Getting a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Drive

(Yet one more entry in the never-ending series of me writing guides originally for myself and then formatting them for publication on my blog.)

Background

My family, like many families, has a large collection of CDs and DVDs containing innumerable family photos, videos, and other high-sentimentality memorabilia. I recently put together a NAS, and am looking to back up these and my own audio CDs to that NAS. To do so, I will need a CD/DVD drive. I currently have three or four: one in an eMachines that is over 20 years old, one that is in the first computer I ever built (2009, with 2006 parts), one that is in my second custom PC (2012), and one of those thin external USB CD/DVD drives you see on Amazon. (I say "three or four" because it is possible that the drive from the 2009 computer is in the 2012 computer.) The old computers containing these drives have PSUs which, due to age, are untrustworthy; and were I to shuck those drives, they themselves would have capacitors beyond the limits of their expected lifespans. I accordingly can't rely on those for reading hundreds of precious CDs and DVDs. And I'm afraid to use my external USB player, since it makes a very loud saw noise when it reads discs — I don't want to risk damaging any of this precious media; and in any case, I don't want to hear a loud saw noise during rips (though I do have to admit that it is somewhat handy having such a clear audio cue).

And so, I set out to get a better drive — ideally one that can do everything. And, being aware that CDs hold on to data longer than HDDs and SSDs, I also set out to learn what the best options for long-long-term storage are, since I'd like to be able to write family memories to media to give to family members and have that media last the rest of their lives.

Media longevity

(The following lifespans are ballparks provided by ChatGPT, so take them with a grain of salt.) If you want to store digital data for a long time, you have to use CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, or M-DISCs. HDDs (10+ years) and especially SSDs/flash (5+ years) are unable to store digital data long-term without significant corruption. Pressed CDs and DVDs (50+ years) have longer lifespans than homebrewed CD-Rs and DVD-Rs (30+ years), and CD-RWs and DVD-RWs (10+ years) do not have comparatively great longevity. Blu-Rays have great longevity, but this decreases with extra layers; for maximum longevity (100+ years) use single-layer (25G) HtL (not LtH) discs. For the most durability possible, use M-DISCs (100G, 1000+ years) (which are affordable and expansive, but comparatively expensive).

As an anecdotal example of the above numbers: There's a pressed music CD at the family cabin that's 50 years old and still plays perfectly, despite years of being fully-exposed to Minnesota's winter temperatures; meanwhile our Gamecube saves, stored under continuous climate control on flash memory and just a little over 20 years old, are all bitrotten.

Balancing longevity, storage capacity, and price, single-layer HtL BD-Rs (Blu-Rays that can be written only once) come out as the winner for me for cheap, easily-distributable long-long-term storage: They range from $0.40 to $1.00 (depending on bulk and quality), can store obscene amounts of data for a mere disc, and will last longer than almost anyone I know will be alive. A terrabyte of single-layer BD-R storage at $0.50 per disc is only $20. That's less than half the cost of a 1TB 5400 RPM HDD (around $50). The same 1TB in M-DISCs is about $40.

CD-Rs and DVD-Rs still have their own valuable niches, too, of course. CD/DVD readers are a lot cheaper and more-abundant than Blu-Ray readers, and 30+ years of longevity is still fantastic for such cheap media.

(Worth noting: M-DISCs write at a much slower speed than Blu-Rays. They're really just for things you would say you want inscribed into stone.)

"Defective by Design"

When you start looking for a Blu-Ray player/writer, you inevitably hear about how it's become impossible to play 4k UHD Blu-Ray discs on modern computers. The reason why is that UHD Blu-Rays come with a kind of DRM that depends on Intel SGX: a dead technology that only exists on old Intel CPUs (gens 6–10), and which requires motherboard firmware support. Without such hardware, you simply cannot play your 4k UHD Blu-Ray discs. RIP.

Thankfully, people have figured out how to get UHD Blu-Rays to work on modern computers even without SGX. The first step in that process is to find an unlocked drive, or to to crossflash a compatible drive to become unlocked. This enables you to then use tools to circumvent the DRM. The legality of DRM circumvention varies by jurisdiction (It is not legal in the USA.), but by itself, simply just crossflashing does not circumvent any DRM, and is therefore (to my knowledge) perfectly legal. (Though, please note that nothing I write ever constitutes legal advice!) While I don't own any UHD Blu-Rays (I prefer playing videogames over watching movies.), I personally hate the mere idea of being locked-out of using something I own, and so would like an unlocked or crossflashed player just out of principle.

