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NEW OPTION: 'UHD Friendly' Firmware Downgrade / Cross-Flash Using Official (Modified) ASUS Flasher

That's very messed up cause it's without a doubt friendly on 3.10 MK. AnyDVD works with it just fine so it HAS to be friendly. What weird nonsense is DeUHD doing to cause that??

My guess is it's querying the drive for something in particular and whatever changes have occurred in the official firmware - and therefore the MK firmware - are enough to make DeUHD not like it.
 
My guess is it's querying the drive for something in particular and whatever changes have occurred in the official firmware - and therefore the MK firmware - are enough to make DeUHD not like it.

More reasons not to like that program. LOL
 
The 3.10 MK firmware is most definitely UHD friendly and IMO is the best UHD friendly firmware out there right now. Mike has said the same thing. That does NOT mean it's necessarily the best idea to start cross flashing drives to it. At least if you care about writing certain media types.

Also note that I said "I believe" as in "don't know for sure, but, some people have seem to have done it". It's likely those people don't care about writing discs or aren't encountering problems. But the two quotes you have quoted are not related at all. He's talking about NS55 1.03 MK which does not seem to restore UHD friendliness therefore does not work with AnyDVD/DeUHD, etc. I was saying that if you just want to make it UHD friendly (again, with potential write issues MAYBE), then you can use the 3.10 MK firmware or you can downgrade it with a DE NS55 1.02. That's it. Not complicated. And not contradicting.


Thank you very much SamuriHL for having a very fair understanding of what I said. You are quite right it was v1.03 software I was really only having problems with and when I did flash 1.02 there was no problems.

I will be back to you when I have finished testing as I am waiting on 2 more drives.

Just appreciate your fair approach in this forum as we all have common gold.

Kind regards
 
mikech told us what the fixes are and they are pretty significant. It fixes the sleep bug for one. But also is much more stable overall and seems to be better at handling triple layer discs. They did remove the ability for official 3.10 to be downgraded with downgrade enabled firmware, but, mikech removed the restriction in the MK version, as well. The MK version that he released has all the benefits of 3.02 plus the bug fixes. It's what I put on my drive and have zero intention of going back.

If I understood correctly, afaik the MK firmware pack (re?)enables vendor-commands to unlock SPI-bus-access for flashing with other firmwares than the official Asus 3.10 one. But it wouldn't fix the (Asus?/LG?) Sleep-bug? (see hidden text in quote below, marked in fat letters)

https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=19113
"MK" firmware
This is a custom firmware made by MakeMKV team. MK firmware is a patched official firmware image, with changes as minimal as possible, only to enable LibreDrive support. The MK firmware has the following properties:
  • Made from the latest available official firmware.
  • Re-enabled vendor commands to update microcode in memory.
  • Re-enabled ability to read UHD discs (if drive was capable, and disabled in firmware).
  • Removed firmware downgrade check (if present in firmware).
  • No other changes.
Specifically, MK patch does not meddle with AACS code in firmware and contains no bugfixes, or workarounds or other changes of any sort. For example, if official firmware image does not allow reading AACS2 metadata with AACS1 host certificates (so-called "friendly drive"), MK patch would not change that. For BDXL compatible drives MK patch would re-enable ability to read UHD discs, but it would not fix the "sleep" bug, or any other firmware bugs. All MK patch does - it makes the drive LibreDrive-compatible, nothing more.
 
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The sleep bug fix has nothing to do with mk. That's part of the 3.10 firmware that Asus put out. So I'm really not sure where you got that the mk patch has anything to do with that. The mk patch for the 3.10 firmware restores uhd friendly functionality and removes a new downgrade restriction that they added. That's it.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
The sleep bug fix has nothing to do with mk. That's part of the 3.10 firmware that Asus put out. So I'm really not sure where you got that the mk patch has anything to do with that. The mk patch for the 3.10 firmware restores uhd friendly functionality and removes a new downgrade restriction that they added. That's it.

Ah sry I misundestood statement. Thx for explaining.

"For BDXL compatible drives MK patch would re-enable ability to read UHD discs, but it would not fix the "sleep" bug, or any other firmware bugs. All MK patch does - it makes the drive LibreDrive-compatible, nothing more."

