Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2024

[MartyMcNuts]

you will now have a very hard time recovering the drive!

and these drive are strange some need the new dos flash others don't even when they were on 1.03 i don't understand it i have recovered quite a few already. i think some firmware unblocks dosflash when the user starts flashing all sorts of firmware to try and make it take bu40n slim firmware. i dont know what firmware it is though

Interesting......

[kherg]

thx for your answers.
I tried to flash to BU40N 1.03-MK but didnt work. I always got "failure #5".
I tried all the FWs from your list. the only one that worked was the asus fw.
thats why i tried this way. unfortunately i fail!

I am not sure that I will manage recovery with dos flash. I would prefer to send the drive to you billy.
can you give me contact details?

[mike admin]

and these drive are strange some need the new dos flash others don't even when they were on 1.03 i don't understand it i have recovered quite a few already.

Because the dosflash interface is implemented in bootlader, and not in main firmware. Forget the firmware version, what you need to look at is a bootloader version (at 0x3000 - "MT1959 Boot JB8" and such). To complicate things, many different versions are using the same boot loader version string. Two things are for certain:
- if you flash only the main image (without boot), then you keep whatever bootloader version you have (with or without dosflash interface).
- firmware would always refuse to flash a bootloader which version string is identical to currently flashed one, no matter if bootloaders are actually different or not. to update you either have to go up or down.

[mike admin]

What I'm really looking for is the ability to play a UHD disk in JRiver Media Center without having to rip it first. Sadly, MakeMKV's ability to decrypt the video stream for playback by another application has been abandoned.

What makes you say that? Steaming was abandoned, yes, but the more powerful interface, specifically libmmbd, was put in place. You can play the disc directly with kodi/vlc or anything that uses libbluray library.

[Billycar11]

thx for your answers.
I tried to flash to BU40N 1.03-MK but didnt work. I always got "failure #5".
I tried all the FWs from your list. the only one that worked was the asus fw.
thats why i tried this way. unfortunately i fail!

I am not sure that I will manage recovery with dos flash. I would prefer to send the drive to you billy.
can you give me contact details?

https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic ... 20&t=17831

[SamuriHL]

What I'm really looking for is the ability to play a UHD disk in JRiver Media Center without having to rip it first. Sadly, MakeMKV's ability to decrypt the video stream for playback by another application has been abandoned.

What makes you say that? Steaming was abandoned, yes, but the more powerful interface, specifically libmmbd, was put in place. You can play the disc directly with kodi/vlc or anything that uses libbluray library.

That could be interesting to try with JRiver MC one of these days. It should work given that it uses libbluray.

[Jethro]

Thanks Billycar11 for the list, there are 2 Vantec deals today.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Vantec+CB-ST ... nb_sb_noss

I just picked up the "Non-Flashable" Vantec CB-ST00U3 Adapter.
The Slim NST-510S3-BK "Flashable" is also marked down.

[nasuel]

Hi @all,

i have an Buffalo BRXL-16U3 enclosure with a BD-RE BH16NS48 drive. As i understood all correct the drive is not compatible for LibreDrive patching.
Is it possible to open the enclosure and install a new preflashed LibrDrive into the enclosure?

Thanks a lot
Regards
Manuel

[TXTechie]

What UHD drive is the best to buy now as of today Dec 30 2019 because of the Newer OEM Firmwares. "any recommendation".
this forum has good info up to OCT i found on what to buy then.
These are available on Amazon still.
LG WH16NS60, UHD Official Internal 5.25
ASUS BW-16D1HT, UHD Friendly Internal 5.25, This one i read is popular with FW 3.2 ... but now maybe shipped with new oem FW of 3.10+ non downgrade able. or is there a fix now.
Archgon MD-8107S-U3-UHD, UHD Official, External Slim 9.5mm USB 3.0-Marty.

[jonghotti]

The ULTIMATE drives are the one purchased from Marty, Billy and I.

[Mike6]

The ULTIMATE drives are the one purchased from Marty, Billy and I.

What are the next to ULTIMATE drives, and are there known or suspected issues with new drives sold on Amazon et al?

I am looking at some kind of balance between, easy, and inexpensive, including new vs used. Used on ebay looks about like half of new on Amazon.

Flashing can't be considered "easy", but its kind of "part of the adventure", so kind of a push unless it doesn't work and turns into a total pain, but I'm not too worried.

[Billycar11]

What are the next to ULTIMATE drives, and are there known or suspected issues with new drives sold on Amazon et al?

I am looking at some kind of balance between, easy, and inexpensive, including new vs used. Used on ebay looks about like half of new on Amazon.

Flashing can't be considered "easy", but its kind of "part of the adventure", so kind of a push unless it doesn't work and turns into a total pain, but I'm not too worried.

Do not buy a used drive. Get a new WH14NS40 from Amazon or me it's the best value

[Meohmy]

@Billycar11
Are you in the U.K? I would be interested in getting a drive off you. I can pay via PayPal

[meisterlampe]

Hi everybody,

I have bought an LG BH16NS40 (should be the same like WH16NS40).
Information about the drive:
- Manufactured: August 2019
- SVC Code: NS51
- Rom Ver.: 1.04
- Drive Platform MT1959, PCB Version: JB8 2015.05.08 (I opened the drive an had a look on the Chip)

So it´s NS51 and not NS50. Is it possible to flash the drive to an UHD-friendly firmware anyway? Perhaps I don´t understand the first Post correct, because it says SVC:NS50+. So it could be that the information is already given. So sorry for my unnecessary question perhaps?

Thanks meisterlampe

[st4evr]

@Billycar11
Are you in the U.K? I would be interested in getting a drive off you. I can pay via PayPal

All proper contact information for all current sellers can be found in this subforum:

https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=20

Including for Billy. Use that.