Pressed Blu-Ray discs can easily last over a century, and there will in the next couple decades come a time when it is nearly impossible to buy working second-hand hardware with SGX (if for no other reason than that their capacitors will have all gone bad), which will forever lock nearly everyone out of playing those discs on their computers. There will also someday come a day when it becomes impossible to buy copies of UHD movies — I already can't find used copies of some CDs that are only 15 years old. It's accordingly quite important to be able to play the discs you own on the hardware available to you, and it's likewise important to be able to back those discs up in case they are ever scratched beyond use (such as by a child). DRM is often described as "Defective by Design" because it regularly forces people into impossible situations like this. It wouldn't be such a big deal if we could still legally defeat such DRM; so the corporations behind DRM lobbied the government to write laws against DRM circumvention. These laws are naught more than a coup of reasonable governance by corporations desperate to suck out as much money from us as possible, externalities be damned. The harm their policies do to society outweigh the minimal extra cash they rake in (DRM is generally ineffective at preventing piracy.). No government has any business restricting what you can do with your own property in this such a way.

Laws change, and should DRM circumvention ever be re-legalized, having a drive capable of reading UHD Blu-Rays is critically important for preserving such media over an even longer term.
That said, pressed UHD Blu-Ray discs will (if not damaged) outlive all players presently extant, since their drives' capacitors will eventually degrade, and the flash memory containing their firmware eventually will too — long before the Blu-Rays themselves decay into oblivion. So unless the laws against circumventing DRM are repealed within the lifespan of current drives (in the next couple decades), it's all kind of moot.

What to do?

Options

But for me, my primary need right now is backing up family memorabilia and my personal audio CDs, and I'd like the best CD player I can get for those. These four products are the best disc readers ever to have been made, and they are sadly no longer produced:

• BDR-S13J-X (fancy model, internal version)
• BDR-X13J-X (BDR-S13J-X with a fancy USB case)
• BDR-S13EBK (standard model, internal version)
• BDR-X13EBK (BDR-S13-S with a USB case)

Their firmwares are capable of reading through scratches and scuffs that other readers cannot. And they support reading/writing Blu-Ray discs, including M-DISCs (which, it bears mentioning, are not supported by all Blu-Ray players). And, amazingly, all of these are capable of reading UHD Blu-Rays even without crossflashing… so long as they are running firmware v1.3 or earlier.

As for which of the four to get, it does not super-much matter which:

• The differences between the fancy models and the standard models are really just in unnecessary excess — a bit like buying a golden toilet. Both have identical capabilities and are equally good at what they do. Realistically, the only meaningful differences are that the fancy models will last longer, due to their better capacitors, and run a little quieter, due to better sound isolation. Given that all of these drives are no longer in production and that nothing this good is likely to ever be made again, the upcharge for the fancy version is, imho, worth the expense. Quality Japanese capacitors can last decades, meaning I could have 20 years ahead of me with the fancy drive, and maybe even longer if I recap it.
• Personally, I'd recommend trying to get one of the options with a USB enclosure if you can, because the 3rd-party ones kinda suck. The fancy model's case is better than the standard model's case, but the biggest difference between them (feet) is easily resolved by buying some noise-isolation feet.

Dates of manufacture

It's important to note, however, that, in order to read UHD Blu-Ray discs, any Pioneer drive in the above list must have been built sometime between and including January 2016 and September 2022 (firmware v1.03 or earlier); else, it cannot be used to back up/burn UHD Blu-Ray discs (and you aren't able to revert to an older firmware). Accordingly, you need to ask the following to any sellers you are looking at buying from:

When was this unit produced? Is there a manufacture date on the box?

As well, whatever you get must either be sold as new and unopened or explicitly sold as unlocked/crossflashed/UHD-enabled, else there is no way to guarantee that the firmware has not been updated.

Knowing the date is also helpful as a way to predict longevity — capacitors have semi-predictable lifespans. The standard model could last over a decade, and the fancy model could last over two decades.

Crossflashing

If you have acquired a drive that can read UHD Blu-Rays without SGX, you can skip this section. If you have acquired a drive that can't but which can be crossflashed to do so, you either need to crossflash it or pay someone to crossflash it for you.

