LibreDrive for Pioneer drives

[MartyMcNuts]

Sorry if I sound pushy, but how would I know when this will become possible ?

When it does happen, it will be noted here on the forum.

[gabriel]

So I'll watch for the info, thanks!

[mwalda]

Hello everyone.
Can someone tell me why my bdrom (Pioneer BDR-TD05) cannot read 4K UHD drives? screen from MakeMKV added

[MartyMcNuts]

Hello everyone.
Can someone tell me why my bdrom (Pioneer BDR-TD05) cannot read 4K UHD drives? screen from MakeMKV added

UHD discs are not the same as regular blu-ray discs. A drive must have libredrive enabled and be on a UHD compatible firmware to be able to read UHD discs. 99.9% of the time this means the drive must be flashed.

I think your's may be able to have libredrive enabled (for blu-ray only) but will never be compatible with UHD discs.

[gerald191146]

Sorry! There have been a few cases when I oversaw 8591 instead of 8511 since both are listed as UD03 or US03.

Ah, thank you for the clarification and for your help

[mwalda]

Hello everyone.
Can someone tell me why my bdrom (Pioneer BDR-TD05) cannot read 4K UHD drives? screen from MakeMKV added

UHD discs are not the same as regular blu-ray discs. A drive must have libredrive enabled and be on a UHD compatible firmware to be able to read UHD discs. 99.9% of the time this means the drive must be flashed.

I think your's may be able to have libredrive enabled (for blu-ray only) but will never be compatible with UHD discs.

Well, I bought this TD05 model because it was on the "Pioneer" list. Are you sure it will not be able to read UHD drives?

[MartyMcNuts]

Hello everyone.
Can someone tell me why my bdrom (Pioneer BDR-TD05) cannot read 4K UHD drives? screen from MakeMKV added

UHD discs are not the same as regular blu-ray discs. A drive must have libredrive enabled and be on a UHD compatible firmware to be able to read UHD discs. 99.9% of the time this means the drive must be flashed.

I think your's may be able to have libredrive enabled (for blu-ray only) but will never be compatible with UHD discs.

Well, I bought this TD05 model because it was on the "Pioneer" list. Are you sure it will not be able to read UHD drives?

On what Pioneer list??

If you are referring to the list in the first post of this very thread, that is only to enable libredrive, not UHD disc readability. They are 2 totally different things. If you are referring to the Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025, it is not on the list of UHD capable drives.

[mwalda]

UHD discs are not the same as regular blu-ray discs. A drive must have libredrive enabled and be on a UHD compatible firmware to be able to read UHD discs. 99.9% of the time this means the drive must be flashed.

I think your's may be able to have libredrive enabled (for blu-ray only) but will never be compatible with UHD discs.

Well, I bought this TD05 model because it was on the "Pioneer" list. Are you sure it will not be able to read UHD drives?

On what Pioneer list??

If you are referring to the list in the first post of this very thread, that is only to enable libredrive, not UHD disc readability. They are 2 totally different things. If you are referring to the Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025, it is not on the list of UHD capable drives.

Ok, thanks. That is now very clear to me.

[MuviLuvr68]

First, this is my first post within this forum. Second, although I've been custom building computers for people for over 25 years, I'm a total noob where ripping movies is concerned...so new, in fact, that I haven't even started, and I'm in desperate need of information. Put another way, I know less than nothing about ripping.

I recently decided to take my Synology NAS, drastically increase it's capacity, and rip my movie collection, which consists of almost 400 DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra/4K Blu-ray movies & series collections. I've already installed Plex on the TV, and I'll be installing Plex on the NAS (once I finish rebuilding what has been a RAID 10 array, into a RAID 5 array). For what should be obvious, after doing some research, I'll be using makeMKV for ripping. However, where I'm having the biggest problem is in determining/finding compatible UHD drives (preferably external).

