Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2026

[babayaga]

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

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?

I'm not sure, but was or wasn't your firmware encrypted to begin with?

not sure this works better, but maybe

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/opt/makeMKV/makemkv-bin-1.17.3/bin/amd64/makemkvcon f -d /dev/sr0 -f /tmp/sdf.bin rawflash enc -i /tmp/DE_LG_WP50NB40-NB50_1.03_MK.bin

[justForThisOnePost]

The guide in the first post is great. I deeply appreciate the effort and work BillyCar, MartyMyNuts, et all put in. Really excellent. But it's also very generalized. So here is what I did, using their work, to get my specific drive working. The hope is just to help people with the same setup have more specific directions. (Or maybe just for me if I have to do it again ever)

The drive is a WP50NB40 "LG Super Multi Blue Slim Portable", service code NB52. Flashing from a Mac on Tahoe 26.2.

This zip file has all required files. (MakeMkv 17.7, the two firmwares, sdf.bin). Copied out of the first post, just the ones you need, in one place. - https://drive.proton.me/urls/1HPEN2MT1W#9N7T0ZFU5SdL

1. Install the old (17.7) version of MakeMkv. Try to open it, get the security warning, bypass the warning in "System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Open Anyway".
1.b. It won't actually run after that. Just crashes when you try. Doesn't matter. We're just going to be using a utility installed with it, from the command line. When we're finished with the flashing, we can remove this old version and use the current version.

2. Open the terminal. Change your working directory to /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS/ ( "cd /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS/" )

3. Run the command "./makemkvcon f -l", copy the part that says "/IOBDServices/XXXXXXXX" to notepad.

4. Copy the two firmwares and sdf.bin (from attached zip) to /tmp ( "cp 'path to where you extracted them' /tmp" )

5. Flash the first firmware, "HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BP50NB40-NB50-1.03-NM00800-212005070917.bin". The current firmware is encrypted, so the command is the second one in the guide.
5.b. It's easier to write the command in notepad, and copy it into the terminal. So copy this, replace the XXXXXXX with the numbers you copied earlier, and then paste into the terminal.

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./makemkvcon f -d '/IOBDServices/XXXXXXXX' -f /tmp/sdf.bin rawflash enc -i /tmp/HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BP50NB40-NB50-1.03-NM00800-212005070917.bin

6. Unplug the drive, wait 5 seconds, plug it back in.

7. Run "./makemkvcon f -l" again, if the numbers changed, copy them into notepad again.

8. Flash the second firmware, "DE_LG_BP60NB10_1.00_MK_HBD.bin". It's no longer encrypted, so use the first command from the guide.
8.b. Do the whole copy it into notepad, paste into the terminal dance again.

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./makemkvcon f -d /IOBDServices/XXXXXXXX -f /tmp/sdf.bin rawflash main -i /tmp/DE_LG_BP60NB10_1.00_MK_HBD.bin

9. Unplug the drive, wait 5 seconds, plug it back in.

10. Install the latest version of MakeMkv, see your UHD.

[BootToggle]

For u/Billycar11 and u/MartyMcNuts, I'll pass along this experience, not sure if the general info in the first post needs to be tweaked.

The Ultimate UHD Flashing Guide only suggests: "BU40N on any Firmware directly to > BU40N 1.03MK".

Last month I purchased two "new, old stock" Hitachi/LG BU40N drives from China. Following the above advice I flashed them to BU40N 1.03MK. They then showed "LibreDrive: enabled", but I found that they would could not process 4K UHD disks, giving the "Can't read AACS VID from disc - most likely current AACS host certificate is revoked by your drive" error. The wrinkle is that they processed standard Bluray disks just fine.

I found a comment by u/MartyMcNuts on another thread, which suggested that a LG BU40N drive with original FR07 firmware should be flashed to the "DE_LG_BU40N_1.00" firmware. In other words it needs the 1.00 firmware, not the 1.03MK firmware. I tried this and everything works now, both drives now process 4K UHD Blurays as well as standard Bluray just fine.