Alternatively, you could purchase a pre-crossflashed drive from one of several sellers (like this one); or you can buy a drive that is able to read UHD Blu-Rays without crossflashing. Here are links to get known-good versions of the internal versions of the Pioneer drives I mentioned earlier:

• Standard model
• Fancy model

Note that options for buying known-good versions of these Pioneer drives are rapidly disappearing from the market. There are only a handful left as of March 24, 2025. There will likely be none come the end of April.

Chassis

If an internal model is purchased, a third-party USB adapter must be purchased. Here are your options:

• Use a universal powered SATA-to-USB adapter with UASP, make a sleeve for your drive, and attach sound-isolating feet.
  • The most-obvious option for a sleeve is to 3D-print one in TPU (which will protect the drive and help absorb vibrations). For aesthetics, you can vinyl-wrap the print. On the whole, though, this is not a very luxurious way to house such an expensive drive. And I don't love the exact designs of existing sleeves. A 3D model of the wooden sleeve I describe below could be nice. This one already has its cutout in the right spot, and could be used as a starting point for a better enclosure.
  • Another option is to build a sleeve out of wood. This will look better with the fancy drive, since you can stain the wood to match the drive's copper accents.
    • Hardwoods are apparently best for staining, and natural stains are apparently best for use around heat (You wouldn't want to cause toxic off-gassing, would you?).
    • There would need to be 5 pieces of wood, all mitered together with wood glue.
    • The wood should be as thin as possible (to be less-insulating) without becoming fragile — let's say 3/8".
    • This wooden chassis should be designed so that there is 1/16" of gap between it and the drive on all sides, to help with airflow and avoid any potential issues related to thermal expansion.
      • The drive can be secured to the chassis at all possible mounting holes with black-painted screws and 1/16" thick rubber washers.
      • To help facilitate drive entry/removal, some 1/16" strips of felt can be added inside the chassis, two to the middle of the top plate and one each to the tops of the side plates; and the rubber washers can be glued to their positions (thus avoiding the extreme annoyance of having to keep them in-place against the force of gravity and friction with the drive); the drive can then be easily inserted or removed by first rotating the chassis to be upside-down.
    • You will need to have a cutout at the back for the SATA-to-USB dongle.
      • I'd recommend being as flush as possible with the dongle on all sides, to provide support and decrease the odds that you will gradually damage the SATA connectors on the drive as you use it. An easy way to do this, is to dry-fit the chassis, rubber-band it together, put some double-sided tape on the back of the dongle, attach the dongle to the drive, slide the drive in, press firmly, and remove the rubber bands and the side panels — the dongle will now be stuck to the back panel, thus allowing you to trace it and then cut along that trace.
      • The back face of the back panel should also be made flush with the dongle, for maximum support and aesthetics.
      • It's important that the space between the back of the drive and the back of the dongle is air, not wood, as heat needs to be able to get out. This back space can easily be perforated with a few lines of 3/8" holes along all sides, to allow that heat to escape.
    • Much of the bottom can be cut-out, which will permit better heat dissipation when paired with feet (which will raise the drive slightly above whatever it's sitting on), which as already mentioned are things you'll need to add anyway.
    • 3/8" holes can optionally be drilled into the side panels to allow some amount of convection from the bottom cut-out through those sides, and if skill permits, these holes can be angled to help warm air rise out of them.
    • The end-result will be something that looks like premium vintage audio equipment, which in many ways, this is.
    • If desired, a decal can be added to the top face, or a maker's mark to the back.
  • Building an enclosure out of metal is also possible, though not something most people can easily do. This would offer the best thermals.
  • If you hate aesthetics, don't mind sticking adhesive feet directly to your very expensive drive, and don't mind risking bumping the SATA-to-USB dongle and damaging the SATA connectors on your completely irreplaceable drive, you can also choose to forgo an enclosure.
• Buy the OWC Mercury Pro and drill custom mounting holes into its bottom (It will not fit your drive stock.) or make a longer front panel or deal with the eyesore that is a drive that juts way out of its chassis. Also, do your best to ignore that this chassis is a different color than your drive. This can actually be kinda fine with the standard drive, which has silver accents on its front; but the fancy drive will color-clash with this enclosure. You can ameliorate this by painting the enclosure, or you can somewhat ameliorate this by vinyl-wrapping it (which would have the secondary advantage of hiding the unused side holes), or if you have very specific equipment and skills, you could theoretically annodize this aluminium chassis to semi-match the coppery accents on the fancy drive.
• Buy the Vantec NexStar DX2, but be aware that its USB interface can be unreliable — so much so that some crossflashers refuse help to people who are using it.
  • That said, you can remove the electronics that come with this, which would expose the back of the drive, which would allow you to use a more-reliable SATA-to-USB adapter. This would probably be the single best option for an off-the-shelf chassis, but it's expensive to do, and you may want to make a custom rear shroud to help stabilize the adapter (to protect the SATA inteface on the drive from bumps).
• Chance it on a less-reviewed solution.
  • Why would you entrust your irreplaceable, very expensive drive to unknown hardware?
  • The only reliable way to do this is to plan to replace the controller with a trusted universal adapter, or to extensively test the included controller yourself (if you know how).
  • All that said, this one looks interesting. It has an eSATA port and has venting holes for improved thermals.
• Unless you get extremely lucky with an eBay listing, it is semi-impossible to get an official Pioneer chassis for these; those chasses were only ever sold as part of a package deal with a drive. The only reliable way to get one would be to buy a second drive (ie, one of the post-2022 ones that can't be used to read UHD Blu-Rays), shuck the enclosure, and attempt to resell the internal drive as open-box, which would ultimately be quite expensive (but entirely doable).
• Buy a cheap non-Pioneer drive that includes an enclosure you like, shuck the enclosure, and re-sell the drive as open-box. Your risk here is that the enclosure might be made for shorter drives than what you have.

