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Nvidia Shield Android TV Review Updated

Overview of the Nvidia Shield Android TV

Since its first release in May 2015, the Nvidia Shield Android TV has been billed as the world’s best Android TV settop box. That continues to be the case as of December 2016. The Shield Android TV is also more powerful, technology-wise, than the Apple TV Gen 4, Amazon FireTV 2, or latest Roku. That said, the Apple TV is undeniably a better solution for Apple ecosystem users like my parents. Amazon’s ecosystem is a cost-effective solution, especially for Amazon Prime members; and the FireTV is also bolstered by Amazon’s investment in exclusive content. Meanwhile, the Android gaming ecosystem isn’t advanced enough to sway hard-core gamers from their Xbox One or PS4 game consoles.

Even Google seems more focused on Google Chromecast than Android TV. There were no mentions at 2016 I/O or Google’s September 2016 hardware announcement. Apple TV initially outpaced Android TV in terms of the available content channel apps (e.g. ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX and cable channel apps) and, to a lesser extent, games. Unique, Android TV-only capabilities such as Live Channels, DVR, Google Home and Nest smart home integration have been slow to arrive or to be upgraded. And, the Google Cast receiver app on Android TV still isn’t as capable as the software on Google Cast devices.

Without a doubt, the Nvidia Shield was and still is ahead of its time. The Xbox, PS4, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku each have their gaming/app ecosystems, leveraging millions of settops/console devices. By contrast, the Shield seems to exist more as a showcase for Nvidia’s technology prowess: both the power of its Tegra X1 integrated SOC and its cloud-based GPU computational infrastructure. In many ways, the Nvidia Shield Android TV demonstrates both the art of what’s possible for a streaming media device/game micro-console and the promise of a single, small form-factor device capable of handling all forms of content.

Hardware

Settop box

Unlike competitors’ cases, the Nvidia Shield is a flat, angular device. It takes up more space horizontally in your media cabinet (but less depth when affixed to the back of your LCD TV) than the Apple TV. On the back of the Shield TV’s case are ports for the power jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.0 jack supporting HDCP 2.2 for 4K/60fps video, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a micro-USB port, and a microSD slot. I like the expandibility of the Shield, particularly the micro-SD, but I prefer the simpler industrial design of the Apple TV.

At the heart of the Nvidia Shield is the Tegra X1 chipset. The Tegra X1 possesses a quad-core 64-bit processor cores and is combined with Nvidia’s 256-core Maxwell GPU. The Shield Android TV comes in two versions, differing only in storage: a 16GB solid state device list priced around $200 and a $500GB HD equipped version, priced around $300. With Android Marshmallow’s adoptable storage, you only need to buy the 16GB version plus a micro-SD card with whatever capacity storage that you need.

Game Controller

Each Nvidia Shield comes with a WiFi-Direct based game controller. Game controller responsiveness is comparable to both the Xbox and Playstation controllers. The controller’s battery can last for many weeks even though it is using WiFi-Direct, not Bluetooth Smart. It includes a microphone that permits voice input, which is particularly useful for content search and discovery. But the ergonomics is lacking: the controller is bulky, angular, and not as comfortable as the PS4 controller.

Remote Control

For an extra $50, you can optionally purchase a Bluetooth-based remote control intended for media streaming. This expensive remote control includes voice control and a touch pad. Given the high price of the Nvidia Shield, I would have preferred the remote control to be bundled along with the game controller. Longer term, this hasn’t been as much of an issue as I expected because I previously invested in the Logitech Harmony Smart Control and later invested in Google Home. Both of these can interoperate with the Nvidia Shield TV, though a number of keys–such as numeric input–remain unsupported.

Universal Voice Search

Voice recognition works very well in the apps that support it. Voice search capabilities have expanded since the Shield TV’s release. It is now possible to use Google voice search across apps, get the latest sports scores, and weather updates. Universal search works across Google Play, YouTube, Netflix, HULU, VUDU, Starz, Disney Movies and more.

