(Asmcom:) Pioneer UHD 4K Drives, MakeMKV Discounted Software £39.99, Worldwide Service, Excellent Service!!!

[Subsonic]

Everyone is reviewing their drives, so I'll do something original and review the included accessories !

ACCESSORIES REVIEW

1) Complementary USB C to C cable



Cable is very sturdy, appears to have very good build quality.
Bends as it should, enough but not too much.
Holds the connection tight even when moved around, seems excellent for data transfer.
One of the better cables I've seen on my rudimentary testing.

It's surprisingly good considering my very bad first impressions, as there are two obvious issues when looking at the packaging.
The smaller one is the complete lack of a brand name. No clue who made that cable.

The larger problem, that some keen eyed readers may have noticed on the picture, is that all the "compliance" logos are counterfeit.

They are meant to ressemble actual compliance certifications to trick you, but are ever so slightly different as to be legally distinct.

I get that getting those certifications are expensive and stuff, but faking it is some next level shady.
Still, considering the cable seems to be not just functional but actually good, I don't mind that too much. And at worst, a faulty cable would just mess up the data transfer, it won't blow up your drive.
The power supply does not have this luxury.

2) Power Supply

First impressions are significantly better here.


We get actual brand names here, two in fact : the manufacturer and the european importer. That European importer, from a google search, specializes in helping foreign companies get their CE certification, and so here we have an actual CE logo for an actual CE certification.
That RoHS logo is still bullshit but that's a good start.

The good news sadly end here, because this power supply has the opposite problem to the cable : instead of good product/worrying packaging, we get good packaging/worrying product.



It's light. Really light.
We get a really cheap plastic housing, a cheap led with a hole pierced in it (???) and be careful not to get too close to the little holes on the underside, or you'll get to experience that very disctinc petroleum smell of cheap plastics.

The power supply is assmbled with one simple screw, removing it reveals the internals.



I don't see anything that would look like overcurrent/overvoltage/overtermperature protection, besides fuses.
I don't know what the company advertises either because I couldn't find anything about it online.
Many companies with similar names, but nothing on this one.

I am not trusting my Pioneer drive with this.

3) Haribos



They were a bit dry and probably have been sitting somewhere for a while, but they were tasty as ever and the flavors were delicious, very fruity and the right amount of acidic.
It was very yummy c:


Edit : As a precision, although this may seem pretty negative, frankly i'm not bothered by it. I don't even recall the listing advertising any of those accessories. So I see all this stuff as just free bonus on top of the stuff i actually paid for.

Stop posting large pictures of sweets and accessories. Please use a third party for artwork. You are crashing the forum with these images, which is unnecessary.

See Error codes:

We are currently unable to access the Asmcom Seller Page, and the following error is being displayed:

General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]

Disk full (/tmp/#sql-temptable-1b0923-9a90006-b7e64.MAI); waiting for someone to free some space... (errno: 28 "No space left on device") [1021]

An SQL error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact the Board Administrator if this problem persists.

Could you please delete the offending post and associated image files to free up storage and restore access?

Many thanks.

Asmcom

I do not know how to delete a post but I edited it to remove all content including the links to the pictures.

If i understand correctly how this website works, which i may not, your quote still loads the pictures even if my post doesn't anymore.

However, being in charge of the hosting of these pictures, i will revoke access to them to ensure they won't appear anymore.

Let me know if this does not solve the issue.

[asmcom]

Everyone is reviewing their drives, so I'll do something original and review the included accessories !

ACCESSORIES REVIEW

1) Complementary USB C to C cable



Cable is very sturdy, appears to have very good build quality.
Bends as it should, enough but not too much.
Holds the connection tight even when moved around, seems excellent for data transfer.
One of the better cables I've seen on my rudimentary testing.

It's surprisingly good considering my very bad first impressions, as there are two obvious issues when looking at the packaging.
The smaller one is the complete lack of a brand name. No clue who made that cable.

The larger problem, that some keen eyed readers may have noticed on the picture, is that all the "compliance" logos are counterfeit.

They are meant to ressemble actual compliance certifications to trick you, but are ever so slightly different as to be legally distinct.

I get that getting those certifications are expensive and stuff, but faking it is some next level shady.
Still, considering the cable seems to be not just functional but actually good, I don't mind that too much. And at worst, a faulty cable would just mess up the data transfer, it won't blow up your drive.
The power supply does not have this luxury.

2) Power Supply

First impressions are significantly better here.


We get actual brand names here, two in fact : the manufacturer and the european importer. That European importer, from a google search, specializes in helping foreign companies get their CE certification, and so here we have an actual CE logo for an actual CE certification.
That RoHS logo is still bullshit but that's a good start.

