Streaming movies and games can be done in various ways and one of the most user-friendly options you can consider is buying an Nvidia Shield TV. However, there are several variations of the media player for sale, so which one do you need? And what can you do with it? We discuss this in this article.
The Shield TV from Nvidia is a popular cabinet with Android TV. We call it a media player. A new version of this was published at the end of 2019. There are two versions. The ordinary Shield TV (169 euros) with cylindrical housing and the slightly more powerful Pro version (219 euros) that looks more like its predecessor in appearance.
We have viewed the regular version for this article. In addition to a power connection, it has an HDMI connection, an Ethernet port and a micro-SD memory slot. The more expensive Pro model does not have a micro SD slot, but it does have two USB 3.0 ports. The Pro also has more storage space (16 GB versus 8 GB) and more RAM (3 GB versus 2 GB). If you have too little storage space, you can give the media player access to a network folder, for example on an nas.
The processor in both models, a Tegra X1 +, is only a small upgrade compared to the Tegra X1 from 2015 that was used in the earlier Shield TV. Fortunately, it can still come along very well. It is not for nothing that a variant of the processor is used in the Nintendo Switch. The main competitor is the Apple TV 4K that offers comparable performance. With this, Apple is investing heavily in its own streaming service and the Arcade game subscription.
Sound and Vision
In the field of image and sound, developments have gone quite fast in recent years. Consider the advance of 4K television, HDR and the related Dolby Vision that provides richer colors, more details in the light and dark parts of the screen and a much higher contrast. There are many implementations of hdr and with the important ones, like Dolby Vision and hdr10, the Shield TV can handle. The HDD material at YouTube cannot be played, but the range is also limited.
In terms of sound, Shield TV works well with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, among others. This completes the cinema experience. The image enhancements are primarily an added value with a 4K television. With artificial intelligence, the material is conveniently scaled up in lower resolution, so that it looks better. You can judge how well that works with the demo mode that you activate via the menu. Dolby Atmos actually really comes out with suitable equipment, such as an AV receiver and a set of speakers.
Streaming
The Shield TV is a very versatile streaming device for films and series such as Netflix, Disney + and many other popular streaming services. The speed is particularly noticeable: browsing through menus and launching apps, for example, is super fast and a Netflix title starts playing immediately after clicking. An app such as Plex or Kodi for your own collection of, for example, videos, music and photos, also plays everything effortlessly.
A major advantage is that the media player can play all important audio and video codings directly. The device itself or the underlying server (such as with Plex) does not then have to do a heavy job of converting formats. The new remote control is also very practical. The keys light up as soon as you pick them up, you do not have to point the remote control at the device and you can give commands via a button with the voice. We often prefer this when searching for videos on YouTube, for example.
Stream games
There is also added value in streaming games. Instead of installing Android games directly on your Shield TV (which is of course a good option), you can stream them. This is possible via the local network from your own game PC or via the internet with GeForce Now. Ideally, you use a controller for playing games. Nvidia has a suitable controller in its range, but you can also connect various wireless controllers via Bluetooth.
If you have a computer with enough graphics power, you can stream the games via the local network to the Shield TV. Although the game runs on your PC, image and sound are sent to the television. The actions that you perform with the controller are sent back to the PC. This way you can play on the couch in a relaxed way.
You can stream to the Shield TV in different ways. For example, there is the Steam Link app for games that you have purchased from the popular Steam distribution platform. You can also use Nvidia’s GameStream, which works for Steam games but also other games. GameStream requires a Nvidia graphics card. Both options work about equally well. In many cases it feels like you’re sitting at the PC itself. You will get the best performance if you use a fixed network connection for both the PC and Shield TV and no WiFi.
Do you not want the (relative) hassle of streaming via the local network or do you not have a game PC? GeForce Now is ideal if you want to play a game occasionally. You can use this to stream games via internet to the Shield TV. In fact, they then run from servers with Nvidia gpus.
The use of Geforce Now is still free, at least during the beta period. Unfortunately, there is a waiting list with an unknown waiting time. At Geforce Now, various good games are included. You can also play many games through this service that you have purchased at Steam or Uplay, for example. We have discussed the main functions of the Shield TV with this. Is it something for you?
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