Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2026

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi, have my ASUS BW-16D1HT with the following firmware for many years.
Looking for advice whether there is some newer version worth flashing?
Use the drive mostly for ripping my CD and BD/UHD collection...thanks

Code: Select all

Drive Information
OS device name: W:
Manufacturer: ASUS
Product: BW-16D1HT
Revision: 3.02
Serial number: KEJIXXXXXXX
Firmware date: 2117-11-24 14:13
Bus encryption flags: 1F
Highest AACS version: 61

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 3.02
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted

Leave it alone unless you are having UHD read issues. Not worth flashing it otherwise as you don't gain anything.

[black_raven]

Thank you for the advice, will leave it alone then
The only small issue I experience is that "Exact Audio Copy" (EAC) is reporting the drive is unable to successfully detect C2 Errors during audio CD ripping. But nothing indicates that the newer firmware 3.10MK improves this.

[ZedHead23]

Hey Billy quick question, I bought a BP50NB40 NB52 drive, it reads normal blu rays fine, and if I messed up the drive that's my mistake, but I flashed it to libre drive 2 months ago, and I didn't cross flash it, after the first flash, so it says "Libredrive enabled" and all that, but I never cross flashed it to the BP60NB10 or whatever. I also have the original backup still from the first time I flashed it, but I'm just curious if I can fix it, cause I tried flashing it again and it won't flash at all, even though SDF Tool says it flashed. Again it reads normal blu rays fine, but when I do UHD Blu rays it doesn't work in MakeMKV.

[Billycar11]

Hey Billy quick question, I bought a BP50NB40 NB52 drive, it reads normal blu rays fine, and if I messed up the drive that's my mistake, but I flashed it to libre drive 2 months ago, and I didn't cross flash it, after the first flash, so it says "Libredrive enabled" and all that, but I never cross flashed it to the BP60NB10 or whatever. I also have the original backup still from the first time I flashed it, but I'm just curious if I can fix it, cause I tried flashing it again and it won't flash at all, even though SDF Tool says it flashed. Again it reads normal blu rays fine, but when I do UHD Blu rays it doesn't work in MakeMKV.

as guide says you need to crossflash to do UHD
email me or marty for an auto flasher
or see guide here

[tcharp]

I have never felt like so much of a dumbass as when I try to read this thread.
Can someone, perhaps, tell me what I need to do, or what to flash, in order to read 4K UHD media?

And then attach a screenie of a Home Depot receipt instead of what y'all needed. I guess I am a dumbass.

New Picture (2).png

[tcharp]

I guess I am not attaching any photos at all. Let me try again.

[Woodstock]

I guess I am not attaching any photos at all. Let me try again.

A common problem is that the board does not accept links from social media sites as "pictures". If you link to the .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG image itself, you see the picture; if you link to the page given by the site that includes the link to the picture, you do not get anything. And a lot of such sites "protect" your images by hiding them immediately after you post them. Some even make the links disappear after a set length of time (this is a big issue with Facebook, amongst popular sites).

Attaching photos is not really necessary, though. MakeMKV screens include copyable text that contains drive information.

[tcharp]

Thanks for the reply. The photo I am trying to attach is just a screenie of the MakeMKV window that is sitting on my desktop.

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\New Picture (2).png

Not sure why I still am not seeing that .png file. Anyway, this is the text from the window. That I am not really even sure how to read, or what most of it means.
Drive Information
OS device name: I:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BP50NB40
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: SIM21L8L94638
Firmware date: 2121-07-08 16:03
Bus encryption flags: 17

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible (with patched firmware)
Drive platform: MT1959
Harware support: Yes
Firmware support: No
Firmware type: Original (patched version available)
Firmware version: 1.03
DVD all regions: Possible (with patched firmware)
BD raw data read: Possible (with patched firmware)
BD raw metadata read: Possible (with patched firmware)
Unrestricted read speed: Possible (with patched firmware)

No disc inserted

[Billycar11]