The good news sadly end here, because this power supply has the opposite problem to the cable : instead of good product/worrying packaging, we get good packaging/worrying product.



It's light. Really light.
We get a really cheap plastic housing, a cheap led with a hole pierced in it (???) and be careful not to get too close to the little holes on the underside, or you'll get to experience that very disctinc petroleum smell of cheap plastics.

The power supply is assmbled with one simple screw, removing it reveals the internals.



I don't see anything that would look like overcurrent/overvoltage/overtermperature protection, besides fuses.
I don't know what the company advertises either because I couldn't find anything about it online.
Many companies with similar names, but nothing on this one.

I am not trusting my Pioneer drive with this.

3) Haribos



They were a bit dry and probably have been sitting somewhere for a while, but they were tasty as ever and the flavors were delicious, very fruity and the right amount of acidic.
It was very yummy c:


Edit : As a precision, although this may seem pretty negative, frankly i'm not bothered by it. I don't even recall the listing advertising any of those accessories. So I see all this stuff as just free bonus on top of the stuff i actually paid for.

Stop posting large pictures of sweets and accessories. Please use a third party for artwork. You are crashing the forum with these images, which is unnecessary.

See Error codes:

We are currently unable to access the Asmcom Seller Page, and the following error is being displayed:

General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]

Disk full (/tmp/#sql-temptable-1b0923-9a90006-b7e64.MAI); waiting for someone to free some space... (errno: 28 "No space left on device") [1021]

An SQL error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact the Board Administrator if this problem persists.

Could you please delete the offending post and associated image files to free up storage and restore access?

Many thanks.

Asmcom

I do not know how to delete a post but I edited it to remove all content including the links to the pictures.

If i understand correctly how this website works, which i may not, your quote still loads the pictures even if my post doesn't anymore.

However, being in charge of the hosting of these pictures, i will revoke access to them to ensure they won't appear anymore.

Let me know if this does not solve the issue.

Hello Supersonic,

Thank you for freeing up the space so our forum seller page can run. If you are posting images again, you should use an external image hosting website such as https://imgbox.com/ or https://imgur.com/ . This will save webspace on the MakeMKV forum. Thanks for your prompt response.

Kind Regards

Amscom

[DennisOlof]

@asmcom thanks, but I don't think I will be getting another XD08 anytime soon.

For now I am happy that I got hold of a genuine drive even though it set me back a lot of money, my main worry was the big problems with fake drives. Who knows the LG drives might become better over time, who knows. But this issue is probably more relevant for people who want UHD capable drives.

With any luck my XD08 should last me 10+ years because I don't think I will burn more than probably about 50-100 discs in total. It is mostly for archiving and backups of important data. And I will most definetley get a Verbatim 43888 drive (pioneer or LG) to use as a regular drive for reading back data and perhaps making that UHD capable. I don't want to mess with the XD08 drive.

Your service was smooth even though it was chaos the last time you had drives for sale

[asmcom]

@asmcom thanks, but I don't think I will be getting another XD08 anytime soon.

For now I am happy that I got hold of a genuine drive even though it set me back a lot of money, my main worry was the big problems with fake drives. Who knows the LG drives might become better over time, who knows. But this issue is probably more relevant for people who want UHD capable drives.

With any luck my XD08 should last me 10+ years because I don't think I will burn more than probably about 50-100 discs in total. It is mostly for archiving and backups of important data. And I will most definetley get a Verbatim 43888 drive (pioneer or LG) to use as a regular drive for reading back data and perhaps making that UHD capable. I don't want to mess with the XD08 drive.

Your service was smooth even though it was chaos the last time you had drives for sale

Denis, I might have two more XD08S coming in two weeks. Please email me quoting your MakeMKV user name, and we will see what we can do for you.

[WishfullThinking]

I just found the forum I sadly only just got my jellyfin up and running and such i thought i had time I diden't relize it was coming to an end till today now im scrambling i promised my SO our own streaming service oof she has so many dvd's as dose my family I want to make this happend after going into this rabithole for a few hours I found that you or shucking a drive and likely flashing it is my last shot. Am I in the right place ?

[Landspeeder_BDR]

2) Power Supply
I am not trusting my Pioneer drive with this.

Do you have a power supply recomendation that you would trust your Pioneer drive with?

Thank you

We have physically inspected and tested multiple units from different batches, including full PCB-level inspection and real-world load testing.

I've had some poor power supplies hooked up to periphials fry very expensive equipment in the past, so I was a bit triggered.
This is wonderful.
Thank you for this.

I've had some poor power supplies hooked up to peripherals fry very expensive equipment in the past, so I was a bit triggered.

This is a wonderful, and lovely detailed response. Thank you for this.