I was on the verge of purchasing either the Sea Tech archgon Premium Aluminum External USB 3.0 UHD 4K Blu-Ray Writer Super Drive, or the Verbatim Ultra HD 4K CD DVD Blu-ray Writer USB 3.2 GEN 1 USB-C, as both are listed as "compatible" with makeMKV...but, now, I'm not certain. My 'faltering' on purchasing either had to do with the fact that I don't know if they can rip UHD movies. While the majority of my collection is Blu-ray (having replaced most of my DVDs), I also have a fairly sizable (approx 50) UHD collection. On one hand, I don't mind "spending money" on something that I know will work...but, on the other hand, I don't exactly have "money to blow". I'm in need of "reasonably priced" options/suggestions that will work for ripping all of my discs. Are there any known "currently available models" (again, external is preferred, as I'd prefer avoiding having to deal with an external SATA case...tho, if "internal + external SATA case" is my only option, so be it) that are capable of ripping all three disc types? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. If it makes any difference, I'm located in the US, Las Vegas area.

[MartyMcNuts]

First, this is my first post within this forum. Second, although I've been custom building computers for people for over 25 years, I'm a total noob where ripping movies is concerned...so new, in fact, that I haven't even started, and I'm in desperate need of information. Put another way, I know less than nothing about ripping.

I recently decided to take my Synology NAS, drastically increase it's capacity, and rip my movie collection, which consists of almost 400 DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra/4K Blu-ray movies & series collections. I've already installed Plex on the TV, and I'll be installing Plex on the NAS (once I finish rebuilding what has been a RAID 10 array, into a RAID 5 array). For what should be obvious, after doing some research, I'll be using makeMKV for ripping. However, where I'm having the biggest problem is in determining/finding compatible UHD drives (preferably external).

I was on the verge of purchasing either the Sea Tech archgon Premium Aluminum External USB 3.0 UHD 4K Blu-Ray Writer Super Drive, or the Verbatim Ultra HD 4K CD DVD Blu-ray Writer USB 3.2 GEN 1 USB-C, as both are listed as "compatible" with makeMKV...but, now, I'm not certain. My 'faltering' on purchasing either had to do with the fact that I don't know if they can rip UHD movies. While the majority of my collection is Blu-ray (having replaced most of my DVDs), I also have a fairly sizable (approx 50) UHD collection. On one hand, I don't mind "spending money" on something that I know will work...but, on the other hand, I don't exactly have "money to blow". I'm in need of "reasonably priced" options/suggestions that will work for ripping all of my discs. Are there any known "currently available models" (again, external is preferred, as I'd prefer avoiding having to deal with an external SATA case...tho, if "internal + external SATA case" is my only option, so be it) that are capable of ripping all three disc types? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. If it makes any difference, I'm located in the US, Las Vegas area.

The Archgon and the Verbatim 43888 both contain a LG BU40N drive inside their enclosures. These drives do not rip UHD discs out of the box but can easily be flashed to BU40N 1.03-MK to enable libredrive and UHD readability.

[MuviLuvr68]

The Archgon and the Verbatim 43888 both contain a LG BU40N drive inside their enclosures. These drives do not rip UHD discs out of the box but can easily be flashed to BU40N 1.03-MK to enable libredrive and UHD readability.

First, fantastic. Second, would either/both of these be considered "good", "bad", or somewhere in-between...and, if "bad", might you be able to recommend better options in the same general (or just slightly higher) price range? And, finally, how do I go about flashing BU40N 1.03-MK (if there's a link, that's perfect)?

[MartyMcNuts]

The Archgon and the Verbatim 43888 both contain a LG BU40N drive inside their enclosures. These drives do not rip UHD discs out of the box but can easily be flashed to BU40N 1.03-MK to enable libredrive and UHD readability.

First, fantastic. Second, would either/both of these be considered "good", "bad", or somewhere in-between...and, if "bad", might you be able to recommend better options in the same general (or just slightly higher) price range? And, finally, how do I go about flashing BU40N 1.03-MK (if there's a link, that's perfect)?

Well, since Pioneer drives are almost impossible to find now (they ceased production a few months ago), the LG BU40N is probably the best of what is available.