Video Playback

There is no better media player on the market for either local media files or 4K/HDR video streaming. The Nvidia Shield Android TV is the ideal solution for those videophiles that previously built their own home theater PC (HTPC). It can play almost any modern file format in up to 2160p/60fps (VP9, H265, H264). Unlike other media streaming boxes, it can also play HD MPEG2 video hardware accelerated, making it valuable to cord cutters. Additional video codecs and containers include: MPEG-2/MPEG-4/Xvid/DivX/WMV9/ASF/AVI/MKV/MOV/M2TS/MPEG-TS/H.263/H.264/H.265/VC-1/VP8/VP9.

The Shield TV supports 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound passthrough over HDMI. Supported audio codecs include: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WAV, FLAC, PCM, WMA, WMA-Pro, WMA-Lossless, DD+/DTS (pass-through), DTS-HD MA (pass-through), Dolby TrueHD (pass-through), and even Dolby Atmos.

Gaming

Nvidia has emphasized the Shield’s gaming capabilities both as a technology showcase and to differentiate it from lower cost streaming devices. Its graphics capabilities, as realized in the games that I have tested, are comparable to an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. Nvidia’s issue is that it priced its platform only $50 less than the cost of a Xbox One or PS4. And, there is no discount on the latest marquee games.

I would have focused on cheaper, more casual games like Apple TV and on more unique, non-RPG franchises like Nintendo or some Sony titles. As is, it is hard for me to convince my teenager use the Shield for gaming over his Xbox One. And there aren’t the family games that might interest my wife and younger son.

Nvidia GeForce NOW

Marketed as “Netflix for Games”, the idea of paying a <$10/mo subscription to rent from a broad library of nearly current games is quite appealing to us (and different from any other media streaming box). Because we bought several Shield TVs, there was the added appeal this being a multi-room gaming solution.

We immediately signed up when we purchased our Shield TVs and then cancelled about half a year later when we realized that we never played any of the games on Geforce Now. The problem with Geforce Now isn’t technical but, rather, a business development issue. There aren’t many exciting games to play included with the subscription. Further, the catalog is confusing, commingling additional cost, full priced games like Witcher 3 that are effectively more expensive than Xbox/PS4 games due to their dependency on a continued subscription.

Nvidia Gamestream

If you have a PC equipped with one of NVIDIA’s latest GTX-series graphics cards and connect it via Gigabit Ethernet to your Nvidia Shield TV, then it is possible to then use the Shield TV as a lean back experience for your PC-based games on your UHD TV. I haven’t tested this because we are a Mac-based family. I understand the strategic value but I wonder how many PC gamers with the latest rigs prefer to play in their living room versus just buying an Xbox One or PS4 first.

Android Games

Because the Shield can play many Android games, this is where we have invested in a few franchise titles, particularly when there are holiday sales. Nvidia has worked with several game developers to develop enhanced versions of existing Android games for the Shield.

DVR Capabilities

HDHomerun DVR

Silicon Dust, the manufacturer of a number of high quality over-the-air and cable TV tuners, now is beta-testing a multi-room DVR software solution to complement its tuners. This includes a guide/media player for Android. You can optionally enable a recorder that runs directly on the Nvidia Shield, assuming you either have internal or external attached storage. I haven’t tried this because I use a Mac Mini as my recording engine. Still, it demonstrates how flexible the Shield TV platform can be, especially for those users that haven’t bought into a NAS or don’t wish to run their Mac or PC 24/7.

Plex Server & DVR

The Plex for Android media player has been available preloaded on the Shield since the beginning. Since then, Plex has added a Plex Server component too. This permits both stored media indexing and serving as well as a home-grown DVR capability that also works with Silicon Dust’s tuners. Unique to the Plex is the added ability to use the Shield TV for hardware-accelerated video transcoding (H.264, MPEG2 and HEVC) supporting multiple simultaneous streams. This makes the Shield TV a better solution than a NAS if you need to transcode HD MPEG2 (e.g. from OTA/Cable) for consumption on other devices, particularly mobile phones and tablets.

