OmniDrive
From Redump Wiki
| Note: If you have issues or questions with flashing your drive, please ask on the redump forum or VGPC discord. It is much easier to help you before you flash your drive, than after flashing it incorrectly! |
On 2026-02-18, RibShark released the OmniDrive firmware for MediaTek MT1959-based bluray drives manufactured by Hitachi-LG Data Storage (HLDS).
OmniDrive is highly recommended by redump, and the firmware directly replaces the old modified JB8 firmware (3.10 Rib) previously recommended by redump since 2022.
Beyond enabling lead-out reading on CDs, OmniDrive also allows dumping many other game discs previously not readable by the stock firmware (GameCube, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X), raw DVD reading (2064-byte sectors), raw BD reading (2052-byte sectors, including scrambled Wii U reading), lead-in/lead-out reading for DVDs and BDs, and provides an option for FUA (force unit access) allowing for better refining of disc dumps. Redumper (build 702 onwards) supports all of these features.
Contents |
Compatible Drives
OmniDrive currently has two firmware versions available, a modification of the ASUS BW-16D1HT 3.02 firmware, and a modification of the LG BU40N 1.00 firmware. The code is open source, and the modified firmware can be built yourself, provided you have the stock firmware.
In theory, any drive manufactured by HLDS using the MT1959 chipset may be compatible with OmniDrive. However, we cannot guarantee this is true for all possible configurations, the drive models listed below are compatible to the best of our knowledge.
The two firmware modifications currently released allow for cross-flashing many drive models: half-height desktop drives based on JB8 platform can be cross-flashed to the ASUS 3.02 firmware, and newer (2015+) LG super slim (9.55mm) blu-ray writer drives can be cross flashed to the BU40N 1.00 firmware. If you are unsure if your drive is the compatible model, MakeMKV must report a MT1959 chipset (MT1959HWDN on chip label). If MakeMKV reports MT1939 then is not compatible with OmniDrive ("MT1939" drives have MT1959UWDN or MT1959USFN on the chip label, but it is based on the older MT1939 chip).
Half-height Drives
You can determine if your drive will be compatible by reading the sticker's manufacturing date and the PCB date code on your drive. Drives with a manufacturing date of 2015 or earlier are likely to be incompatible (Older MT1959 chipsets, that MakeMKV report as MT1939).
You must ensure that the PCB code says JB8 2015.05.08 (it may be partially obscured by the drive case). Other PCB codes such as JB7 and JBC5 drives are not compatible with OmniDrive. If you cannot see the PCB code (such as online listings before purchasing), JB8 models typically have a flat top with four dimples, while the older incompatible JB7 models have a circular top. The PCB code is the best indicator however.
If you already own an older HLDS drive that are not MT1959-based ("MT1939", chip label MT1959UWDN or MT1959USFN), many models can still be flashed with firmware versions that enable scrambled reading and can still be dumped with Redumper (with caveats). For instructions on flashing older LG/ASUS drive models, see Flashing Older HLDS Drives.
| Model | Notes |
|---|---|
| Asus BC-12D2HT ✱ | BD Reader only (cannot burn Blu-rays). Older models cannot be flashed. |
| Asus BW-16D1HT ✱ | "BW-16D1HT PRO" model is identical. Older models cannot be flashed. Note: The "BW-16D1HT a" (a suffix, found on Aliexpress) cannot be flashed. |
| LG UH12NS40 | BD Reader only (cannot burn Blu-rays). CH12NS40 is unknown. |
| LG WH14NS40 ✱ | Only newer models can be flashed. |
| LG BH14NS40 ✱ | Only newer models can be flashed. |
| LG BH16NS40 ✱ | Only newer models can be flashed. |
| LG WH16NS40 ✱ | Only newer models can be flashed. |
| LG BH16NS50 ✱ | Older models (2015, v0495) unknown, may not be able to flash. |
| LG BH16NS55 | |
| LG BH14NS58 | |
| LG BH16NS58 | |
| LG WH16NS58 | |
| LG BH16NS60 | JB9-based drive. Can be cross-flashed to OmniDrive firmware. |
| LG WH16NS60 | JB9-based drive. Can be cross-flashed to OmniDrive firmware. |
✱ Older productions of these drive models are not compatible with OmniDrive (PCB codes JB7 2011.11.17 or JBC5 2012.05.02 are not compatible, typically manufactured 2015 and earlier)
Slim Drives
| Model | Notes |
|---|---|
| LG BU40N | Internal slim drive. Also includes OEM variants of BU40N, e.g. HP, Dell. |
| LG BU50N | Internal slim drive. Untested with OmniDrive, but is cross-flashable to BU40N so should work. |
| LG BP50NB40 | External USB drive, must have svc code NB50 or NB52. Requires extra flashing step, read MakeMKV forum. |
| LG BP60NB10 | External USB drive, untested, should have svc code NB10 or NB12. May require extra flashing step, not yet tested. |