[AstralWanderer]

I just found the forum...she has so many dvd's as dose my family I want to make this happend after going into this rabithole for a few hours I found that you or shucking a drive and likely flashing it is my last shot. Am I in the right place ?

Welcome to the forums WishfullThinking,

For DVDs you don't need to worry - there are (and will likely continue to be) plenty of drives available.

For HD (non-UHD) Blu-rays, there are drives available from numerous sources but this supply may dry up soon - if you need one, purchase it soon.

For UHD Blu-rays, supplies are more limited (see first post in this thread if you haven't already) - LG UHD-friendly drives are still available from sellers on this forum and mainstream stockists have non-UHD-friendly drives (which will need flashing - check reviews for the specific model before purchase). In this case, move fast and consider purchasing one (or more) spares too.

[WishfullThinking]

redacted as to reduce footprint sorry posted in wrong place

[nicholfd]

Update on My Project:
.
.
.
Note on Handbrake:
I haven't used it yet but while I haven't hit my data cap I was wondering if its the best tool for the job. I also want to purchase a full license of the tool and i read something about a discount here. I want to support and whatnot.

Thank you so much for making this as painless as possible.

Wrong thread? This thread is for Asmcom selling drives.

Handbrake is not related to this forum or MakeMKV. Handbrake is for re-encoding audio/video. MakeMKV is for reading/ripping audio/video streams and writing them untouched in a MKV container file. Two completely different apps for completely different purposes.

MakeMKV licenses can be purchased on the MakeMKV main site, in app from the Help -> Purchase menu, and at a discount from some drive sellers here on the forums.

Handbrake is open source & free - can't pay for it anywhere.

[chained_to_the_wind]

Download the Drive Utility. Not the firmware.

Using this, I selected 1) Eco Mode 2) Persistent Quiet Mode.
Check the "save to this drive" checkbox, reboot your drive.

I'm super pleased with the drive which arrived earlier this week

Huge thanks to Asmcom

It's cute af

I wasn't finding it loud, but reading through this thread, the fellow quoted has a different model but the utility is available for my model too (BDR-XD08S) So I got on a windows machine to check out the utility and have just set mine also to Eco / "Persistent Quiet Mode" .... I cant actually tell any difference from how it was before this setting , though I havent extensively tested it ie measured the time it takes on this mode vs whatever the other settings were eg High Performance Mode. Presumably it may be a bit slower but this "Persistent Quiet Mode" may be the setting for ultimate longevity and I'm in no rush so I'll keep on that setting unless learning better.

It was because of so many past reviews that I bought from Asmcom and I'm very glad I did.

So for future readers of this thread considering buying from Asmcom this is another 10/10 positive review.

Appreciative.

[asmcom]

Download the Drive Utility. Not the firmware.

Using this, I selected 1) Eco Mode 2) Persistent Quiet Mode.
Check the "save to this drive" checkbox, reboot your drive.

I'm super pleased with the drive which arrived earlier this week

Huge thanks to Asmcom

It's cute af

I wasn't finding it loud, but reading through this thread, the fellow quoted has a different model but the utility is available for my model too (BDR-XD08S) So I got on a windows machine to check out the utility and have just set mine also to Eco / "Persistent Quiet Mode" .... I cant actually tell any difference from how it was before this setting , though I havent extensively tested it ie measured the time it takes on this mode vs whatever the other settings were eg High Performance Mode. Presumably it may be a bit slower but this "Persistent Quiet Mode" may be the setting for ultimate longevity and I'm in no rush so I'll keep on that setting unless learning better.

It was because of so many past reviews that I bought from Asmcom and I'm very glad I did.

So for future readers of this thread considering buying from Asmcom this is another 10/10 positive review.

Appreciative.

Hi chained_to_the_wind,

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave such a detailed and thoughtful review. We really appreciate it.

We’re delighted to hear you’re happy with the drive and that the utility settings worked well for you. Your comments about Persistent Quiet Mode and long-term reliability are spot on, and it’s great to see you sharing this experience for other members.

Your support and recommendation mean a lot to us, and we’re very grateful you chose to buy from the UHD Friendly Drive Store.

If you ever need any help in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Kind regards,
Asmcom
UHD Friendly Drives Team

[asmcom]

OWC Mercury Pro 3.2 Full Sized Enclosures on Special. 20% Discount

We have the latest USB 3.2 OWC Enclosures with 20% off the URL below. We are also an OWC Reseller.

https://shop.uhdfriendlydrives.co.uk/ch ... 25fbce9e34

Asmcom

[asmcom]

Once again Asmcom has gone above and beyond

I ordered a second drive as a backup to the Pioneer I purchased last week and to replace the 2 fake Asus drives I got from Amazon a few years ago

I ordered a ASUS BW-16D1HT, 4K UHD Friendly 5.25" Internal Blu-ray Writer Drive, fitted to a OWC Mercury Pro USB 3.0 Full Sized Premium Enclosure with 1.00DE firmware, on Monday afternoon and it shipped the same day with an upgraded shipping tariff with UPS.

