Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2026

[Lilspartan]

Hi, I've flashed my BP50NB40 to enable LibreDrive for UHD ripping but I'm getting a Code 1 failure when trying to open any 4K disc.

Drive info shows LibreDrive as enabled:

Product: BD-RE BP50NB40
Revision: 1.03
Firmware date: 2120-05-07 09:17
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 72
LibreDrive Status: Enabled
Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)
Drive platform: MT1959
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

But MakeMKV debug log shows:

DEBUG: Code 3 at tNjYHe^Zv]scO1k:ka77Z}$W:29395310
SDF v0a5: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BP50NB40_1.03_212005070917_K0EG3OA1600
DEBUG: Code 1 at #+V1>t#n4>odtqcWW#e[D:121265062
Failed to open disc

This happens with multiple 4K UHD discs. Regular Blu-ray and DVD discs are detected and read fine. I'm running MakeMKV v1.18.3 on Windows 11 as Administrator.

Did I use the wrong firmware file, or is there something else I need to do to get LibreDrive actually working? Any help appreciated.

[tomty89]

I suspect it's because when the author claims UHD support, they didn't consider bus encryption. (On the github repo, they list UHD support as "Native Support (without patched firmware)", which sounds to me that they didn't exactly "work on" anything regarding UHD support.) Maybe for drives with bus encryption built in, flashing some older firmware doesn't make it go away.

Not sure if they can make the modified firmware to persistently / permanently disable bus encryption, but IIRC, I read that even for drives flashed with MK firmware, it is disabled by MakeMKV in a volatile fashion.

Maybe MakeMKV or the sdf.bin needs to be modified so that it would attempt to disable bus encryption as well when it bumps into this firmware (assuming that wouldn't break anything flashed with the original firmware OmniDrive is based on). Maybe that would require changes in the OmniDrive firmware as well. Either way, I think you should file an issue on the github repo instead.

EDIT: Btw it might be somewhat useful to confirm whether the 1.00 DE firmware works fine for the drive/disc. If it does, then perhaps the OmniDrive modification has some "side effect"...(I heard that drives can only be flashed for limited times though. So you might or might not want to test further -- if that is true.)

EDIT2: Do you see the "using LibreDrive mode (...)" line in the log after you started ripping / opening the disc? Or did that no longer show up with OmniDrive? (And did you even see it when you are with the MK firmware?)

FYI, "Original (unpatched)" doesn't mean that MakeMKV is telling you it has trouble enabling LibreDrive. Here unpatched means the firmware you use is not an MK firmware (MK firmware is a patched stocked firmware. See for viewtopic.php?f=19&t=19113 details. Not all stock firmware needs to be patched for LibreDrive to work. For example, all Pioneer firmware are "original (unpatched).)

However, at the same time "Status: Enabled" doesn't mean that MakeMKV has already attempted /successfully enabled it. It merely means that with the current MakeMKV / sdf.bin the firmware you are using is supposed to support LibreDrive. IIRC LibreDrive does not "kick in" until you open a disc.

[Sayaka]

Linux user here.

I have little interest in OmniDrive, given that the only game discs I'm interested in currently are PS3 discs (and OmniDrive isn't required for those), but I was curious about this, so I decided to give it a shot.

I downloaded OmniDrive from here : https://archive.org/download/OmniDrive_v1.0.2

And flashed it to one of my BP55EB40s with v1.17.6 makemkvcon.

I tried opening the regular Tangled Blu-ray with MakeMKV v1.17.6. Worked fine.

Then I tried some disc playback with VLC (after mounting the disc). Also worked fine.

Then I tried inserting the 4K Blu-ray disc of Tangled. MakeMKV was able to open it. I then tried mounting the disc and doing playback with VLC. VLC doesn't handle 4K Blu-rays with HDR very well, but technically it worked. Then I tried the same thing with Kodi. Worked like a charm.

So I'm not sure the problem is with bus encryption. Could it be that your version of macOS is somehow having trouble with OmniDrive...?

EDIT : I've also read that the BU40N 1.00 firmware has trouble with some 4K discs, so maybe that could also be why OmniDrive doesn't want to read that one 4K disc, since it's based on the BU40N 1.00 firmware ?

[Makar]

Is it possible to flash this drive to read 4K discs?

