page.

[Billycar11]

I'm not quite up to date on the Pioneer news so I'll just ask this simply: if I get a 212DBK, listed here on Amazon, today would I be able to use it for UHD discs, with or without new firmware?

It would need to be professionally flashed you can email me for that only the 212 for now is still remote flashable

Was not my question, but I'll take that answer also since I ordered that same 212DBK this morning and wondered later if it could read UHD.

Fate.

I'll be in contact tomorrow after I get the MakeMKV drive specs page.

no it wont read UHD it will need to be professionally flashed mail me for that if the fw is after 12/22 your out of luck but most 212s are old still

[Wad Mabbit]

I've got a portable BD writer SE-506

TSSTcorp BDDVDW SE-506CB
Revision: TS02
Serial number: [redacted]
Bus encryption flags: 1F

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: MT1939
Harware support: Yes
Firmware support: No
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 01.07
DVD all regions: Possible, not yet enabled
BD raw data read: Possible, not yet enabled
BD raw metadata read: Possible, not yet enabled
Unrestricted read speed: Possible, not yet enabled

So, is this flashable?

[Woodstock]

Drive platform: MT1939

Not for UHD support - the hardware won't do it.

[Wad Mabbit]

Thanks for that

[naruto]

Dear everyone,

do you have any idea what I'm doing wrong?

I have the LG BU40N drive with Windows 10 and DVDFab 13 (13.0.1.9) and MakeMKV 1.17.7
My problem is now that I cannot rip the 4k UHD Blu-Rays "Avengers - Infinity War" and "Avengers - Endgame" with voices of the actors.
This means I can rip both discs to the hard drive and everything is fine except that the voices of the actors cannot be heard. The soundtrack, music, etc. can be heard perfectly but you cannot hear enything when the actors speak…

This happens with DVDFab and MakeMKV.

I flashed now the LG BU40N with SDFtool Flasher (v1.3.5) from 1.0 to 1.03 (The all you need firmware pack.zip) but still the same issue.

Any idea how to solve this?

Best regards

[Mandolin]

Hi,

My laptop has no DVD so I'll need to find a USB drive that will be able to be flashed for UHD. I'd appreciate knowing a worthy one to get & where to find the software for flashing. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[d00zah]

Hi,

My laptop has no DVD so I'll need to find a USB drive that will be able to be flashed for UHD. I'd appreciate knowing a worthy one to get & where to find the software for flashing. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Have you read the 1st post of this topic, for starters?