Excellent service and excellent communication through the whole process

I received the drive this morning, but due to a heavy workload, I only opened the package a short wile ago

It came in a very well packed box with the complimentary acessories, power supply and 2 packets of haribos

The first rip was a success.

I have no hesitation in recommending Asmcom, and will purchase again if I need any more drives but hopefully these 2 drives will keep me going for a good few years as these 2 new drives have cost a small fortune.

Best Regards
Flan Roberts

Hello Flan,

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave such a detailed and positive review. We really appreciate your kind words and continued support.

We are delighted to hear that the drive arrived quickly, was well packed, and is performing perfectly on your system. We always aim to provide fully tested, reliable UHD-friendly drives with the best possible service and communication.

It is also great to know that your first rip was a success and that everything is working as expected.

Your recommendation means a great deal to us, and we are very grateful for your trust in Asmcom. If you ever need any advice, support, or future upgrades, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Wishing you many years of reliable use from your new drives.


Kind regards,
Asmcom
UHD Friendly Drives Team

[mrsmith]

Asmcom Review

It’s long past time that I wrote a promised review of my interactions with and drive purchases from Asmcom.

In 2025, having built a new PC, with the express intention of making it UHD friendly, I soon encountered the challenges of playback and ripping. Having scoured the internet for solutions and education on how best to do this, I eventually found this very supportive community and Asmcom.

Asmcom explained that the two UHD Pioneer drives (BDR-S12U) that I had bought required flashing. This, I’m looking to do now via Asmcom. It also became clear that sourcing such drives in future would become difficult and perhaps impossible. I guess I’m a bit of a ‘Prepper’, so when the opportunity to buy a preconfigured UHD friendly Make MKV ready Pioneer flagship drive from Asmcom presented itself, I knew it was the right thing to do. I ordered the Pioneer BDRS13E-X103 with Vantac DX2 Enclosure.

As a new customer, I had found the communication prompt and dependable but had some reservations about a Friends & Family PayPal transaction. The wonderfully positive experiences and reviews from this community reassured me that it was OK to press on.

I work in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) within the corporate healthcare sector. Essentially, I work to streamline transactions to make them touchless. What transpired next was an impressively organized order flow, with order confirmation, shipping notifications and instructions. All arriving in my inbox with timing and content to rival Amazon.

Less than 48 hours later, the drive arrived, installed and beautifully boxed in the Vantec DX2 enclosure. The retail box was wrapped in tape to waterproof and strengthen the exterior, essentially making it courier drop kick and weatherproof.

Inside, I was met with two packs of Haribo, which was a lovely touch. A pack of which sweetened my already terrific unboxing experience. The drive was surrounded with formed foam and extra packing foam pieces. That drive was going nowhere during transit. When I lifted out the heavy drive, in its enclosure, it just oozed quality. Along the rear edge of the enclosure, a bronze printed black label strip read PIONEER BDR-S13E-X 1-03, that matched the bronze lines and accents on the front of this beautiful Pioneer drive. That attention to detail did not go unnoticed.

The Vantec enclosure came with a UK power supply, which is not what you get if you buy from Amazon, who supply a US power supply. A quality USB 3 C to A cable was also provided.

When I plugged in the drive, Make MKV recognized it immediately and was good to go. Ascom’s instructions were detailed, explicit and easy to follow. My first rip was Equalizer 3. It ripped like a knife through butter and was just as quiet.

Some months later Asmcom went above and beyond to make it possible for me to order another of these drives and I am forever grateful. I should now be good for many years of worry-free ripping in whatever bunker I end up

In summary, I have seldom experienced the high standards of diligence, dependability and genuine customer care that Asmcom and the team have provided me with. The corporate world would do well to learn what they have to teach.

Best Regards,

Mr Smith


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DennisOlof]

Asmcom, thanks for you PM about a XD08 drive.

I did buy one from Japan, set me back 430 euros or somewhere in that region. I have no grabbed another XD08 drive from U.K. and this time it was only about 200 euros in total.

I grabbed one, but there are two Pioneer External Blu-Ray Drive BDR-XD08TB Sunset Gold left for 150 gbp but I think they will go quick. Started around 15.00 and now at 19.00 the units are gone. I was trying to grabb an external pioneer s13 unit but I was to slow. Also there where problems with shipping.

Now I definitely do not need any more slim drives