In the streaming-player community, the Nvidia Shield TV always has been a bit of an outlier. The first-generation device had a smart concept — it was half gaming console, half streaming box — and it had a clumsy design. The second-generation model fixed many of the faults, but it still costs a lot of money (almost $300) in a marketplace where 4K HDR streamers are normally $50.
Its new Nvidia Shield TV ($150) is a departure from the company’s previous offerings. And, after spending some time with a new device, Once you get beyond the Shield TV’s odd aesthetic (it’s just an enlarged cigarette lighter), it’s capable of a lot.
You may experience quickly loading 4K HDR content & ambitious AI upgrading for 1080p video in addition to streaming top-notch PC games out of your library. The Android TV OS, on the other hand, has thousands of apps as well as smart-home and digital-assistant capabilities.
The new Shield TV maybe a little pricey for casual videophiles, but this is one of the top streaming players you can purchase for people who want to watch, game, and bring their equipment to the party.
What you will see here?
Price and availability
The new Nvidia Shield is available in two versions: the commonly accessible cylinder Nvidia Shield and the Nvidia Shield Pro, which comes with 1GB of more RAM and a bigger hard drive.
The former retails for $149 (£129), while the latter costs $199 (£179). The Nvidia Shield Controller is not included in any of the two configurations, however, all devices are compatible with the DualShock4 & Xbox One controllers, and the newer PS5 DualSense & Xbox Series X controllers.
That price is greater than that of the entry-level 4K video streaming devices on the market. Such as the
For the price difference, there is a difference in performance & feature set. But the new Shield is not the player for those searching for low-cost 4K streaming.
Design
You expected to despise the Shield TV when you brought it home after seeing it for the first time. The Shield TV is a strange black cylinder that sits horizontally someplace below your TV, rather than a little box or dongle. There is a power port as well as an Ethernet port on one end, a microSD card slot, an HDMI port, as well as a hard reset button on the other.
It looks nothing so much as a large cable-management tube, with cables pouring out of both sides — and such a tube wouldn’t look out of place behind a TV. It’s also hefty and solid enough to prevent the tangle of wires from hoisting it up and causing it to hang.
Users with a long memory may recall that the previous-generation Shield TV also had two USB ports. It’s a pity to remove these, although a) the MicroSD card slot serves most needs just fine, and b) the old-style Shield TV with updated Shield TV capabilities is still available also as Nvidia Shield TV Pro ($200).
Interface
The 2019 Shield TV, like previous generations, operates here on the Android TV operating system. If you haven’t looked at Android OS in a while, it’s worth noting that the user interface has improved significantly. While it’s a bit time-consuming, you can personalize your home screen to place the material you want in the forefront and remove the content that doesn’t.
If you’ve never used Android TV before, it divides material into rows. All of your favorite applications will appear in the first row. Below a certain, there might be an entire row devoted to Netflix and the things you’re viewing there. You could have the same item for YouTube, gaming, and so on below that. It’s simple to use and puts so little space between you and the information you need.
There’s a little cryptic and doesn’t do a great job of grouping material into browsable categories. However, a new upgrade has made it much simpler to locate what you’re searching for – and if that doesn’t work. You can always use a text and voice search. Even though it’s not as extensive as the Roku search or as comprehensive as the Apple TV search. You had no issue finding the applications you needed.
Nvidia Shield TV: Features that most Android TV lack
Nvidia Games are another feature found on the Shield TV that isn’t seen on most Android TV devices. This will take you to a selection of Android games as well as GeForce Now. GeForce Now, which has gone through several incarnations, is a free game-streaming platform. There are a few completely free titles, such as Batman: Arkham City & Tomb Raider (2013), but they are primarily leftovers from a previous trial.
GeForce Now is primarily a means to stream games that you’ve previously purchased through Steam, UPlay, or other similar services. It’s very brilliant how this works. On a remote server, you log into your Steam/UPlay account, which then downloads and streams the game to your Shield TV. It’s not always clear which games will function and which won’t, however, the Shield will alert you if you choose an incompatible title.
