LibreDrive for Pioneer drives

[Woodstock]

Firmware date: 2023-04-20

Pioneer disabled the ability to add UHD ripping to that drive.

[Billycar11]

Got my hands on an old ASUS (Pioneer) drive and what I've gathered here is that I might be able to open LibreDrive / UHD on this drive? Any instructions appreciated!

Drive Information
OS device name: D:
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: SBW-06D5H-U
Revision: E102
Serial number: ---
Firmware date: 2023-04-20
Bus encryption flags: 1B
Highest AACS version: 81

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8511
Firmware version: ID26

Nah someone updated that one

[drknight71]

Hi,

Should have but updated firmware from 1.52 to 1.54 on the Pioneer BDR-211M. Before said Libredrive supported and now just possible:
Drive Information
OS device name: E:
Current profile: CD-RW
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-211M
Revision: 1.54
Serial number: [redacted]
Firmware date: 2023-02-08
Bus encryption flags: 13

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8800
Firmware version: ID60


What can I do?

Thanks

[Billycar11]

Hi,

Should have but updated firmware from 1.52 to 1.54 on the Pioneer BDR-211M. Before said Libredrive supported and now just possible:
Drive Information
OS device name: E:
Current profile: CD-RW
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-211M
Revision: 1.54
Serial number: [redacted]
Firmware date: 2023-02-08
Bus encryption flags: 13

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: Pioneer RS8800
Firmware version: ID60


What can I do?

Thanks

nothing now sadly its ruined for ripping UHD

[drknight71]

That stinks. Don't own any UHD blurays anyhow. Makemkv still worked though. No way to roll back? Thanks

[Chris Kelly]

That stinks. Don't own any UHD blurays anyhow. Makemkv still worked though. No way to roll back? Thanks

I made the same fatal mistake with my awesome BDR-212UBK. I feel your pain.

[drknight71]

Hi guys, I have the Pioneer 209 EBK (209-M) and the current firmware is only 1.34/ID60. It is probably perfect for MakeMKV but I would like to upgrade the drive since it will be used as a burner as well. Is that 1.54 firmware still safe for MakeMKV? (I guess it might be since that firmware should be quite old - 2020?).

Just registered to reply your question.
The BDR-209EBK is an awesome drive and absolutely makeMKV safe, incl FW1.54.
You can downgrade from v1.54 to previous versions (did it myself) and also crossflash to the BDR-211 v1.53 to read UHD discs (again, done by myself).
One important thing, don't crossflash to v1.54 of the BDR-211, you lose downgrade, crossflash, lose the ability to play UHD with a Leawo Blu-ray player (according to a different forum, other programs may be also affected) and lose the "safety" of makeMKV.

Cheers
Tom

Tom,

You said you were able to downgrade from 1.54 firmware?? I have a Pioneer BDR-211M that I upgraded from 1.52 to 1.54 and may have lost UHD disk support as I understand from reading these posts. Its not a big deal as I really don't own any UHD disks and can still archive my bluray discs. Was able to run MakeMkv on a bluray without issue but bugs me I lost a perk. So if you wouldn't mind can you detail how you downgraded and where I can find older firmware as I don't have a backup.

Thank you

[Coopervid]

Hi guys, I have the Pioneer 209 EBK (209-M) and the current firmware is only 1.34/ID60. It is probably perfect for MakeMKV but I would like to upgrade the drive since it will be used as a burner as well. Is that 1.54 firmware still safe for MakeMKV? (I guess it might be since that firmware should be quite old - 2020?).

Just registered to reply your question.
The BDR-209EBK is an awesome drive and absolutely makeMKV safe, incl FW1.54.
You can downgrade from v1.54 to previous versions (did it myself) and also crossflash to the BDR-211 v1.53 to read UHD discs (again, done by myself).
One important thing, don't crossflash to v1.54 of the BDR-211, you lose downgrade, crossflash, lose the ability to play UHD with a Leawo Blu-ray player (according to a different forum, other programs may be also affected) and lose the "safety" of makeMKV.

