Restarted the process of digitalizing my Blu-ray library for a Plex server and was astounded - implementing minor adjustments, my previously limited drive now efficiently supports 4K UHD discs.
In the world of home entertainment, a user has found a clever solution to digitize their 4K UHD Blu-ray collection. By leveraging the power of LibreDrive and MakeMKV, they've managed to unlock the full potential of their 4K UHD Blu-rays, bypassing digital rights management (DRM) restrictions.
The user stores the transcoded files on a secondary Solid State Drive (SSD) in their PC, with plans to move them to a Network Attached Storage (NAS) in the future. Their journey began when they discovered that their USB drive, suitable only for regular 1080p Blu-rays, was unable to handle the 4K UHD Blu-rays they had recently acquired.
LibreDrive, a specialized mode of operation for optical disc drives, came to their rescue. This mode, compatible with DVD, Blu-ray, or UHD drives, allows direct access to all the data on a disc without restrictions or limitations normally imposed by copy protection mechanisms. By utilizing LibreDrive-compatible hardware, software like MakeMKV can identify and access all files on a 4K UHD Blu-ray disc, including the main movie content and extras.
The process involves inserting the disc into a LibreDrive-compatible optical drive, running MakeMKV, which reads the disc data fully via the LibreDrive mode, extracting the main feature or other desired content, and saving the rip as a raw digital file. This method enables digitization of 4K UHD Blu-rays by avoiding DRM restrictions at the drive level, granting unrestricted disc access for archiving or playback purposes.
The user's Blu-ray drive, a Hitachi-LG BP55EB40, was found to be compatible with LibreDrive, as MakeMKV indicated that LibreDrive was possible but not enabled. The necessary firmware, a tool to flash it, and step-by-step instructions were found on the MakeMKV forums. After successfully flashing the firmware, LibreDrive was enabled on the user's Blu-ray drive.
Once the raw rips were saved, the user employed Handbrake to transcode the video content into a more efficient, smaller format. The user also took advantage of the 10-bit h.265 NVENC option for 4K discs to utilize their RTX 5080 GPU during the transcode process.
To stream and organize their digitized collection, the user is considering using Plex or Jellyfin. They are pleased that they didn't need a new Blu-ray drive to handle 4K discs with their current setup. The user also noted that the process can take up to an hour to rip a file, depending on its size.
The user recommends checking MakeMKV first to see if it indicates LibreDrive is possible on a specific drive. They are now enjoying the benefits of having a direct, unencumbered digital copy of their 4K UHD Blu-ray library, which they can access on compatible devices without the original physical disc.
- With the aid of their powerful PC, the user envisions upgrading their setup to accommodate smart-home devices, expanding their lifestyle into the realm of technology and home-and-garden gadgets.
- As their digital collection grows, the user contemplates organizing it on a desktop application like Plex or Jellyfin for seamless streaming.
- Embracing the world of gaming, the user considers leveraging the performance of their RTX 5080 GPU to enhance their PC gaming experience beyond the realm of 4K movies.
- The user notes that the process of digitizing their Blu-rays applies not only to Xbox entertainment but also to a myriad of other devices supporting movie-and-tv content, expanding their digital library's versatility.
- In the future, the user intends to transfer their 4K UHD Blu-ray collection from their primary PC to a NAS for centralized, convenient storage.
- Bypassing DRM restrictions, the user illustrates how technology can empower individuals to freely manage their digital assets, even in the realm of expensive gaming hardware like PCs or gaming consoles.
- Although the user's initial focus was on digitizing their 4K UHD Blu-ray collection, they now realize that this process has paved the way for a foray into various forms of entertainment through technology, opening up possibilities they hadn't considered before.
