Blu-Ray

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Pick One

WH16NS40

This drive works and is very fast (much faster and more useful than my five year old ASUS drive). I easily installed the drive (it took my last SATA connection), ripped my existing Blu-rays using MakeMKV (demo for 30 days and then refreshed with registration info available online), converted if needed using free Handbrake, and played the resulting files using free VLC or the even better PotPlayer (just updated). Copying with simple to use MakeMKV (which I prefer to AnyDVD HD or DVDFab, which I prefer to Nero, Corel, Cyberlink, and ArcSoft simply due to being less easily pushed around by evil Sony) takes only about 10 minutes for the movie file (the free DVDFab passkey + is discussed more below). I copy rips to a 3TB USB drive and play with a KDLinks HD700 or play directly on the PC using PotPlayer. Windows Media Player does not support Blu-ray for obnoxious legal reasons - thanks again Sony.

One can play Blu-ray disks using the popular CyberLink PowerDVD or TotalMedia Theatre (but with consumer hostile Cinavia copy protection, for-pay tech support, and forced $$ upgrades whenever Sony decides to change their encryption) or the simpler UFUSoft Blu-ray Player with lifetime license and email tech support (see REF1 in comment). While there are no truly satisfactory commercial PC players, free options are even worse and require you to somehow get the disk playlist and stream started. You can accomplish this with the manual VLC Blu-ray playback add-on pack or with a onetime setup for the fat XBMC media center, but you'll still need MakeMKV (version 13.0 just recently became available). The best option IMHO is the top rated PotPlayer (the latest beta became available just this week) with some sort of additional software. For the only free PotPlayer setup option, see DVDFab passkey + (see REF2 in comment). Passkey for Blu-ray removes AACS and BD+ copy protections, Region Code, BD-Live and UOPs. It thusly allows you to play disks directly with PotPlayer (or just use Windows Explorer to copy the M2TS movie file off the drive), but the software is a tad inconsistent and its setup process every time you insert a movie disk can take some time (which is a good part of the time required to just rip the movie with MakeMKV). But, it's the best wholly free solution.

I hate Blu-ray (really Sony, who've made using Blu-ray with a PC difficult at best so that many just give up trying) with its slow loading, failed features (BD-Live), constantly changing encryption (so, if you pay for a player, expect it to stop working in a couple years, costing you yet another $50-$100), and insufferable advertisements. Heck, we could have had 720p movies from a standard DVD (such as on Terminator 2 Extreme Edition with its 4x compression). Bottom line, this drive is highly recommended and there are many downloadable software options for its use (I prefer to just rip the movie and watch it offline - there are a LOT of cheap hardware players for your TV). The only setup problem I've had is that my case's eject button doesn't always correctly align with the drive's button, but then I can just do a software eject.

Enclosure

esata Interface

Manufacture says that linux works... ! has at least one good review.

USB 3.0

NOTES

Mediacodes

They identify manufacture etc of disc.

Research

Slimline External They are all pretty slow compared to full size...

The below two samsung drives have problems writing at 2x...

BRXL-PC6U2B is SN-506AB

SE-506CB/RSBD is SE-506CB

BDR-XD05W

DIG-79102 is Panasonic UJ-260 is Matshita - Hardest to region unlock...

Internal External Drives

WH14NS40 and BE14NU40 seem to be the same drive one is external(usb3) and one is not


LG

  • WH16NS40, BH16NS40 and BH16NS48 are using same hardwares and different firmwares, crossflashing is possible.
  • WH is more like commercial/drive only BH is with software etc. The only reason I wanted to know if you could crossflash is because there are no updates as of yet for the WH16ns40 but there is for the BH16ns40. Also I'm using DVDFab 9 and it seems to work well for me.

Pioneer

And I'm going to do my best to list the important differences:

  • DBK drives: no BDXL support, no DVD-RAM support, normal front plate/normal physical construction, no additional software-enabled drive features.
  • EBK drives: does have BDXL support, should have DVD-RAM support, normal front plate/normal physical construction, no additional software-enabled drive features unless otherwise noted. Similar to the MBK drives.
  • S..XLT drives: does have BDXL support, does have DVD-RAM support, premium front plate/slightly better physical construction, more premium features (toggled via an associated drive utility) that may alter playback/ripping performance, should have more firmware updates over its lifetime (though firmware updates are rare these days)
  • S..J: does have BDXL support, premium front plate/better physical construction (the most premium drive historically made for Pioneer's home market), all premium features (toggled via an associated drive utility) that may alter playback/ripping performance, should have more firmware updates over its lifetime (though firmware updates are rare these days)
  • NOT Rip Locked
  • BDR-208DBK
    • 15x

Comparison

  • The BDR-S09J-BK is really what you want in the end. 160 + ship from japan.


