Converting UHD Friendly drive into UHD Real and viceversa

Hi guys,

I've found a way to properly convert a UHD Friendly drive, into a UHD real one and viceversa.
In order to do it, a proper firmware dump of your unit is needed and to do that, you can follow
my guide linked HERE!!

List of UHD Friendly drives supported :

• ASUS BC-12D2HT
• ASUS BW-16D1HT
• LG BH16NS40/NS55 (SVC Code NS50) (and similar devices with the same NS5x code)
• LG BE16NU50 (and similar external drive with similar code)

List will be updated !!!

List of UHD Real drives supported :

• LG WH16NS60
• LG BU40N
• LG BU50N
• LG BP60NB10

List will be updated !!!

Required Steps :

• A UHD Real/Friendly drive.
• A valid dump (made with DOSFlash or devilsclaw's if supported by the tool).
• DOSFlash modified version (which can be taken from my guide linked above) in order to erase and flash eeprom.
• For external devices, you will have to unmount the chassis and connect drive to a sata cable and have a compatible motherboard.
• Open the dump file and the firmware file you want to write on your drive, into the HEX Editor (I've used WinHEX).
• Select hex range from 0x1E0000 to 0x1E84FF and copy it from the dumped firmware to the new firmware file.
• Select now the hex range from 0x1E9000 to 0x1EBFFF from the dumped firmware to the new firmware file.
• Select, at last, the range from 0x1F0000 to the end from the dumped firmware to the new firmware file.
• Save all and now you will be ready to flash the new firmware on your device, using the DOSFlash modified version (DOS).

I think it is a valid thing to have the choice for a "friendly" UHD drive (which now is the best choice to decrypt UHD discs without any issues) or a "real" UHD drive, if and when
it will be needed the AACS 2.0 validation.

What I need

Please send me a valid dump of BU40N/BU50N/BP60NB10 devices if you have one of them. It will be needed for further testing purposes.
Thanks !!!

 

Interesting..... So this will work in powerdvd 17 as part of sgx requirements? Thought Asus friendly drive does not support bus encryption?

 

Yes. It should because flashing fw to convert is as a real UHD drive, will add AACS 2.0 specs.

 

Cool your saving people big money as legit UHD drives cost double

 

Could someone please explain, what is a "real" UHD drive? How are the friendly ones not "real" ??

Sorry for my ignorance...

 

https://forum.redfox.bz/index.php?posts/483336

Sent from my Nexus 6P with Tapatalk

 

I know what a UHD friendly drive is. My problem was I thought that the drives on the "List of UHD Real drives supported" were also considered "UHD Friendly". But they are not; they appear to be official drives that can be converted to friendly ones with the instructions here. Is that correct?

I also thought that the "UHD Friendly" drives would play commercial UHD discs, but that isn't the case? Hence their not being considered "real" drives.

Again sorry for my ignorance, still learning...

 

Real ones adhere to the aacs 2.0 and by default are NOT friendly. AnyDVD doesn't work with them natively, because those support aacs 2.0 and due to bus encryption. As to converting them to friendly, you'd have to ask teddy who wrote the instructions. A converted drive also hasn't been tested with AnyDVD I believe at this point.

Sent from my Nexus 6P with Tapatalk

 

I've successfully converted any ASUS/LG UHD Friendly drive, based on MediaTek chipset MT1959 to a real UHD Drive (WH16NS60) !!! and viceversa.

If you own a WH16NS60 you can flash it and convert it as a BH16NS55, for example, which is UHD friendly.

Of course, while AnyDVD can successfully handle UHD friendly drive, if you have the WH16NS60 firmware onboard, it will not be able to retrieve AGID and it will not work (i.e. it won't decrypt any UHD disc).

 

OK that is useful to know so I'm glad I asked.

 

Firmware is one thing, but isn't there also a AACS2.0 crypto chip in the real drives ?

 

I've been thinking about buying a UHD drive for a while and trying to follow the scene...
For now I plan to use it just for ripping but I might want to use it for "official" movie viewing at some point.
With the current state I could not decide if I wanted to purchase a "friendly" drive (and give up official UHD viewing) or a "real" drive (and hope for more progress cracking AACS 2.0 soon-ish).

Your work in making it possible to flip back and forth between modes has solved my quandary... I just purchased an LG BU40N. I believe that I am technically competent enough in order to follow your directions and modify the firmware to make it a "friendly" drive, and I can convert it back if AACS 2.0 cracking makes more progress. Since you requested it I will follow up with a firmware dump when I receive the drive. (In a few weeks thanks to shipping from China...)

[Edit]
Actually, I have a question after reviewing your instructions in more detail. You refer to the "dumped firmware file" and the "new firmware file". I gather that the "dumped firmware file" would be the original firmware dumped from the BU40N that I receive, but what is the "new firmware file"? Is that supposed to be a firmware dump from a UHD friendly drive?

 

@Aaron44126

Dumped firmware file = Dump of your device

New firmware file = Clean firmware to be crossflashed to your drive.

 

I dont know about you guys but I just got the ASUS BW-16D1HT with firmware 3.00 and its not loud at all, maybe I am just hard of hearing but this drive for 58.00 after rebate is absolutely the drive to get. ( In my humble opinion) . I have a few of the LG Friendly drives also and they are fine but the Asus is a Retail drive in a Retail box and its ripping at close 30mbs a sec. What more could you want? With this drive and Teddys ability to convert it into a 120.00 Real UHD drive you could not find a better solution.

 

In Europe the best deal is approx. 70€ for the LG BH16NS55. The ASUS is 10€ more. So here you should get the LG, cross-flash to ASUS and you are able to up- or downgrade as you like.
My last LG came with firmware 1.03. I converted it to an ASUS with firmware 3.02 (UHD friendly).

 

In Europe I've purchased few days ago a second BH16NS55 retail at €55 and I was very lucky.

 

In the USA the retail boxed ASUS BW-16D1HT is the best deal , I am keeping the 3.00 firmware, its fast and to me , its as quiet as any drive I have ever owned. 58.00 after rebate. Done deal.

 

I'm keeping my ns55 on 1.02. the speed and noise are fine. I can live with it. It's no louder than my 120mm fan up front. I'm not crossflashing it either just to shave a couple minutes off. It performs fine atm on all levels. First burn test will be soon.

Sent from my Nexus 6P with Tapatalk

 

This is what I've been saying. Repeatedly! LOL! People keep talking about 3.02 being quieter. It's not loud with 3.00! But, to each their own. And, btw, just for the record my hearing is good. Better than normal hearing, actually. Not saying that some drives aren't loud but there's been a generalized implication that they all are.

Agreed! Cheap and fast!

The only annoyance with the ASUS is that the Amazon purchase with the rebate requires waiting on ASUS to send you money back and paying the full shot of $84 up front. Not a huge deal but the equivalent LG sells outright for $58 so some people might go the easier/lazier route. Also, with the ASUS, you are, IMHO, less likely to have to worry about the updated firmware vs the LG drives. That won't last forever, however.

 

ASUS is really quieter compared to the LG and is ripping faster. I have both an original LG 16BH55NS 1.02 and a converted one originally with 1.03 to ASUS BW-16D1HT 3.02.