For flashing on Windows, use SDFtool Flasher. viewtopic.php?p=94848#p94848

[easterndelight4]

Post deleted

[MuviLuvr68]

Well, since Pioneer drives are almost impossible to find now (they ceased production a few months ago), the LG BU40N is probably the best of what is available.

For flashing on Windows, use SDFtool Flasher. viewtopic.php?p=94848#p94848

Thank you. I believe I accomplished the flashing, followed by the "cross flashing". After having done both, upon opening makeMKV, I could see "LibreDrive: Enabled". Even better, I am, as I type this, ripping my first movie, "Apocalypse Now: Final Cut"...primarily as a 'test'. Even though I set a 'custom' output path (a folder on my NAS, which is my Z: drive), makeMKV is still saving everything to a folder on a separate external drive connected to my desktop (E: drive). Maybe it's using that folder as a "scratch" folder, and will then save the final output to the path I specified. Guess I'll have to wait and find out...and, if it doesn't, then I'll have to figure out the 'problem', and try to correct it. I hope the final output is saved to the correct location.

Once the ripping has completed (initially, it was showing 6.5hrsremaining...but, after only 13 minutes, it was showing 4hrs remaining), if the files haven't been saved to the correct folder, I'll manually move the, followed by having Plex scan the 'library' (of one...lol). If all is good, then I'll test playing the movie from my TV. And, if all is still good, then I'll repeat the process with a standard Blu-ray...and, if that proves good, then I'll repeat again with a DVD. Finally, if that works, then I'll start at the beginning (all my discs are in alphabetical order, except for James Bond titles, which are first under 'B', then under the movie title) of my collection, and work my way through.

However...if, at any point, something turns out "not good"...well...guess that's when I'll be back in the forum, looking for 'assistance'. BTW, in the 8 minutes since I mentioned the previously-listed "Remaining time", that 4hrs has since been lowered by 22 minutes. Truth-be-told, I've never known "remaining time" estimates to be very accurate.

[MartyMcNuts]

Well, since Pioneer drives are almost impossible to find now (they ceased production a few months ago), the LG BU40N is probably the best of what is available.

For flashing on Windows, use SDFtool Flasher. viewtopic.php?p=94848#p94848

Thank you. I believe I accomplished the flashing, followed by the "cross flashing". After having done both, upon opening makeMKV, I could see "LibreDrive: Enabled". Even better, I am, as I type this, ripping my first movie, "Apocalypse Now: Final Cut"...primarily as a 'test'. Even though I set a 'custom' output path (a folder on my NAS, which is my Z: drive), makeMKV is still saving everything to a folder on a separate external drive connected to my desktop (E: drive). Maybe it's using that folder as a "scratch" folder, and will then save the final output to the path I specified. Guess I'll have to wait and find out...and, if it doesn't, then I'll have to figure out the 'problem', and try to correct it. I hope the final output is saved to the correct location.

Once the ripping has completed (initially, it was showing 6.5hrsremaining...but, after only 13 minutes, it was showing 4hrs remaining), if the files haven't been saved to the correct folder, I'll manually move the, followed by having Plex scan the 'library' (of one...lol). If all is good, then I'll test playing the movie from my TV. And, if all is still good, then I'll repeat the process with a standard Blu-ray...and, if that proves good, then I'll repeat again with a DVD. Finally, if that works, then I'll start at the beginning (all my discs are in alphabetical order, except for James Bond titles, which are first under 'B', then under the movie title) of my collection, and work my way through.

However...if, at any point, something turns out "not good"...well...guess that's when I'll be back in the forum, looking for 'assistance'. BTW, in the 8 minutes since I mentioned the previously-listed "Remaining time", that 4hrs has since been lowered by 22 minutes. Truth-be-told, I've never known "remaining time" estimates to be very accurate.

Yeah, don't write directly to your NAS drive. It would probably be quicker (and less wear and tear on the NAS drives) to write to your PC drive, especially if you have a SSD, then move the mkv file to your NAS once completed.