Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2026

[boguslecina]

Thank you for your quick answer (but damned I didn't plan to buy another one).

I don't know where to buy it in Europe as there is nothing available on https://shop.uhdfriendlydrives.co.uk/ at the moment. Anybody could help ?

Check Verbatim 43890 on amazon. They will be available on Amazon.pl soon, but I don't know if it will be the Pioneer BDR-UD03 or the Hitachi-LG BU40N.

[zittrig]

Helping a friend get into backing up his collection after showing him how I'm doing it, and we're having an issue with flashing the drive he purchased. He followed both the command line instructions he found on here for this drive as well as the current guide at the start of this thread, however he cannot read 4k UHD discs only Blu-Ray and DVD. The flashing process doesn't seem to have failed? MakeMKV gives the "No disc inserted" message when attempting a 4k disc.

Any ideas?

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Drive Information
OS device name: I:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WP50NB40
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: xxxxxxxx
Firmware date: 2120-05-07 09:29
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 16

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)
Firmware version: 1.03
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted

Check here the origin post and follow the full instructions for the WP50NB40. Your friend made the half way.

[Mort-]

Not sure where he stopped, but he started from the beginning of the guide and this time it worked and he's able to rip UHD discs now.

[shass001]

I'm having an issue with my asus bw-16d1ht drive reading discs. I've literally tried everything. It keeps telling me no disc is inserted. I think I've added the most up to date firmware being flashed but it's not reading discs. Can anyone assist?

Drive Information
OS device name: D:
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1HT
Revision: 3.10
Serial number: KLAO82F3800
Firmware date: 2119-01-04 10:14
Bus encryption flags: 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

No disc inserted

[MartyMcNuts]

I'm having an issue with my asus bw-16d1ht drive reading discs. I've literally tried everything. It keeps telling me no disc is inserted. I think I've added the most up to date firmware being flashed but it's not reading discs. Can anyone assist?

Drive Information
OS device name: D:
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1HT
Revision: 3.10
Serial number: KLAO82F3800
Firmware date: 2119-01-04 10:14
Bus encryption flags: 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

No disc inserted

What was the firmware and drive platform before you flashed it? What is the manufacure date on the sticker?

If it is pre 2016 and had the MT1939 drive platform with firmware v1.xx, you have bricked it.

[shass001]

It’s an August 2024 drive. Pretty sure it was 3.02 pre flash.

[Billycar11]

It’s an August 2024 drive. Pretty sure it was 3.02 pre flash.

sadly what the sticker says now means nothing there are so many fakes/restickers/recases

you have to know the drive info before flashing other than that the only way to know now is to look at the case style and pcb
if the case a a circuital dome on top its not a 2024 drive its a recase

[comadose]

Has anyone tried simply removing the flash chip, or flashing it in-circuit like you can with some BIOSes on computers?

It's not hard to do, all the gear is on AliExpress for peanuts. Seems like a lot of otherwise locked drives could be fixed if it were possible. If I had such a drive I'd open it and take a look.

[Billycar11]

Has anyone tried simply removing the flash chip, or flashing it in-circuit like you can with some BIOSes on computers?

It's not hard to do, all the gear is on AliExpress for peanuts. Seems like a lot of otherwise locked drives could be fixed if it were possible. If I had such a drive I'd open it and take a look.

i think the issue is mostly finding the adapter that fits the chip people have tried but had no success and really we should not be trying this way anymore but if you know one that fits.
please do point me to the jig/clip that fits the 128 pin pioneer chips could not find one 4 years ago but have not looked much since then
if you want the chip numbers email me i have them

as i found a way in sw for all but ud03 with 12/22+ fw

[comadose]

Is it actually the Pioneer chip that contains the flash ROM though? I suppose at this stage they probably will have wanted to make that cost optimization, if they are making a custom driver IC.

[Billycar11]

Is it actually the Pioneer chip that contains the flash ROM though? I suppose at this stage they probably will have wanted to make that cost optimization, if they are making a custom driver IC.

its a renesas chip as i said if you want the info email me cant post images here

[comadose]

its a renesas chip

128 pin pioneer chips

Which one is it?

[Billycar11]

its a renesas chip

128 pin pioneer chips

Which one is it?

Email me about it I'll send you the picture of the PCB and chips

[stevecox]

I am hoping someone can explain what I might have done wrong. I have a LG Slim Portable Bluray (model WP50NB40), manufactured January 2025 with ROM Version 1.03.

I run Debian Linux and had MakeMKV 1.18.1 and 1.17.3 on my machine, following the guides linux instructions pointed me at the following:

• All You Need Firmware
  sdf.bin

I extracted out the All you need firmware and under 'Slim External Drives' I found the firmware: DE_LG_WP50NB40-NB50_1.03_MK.bin I copied this and sdf.bin to /tmp
I confirmed via MakeMKV I had Drive platform: MT1959. Running the following command:

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/opt/makeMKV/makemkv-bin-1.17.3/bin/amd64/makemkvcon f -l
Found 1 drives(s)
00: dev_21:0, /dev/sr0, /dev/sr0
 HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_WP50NB40_1.03_212005070929_SIM03P1ED4008

Allowed me to then come up with this command:

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/opt/makeMKV/makemkv-bin-1.17.3/bin/amd64/makemkvcon f -d 'dev_21:0' -f /tmp/sdf.bin rawflash main -i /tmp/DE_LG_WP50NB40-NB50_1.03_MK.bin
Reading input file /tmp/DE_LG_WP50NB40-NB50_1.03_MK.bin
Flashing flags = 0x0 : 0 0 0 0 : ---- ---- ---- ----
Current Drive ID: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_WP50NB40_1.03_212005070929_SIM03P1ED4008
DEBUG: Code 117637252 at WE.XL2l#sw!$NUIlW7VJ4r~ Qxq02oRB:213132261
Desktop drive handshake failed with error=0x07030084, trying slim drive handshake...
Ready to write drive flash memory.
Type "yes" to continue, "no" to abort
yes
Operation started: Sending flash image to drive
100% Operation finished                                 
Operation started: Programming flash
100% Operation finished                                 
Done successfully

I have 4 different 4k Bluray films (bought at various times with the standard Bluray), inserting the standard Bluray, makemkv is able to see and rip from the disc, inserting any 4k BluRay results in the disc being spun and restarted multiple times until no disc has been found.
MakeMKV is telling me the firmware is installed:

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Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/sr0
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WP50NB40
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: SIM03P1ED4008
Firmware date: 2120-05-07 09:29
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 81

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)
Firmware version: 1.03
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted
[code]

I've read through the instructions and noticed the post above saying I'm at the half way point, but after the linux instructions it goes to troubleshooting for errors I am not seeing. I also tried watching a few of the videos but I can't see what I have done wrong.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[MrrGman]

Hey all, I am so frustrated trying to get my LG BP50NB40 to flash. I have tried multiple guides and here, nothing is working. I flashed it just once and it did show libre status enable but still will not read 4k. It reads others still but not 4k. I have flashed numerous times with different methods and I do not want to brick the unit. How can I restart and which steps are guaranteed to work?