Step-by-step guide for the best (IMHO) drive: LG WH16NS60

[tragic bleak]

This guide is considered obsolete

You want to rip 4k UHD Blu-ray movies with MakeMKV and don't know where to start? What drive to buy? What firmware to flash to make it a "LibreDrive"? What utility to use to flash the firmware? There is so much information in this forum, it can be daunting. Even Billy's guide leaves certain things to be desired (you have to click 1 of 3 links to a polish forum, then figure out which of the links to click to download a zip, then figure out you need BH14NS40_N1.00-A4_patched.exe even though your drive is not at all a BH14NS40...)

So I made a step-by-step guide for what I consider to be the "best" drive as of late 2019 to rip UHD movies with MakeMKV:

Step 1
Buy the LG WH16NS60 drive (I linked to the product page that "ships from and sold by Amazon" - can't always trust third-party sellers on Amazon). Widely available from retailers. Reliable according to rippers. Officially supports UHD. No "sleep bug". Easy to flash.

Step 2
Download the patched 1.03 firmware: https://www.makemkv.com/download/mk-fir ... 200720.zip (in this ZIP, the patched 1.03 firmware is the file
MK/HL-DT-ST/WH16NS60/HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_WH16NS60-1.03-NM00600-212005081010.bin) You will flash your drive with this firmware to make it a LibreDrive immune to Blu-ray host revocation. Note that if your drive comes with a firmware newer than 1.03 (as normally indicated by a sticker on the drive: "ROM VER: 1.xx"), the flashing instructions won't work. As of July 2020 the latest official firmware is 1.03 so this shouldn't be a problem.

Step 3
Download the Windows flashing utility: https://www84.zippyshare.com/v/7MsNUYNo/file.html or as an alternative location for same utility: https://drive.google.com/file/d/102V7DU ... meZTN/view (in these ZIPs, the utility is the file BH14NS40_N1.00-A4_patched.exe) The utility was created by a someone who reverse engineered and modified LG's official flasher for an unrelated drive (BH14NS40) and made it possible to flash various drives such as our WH16NS60.

Step 4
Run BH14NS40_N1.00-A4_patched.exe. The interface looks like this:

Select your drive in the drop-down list. Then click the OPEN button and select HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_WH16NS60-1.03-NM00600-212005081010.bin. Then click the GO button. Reboot. Done! Your drive is now a LibreDrive that MakeMKV can use to rip UHD movies.

Step 5
Verify everything is working as expected by launching MakeMKV. The first time MakeMKV detects your drive's firmware is LibreDrive-enabled it needs Internet access to download one more piece (the SDF.bin file) to configure and actually use LibreDrive. If everything works as expected it should report LibreDrive as enabled:


Optional further information
Where do these links and files come from?
The source for the flashing utility was originally published on this polish forum: https://forum.cdrinfo.pl/f29/crossflash ... s58-96313/
The source for the patched firmware is Mike's post here: https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic ... 19&t=19113 The patched firmware is an "MK" firmware type meaning it was modified by MiKe to make it support LibreDrive. If like me you wonder why the ZIP contains no "DE" (Downgrade Enabled) firmwares it's because, as I understand, either today's flashing utilities are able to force a downgrade without having installed a DE firmware, or people have made MK firmware for all latest official versions, so you are never "downgrading" to a lower version number.

[maxblack]

...There is so much information in this forum, it can be daunting. Even Billy's guide leaves certain things to be desired...

I agree and so your thread deserves a bump I think. My WH16NS60 is already "fixed", but AFAICT your steps are right on the money, good work.

[tragic bleak]

I agree and so your thread deserves a bump I think. My WH16NS60 is already "fixed", but AFAICT your steps are right on the money, good work.

Thanks.

[maintainin]

I just picked up a new WH16NS60 today from my local Microcenter store. It was manufactured April 2019 and came with 1.02 firmware. Like the noob I am I followed your instructions and tried to flash down directly from 1.02 to the 1.01 firmware you referenced but got the ‘write dram ng error”. Figuring I’m doing so,ething wrong I did a little searching for about 15-20 minutes before I figured out what I needed to do. I found a post from some one else also on 1.02 and was told to use the ASUS flasher and crossflash with the ASUS MK 3.10 firmware and then flash with the NS60 MK 1.00 firmware. I used the ASUS flasher(maybe the one you referenced may have also worked) and was able to successfully flash to MK 3.10. I then was able to successfully flash straight to NS60 MK 1.01 and successfully ripped a UHD copy of Interstellar.