Scanning Media

Only the LiteOn drives (or one of the LiteOn rebadges) can do quality scans, so if that's a must, then this will restrict your choice to an iHBSx12 drive.

Quality wise, probably the best drive to get would be a Pioneer BDR-207 or 208.

I haven't tried my BH16NS40 drive with a lot of different media so far, but based on what I tried it with so far, I'm not that impressed with these 16x LG drives, so if I were you I would go for either a Pioneer or a LiteOn. Pioneer burners should in general be better burners than LiteOn ones, but they can't do quality scans...

Look at the relevant threads for all these drives and you can find plenty of quality scans ... that should help you to make your mind up about which one to go for ...

Albert, it might be worth putting a warning on the first post in this thread stating that BW-12B1ST a drives with firmware 1.00 are no longer LiteON iHBS112 clones and hence people should not attempt to crossflash them. Doing so will brick their drive.

BW-12B1ST 1.03 = LiteON iBHS112 clones BW-12B1ST a 1.00 = LG BH14NS40 clones

Bitsetting

About your question: "Bitsetting program This tool allows you to burn your DVD+R discs with the DVD-ROM book type. Why would you want to do that? Well some set top DVD players as well as the xbox/ps2 will not read DVD+R discs. This usually isn't because they can't read them, but because the manufacturer set the player to block the +R book type! This tool will greatly increase compatibility with more set top DVD players."

The Pioneer will be slightly easier to match to a caddy. It can be crossflashed to give auto bitsetting. Produces quality burns with a wide range of media. The 203 will work in an external caddy, the best way way is to go for a PCI card to enable eSATA capability. Bitsetting has to be done each & everytime, unless the s/w (like Nero & ImgBurn) does this. Faster quality burns than Pioneer but for the quality the media has to be generally speaking top notch.

rpc1 and rpc2

  • RPC1 is a scheme that makes the playing software manage and control regioned playback.
  • RPC2 is a scheme that makes the drive manage and control access. http://www.dvdcca.org/rpc.html
  • Most RPC2 drives will refuse to return CSS Keys when the region setting of the disc and drive mismatch. For such drives software like AnyDVD must brute force the keys. If well implemented RPC2 will make it impossible to play a disc from the wrong region (Matshita).
  • A firmware that has been patched to RPC1 doesn't care, on any level, what region(s) the disc has, and the drive has no region setting itself.
  • With an RPC1 firmware you must manage the regioning of your playback software or OS, with additional software. http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?t=239
  • RPC1 does not remove CSS protection, the content is, and remains scrambled.

Also Matshita Drives seem to have additional hardware above the firmware to enforce rpc2

Protections

  • Some drives are riplocked slowing them down so Media Code Speed Edit
  • Cinavia Protection
    • The Blu-ray Disc implementation of Cinavia is designed to cover two use-cases: the first is the provision of a Cinavia watermark on all movie theater soundtracks released via film distribution networks; the second use-case is for the provision of a Cinavia watermark on all Blu-ray Disc releases that points to the presence of an accompanying AACS key. If a "theatrical release" watermark is detected in a consumer Blu-ray Disc audio track, the accompanying video is deemed to have been sourced from a "cam" recording. If the "AACS watermark" is present in the audio tracks, but no accompanying and matching AACS key is found on the disc, then it is deemed to have been a "rip" made by copying to a second blank Blu-ray Disc.

History

On 5 June 2009, the licensing agreements for AACS were finalized, which were updated to make Cinavia detection on commercial Blu-ray Disc players a requirement.[12]

On July 3, 2009, Maxim Anisiutkin published an open source DVD Audio watermark detector and neutralizer[13] computer program to the SourceForge web site. The software package contains a detailed description of the method and embedding parameters used in creating the DVD Audio or SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) watermark, which was created by Verance Inc and was the earlier version of the Cinavia watermarking technology.