Drive Information
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XD08
Revision: 1.02

Firmware date: 2022-12-27
Bus encryption flags: 1B

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: RS9330
Firmware name: PIONEER BDR-BDS8
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.02

[Billycar11]

Is it possible to flash this drive to read 4K discs?

Drive Information
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Product: BD-RW BDR-XD08
Revision: 1.02

Firmware date: 2022-12-27
Bus encryption flags: 1B

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: RS9330
Firmware name: PIONEER BDR-BDS8
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.02

sure email me that info and all others email me no need to post your info here just reach out to me directly
see below for email

[Makar]

Email sent.

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi, I've flashed my BP50NB40 to enable LibreDrive for UHD ripping but I'm getting a Code 1 failure when trying to open any 4K disc.

Drive info shows LibreDrive as enabled:

Product: BD-RE BP50NB40
Revision: 1.03
Firmware date: 2120-05-07 09:17
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 72
LibreDrive Status: Enabled
Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)
Drive platform: MT1959
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

But MakeMKV debug log shows:

DEBUG: Code 3 at tNjYHe^Zv]scO1k:ka77Z}$W:29395310
SDF v0a5: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BP50NB40_1.03_212005070917_K0EG3OA1600
DEBUG: Code 1 at #+V1>t#n4>odtqcWW#e[D:121265062
Failed to open disc

This happens with multiple 4K UHD discs. Regular Blu-ray and DVD discs are detected and read fine. I'm running MakeMKV v1.18.3 on Windows 11 as Administrator.

Did I use the wrong firmware file, or is there something else I need to do to get LibreDrive actually working? Any help appreciated.

Libredrive does not equal UHD compatibility. BP50NB40 firmware is not UHD compatible. It must be cross-flashed to either BU40N or BP60NB10 firmware to enable UHD readability. Read the first post of the SDFTool flasher thread.

[OneDay]

Linux user here.

I have little interest in OmniDrive, given that the only game discs I'm interested in currently are PS3 discs (and OmniDrive isn't required for those), but I was curious about this, so I decided to give it a shot.

I downloaded OmniDrive from here : https://archive.org/download/OmniDrive_v1.0.2

And flashed it to one of my BP55EB40s with v1.17.6 makemkvcon.

I tried opening the regular Tangled Blu-ray with MakeMKV v1.17.6. Worked fine.

Then I tried some disc playback with VLC (after mounting the disc). Also worked fine.

Then I tried inserting the 4K Blu-ray disc of Tangled. MakeMKV was able to open it. I then tried mounting the disc and doing playback with VLC. VLC doesn't handle 4K Blu-rays with HDR very well, but technically it worked. Then I tried the same thing with Kodi. Worked like a charm.

So I'm not sure the problem is with bus encryption. Could it be that your version of macOS is somehow having trouble with OmniDrive...?

EDIT : I've also read that the BU40N 1.00 firmware has trouble with some 4K discs, so maybe that could also be why OmniDrive doesn't want to read that one 4K disc, since it's based on the BU40N 1.00 firmware ?

Give this a try. I use this for VLC to play Blu Ray - UHD with no issues. I also do not have VLC linked to Makemkv

https://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/

[Sayaka]

Give this a try. I use this for VLC to play Blu Ray - UHD with no issues.

Thank you.

However, my problem isn't that I can't play UHD Blu-rays with VLC. My problem is that VLC doesn't seem to handle HDR10 or Dolby Atmos/TrueHD very well on those 4K Blu-rays that have them - the colors and brightness look wrong and some of the audio feels... off. I know one can almost fix the HDR10 issue by fiddling around with the VLC settings, but I have yet to find a way to fix the VLC Dolby Atmos issue, and furthermore there's just no incentive for me to start modifying VLC settings if Kodi gets it right on the first try.

Getting *everything* to work just fine on my Linux distro (ISO playback, disc playback, 4K playback, Kodi Blu-ray disc playback from a Pioneer drive, fixing audio/video sync issues, etc.) was a major pain and I may start a thread in the Linux subforum eventually to share the tricks I've learned, and to see if people have any other tips.

I also do not have VLC linked to Makemkv.

I prefer linking MakeMKV, personally. In my opinion it just makes things easier.