The current version of GeForce Now is a little clumsy, but it gets the job done, especially if you already have a lot of games on Steam. It’s made great strides since the Shield TV’s original debut when it was an experimental jumble of GeForce Now.
Nvidia Shield TV: Remote
A new version’s remote control is one of the most noticeable differences from prior Shield TV models. While previous Shield TVs came with remotes, they also came with controllers, which were Nvidia’s preferred method of interaction with the system.
A controller is no longer included with the $150 Shield TV. This isn’t a big deal, though, because you can now use any controller you want, such as other Android controllers, Xbox One controllers, or even DualShock 4 controllers. Pairing is simple, and sure most individuals interested in purchasing a Shield TV already have at the most one compatible device.
The Shield TV, on the other hand, comes come with new remote control. A black triangular prism with 2 rows of round buttons runs along the front of the new remote control. In addition to all the conventional media controls (play/pause, rewind, fast-forward, etc. ). You receive circular direction controls with a confirm button in the center. There was also a dedicated Netflix button at the bottom, that’s not essential but also doesn’t hurt.
The remote has a fascinating function that when you pick that up, it instantly illuminates, making it easier to see that in a dark room. However, until the lighting comes in, the buttons are rather dark, making illumination a must, even in a relatively bright space. It would have been much simpler to produce lighter-colored buttons. The remote uses two AA batteries, which is an improvement over the coin-cell batteries used in earlier Shield TV remotes, although a renewable peripheral would be good.
Content and apps
Thousands of applications are available for Android TV, however, like with other app stores. There was a lot more chaff than wheat. At the absolute least, you’ll be able to access
Shield TV has a track record of receiving new apps before the rest of the Android TV ecosystem. That was the situation with
It’s worth mentioning that the constructed Google Assistant can also use to set routines and even operate some smart-home devices. If you prefer Alexa, you can program the Shield TV to respond to requests via
Nvidia Shield TV: Performance
A Shield TV is a capable gadget, with a Tegra X1+ engine, 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, and Dolby Vision & Atmos compatibility.
As a result, there’s no need to go into great detail about video performance. The Shield TV loads & buffers 4K HDR material extremely quickly, far quicker than $50 rivals like a Roku Streaming Stick+ and the
What’s even more intriguing is what Shield TV accomplishes with all of its newfound capabilities. Nvidia has included a unique sort of AI upscaling in the software. The Shield TV uses an algorithm that can make 1080p images appear more like 4K images, in both motion and when paused, without going into details on how it works.
According to how active you want to be, you may set this advancement to Low, Medium, or High, or turn it off altogether if you don’t believe it. Experience, it worked rather well, however it did occasionally change the colors of a photo for no apparent reason. You also find that after a film or TV show was on for a time. If you didn’t notice a change. Comparing still photographs is entertaining. But not sure you would have realized when you were playing with algorithms if you hadn’t previously understood.
Shield TV handles the games
What’s more striking is how well the Shield TV handles games. The Shield TV, as previously noted, transmits games you already possess from a remote server; all you have to do is provide a controller or keyboard.
The Shield TV, on the other hand, did not lag at all. The game broadcasting in 1080p quality at fps looks to be much above 30 frames per second. Tomb Raider, Spec Ops: The Line, and The Witcher III: Wild Hunt all will give you similar feelings. It’s a fantastic piece of technology and you will get blown away. This could play a full-fledged PC game in your bedroom without having to haul the entire gaming setup in.
Conclusion
The Shield TV (2019) isn’t as big as it was a few years ago. But it doesn’t come with quite as much. Despite this, I believe it is a better product. Charging $150 for a streaming device is just a lot fairer than asking $200 or more. As well as the new Shield TV does pretty much everything the old one did. It’s even better at certain things. It has Google Assistant inbuilt and also works with Alexa that’s pretty well.
The Shield TV clearly aims at a gaming/streaming crowd rather than the typical binge-watcher, out of its ambitious AI upgrading to its surprisingly decent game streaming. However, It believes offers nearly everything that gamers and streamers want at a lot more attractive cost than before. Simply grab your preferred controller and you’re ready to start.