Software

Nvidia should be commended for its dedication to upgrading the software on the Shield TV. No other settop has evolved its capabilities as much as the Shield. Below is a summary of changes; more details can be found here.

Shield Software Upgrade v1.x

  • Fox Sports Go, EPIX, CBS News, CBS Sports, Fox News, FXNOW, WWE, Fox Sports Go
  • Netflix in 4K
  • Youtube in 4K
  • Photos & Videos in 4K
  • Google Voice Search
  • Android 5.1

Shield Software Upgrade v2.x

  • GeForce NOW
  • Showtime, Disney Movies Anywhere, HBO Go
  • Passthrough for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless audio
  • HDMI fixes

Shield Software Upgrade v3.x

  • Netflix in HDR, VUDU in 4K, Playstation Vue, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ABC
  • Android 6.0
  • Vulkan
  • Plex Media Server
  • Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Audio
  • RGB full range

Resources

Shield Software Upgrade release notes are here.

Nvidia’s Shield TV forums is here.

Nvidia’s Shield TV developers’ site is here.

Anandtech technical comparison.

Tips

  • Protected 4K content: since a key competitive advantage of this device has been its support for premium (protected) 4K content and HDR content, it should be pointed out that both your AV receiver and your TV set need to support not only 4K but also HDCP 2.2 on the specific HDMI ports that you are using.
  • HDR content: you also likely need to upgrade your HDMI cable and pay attention to length of the HDMI cable. In my case, even though my AVR was 4K capable, it didn’t support HDCP 2.2. I had to rewire my wall mounted UHD TVs. Finally, even though I just bought brand new UHD TVs that are HDR capable, I am still awaiting a TV firmware upgrade to interoperate with the Nvidia Shield.

Room for Improvement

  • Better 4K Upscaling of <2160p content: all content is output at the Android OS defined resolution. If you have a UHD TV, then the default resolution for all content (480i, 720p, 1080i/p) is output at 2160p. But the Shield TV’s upscaling is considerably softer than most UHD TVs’ upscalers. Given the Maxwell GPU and Vulkan subsystem, I would expect the Shield TV’s upscaling to meet or beat that of any UHD TV. Ideally, Nvidia would separate graphics from multiple video planes so as to permit overlay of 4K OSD or PIP over a <2160p video.
  • 4K GUI in Leanback Launcher: while each app can define a native 4K user interface, the home screen of Android TV is clearly rendered in 1080 resolution, with even lower resolution thumbnails and iconography.
  • Full IP-based interoperability with both Logitech Harmony and Google Home: the API already exists because the Android TV mobile remote app is using it.
    • Logitech uses Bluetooth, not IP, input. This is slower and missing many keys including numeric input.
    • Similarly, you can’t use Google Home to “watch ESPN” or “tune channel 803”.
  • Leanback Launcher standard layout: Nvidia places its own services in the top row (along with Netflix), then games, then apps. Users can’t easily restore the default layout, remove Nvidia preferred apps, or rearrange the order of rows.
  • Google Cast Audio Groups: you can cast audio to the Shield TV but you can’t include the Shield TV in a Google Cast group like “upstairs”, “downstairs”, or “whole house”.
  • Android 7.x “Nougat”: I put this near the bottom of my wish list only because it seems the most likely. Key missing features include new recording APIs with Live Channel integration, picture-in-picture, and cleaner support for audio pass through. Nvidia has already forward-ported elements of audio pass through, Vulkan, and HDR.
  • Finally, full retail support from Google: you can find the Chromecast at every big box store and online retailer at a low price. The Shield needs similar ubiquity and a lower retail price.

Rumored Updates

  • 2017 CES: a new hardware version of the Shield TV reportedly will be announced at CES, including updated WiFi (though the current Shield already supports Wireless AC 2×2 MIMO) and an updated controller with different ergonomics and using Bluetooth Smart. Not reported: Nvidia Pascal architecture refresh.
  • Nintendo Switch: the heart of Nintendo’s new gaming platform is the Tegra X1. More details are here.

 



Updated on April 28th, 2017