Streaming movies and games can be done in several ways and one of the most user-friendly options to consider is buying an Nvidia Shield TV. However, there are several variants of the media player for sale, so which one should you have? And what can you do with it? We discuss that in this article.
The Shield TV from Nvidia is a popular box 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 regular Shield TV (169 euros) with a cylindrical housing and the slightly more powerful Pro version (219 euros) that looks more like its predecessor.
We have reviewed 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 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 don't have enough storage space, you can give the media player access to a network folder, for example on a NAS.
The processor in both models, a Tegra X1+, is only a minor upgrade compared to the 2015 Tegra X1 used in the earlier Shield TV. Fortunately, it can still survive very well. It is therefore not for nothing that a variant of the processor is used in the Nintendo Switch. The main competitor is the Apple TV 4K which offers similar performance. With this, Apple is investing heavily in its own streaming service and the Arcade games subscription.
Sound and Vision
In the field of image and sound, developments have taken place quite quickly in recent years. Think of 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 the important ones, such as Dolby Vision and HDR10, can be handled by the Shield TV. The HDR material at YouTube cannot be played, but the offer is also limited.
As far as sound is concerned, Shield TV works well with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, among others. This completes the cinema experience. The image improvements are especially an added value with a 4K television. In addition, using artificial intelligence, the material in lower resolution is conveniently scaled up, so that it looks better. You can judge for yourself how well that works with the demo mode that you switch on via the menu. Dolby Atmos actually only really comes into its own with suitable equipment, such as an AV receiver and a set of speakers.
Stream
The Shield TV is a very versatile streaming device for movies and series from, for example, Netflix, Disney+ and many other popular streaming services. The speed in particular stands out: browsing through menus and launching apps, for example, is lightning fast and a Netflix title starts playing immediately after clicking. An app like Plex or Kodi for your own collection of videos, music and photos, for example, also plays everything effortlessly.
The fact that the media player can play all important audio and video encodings directly is a big advantage. The device itself or the underlying server (such as with Plex) does not have to do heavy work to convert formats. The new remote control is also very practical. The buttons light up as soon as you pick them up, you don't 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
An added value is also in streaming games. Instead of installing Android games directly to your Shield TV (which is obviously a good option), you can stream them. This can be done via the local network from your own gaming PC or via the internet with GeForce Now. Ideally, you use a controller to play games. Nvidia itself has a suitable controller in its range, but you can also connect different wireless controllers via bluetooth.
If you have a computer with enough graphical power at home, you can stream the games on it to the Shield TV via the local network. Although the game runs on your PC, the image and sound are sent to the television. The actions you perform with the controller are sent back to the PC. So you can play relaxed on the couch.
Streaming to the Shield TV can be done in several ways. For example, there is the Steam Link app for games that you have purchased from the popular distribution platform Steam. In addition, you can use GameStream from Nvidia itself, which works for Steam games but also other games. GameStream requires an Nvidia graphics card. Both options work about equally well. In many cases it feels as if you are sitting behind the PC itself. You do get the best performance if you use a wired network connection for both the PC and Shield TV and not WiFi.
Don't want the (relative) hassle of streaming via the local network or don't have a gaming PC? GeForce Now is ideal for when you want to play a game every now and then. You can use this to stream games to the Shield TV via the internet. In fact, they run from servers with Nvidia GPUs.
The use of Geforce Now is free for the time being, at least during the beta period. Unfortunately, there is a waiting list with an unknown waiting time. Several good games are included with Geforce Now. You can also play many games via this service that you have purchased from Steam or Uplay, for example. With that, we have discussed the main functions of the Shield TV. Is it something for you?