Configuration

Install BD Drive Utility and ensure that you have enabled PureRead, as well as any other settings you want. These will be persistent across OSes. Make sure to keep a copy of the installer, in case it ever becomes unavailable in the future.

Firmware

Before you do anything, you should dump your EEPROM, just to have a backup.

Your drive's firmware will not update automatically.

If your drive is below firmware v1.3, you should be able to safely upgrade to v1.3 if you'd like to do so.

Be VERY CAREFUL to NEVER update the drive's firmware past v1.3. If you ever update the firmware to v1.5 or higher, you will ruin the drive for UHD Blu-Rays. v1.4 might ruin it — it varies by drive, but why would you take that risk? If you ruin your drive, you will very likely never be able to find another UHD-enabled drive that is anywhere remotely near the same caliber.

That said, if you can, you should download through your browser (not through BD Drive Utility) a copy of firmwares v1.3, v1.4, and v1.5, just to have them on-hand, just in case. These drives are no longer made, and firmware is accordingly no longer being released for them; and there is no guarantee that the firmware will always be available for download. It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. And you don't know what the future holds — if Pioneer's internal key ever leaks someday (extremely unlikely), v1.5 will become able to read UHD Blu-Rays.

Be aware: You will not have access to Fragile Disc Mode unless you are on firmware v1.5. You probably don't actually need this feature though, and I don't think it's worth sacrificing the ability to read UHD Blu-Rays for.

Here is a page with all the latest firmware on it. The "J" models aren't on this page, but they should be the same firmware as their corresponding C/E/U models. You can access older firmware versions by editing the URL and changing the version number there. However, I have found that firmware version 1.03 is no longer available, and instead returns 404s.

Also, I just want to mention: the firmware versions I'm mentioning are only accurate for the four Pioneer drives I listed earlier. Other Pioneer drives have different version numbers. What matters is whether the version you are on was released before October 2022.

Maintenance

Over the span of 20+ years, the flash memory containing the firmware on the drive is likely to bitrot. You may periodically (every few years) want to proactively re-flash the v1.3 firmware, just to clear out any corruption that may have occurred since the last flash. Failing to do this could eventually (after decades) result in you being unable to use the drive without disassembling and J-Tagging it.

After a decade (for the standard model) and a couple decades (for the fancy model), you should consider opening the drive to inspect the capacitors, to ensure that they're not visibly degrading. To use the drive over the very-long-term, you'll eventually have to replace the capacitors.

Ensuring that your drive runs cool will help prolong its life. How cool your drive runs is dependent upon ambient temperature and choice of chassis.

Usage

It's best to run disc drives horizontally versus vertically. That's good, because disk drives themselves are obviously stabler (less-likely to tip over) when horizontal.