From January 2013 onwards, attempts were made by third-party software suppliers to make use of existing bugs and loopholes in Blu-ray Disc players to avoid Cinavia message triggering, but without any attempt being made at precisely removing the Cinavia signal from the audio. These attempts included iDeer Blu-ray Player, DVDFab[14] and AnyDVD HD (version 7.3.1.0) which used workarounds to avoid Cinavia-enabled software Blu-ray Disc players from triggering Cinavia detection messages.[15][16]

In August 2013, DVD-Ranger released a white paper detailing their methods for detecting, and subsequently removing, the present Cinavia signal from audio files.[16] The DVD-Ranger CinEx beta software synchronises and detects the Cinavia signal in the same way as a consumer Cinavia detection routine; these identified parts of the audio stream are permanently removed, removing the Cinavia signal. Post-processing can be used to try to "fill-in" the audible gaps created.[16]

There are claims[17] that Cinavia can be removed using open source software like Audacity with an extracted audio file from a video source. The audio file is processed by decreasing pitch by -13%; the processed audio file is then merged back into the video source. This renders the Cinavia watermark unreadable.

The best Cinavia removal method was provided[18] by Myce user Cienoway. Several people confirmed[19] that the Cienoway method works. The detail of the method was not disclosed. However Cienoway claimed his computer code was extremely simple and broke Cinavia fundamentally, so no remedy was possible.[20] It was not clear when Cienoway will disclose his Cinavia removal method publicly.

This Stuff is Nuts

Remove It?

BD+

  • BD+ is effectively a virtual machine embedded in authorized players. It allows content providers to include executable programs on Blu-ray Discs.
    • examine the host environment, to see if the player has been tampered with. Every licensed playback device manufacturer must provide the BD+ licensing authority with memory footprints that identify their devices.
    • verify that the player's keys have not been changed.
    • execute native code, possibly to patch an otherwise insecure system.
    • transform the audio and video output. Parts of the content will not be viewable without letting the BD+-program repair it.

It is a java VM.....so java decryption, like smart cards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BD%2B

BD Lite

Playing/Ripping

DVDFAB: The PS3 doesn't support MKV, so, that part's irrelevant. The structure that DVDFab outputs can be written to disc (and is made for doing so), but, it doesn't actually REMOVE the Cinavia. It, instead, makes the media a "TRUSTED_SOURCE" by adding AACS encryption to it. The Cinavia detection code sees the valid AACS certificate and goes on its merry way.

Alternative Network Streaming:

XBMC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodi_%28software%29

  • Uses full GPU, so no player....but still on rpi, works great. OpenELEC.

Media

  • Taiyo Yuden doesn't make their own HTL discs at all to my knowledge. Their single layer discs are LTH.
  • Those particular DL discs are the same thing. JVC/TY just source them from Panasonic.
  • JVC/Taiyo Yuden get their HTL DL BD-R discs from Panasonic
  • If you want Verbatim brand, its easy to find them at Rima.com, or Supermediastore.com
  • Media Warranty?

Places to Look

Mdisc

Verbatim

Taiyo Yuden

  • 30pk - Dual Layer
  • BR-V50WWY30BC
    • Should be HTL
  • 73.98

Panasonic

  • 50pk
  • LM-BRS25LT50
    • HTL
  • 100
  • 80.16

Sony

  • 50pk
  • 50BNR1VGPP4
    • HTL? (Black Back?)
  • 48.00

Another:

  • 50BNR25AP6
  • ?

TDK

http://www.tdk.com/oem.php
1-800-835-8273
tdk
1033445

Digistor

  • 25pk - Dual Layer
  • DIG-11536-25
  • 75.00

and

BD-R RE

  • To Test your system and software, figuring out how to burn:

TDK

  • 20pk
  • BEV25PWA20PK
  • mid: CMCMAG-CN2-000
  • 23.99

Verbatim

  • 10pk - REG
  • 43694
  • 17.83

and

  • 10pk - 50GB
  • VBE260NP10V1
  • 36.49
  • Verbatim Mitsubishi

Sony

  • 25pk
  • 25BNE1VGPP2
  • 28.00

Cases

I guess to look cool?:

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