New Drive Advice for UHD + Scanning

[VA1DER]

I am looking for a drive for UHD extraction and scanning. I currently have a Pioneer BDR-X13JBK for doing most of my quality burns with, and a crappy Matsushita UJ272 slimline for portable. All I need this drive for is UHD ripping and BDXL-capable scanning. It does need to be self contained, but from what I understand most modern enclosures have no issues with flashing/scanning.

I prefer the scanning to be compatible with QPxTool for Windows and of course I want UHD libredrive capability. I also prefer a half-height.

ATM I'm leaning to:

• A new actual WH16NS60 from AliExpress or the like, which appears to be readily side-flashable then flashed to a scanning-friendly firmware.
• A ready-flashed Asus BW-16D1HT from Bluntman

I see a lot of chatter about other LG drives cross-flashed to WH16NS60 firmware. Is there some benefit to this rather than getting an actual WH16NH60?

I'm not averse to spending the money for another Pioneer, but have no idea on how to find one with a friendly firmware. Is there any movement on someone figuring out how to get a friendly firmware into a newer Pioneer?

Any advice on the above or other drives not yet on my radar would be welcome.

[dcoke22]

I see a lot of chatter about other LG drives cross-flashed to WH16NS60 firmware. Is there some benefit to this rather than getting an actual WH16NH60?

I think empirically it has been determined that the WH16NS60 1.02MK firmware is the 'best' firmware for ripping with MakeMKV on the LG desktop drives. These days they're pretty much all the same low quality internals, so getting the cheapest one you can cross flash to the 'good' firmware is the way to go. You might still get a dud or one that dies young, but that's how it goes.

A BU40N is probably a better drive, FYI.

I'm not averse to spending the money for another Pioneer, but have no idea on how to find one with a friendly firmware. Is there any movement on someone figuring out how to get a friendly firmware into a newer Pioneer?

Any advice on the above or other drives not yet on my radar would be welcome.

Pioneer drives with too new of firmware still don't work with MakeMKV. No idea if they'll ever work.

The sellers on this forum still have some Pioneers with the older compatible firmware. Bluntman is selling one of the portable Pioneer drives, for instance.

I don't have any experience with QPxTool, so I can't speak to the overlap between drives that work with it and MakeMKV.