Openai/69260c86-a990-8012-96c2-0829aa376116
This conversation was exported from ChatGPT[1]
gpt-5-1 edit
User: Can someone point me to where I can find a 4K UHD drive for PC? edit
Can someone point me to where I can find a 4K UHD drive for PC? USB or SATA version. I tried to look and got many listing on Amazon but I am pretty sure the $30 4K USB drive is because the seller is an idiot who doesn't realize most BD-ROM does not have 4k support.
Thanks in advance.
Assistant: Here’s the short, no-nonsense guide to getting a real UHD-capable Blu-ray drive for a PC SATA or USB, and how to avoid … edit
Here’s the short, no-nonsense guide to getting a real UHD-capable Blu-ray drive for a PC (SATA or USB), and how to avoid the fake Amazon listings:
✅ What You actually need for TRUE 4K UHD support edit
Most drives advertised as “4K” on Amazon for $25–$40 are lying — they only read standard Blu-ray (BD-ROM), NOT UHD-BD.
A real UHD-capable drive must meet UHD-BD (Ultra HD Blu-ray) specs, which means:
- It must support BDXL (triple/quad layer Blu-ray)
- It must have firmware capable of reading AACS 2.0 UHD discs
- Usually costs $70–$150+, depending on model
⭐ RELIABLE KNOWN UHD-BD DRIVES (REAL ONES) edit
Internal SATA UHD Drives edit
These are the ones people actually use for ripping & playback:
1. LG WH16NS60 edit
- True UHD support
- Newer firmware is locked (“EN” firmware), but works fine for playback
- Widely supported in PC setups Search: ➡️ “LG WH16NS60 UHD Blu-ray Drive”
2. ASUS BW-16D1HT (firmware 3.02+ supports UHD) edit
- Great build quality
- Also UHD-capable Search: ➡️ “ASUS BW-16D1HT UHD Blu-ray Drive”
External USB UHD Drives (Legit Ones) edit
IMPORTANT: Most “external UHD drives” on Amazon are regular drives in a USB enclosure. That’s fine as long as the internal drive is one of the models above.
Look for these:
1. ASUS ZenDrive U9M (UHD-capable models only) edit
Sometimes sold as ASUS BW-16D1HT inside a USB enclosure.
2. Archgon / OWC Mercury Pro edit
Premium external 4K UHD enclosures with real UHD drives:
- Archgon MD-8107S-U3
- OWC Mercury Pro External Blu-ray (often contains LG WH16NS60)
Expect: $130–$200
🚫 What to avoid edit
If the listing says:
- “4K Blu-ray compatible”
- “Plays 4K movies from disc”
- “4K upscaling drive”
- “4K for data only”
- “4K external DVD”
…or the price is ≤ $50, it is NOT a UHD BD drive.
Those drives can:
- Burn DVDs
- Read normal Blu-rays
- Play 4K video files (from your PC) But NOT read Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.
📌 Suggested safe shopping links (no specific sellers, but product names) edit
Search for:
- “LG WH16NS60”
- “ASUS BW-16D1HT UHD”
- “OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray”
- “Archgon MD-8107S-U3-UHD”
These names will help you skip the fake listings and narrow to real hardware.
If you want, tell me: edit
- Internal or external?
- Budget?
- Playback or ripping?
I can recommend the best specific model based on what you're doing.
References edit
- ↑ "4K UHD drive guide". ChatGPT. Retrieved 2025-11-26.