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Best friendly drive to buy

Philip Burnell

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Hi guys - new to the forum.

I want to copy my UHD BluRays to a NAS to play on an Oppo 203. This would be the folder structure - not ISO. Can anyone recommend the best friendly drive to use with AnyDVD HD - preferably external but internal with an enclosure would be fine. I've looked at various lists of friendly drives, but the situation with firmwares that work or don't work has my head spinning.

Any guidance much appreciated.
 
BW-16D1HT is a really good drive. The LG NS55 is another one. Once you get the drive, my advice is to drop one of the MK firmware versions on it and call it done.
 
I have been using an LG WH14NS40 for a year with great results. I put it in an Vantec NexStar DX USB 3.0 External Enclosure for SATA Blu-Ray/CD/DVD Drive case. I originally had it installed internally and decided to go with the external case. Both work great.
 
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As long as it's an NS40 with a SVC code of NS50 on the label then it'll work fine. The older version of the NS40 will be bricked trying to flash a UHD friendly firmware to it. So you just have to be more careful with that one.
 
I've had the ASUS BW-16D1HT for less than a year and the last week or so it's gotten really loud spinning very fast a number of times after inserting a new disc. Did AnyDVD change something or is the (barely a year) old girl dying on me? I’m getting old so I forget just how but I did the firmware downgrade myself. Should and can I just get another one and do the same? Also wondering what happens when you can’t get a UHD friendly drive anymore? Should we be stocking up?
 
Is this with all discs or just new ones? If it's new ones and you're not religiously cleaning them with a microfiber cloth directly out of the box, it's very likely that the drive is having issues reading the disc. The disc quality these days leaves a lot to be desired which is why I back them up first thing out of the box. In any case, it's POSSIBLE the drive is at fault (a couple of the drive sellers on MakeMKV have suggested the drive quality in the past year isn't great) in which case you might consider another drive. Downgrading them is not a problem as it's simply a matter of finding the right MK firmware for it and flashing it with the available flashing tools.
 
I concur with SamuriHL. "Sick sounds" reading in an UHD are mostly caused by polluted discs. Even if they look perfectly clean I first wash them and then clean them with a microfiber cloth. Preventive actions :sneaky:.
 
The disks are new but it seems like the last 4 or so are doing it. They seem to read the disc fine and take about the same amount of time to start ripping the disc it just makes a bit of head moving noise and a few times spins up the disc very fast and I’ve not heard it ever do while copying. Seems like an odd thing to do if it’s having trouble reading to spin the disc up like that.

I left GOT S8 D2 going thins morning and came home to find that it was stuck on a bad sector. The try again deal (3 or 4 times) did not work. Ejected the disc and whipped it with a microfiber and put it back in and it made its noises but when I hit try again it worked. Wondering if I should try the copy again just in case.

What is the deal with MakeMKV? Better or easier to use? I saw something about it needing or only working with certain UHD friendly drives. ???
 
Those f'ing GOT discs are a PAIN IN THE ASS. They're triple layer (which the ASUS drives have issues with to begin with) and they are some of the WORST quality discs I've ever seen. SO many people have had problems ripping them. I got lucky in that mine ripped first time in my ASUS drive but couldn't be read in my NS60 drive. And yes, when the ASUS drive has issues reading the disc, it'll slam the laser head against the side and it'll speed up and slow down the disc in an effort to read the problem section. What you're describing is normal. When you take the discs out of the package, yes, brand new discs!!, microfiber clean them.

Um, don't know what you think you read about MakeMKV only working with certain UHD drives...that would be AnyDVD that has that limitation. MakeMKV supports the most drives of any program thanks to LibreDrive and the MK firmware. Hence my NS60 real UHD drive (not friendly) being supported in MakeMKV.
 
Gents,
I'm looking for an UHD-copy-option too.
But, if I have a look at the posts about e.g. ASUS BW-16D1HT, you guys mention it needs a firmware downgrade and then it might work.

And: looking for UHD-capable readers, large shops show e.g. Archgon or Techpulse, but not Asus or LG.
I'm looking for something that runs smooth, as I don't have the patience with Windows&Co. anymore to get something up and running (sometimes). I'm more than willing to spend some $ more into the HW/SW ;-)

One more: assuming I find the right reader, will it be possible to rip and replay those UHDs like BDs today - means ripping into one ISO with Anydvd and playback with e.g. PowerDVD?
Or is ist the nasty way by converting dozens of Gigs via e.g. MKV?

thx
GGA
 
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Gents,
I'm looking for an UHD-copy-option too.
But, if I have a look at the posts about e.g. ASUS BW-16D1HT, you guys mention it needs a firmware downgrade and then it might work.