You’re right. There’s a ton of information on these forums but it’s kinda scattershot. Fortunately the search function works well and you can find out what you need to know if you search right. I’d say anyone with a WH16NS60 with firmware 1.02 needs to flash with the ASUS MK 3.10 firmware and then they can flash with the NS60 MK 1.01 firmware. Unless there’s a version of patched NS60 1.02 firmware somewhere. Maybe there is. I didn’t really search too hard for that.

[SamuriHL]

I don't believe 1.02 has been extracted yet and they've not posted it on the lg site. Until Mike gets a hold of it we're not going to see an mk version. Also the ns55 mk 1.04 can be used to cross flash and downgrade as well in place of the Asus firmware.


Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[maintainin]

I don't believe 1.02 has been extracted yet and they've not posted it on the lg site. Until Mike gets a hold of it we're not going to see an mk version. Also the ns55 mk 1.04 can be used to cross flash and downgrade as well in place of the Asus firmware.


Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I'm guessing it's too late now, but is extracting the 1.02 firmware something I could've done so the firmware could be patched? If so, I wish I would've known. Definitely want to help in any way possible!

[SamuriHL]

Not easily. It would have required Mike's help I believe because these new versions disable dosflash for the most part.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[omk1980]

Lucked out and got a mar 2019 1.01 from microcenter. you're instructions were great. In process of ripping first disc. Hopefully, it works.

[omk1980]

Got this message w/5 secs left in backing up.

Error 'OS error - An operation failed because the disk was full. If this is a thinly provisioned volume the physical storage backing this volume has been exhausted'

I had about 125 gigs free before ripping the 75 gig file.

I'm using the Vantec nst 536s3 external enclosure. Hope that isn't throwing a wrench in things.

[Woodstock]

A 75GB file with how many versions on the disk? Play lists can build hundreds of copies from a relatively small collection of transport stream files.

[omk1980]

I just clicked on 1 file which was 75. That was on my windows laptop. I'm currently trying for second time w/my MacBook. First time w/Mac, I got an os x IPC error. Now I'm trying to write to a jump drive on my Mac bc I've read that error might be due to insufficient power from my Vantec in closure.

So close yet so far.

[omk1980]

Was able to backup Hacksaw ridge on my windows laptop. The file itself is taking up a ton of space, though. it says that it is 75 gigs, but prior to the rip, i'll have 150 gigs of space and afterwards, I'm left w/less than 1. Not sure if there are temporary files being created. I'll post this on the general forum as well. Thanks for the flashing guide, though, worked great.

[maintainin]

I just picked up a new WH16NS60 today from my local Microcenter store. It was manufactured April 2019 and came with 1.02 firmware. Like the noob I am I followed your instructions and tried to flash down directly from 1.02 to the 1.01 firmware you referenced but got the ‘write dram ng error”. Figuring I’m doing so,ething wrong I did a little searching for about 15-20 minutes before I figured out what I needed to do. I found a post from some one else also on 1.02 and was told to use the ASUS flasher and crossflash with the ASUS MK 3.10 firmware and then flash with the NS60 MK 1.00 firmware. I used the ASUS flasher(maybe the one you referenced may have also worked) and was able to successfully flash to MK 3.10. I then was able to successfully flash straight to NS60 MK 1.01 and successfully ripped a UHD copy of Interstellar.

You’re right. There’s a ton of information on these forums but it’s kinda scattershot. Fortunately the search function works well and you can find out what you need to know if you search right. I’d say anyone with a WH16NS60 with firmware 1.02 needs to flash with the ASUS MK 3.10 firmware and then they can flash with the NS60 MK 1.01 firmware. Unless there’s a version of patched NS60 1.02 firmware somewhere. Maybe there is. I didn’t really search too hard for that.

Just wanted to stop in and say I’ve ripped 13 UHD discs since I posted this and haven’t had one hiccup. This thing is rock solid!

[sgibbers17]

@tragic bleak I just flashed using your guide and so far is working great. It would be nice if you also posted a link to the current firmware pack that has the latest versions. Also I see that unrestricted speed is possible but not yet enabled is there a firmware out there that has this enabled for this drive?

[st4evr]

Also I see that unrestricted speed is possible but not yet enabled is there a firmware out there that has this enabled for this drive?

Mike addresses this question himself here:

https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic ... eed#p71910

Forum search function works and will also provide several more discussions on the subject.

https://www.makemkv.com/forum/search.ph ... cted+speed