Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2023

[Breach]

Just registered to get your advice. I've done quite a bit of reading on this forum - impressive work guys! My situation is that I'm moving to Ryzen which precludes watching officially any UHD BD content with PowerDVD (insane situation with that SGX requirement, but that's another story).

For my use case I plan to rip with MakeMKV and also use AnyDVD HD for PowerDVD. I considered WH16NS60 and BU40N, but the first is almost impossible to find in Europe and both are UHD official drives, hence won't work with AnyDVD.

So, I'm buying an LG BH16NS55.

Questions:
1) There actually seem to be BH16NS55 drives under both LG and Hitachi branding (the front panel is different). Does anyone know whether there is a hardware difference...?

2) I will probably get a v1.05 official firmware, so if understand correctly, I'll just need to flash the BH16NS55 v1.05 MK firmware with 'enc' selected in the flasher, correct?

3) Then, I understand I can cross-flash to the latest WH16NS60 MK firmware (without 'enc') to fix the sleep bug, etc.
- Is there any reason NOT to go to the latest latest available WH16NS60 MK firmware (I think 1.03)
- Would WH16NS60 MK flashed BH16NS55 work with AnyDVD [Edit: I understand that's a 'no'... so it's either no AnyDVD and no sleep bug (WH16NS60 MK), or AnyDVD and sleep bug (BH16NS55 MK), right?]

Thanks!

[bobby121418]

Hi,
I followed the instruction here to downgrade my BU40N from encrypted firmware 1.04 to 1.03

How To Flash Videos and commands:

New Updated guide for all Drives and firmware including encrypted firmware: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyQV1aPlbow
1. Open cmd as admin

2. Navigate to makemkvs install directory by default on 64 bit systems it is here: cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\MakeMKV"

3. If you have a listed encrypted firmware you must use this command: makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d “ your drive letter here Example: D”: rawflash enc -i “path to your firmware Example: C:\Users\Billy\Downloads\Downgrade-Enabled-Firmware\Auto-Flash\LG-Desktop-NS60-sleep-fix\WH16NS60-1.02-MK.bin”

4. If you have unencrypted firmware use this command: makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d “ your drive letter here Example: D”: rawflash -i “path to your firmware Example: C:\Users\Billy\Downloads\Downgrade-Enabled-Firmware\Auto-Flash\LG-Desktop-NS60-sleep-fix\WH16NS60-1.02-MK.bin”

5. Remove my examples and quotes ”” when you run the commands


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfpf6HoMMis only for unencrypted firmware

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXgybNfHhcg - Obsolete but can be useful for recovery

The process went successfully, however I as put a 4K disk, the drive attempts several read attempts, but then I get a message that there is no disk.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks
Bob

[Billycar11]

The process went successfully, however I as put a 4K disk, the drive attempts several read attempts, but then I get a message that there is no disk.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks
Bob

Did it read 4K discs before the flash the BU40N should.
How is the drive connected?

[bobby121418]

The process went successfully, however I as put a 4K disk, the drive attempts several read attempts, but then I get a message that there is no disk.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks
Bob

Did it read 4K discs before the flash the BU40N should.
How is the drive connected?

Hi,
Thanks for quick response.
I am afraid I did not test prior to flash.
Its a slim drive in a Vantec USB3.0 and connected via USB to laptop.

Thanks

[Billycar11]

Use both cables on separate usb circuits
And if still no open it up and make sure the slim sata connection is fully seated

[bobby121418]

Use both cables on separate usb circuits
And if still no open it up and make sure the slim sata connection is fully seated

Just tried that as well as cleaning the disk several times, but still the result is the same. I am assuming the firmware change is not the issue here. Could it be the 4K disk is bad?

[Billycar11]

Use both cables on separate usb circuits
And if still no open it up and make sure the slim sata connection is fully seated

Just tried that as well as cleaning the disk several times, but still the result is the same. I am assuming the firmware change is not the issue here. Could it be the 4K disk is bad?

Could be try regular Blu-ray and a dvd if possible that has a different laser
No this would not be related to firmware I don't think

[bobby121418]

Use both cables on separate usb circuits
And if still no open it up and make sure the slim sata connection is fully seated

Just tried that as well as cleaning the disk several times, but still the result is the same. I am assuming the firmware change is not the issue here. Could it be the 4K disk is bad?