And: looking for UHD-capable readers, large shops show e.g. Archgon or Techpulse, but not Asus or LG.
I'm looking for something that runs smooth, as I don't have the patience with Windows&Co. anymore to get something up and running (sometimes). I'm more than willing to spend some $ more into the HW/SW ;-)

One more: assuming I find the right reader, will it be possible to rip and replay those UHDs like BDs today - means ripping into one ISO with Anydvd and playback with e.g. PowerDVD?
Or is ist the nasty way by converting dozens of Gigs via e.g. MKV?

thx
GGA
Check here:
https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=20

Depends on the part of the world you are living and order from the appropriate source. Most likely you want to have an external drive connected via USB3 I guess.

If you are running Windows you can rip to decrypted ISO, load the ISO with Virtual Clone drive (freeware) and then play it.
 
thx. a lot.
After some hours of reading I guess I understand the issue and the workarounds.
What I don't get so far: given a software package like "(Modified) ASUS ODD FW Changer (24.08.2019) + UHD Friendly Firmwares + Latest MK Pack.zip", there are files for e.g. the Asus 16D1HT once in the root directory and another one in the MK\asus\ subdirectory. First one with release 3.02, last one with 3.10. Which one do I have to use (there is no one with ..MK extension)?
 
You wrote that you want to go the easy way. Now you have changed your mind. The firmwares posted in that forum are all MK. 3.10 is newer than 3.02. Differences are really minor and almost non-existant.
 
coopervid, thanks & obviously I misunderstood the makemkv-contents.
Yes, I look for the easy way: buy a 'whatever drive is avaialble in Europe' and take a guideline to change that to friendly.
Thought buying the Asus (which is mentioned frequently) and burn it with the above package would do it...?
Any easier one - please advise
 
I‘Ve been using a ASUS BW-16D1HT 3.01 since it started early 2018? I bought two just in case! Well I’ve been having the spinning disc revving sound and not recognising “some” discs full stop, like Spider-Man man 3 or angle heart. I can then pop in say the last Jedi and it always reads it. So reading others posting I have swapped the ASUS drive with the one only used once when I also bought it 2018 and they all work! Its all under the stairs room cupboard in a dust free room. Guess I’ll google cleaning the problem drive/lens/laser.
 
BW-16D1HT is a really good drive. The LG NS55 is another one. Once you get the drive, my advice is to drop one of the MK firmware versions on it and call it done.
Sorry , been posting om the MakeMKV thread as well and and somewhat confused... the MK firmware will allow the drives to work with MakeMKV AND AnyDVD (but not DVDFab?) Is that correct?

I'm asking because you're referencing the MK firmware here on the ANYDvd forums, which implies its applicable to this software...

I have the LG WH16NS60 and the Asus BW-16D1HT in Vantec enclosures.
Thanks
 
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The NS60 is an official drive and is not supported by AnyDVD. It could be cross flashed with a firmware that is AnyDVD compatible (i.e. UHD Friendly). The BW-16D1HT 3.10 MK firmware is fully functional as a UHD Friendly firmware for AnyDVD and MakeMKV. It does not work with DVDFab because they haven't apparently whitelisted it for whatever stupid reason.
 
The NS60 is an official drive and is not supported by AnyDVD. It could be cross flashed with a firmware that is AnyDVD compatible (i.e. UHD Friendly). The BW-16D1HT 3.10 MK firmware is fully functional as a UHD Friendly firmware for AnyDVD and MakeMKV. It does not work with DVDFab because they haven't apparently whitelisted it for whatever stupid reason.

So I should use the 16D1HT 3.10 on the LG 16NS60 as well? For MakeMKV and AnyDVD? I tried the LG 1.02 in the MK firmware folder and AnyDVD won't read it, unless I have to reboot the PC...

Thanks

EDIT - After rebooting, AnyDVD still does not like the LG with the LG 1.02MK firmware; MakeMKV does open disc on that drive...
 
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As I said, because the NS60 is an official drive. The only way to make an NS60 work with AnyDVD is to flash a UHD friendly firmware. If you care about burning discs, you may want to keep it in the family. i.e. flash the NS55 MK firmware. If you don't care about burning discs, then yes, you can cross flash the ASUS MK firmware on it. That's the only way to get it to work with AnyDVD.
 
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