Cheers
Tom

Tom,

You said you were able to downgrade from 1.54 firmware?? I have a Pioneer BDR-211M that I upgraded from 1.52 to 1.54 and may have lost UHD disk support as I understand from reading these posts. Its not a big deal as I really don't own any UHD disks and can still archive my bluray discs. Was able to run MakeMkv on a bluray without issue but bugs me I lost a perk. So if you wouldn't mind can you detail how you downgraded and where I can find older firmware as I don't have a backup.

Thank you

Sorry but your ruined your drive regarding UHDs and these new firmwares prohibit flashing to older versions.

[drknight71]

Would it be possible to slip the binary firmware file for an older version into the executable updater program to fool it into thinking its flashing a newer firmware and instead downgrade it or is it just not possible due to a hard lock on the firmware itself? As it is right now I should be able to still play UHD disks but just not use MAkeMkv on them? I do also own an LG BH16NS40 thats running older firmware and supports Libredrive mode. Would that be able to read UHD?

Again as far as I am concerned no big deal as most media I consume these days is streamed and all I care about is archiving my old blurays which are all 1080p

Thanks

[Coopervid]

Would it be possible to slip the binary firmware file for an older version into the executable updater program to fool it into thinking its flashing a newer firmware and instead downgrade it or is it just not possible due to a hard lock on the firmware itself? As it is right now I should be able to still play UHD disks but just not use MAkeMkv on them? I do also own an LG BH16NS40 thats running older firmware and supports Libredrive mode. Would that be able to read UHD?

Again as far as I am concerned no big deal as most media I consume these days is streamed and all I care about is archiving my old blurays which are all 1080p

Thanks

1) Newer Pioneers are impossible. New firmwares are encrypted.
2) You just need to flash the LG to MK firmware. Read the guide.

[drknight71]

Been reading up and probably have more reading to do. Found something interesting on Doom9 forum. There was a 20 year old thread regarding rolling back old Pioneer DVD drives by simply attaching a '/F' parameter to the flashing program. Found inside the main flash executable two smaller executables 8800BDR-211EBK_UBK_FW152EU.EXE + 8800BDR-211EBK_UBK_KAI_FW152EU.EXE and the bd11_launcher.exe app. So I wonder if you on the command line append a '/F' would it still work..

Just idle curiosity because short of UHD I can still archive my bluray discs as don't own any UHD not in a rush to try.

Thanks

[Coopervid]

Been reading up and probably have more reading to do. Found something interesting on Doom9 forum. There was a 20 year old thread regarding rolling back old Pioneer DVD drives by simply attaching a '/F' parameter to the flashing program. Found inside the main flash executable two smaller executables 8800BDR-211EBK_UBK_FW152EU.EXE + 8800BDR-211EBK_UBK_KAI_FW152EU.EXE and the bd11_launcher.exe app. So I wonder if you on the command line append a '/F' would it still work..

Just idle curiosity because short of UHD I can still archive my bluray discs as don't own any UHD not in a rush to try.

Thanks

Forget it. Starting December 2022 Pioneer encrypted the firmwares. All firmwares before were not encrypted and yes, you could extract the firmware and the kernel just loading the stock flasher exe in 7zip.

[drknight71]

Ok. Sad.

This doesn't mean that the drive will not work with MakeMkv ... just that Make will have to bypass Libredrive mode through indirect access and there is the risk that some discs will read and others will not because now the firmware can restrict access if I read the technical information correctly? And that maybe one day in the future this will possibly be corrected but just not in the present future?

Thank you.

[Coopervid]

Ok. Sad.

This doesn't mean that the drive will not work with MakeMkv ... just that Make will have to bypass Libredrive mode through indirect access and there is the risk that some discs will read and others will not because now the firmware can restrict access if I read the technical information correctly? And that maybe one day in the future this will possibly be corrected but just not in the present future?

Thank you.

Depending on your country of residence there are reasonably priced alternatives based on Pioneer drives that still can be flashed.

[kilolimaalpha]

Can anyone let me know what I need to do for this so that it can be used for UHD discs? Looks like the firmware is before the encryption, but I still can't read UHD discs. - Thanks!

Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-UD03
Revision: 1.14
Serial number:
Firmware date: 2020-06-15
Bus encryption flags: 1B

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: RS8511
Firmware name: PIONEER BDR-US03
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.14
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted