Need a Blu-Ray drive that can rip 4k disco

The Cobra

2[H]4U
Joined
Jun 19, 2003
Messages
3,181
Hi All, Over the last few months I have gotten some box sets of 4K movies (Star Wars, Harry Potter series) and went to rip them using MAKEMKV and saw that Pioneer Drive (BDR-211M) cannot rip 4K movies to backup because of the new security procedures. I was reading where some BD drives do not have this issue and need to be "UHD Friendly"

Can anyone point me to a drive that will allow me to backup my movies? I've read online that there are a few. Looking for something that has a decent price.

Thank you.
 
Is there an external version that could be had that would do the same thing? I really don't want to replace an internal drive.
 
I use ASUS BW-16D1HT
Firmware: ASUS-BW-16D1HT-3.10-WM01601-211901041014.bin
Patched firmware installer: BH14NS40_N1.00-A4_patched.exe

I have 2 of these that I flashed (one in storage now as backup just in case active one fails), I can recommend them. Only problem is (and it could just be the one drive that is active - but it's also been in use reliably almost 3 years now I think) sometimes you'll put a 4K disc in and it spins and spins and then never recognizes it or any disc in the drive. If that happens, open the tray again and close it and then it reads the disc fine that time ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Happens very, very, very rarely (can't recall last time it did tbh) - but has happened enough times that I know to mention it. Other than that, love 'em. MakeMKV forums has all the instructions to DIY or they have people that sell already patched ones (but why pay for what you can do yourself I figured).

Is there an external version that could be had that would do the same thing? I really don't want to replace an internal drive.

Check MakeMKV forums to see if there are external models you can flash or for sale.
 
This sounds terrible, but it's easier to just download the things.
 
This sounds terrible, but it's easier to just download the things.
I can rip and encode using whatever settings I want to get the exact output I desire based on quality and filesize. I'm not going to get that from a random download. I also don't have to worry about legality or whatever by doing my own rips. I also don't have to worry about anything nasty being embedded with whatever gets downloaded.

It's also not by any means difficult. There's a learning curve to get things setup the way you want in the beginning on the encoding side but after that it's little more than a point and click to rip and another point and click to encode using a custom preset. I just finished ripping four Blurays, each of which took about 15-20 minutes while I did other stuff and spent a few minutes queuing them up in Handbrake. I'll hit the encode button right before I head to bed and when I wake up they'll be done.
 
I just finished ripping four Blurays, each of which took about 15-20 minutes while I did other stuff and spent a few minutes queuing them up in Handbrake. I'll hit the encode button right before I head to bed and when I wake up they'll be done.
Lol, blu-rays aren't hard to rip. This thread is about a different format entirely.
 
Ripping Blu-Rays are easy. I need 4k ripping. My Pioneer drive doesn't support 4K ripping because of the new encryption.
 
Lol, blu-rays aren't hard to rip. This thread is about a different format entirely.
And 4k is Bluray, it's not a different format. As for ripping them, it's no different since MakeMKV does both. The only difference is whether your hardware can read 4k discs or not. I have an LG WH16NS40. The earlier firmware models did 4k discs just fine as well as normal Blurays but LG decided to change the firmware so they couldn't read 4k discs. If you have the older firmware you're fine but with a little work most of them can have their firmware replaced with older firmware which allows them to read 4k discs again.

Ripping Blu-Rays are easy. I need 4k ripping. My Pioneer drive doesn't support 4K ripping because of the new encryption.
The LG WH16NS60 can rip 4k discs natively. It's probably the exact same hardware as my S40 but with the firmware which allows 4k discs to be read and they charge more for it. If you don't want to mess with firmware downgrades, this would be the model to get. It's an internal drive, though. I never bothered to look into external drives because I have no use for one.
 
And 4k is Bluray, it's not a different format.
Sure it isn't, as you queue up handbrake. Hopefully you are using the new builds to at least get 10bit color. Not sure why you'd rip a DV disc though.
 
Correct UHD BR discs are really just BD-XL discs, which is why you can flash some BR drives to read UHD discs (folder structure and file containers and everything the same too basically with just HEVC codec being new).

When you flash a modified firmware, you're just telling it too ignore any AACS flags (I believe the lookup part is what's removed from the firmware and that's it - I extracted and edited my own firmware too when I did the flashing, IIRC I just had to remove some parts with a HEX editor and not actually add or change any lines - but this was 3 years ago so I could be misremembering) and simply read the files on the disc that it can see, the files are still DRM encrypted.

As for why, archival backup of the physical discs as .iso, and/or being able to add them to Plex or something similar so you don't have to get up and physically swap out discs (especially if watching a TV series), or even just UHD physical playback capabilities of discs for an HTPC.

If you're compressing to shrink size or burn in soft subs, there have been full pipeline 10-bit encoders capable of keeping HDR data for years. StaxRip comes to mind and one other I can see the interface of but not remember the name ATM - simple app with black interface UI. Handbrake isn't the end all be all. You can even still do DV movie compression in a roundabout way, muxing out the 2 video layers, compressing the HDR layer, then muxing back in with the DV layer.

But you don't need to be compressing if just reading and ripping, they are not the same thing.
 
Last edited:
I have a HL CA40N in my laptop and HL BH40N in my desktop. Any of these capable of 4K UHD blu-rays or any flashing possible?
 
Back
Top