(So the statements just says, that the Sleep Bug itself was not the fix by Mike, (had been already fixed by the Asus 3.10 official update) whose such code Mike didn't change in his modified mk-firmware, just make the drive back LibreDrive-compatible (possibly that kind of SPI-"block" they might introduce in new firmwares, s.th. you mentioned) to restore downgrade-option). (So the Sleep-Bug-fixes rests in mike's mk-firmware) :)
https://forum.redfox.bz/threads/dow...he-easy-and-safe-way.76551/reply?quote=498495
Yea, I think that's exactly what Mike is alluding to. Shutting off access to SPI in future firmware and/or drive revisions. For now, we're good and we should take advantage of this while we can. I flashed my ASUS drive natively to 3.02 (it came friendly and has always remained friendly) and my NS60 I downgraded with a DE enabled 1.00 cleaned firmware. I also dumped a full 1.01 bin using dosflash on the NS60 and a 3.02 bin on my ASUS just to have them. I'm not screwing around. My drives will stay as they are forever at this point. Once you have a friendly drive, you should leave it that way.

I fear my thing with the SPI-access might not correct. I don't really know what vendor-specific-commands are.
I'm just writing how I understood, if I misunderstood you'll clear it up. :)

Just remember s.th. with SCSI/ATAPI, SCSI-SAT-Layer or SCSI->ATA-passthrough, sg_utils Debian package how to access a SCSI/(+ATA?) and ATAPI devices.
sg_utils package to check what SCSI-commands (not sure if also ATA) an USB-UAS-SATA-bridge or SCSI/ATAPI devices support (eg for SCSI-unmap or ATA-TRIM or SCSI-unmap-ATA-TRIM conversion).
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=236280
" sg_readcap -l /dev/sdX' and 'sg_vpd -a /dev/sdX' "

Read s.th. in combination if a USB-bridge supports vendor-commands.:
http://www.asmedia.com.tw/eng/e_show_products.php?item=133&cate_index=171
• Support ATA/ATAPI Packet Command Set
• Support ATA/ATAPI LBA48 addressing mode
• Integrated 8-bit micro-processor with embedded program RAM and ROM
• Support SPI NVRAM for Vender Specific Application of USB device Controller
---

I just mixed s.th. up. Got such thinking as you're accessing an ATAPI device, speaking SCSI-packet over ATA, and when accessing SPI-flash it goes over SATA-interface which speaks ATA (afaik) (like in IDE mode) and for ATAPI DVD/Blu-ray those SCSI commands over encapsulated SCSI-packets (over ATA-command set), also when accessing SPI flash.
 
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Completely out of the realm of my knowledge. The vendor commands that Mike uses allows him to upload a small piece of code to the drive's memory. That's the Libre Drive code which disables bus encryption and bypasses mkb revocation. These firmware updates that disabled uhd friendly ability removed those vendor commands that allow that kind of access and removed ability to read uhd disc. The mk patched firmware restores that functionality allowing Libre drive to work on those firmware versions. That's as far as my understanding goes. I'm still learning myself as much as I can when info is released. I'm by no means any kind of expert.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
Completely out of the realm of my knowledge. The vendor commands that Mike uses allows him to upload a small piece of code to the drive's memory. That's the Libre Drive code which disables bus encryption and bypasses mkb revocation. These firmware updates that disabled uhd friendly ability removed those vendor commands that allow that kind of access and removed ability to read uhd disc. The mk patched firmware restores that functionality allowing Libre drive to work on those firmware versions. That's as far as my understanding goes. I'm still learning myself as much as I can when info is released. I'm by no means any kind of expert.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
At least you do know much more than me :).

I can't program apps nor anything of programming languages.

Hey this sounds great. So if you understood him correctly, if that that piece of libre-code could also (also?) disable bus-encryption, e.g. in those LG NS50/NS55/NS60 drives<->Asus drives compatible, that would be very useful.