Could be try regular Blu-ray and a dvd if possible that has a different laser
No this would not be related to firmware I don't think

Just tried a Blu ray disk and works fine!
Any other suggestions please?
Could it be an issue with the disk or the drive?

[bobby121418]

Just tried that as well as cleaning the disk several times, but still the result is the same. I am assuming the firmware change is not the issue here. Could it be the 4K disk is bad?

Could be try regular Blu-ray and a dvd if possible that has a different laser
No this would not be related to firmware I don't think

Just tried a Blu ray disk and works fine!
Any other suggestions please?
Could it be an issue with the disk or the drive?

Ok, thus is weird, now I tried to open the disk just in Windows with MakeMKV off and now it seems to read the disk. Entering MakeMKV it is also reading the disk although I am seeing some Scsi errors with Medium Error messages.

[Billycar11]

Post the full log here

[bobby121418]

Post the full log here

How?

[Billycar11]

Post the full log here

How?

Copy paste from the makemkv output is the easiest way

[MartyMcNuts]

Just registered to get your advice. I've done quite a bit of reading on this forum - impressive work guys! My situation is that I'm moving to Ryzen which precludes watching officially any UHD BD content with PowerDVD (insane situation with that SGX requirement, but that's another story).

For my use case I plan to rip with MakeMKV and also use AnyDVD HD for PowerDVD. I considered WH16NS60 and BU40N, but the first is almost impossible to find in Europe and both are UHD official drives, hence won't work with AnyDVD.

So, I'm buying an LG BH16NS55.

Questions:
1) There actually seem to be BH16NS55 drives under both LG and Hitachi branding (the front panel is different). Does anyone know whether there is a hardware difference...?

2) I will probably get a v1.05 official firmware, so if understand correctly, I'll just need to flash the BH16NS55 v1.05 MK firmware with 'enc' selected in the flasher, correct?

3) Then, I understand I can cross-flash to the latest WH16NS60 MK firmware (without 'enc') to fix the sleep bug, etc.
- Is there any reason NOT to go to the latest latest available WH16NS60 MK firmware (I think 1.03)
- Would WH16NS60 MK flashed BH16NS55 work with AnyDVD [Edit: I understand that's a 'no'... so it's either no AnyDVD and no sleep bug (WH16NS60 MK), or AnyDVD and sleep bug (BH16NS55 MK), right?]

Thanks!

1. Doubt there would be.
2. Probably and yes.
3. Correct and correct, NS60 firmware does not work with AnyDVD. Newer firmware is generally not better.

[Breach]

3. Correct and correct, NS60 firmware does not work with AnyDVD.

Brilliant, thanks! I see now that the "sleep bug" is apparently worked around in the latest beta of AnyDVD, so I'll then stay on NS50 v1.05 MK. Cheers!

[jonghotti]

What's with the obsession with slim drives? Aren't they less reliable than a full-sized internal SATA drive?
[/quote}

Hold on there Mr. Orange let's stick to the facts here:

1. When compared to the 5.25" (I call them "full" sized apparently the technical term is "half" sized) drives the slim drive is smaller.

2: When compared to the 5.25" drives the slim drive is slower (8.0X big drive, 6.0X slim drive).

3. When installed in the Vantec enclosure of the matching size the slim enclosures USB port is way more fragile than that of the full sized enclosure - and if you force the cable into the slim Vantec it easily snaps off and you are hosed

4. Slim drive disc tray is also more fragile than that of the large drives - slim drive tray releases with a button and then must be operated by hand (don't slam the thing closed or yank it open!! On the flip side the trays on the larger drives are electronically controlled with a button - press once to open, press again to close.

5. Lastly, the LG BU40N slim drive is unique in that it's currently the only known drive that will occasionally completely fails to enforce the cardinal rule of optical drives. That rule is "do not destroy the physical media that you've been tasked with manipulating!".

The BU40N is currently the only known drive that has demonstrated it's ability to malfunction and leave the disc scratched to the point of usability! This has now been seen with firmware 1.00 and 1.03 so beware!

(This issue has just been escalated to the manufacturers with the goal of understanding and elimination of this behavior