Thanks for the reply. The photo I am trying to attach is just a screenie of the MakeMKV window that is sitting on my desktop.
C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\New Picture (2).png

Not sure why I still am not seeing that .png file. Anyway, this is the text from the window. That I am not really even sure how to read, or what most of it means.
Drive Information
OS device name: I:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BP50NB40
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: SIM21L8L94638
Firmware date: 2121-07-08 16:03
Bus encryption flags: 17

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible (with patched firmware)
Drive platform: MT1959
Harware support: Yes
Firmware support: No
Firmware type: Original (patched version available)
Firmware version: 1.03
DVD all regions: Possible (with patched firmware)
BD raw data read: Possible (with patched firmware)
BD raw metadata read: Possible (with patched firmware)
Unrestricted read speed: Possible (with patched firmware)

No disc inserted

makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d "your drive letter here Example" D: rawflash enc -i "path to your firmware Example": C:\Users\BP50NB40-NB50-1.03MK.bin

makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d "your drive letter here Example" D: rawflash "main,nowait,nocheck,boot=MT1959 Boot BUP3" -i "path to your firmware Example": C:\Users\DE_LG_BU40N_1.00.bin

Or email me or Marty for an automated flasher see below for email

[kazunami36]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to report another successful flash for future reference.

While researching LibreDrive compatibility, I found the MakeMKV community through ChatGPT. The guides and discussions here helped me identify the correct firmware and procedure. This post was also prepared with the assistance of ChatGPT for clarity and transparency.

Retail product:
Logitec LBD-PWA6U3LWH (Japan)

Original drive information:
- Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
- Product: BD-RE BP71N
- Firmware: 1.03
- Platform: MT1959

Procedure:
- Created a firmware dump before flashing.
- Used the Windows SDFtool Flasher.
- Flashed DE_LG_BU40N_1.03_MK.bin.
- "Include boot loader" was left unchecked.

The flasher reported error code 0x82062900 near the end of the process, but the flash completed successfully.

Current MakeMKV information:

Drive Information
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Firmware: 1.03

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

Everything is working correctly, and the drive is now able to operate as a LibreDrive-compatible BU40N.

I hope this confirmation helps anyone with the same Japanese Logitec model or another BP71N-based drive.

Finally, thank you to everyone in this community for documenting the flashing process. Your work made this upgrade possible.

[HSH1979]

Hi guys, any idea if my LG BH16ns40 can be upgraded without problems to read UltraHD4k disks?

[Collyde]

I upgraded my BU40N a number of years ago.
The Drive and Libredrive report FW 1.01

Should I update to a later flash? What would I gain? Are there release notes?

-- Harald

ps I reflashed with /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS/makemkvcon f -d /IOBDServices/E8BA6DA0 -f /tmp/sdf.bin rawflash enc -i /tmp/HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin - but the FW stayed at 1.01.

[Billycar11]

I upgraded my BU40N a number of years ago.
The Drive and Libredrive report FW 1.01

Should I update to a later flash? What would I gain? Are there release notes?

-- Harald

ps I reflashed with /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS/makemkvcon f -d /IOBDServices/E8BA6DA0 -f /tmp/sdf.bin rawflash enc -i /tmp/HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin - but the FW stayed at 1.01.

Remove enc

[MartyMcNuts]

I upgraded my BU40N a number of years ago.
The Drive and Libredrive report FW 1.01

Should I update to a later flash? What would I gain? Are there release notes?

-- Harald

ps I reflashed with /Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS/makemkvcon f -d /IOBDServices/E8BA6DA0 -f /tmp/sdf.bin rawflash enc -i /tmp/HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin - but the FW stayed at 1.01.

No point unless you have trouble reading discs. Newer firmware does not mean better.

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi guys, any idea if my LG BH16ns40 can be upgraded without problems to read UltraHD4k disks?

Try pasting the text from the MakeMKV drive info and libredrive info sections so we can help you.