Eg. if that correct, that would mean when trying to rescue an UHD-Blu-ray disc, because of scratches, etc. probably recoverable, you could now take "ddrescue" to recover UHD discs with e.g. Mike's 3.10-special-mkv Asus firmware.

Ealier it was said no it wouldn't work, because to handle Bus-encryption (or makemkv e.g., etc) AnyDVD would be required, but which afaik have less comfortable rescue operation way than "ddrescue" e.g. handy when trying to rescue a disc in several different drives.

Now if the new libre-code or whatelse from Mike should disable bus-encryption support in the drive, AnyDVD would not longer be required rescuing UHD-discs (using bus-encryption), or certain Blu-rays asking for bus encryption), so you could now use "ddrescue" to rescue disky by different drives, all that have that "libre-code or else with bus encryption-disabled also on BDs/UHDs asking the drive for bus-encryption).

(After recovering the disc with "ddrescue", using Virtual-optical-Drive mounting recovered image, using AnyDVD to decrypt it).
 
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It works just fine. I've been doing it with my ns60 to create protected isos. Use makemkvcon info to put the drive in Libre mode then use ddrescue or imgburn or whatever to read the disc. The vcd to mount it. The drive stays in Libre mode until you eject the disc or reboot the machine.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
It works just fine. I've been doing it with my ns60 to create protected isos. Use makemkvcon info to put the drive in Libre mode then use ddrescue or imgburn or whatever to read the disc. The vcd to mount it. The drive stays in Libre mode until you eject the disc or reboot the machine.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

It's good that there's makemkv also for Linux. If it was only for Windows I would activate Libre mode, but I would need to reboot to Linux for using "ddrescue" and that would disable libre-mode after rebooting, fortunately afaik there's makemkv also for Linux.
Another way maybe a Linux-virtual-machine in Windows, using makemkvcon in Windows and passthrough the drive to virtual Linux machine (but more complex and maybe some Virtual Machine software like VirtualBox might not support that SCSI/ATAPI passthrough yet, but read that Vmware would if I remember correctly, s.th. RedFox staff saying such kind of alternative free Virtual machine softwares would often adopt newer Vmware features.
 
Yes, MakeMKV has mac and linux versions so you can just install it in linux and run ddrescue after using the makemkvcon to set the drive in Libre mode. I wrote a batch script on Windows that simply allows me to insert a disc in my LG NS60 and spit out a protected ISO using ImgBurn.
 
More reasons not to like that program. LOL

DeUHD definitely isn't the cheapest but, honestly, it works very well.

The MK firmware issue may just come down to Arusoft having a whitelist for supported drive/firmware rather than it having anything to do with something super technical. So, if that was the case and 3.10 isn't whitelisted then neither would the MK firmware. That seems overly simple but you never know. Maybe Arusoft will reply to my question over at Myce.
 
DeUHD definitely isn't the cheapest but, honestly, it works very well.

The MK firmware issue may just come down to Arusoft having a whitelist for supported drive/firmware rather than it having anything to do with something super technical. So, if that was the case and 3.10 isn't whitelisted then neither would the MK firmware. That seems overly simple but you never know. Maybe Arusoft will reply to my question over at Myce.

Good luck with that. :)
 
@SamuriHL,

checked your posts about ASUS 3.10 MK firmware. I have only one question left before updating to it: Did you confirm that you can downgrade from 3.10 to a former version?
 
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I didn't but others have. Mike re-enabled downgrading in the MK version of that firmware so it'll work fine.
 
Thanks! Then I will upgrade to 3.10. 3.03 DE already had some write speed improvements for Verbatim discs. But right now I'm cautious to use these for 50Gb discs since even with Verbatims I have sometimes issues showing distortions at the layer break. 25GB discs work w/o issues even burnt at max speed.

EDIT: I have 50Gb discs from Japan which are considered to be the best quality 50Gb discs and in addition they are cheaper than those sold in Europe.
 
@SamuriHL,

checked your posts about ASUS 3.10 MK firmware. I have only one question left before updating to it: Did you confirm that you can downgrade from 3.10 to a former version?

I upgraded to 3.10 MK and downgraded to 3.02 DE without issue.

I haven't seen a 3.03 DE firmware?
 
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