| Verbatim 43888 | External USB drive with USB-C port, must be newer LG BU40N variant, drives manufactured before 2025 are always the older incompatible Pioneer BDR-UD04 variant (most but not all manufactured in 2025 are BU40N). |
| Verbatim 43889 | External USB drive with USB-C port, must be newer LG BU40N variant, drives manufactured before 2025 are always the older incompatible Pioneer BDR-UD03 variant (most but not all manufactured in 2025 are BU40N). |
| Verbatim 43890 | External USB drive with USB 3.0 Micro-B port and power supply, must be newer LG BU40N variant (unconfirmed if BU40N variants exist), drives manufactured before 2025 are always the older incompatible Pioneer BDR-UD03 variant. |
| Buffalo BRUHD-PU3-BK | External USB drive, BU40N internally. The enclosure may interfere with drive inquiry data, but redumper should still detect OmniDrive if flashed correctly. |
| Buffalo BRXL-PTV6U3 | External USB drive, BU40N internally. The enclosure may interfere with drive inquiry data, but redumper should still detect OmniDrive if flashed correctly. |
Flashing Instructions
DO NOT FLASH THE INCORRECT FIRMWARE: USE ASUS 3.02 FOR DESKTOP DRIVES, USE BU40N 1.00 FOR SLIM DRIVES. YOU MAY BRICK YOUR DRIVE IF YOU FLASH THE WRONG ONE
Windows Flashing Instructions
- Ensure that the latest version of MakeMKV is installed.
- Download SDFtool Flasher v1.3.5 (see MakeMKV forum for more info).
- Download OmniDrive v1.0.2 (ASUS for half-height desktop drives with JB8 platform, BU40N for slim drives. Do not flash the incorrect one, triple check your drive model!).
- Ensure that only your compatible drive is connected to the PC and no disc is inserted.
- If you are flashing an LG external USB drive (WP50NB40 svc NB50/NB52 or BP50NB40 svc NB50/NB52), there is an extra flashing step before you flash OmniDrive.
- Run SDFtool.exe, select your drive in the top drop-down, and select WRITE Firmware.
- On the bottom drop-down, select DE_LG_BP50NB40-NB50_1.03_MK.bin (Using v1.3.5 there is no need to toggle the "encrypted" option, it should select "enc" automatically).
- Press "Start" and wait for it to flash. Once it is fully complete (wait 10 seconds after it says 100%), close SDFtool, and disconnect the USB drive.
- Reconnect the USB drive (again with no disc inserted), run SDFtool.exe and select your drive in the top drop-down, but this time select RECOVER Firmware and in the popup select the firmware you just flashed (DE_LG_BP50NB40-NB50_1.03_MK.bin).
- On the bottom drop-down ("Please select a firmware to write"), select the BU40N OmniDrive firmware, then press "Start" and wait for it to flash.
- After it has written the firmware and flashing is fully complete (wait 10 seconds after it says 100%), close SDFtool, and disconnect the USB drive.
- Your drive should now be compatible with Redumper (and MPF), as well as MakeMKV.
- If your drive is not an LG external USB drive, you can flash directly to OmniDrive.
- Run SDFtool.exe, select your drive in the top drop-down, and ensure WRITE Firwmare is selected.
- On the bottom drop-down, select the downloaded OmniDrive firmware bin file. (Using v1.3.5 there is no need to toggle the "encrypted" option, it will detect automatically).
- Press "Start" (High DPI screens may have an issue with SDFtool, the button may say "STA" or similar).
- After it has written the firmware and flashing is fully complete (wait 10 seconds after it says 100%), close SDFtool, and power cycle the drive (disconnect USB for external drive, or turn off PC for internal drives).
- Your drive should now be compatible with Redumper (and MPF), as well as MakeMKV.
Notes:
- Some drive enclosures/adapters may interfere with flashing the drive (e.g. the INIC-3619 chip in some BU40N drive enclosures).
Connect the drive directly to your computer via SATA or use a different enclosure/adapter if you get an Internal error 0x8d000000 when flashing. - After flashing OmniDrive firmware on your drive, it will appear to your computer as if it were an ASUS BW-16D1HT or HL-DT-ST BU40N. This is intentional and has no bad side effects when dumping or reading discs.
If you are burning important discs with your drive, you may want to flash your stock firmware again (use the updating tool provided by the manufacturer).
Linux Flashing Notes
Use the MakeMKV command line sdftool (bundled with MakeMKV) to flash the OmniDrive v1.0.2 onto your drive. You will need to check whether your current firmware is encrypted or not (e.g. ASUS BW-16D1HT firmware 3.11 is encrypted).
If you are using Linux, it is assumed you are capable of reading manuals for the specific instructions and operating the commandline on your specific system.
The version of `sdftool` that is bundled with MakeMKV 1.17.7 is recommended for flashing on Linux as later versions have a bug that has remained unfixed. See this forum post for more details.
