Ok, so I ordered this drive, after reading all the discussions about UHD-Friendly drives. And I also read the method on how to downgrade the firmware of this drive (in case it's 3.02 or 3.03).
I ordered it yesterday, so I only have to wait until it arrives now. But, I do have a few questions about the firmware downgrade process.
First of all, i'm using a laptop with only USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports. So no SATA or any other connections.
I was wondering if someone has succeeded in flashing/downgrading the firmware of this drive (or that of any other UHD-Friendly drive for that matter) using just either a USB enclosure or a USB-to-SATA cable/adapter. And how is it possible to do it.
I know there are people willing to downgrade/flashing firmwares. And I REALLY do appreciate their efforts. But, considering I live in Italy, shipping the drive to someone overseas, and paying also for the return, is gonna cost me more than buying a specific adapter/case to connect the drive and flash the firmware.
So, with that said, if it's possible to downgrade the firmware of the drive with only a laptop, what type of SATA adapter I need? How it's possible to do that?
Thank you very much.
Advice for Asus BW-16D1HT
Re: Advice for Asus BW-16D1HT
From my research you can not do the flash to an optical drive that is connected USB.
The reason is the DosFlash program does not detect an optical drive that is USB connected.
I also doubt that a laptop SATA can be set to IDE , ATA, or Legacy in the BIOS to allow the flash drive with DosFlash on it to work.
You might be able to set it with AHCI disabled but would still need to set it as above.
I don't believe that a "BIOS" that is UEFI can be used at all.
I don't have a UEFI system so I can not confirm that.
I hope someone else can give you more information.
If I have any of the above incorrect I would be glad to have someone correct me.
Did you check buying an already flashed drive from the forum member that is selling them ?
That might be the best route for you.
For myself I have an older computer that I can flash the firmware with.
The reason is the DosFlash program does not detect an optical drive that is USB connected.
I also doubt that a laptop SATA can be set to IDE , ATA, or Legacy in the BIOS to allow the flash drive with DosFlash on it to work.
You might be able to set it with AHCI disabled but would still need to set it as above.
I don't believe that a "BIOS" that is UEFI can be used at all.
I don't have a UEFI system so I can not confirm that.
I hope someone else can give you more information.
If I have any of the above incorrect I would be glad to have someone correct me.
Did you check buying an already flashed drive from the forum member that is selling them ?
That might be the best route for you.
For myself I have an older computer that I can flash the firmware with.
Re: Advice for Asus BW-16D1HT
I bought mine from an Amazon UK Marketplace store, after reading that some Amazon customers bought the same drive, in August, with firmware 3.01 installed.
It was the only seller that shipped to Italy, along another one that is selling the same drive (fullfilled by Amazon) that has firmware 3.03 installed.
I contacted the seller, but I still haven't got any reply, yet.
Have probably have to wait Monday before I can have an answer.
Hope it does have FW 3.01 installed and that I only need an enclosure to use it and be done with it. If I had some more moneys I would had probably bought the Pioneer one that is UHD Certified with the UHD Blu-Ray logo and that plays UHD Discs with PowerDVD, just to be sure.
Have seen an eBay user from Germany that offers the downgrade for both the Asus and the LG drives at a reasonable price. But my only fear is that I might loose my drive and not getting it back at all, even if he does have positive feedbacks.
So, for now, I wait what the seller will tell me and then I will decide if I want to keep the drive or not (if it has not FW 3.01 installed and there isn't any option/solution to downgrade the firmware via a laptop).
Fingers crossed that it DOES have 3.01 installed.
It was the only seller that shipped to Italy, along another one that is selling the same drive (fullfilled by Amazon) that has firmware 3.03 installed.
I contacted the seller, but I still haven't got any reply, yet.
Have probably have to wait Monday before I can have an answer.
Hope it does have FW 3.01 installed and that I only need an enclosure to use it and be done with it. If I had some more moneys I would had probably bought the Pioneer one that is UHD Certified with the UHD Blu-Ray logo and that plays UHD Discs with PowerDVD, just to be sure.
Have seen an eBay user from Germany that offers the downgrade for both the Asus and the LG drives at a reasonable price. But my only fear is that I might loose my drive and not getting it back at all, even if he does have positive feedbacks.
So, for now, I wait what the seller will tell me and then I will decide if I want to keep the drive or not (if it has not FW 3.01 installed and there isn't any option/solution to downgrade the firmware via a laptop).
Fingers crossed that it DOES have 3.01 installed.
Re: Advice for Asus BW-16D1HT
Ok, just a little update about the Asus drive I bought from the Amazon Marketplace seller: today I was finally be able to get in touch with the seller who assured me that the drive was manufactured in 2017. 
He couldn't open the drive, for me, to check the firmware version. But, considering that Asus released the firmware and started to ship units with the 3.03 firmware, later this year (according to all the posts I read here and on other forums as well), i'm very confident that the drive will have either 3.0 or 3.01/3.02 as the stock firmware
So, thankfully, I won't have to fiddle around with the downgrade process, but just plug the drive on a USB enclosure, buy a MAKEMKV license (i'm using the Free version ATM) and start backing up my 4K UHD discs on my 4 TB HDD.
I just wanna thank you guys for all your advices and efforts you're constantly putting into helping people find the right solution and make 4K ripping accessible to all of us legit Blu-Ray enthusiasts.
Without your help, all of this wouldn't have been possible at all. Just like when that very clever guy found a loophole in old FAT PS3 units that allowed creating backups of SuperAudio CD/DSD discs, or that other nice guy who, back in 2006, discovered a way to rip protected DVD-Audio discs and extract High-Resolution MLP files off those discs (DVDAExplorer).
So thank you all for making all of this possible.
If I could, I would had offer to all of you a pizza and a few beers. But unfortunately I can't.
So have a nice beer and a good pizza, for me.
Bless you all!
He couldn't open the drive, for me, to check the firmware version. But, considering that Asus released the firmware and started to ship units with the 3.03 firmware, later this year (according to all the posts I read here and on other forums as well), i'm very confident that the drive will have either 3.0 or 3.01/3.02 as the stock firmware
So, thankfully, I won't have to fiddle around with the downgrade process, but just plug the drive on a USB enclosure, buy a MAKEMKV license (i'm using the Free version ATM) and start backing up my 4K UHD discs on my 4 TB HDD.
I just wanna thank you guys for all your advices and efforts you're constantly putting into helping people find the right solution and make 4K ripping accessible to all of us legit Blu-Ray enthusiasts.
Without your help, all of this wouldn't have been possible at all. Just like when that very clever guy found a loophole in old FAT PS3 units that allowed creating backups of SuperAudio CD/DSD discs, or that other nice guy who, back in 2006, discovered a way to rip protected DVD-Audio discs and extract High-Resolution MLP files off those discs (DVDAExplorer).
So thank you all for making all of this possible.
If I could, I would had offer to all of you a pizza and a few beers. But unfortunately I can't.
So have a nice beer and a good pizza, for me.
Bless you all!