The manufacturing dates for these two drives were September 2019 and November 2019. Here is the initial drive info:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/sr0
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: FR07
Serial number: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Firmware date: 2119-05-10 13:48
Bus encryption flags: 1F
Highest AACS version: 63

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

I don't know what the rule should be, I have a different BU40N that worked right out of the gate with 1.03MK. I don't know if it is significant that these particular drives shipped with "FR07" firmware, or if it might be just the manufacturing date, or something else. At any rate, I found two other postings by people who were confused that their BU40N drives had trouble with 4K UHD in spite of standard Bluray working. It might be helpful if the Ultimate UHD Flashing Guide hinted that DE_LG_BU40N_1.00 firmware might be necessary in some cases.

Regards!

[Billycar11]

For u/Billycar11 and u/MartyMcNuts, I'll pass along this experience, not sure if the general info in the first post needs to be tweaked.

The Ultimate UHD Flashing Guide only suggests: "BU40N on any Firmware directly to > BU40N 1.03MK".

Last month I purchased two "new, old stock" Hitachi/LG BU40N drives from China. Following the above advice I flashed them to BU40N 1.03MK. They then showed "LibreDrive: enabled", but I found that they would could not process 4K UHD disks, giving the "Can't read AACS VID from disc - most likely current AACS host certificate is revoked by your drive" error. The wrinkle is that they processed standard Bluray disks just fine.

I found a comment by u/MartyMcNuts on another thread, which suggested that a LG BU40N drive with original FR07 firmware should be flashed to the "DE_LG_BU40N_1.00" firmware. In other words it needs the 1.00 firmware, not the 1.03MK firmware. I tried this and everything works now, both drives now process 4K UHD Blurays as well as standard Bluray just fine.

The manufacturing dates for these two drives were September 2019 and November 2019. Here is the initial drive info:

Drive Information
OS device name: /dev/sr0
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: FR07
Serial number: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Firmware date: 2119-05-10 13:48
Bus encryption flags: 1F
Highest AACS version: 63

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

I don't know what the rule should be, I have a different BU40N that worked right out of the gate with 1.03MK. I don't know if it is significant that these particular drives shipped with "FR07" firmware, or if it might be just the manufacturing date, or something else. At any rate, I found two other postings by people who were confused that their BU40N drives had trouble with 4K UHD in spite of standard Bluray working. It might be helpful if the Ultimate UHD Flashing Guide suggested that DE_LG_BU40N_1.00 firmware might be necessary in some cases.

Regards!

this is a linux issue

[BootToggle]

Do you mean a "Linux issue" in flashing, or in using the resulting drives?

For what it's worth, I did flash these drives using Marty's tool in Windows.

I think the other postings I found from people who were having a similar issue, they were running Windows.

I'm not really setup to run MakeMKV on Windows, so I can't compare.

At any rate my drives now work and I appreciate your efforts.

[Billycar11]

Do you mean a "Linux issue" in flashing, or in using the resulting drives?

For what it's worth, I did flash these drives using Marty's tool in Windows.

I think the other postings I found from people who were having a similar issue, they were running Windows.

I'm not really setup to run MakeMKV on Windows, so I can't compare.

At any rate my drives now work and I appreciate your efforts.

for some reason linux does not work with alot of mk fw and you need to go to original old fw

[BootToggle]

"for some reason linux does not work with alot of mk fw and you need to go to original old fw"

Interesting, thanks for the tip.

FWIW, I have a third BU40N that works just fine on 1.03MK. I didn't think to copy down all of its parameters before I first flashed it though, so I don't know how it differs from these last two.

At any rate, I'm happy to have all 3 drives working for 4K now. Thanks!

[keydb_helper]

for some reason linux does not work with alot of mk fw and you need to go to original old fw

My recollection is that the MK firmware issues are very much a 'MakeMKV for Linux' issue, rather than an issue or shortcoming of Linux itself. Alternatives to LibreDrive have no such MK compatibility issues on Linux.