Nvidia Shield TV: Why it's still the BEST Android TV box!

We haven't seen an Android TV box like this since...well...2019...and before that...2015...
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Timestamps
--
0:00 - Intro
0:08 - Subscribe to become a LEGEND
0:22 - Aging gracefully
2:10 - GeForce NOW integration
3:24 - The Perfect PLEX server
4:34 - AI upscaling up its sleeve
5:47 - Easy customization
6:30 - The Shield TV remote
7:31 - Why it's still so good
--

[@msquirrel1]

The upscaling is the main reason why I can’t replace this device. Its aged so well and can handle all my streaming needs. I love it

[@riot9179]

It’s an old technology that got overtaken by modern smart tv’s since a while.

[@JFLTX]

You must have an old piece of junk tv.

[@msquirrel1]

@@riot9179 umm no it hasnt. If you believe your tv can do better upscaling than and AI backed Tegra chip, youre crazy

[@JFLTX]

@msquirrel1 you're crazy if you think the Shield upscale better than the high end tvs from Samsung, LG, and Sony. All these tvs use AI in their upscaling btw. The Tegra is old as hell

[@msquirrel1]

@@JFLTX I have tested it on my Sony TV and it is vastly superior. What TV do you have? have you compared the two? Also the Tegra chip is still more powerful than any half ass chip on a tv. Come on now

[@DaveConrad3234]

It's time for a new refresh.

[@Vikingj72]

I can't remember the last firmware update I have received. I do check for them now and then but I still love the Shield.

[@CenterInYou]

The answer is fall of 2022 :(

[@richiemohanty5107]

Ive had mine for more than 4 years now. It just works!! Other than one time when i had to reset the remote, its given me virtually no trouble. If they come out with a new version, and i hope they do, id definitely buy it.

[@Crypto-Scriptor]

Got this during the COVID era and it's the best decision I've ever made. 🔥🔥🔥

[@pyromike25]

This has been my media server for many years. Hoping for that next version soon. Any insight/insider info of if/when that is coming? 🤞

[@Tass...]

The Nvidia Shield is still the king for one reason... IPTV. It's a god amongst users. I would say that (without exageration) 80%+ of Shield owners are IPTV users.

[@chetlyp]

I go out if my way to buy TVs running android. So I can install an IPTV app and watch whatever I want.

[@GedNEUK]

THIS 👆 .. absolutely agree 100%> We have 2 Shields a 2017 & 2019 Pro. Great device, particularly for IPTV & streaming generally. My mother & sister also have a shield & as they are not technically minded you can even remotely connect to each device to literally "do it for them" direct from my android phone / Chromebook (or laptop) using Rust Desk. (Free) The only remote desktop which allows this. The Shield is definitely still a solid (& imo) best android box for IPTV & streaming. (& I've tried many!)

[@R_Galaxy42]

What is IPTV?

[@chetlyp]

I think it stands for internet protocol tv. Cheap service but get all channels around the world through an Internet service.

[@Max.527]

​@@R_Galaxy42tv cable.

It is for me. I still use it daily and it is still receiving updates. I do have to restart it once in a while and upgraded the remote as the one that came with it was a bit janky.

[@deverilwallen9656]

I didn't know it would be great 10 years later. That's really impressive

[@Ichijoe2112]

Not so fast the Shield came out in '15 NOT '14. So it's not Ten Years old just yet.

[@ROGERDATTT]

Have 2 both the first and 2019 release. Best android box that I've own. Mi box is good too, and surprisingly the fire stick 4kmax does well too and would highly recommend for cheaper option.

[@idavidmcclune]

I got the little diddy one with what seems to be a 2 button remote pretty much as soon as they came out. Still going strong. Used every day and only now needs the occasional reboot to keep things clean and performant. It's a brilliant piece of tech and when you take the cost per annum it's an absolute bargain. Definitely upgrading if a new one appears and it might be the last streaming device I buy - I'm getting on a bit.

[@robspence3287]

Do you recommend low, medium, or high AI upscaling? I can't decide. I watch on a 65in LG CX from about 8 feet away.

[@ZoneProduction448]

I have the 2015 & 2019 models. Two feature my Apple TV has over the Shield is auto framerate switching with streaming services and KZbin HDR playback.

[@rorschachx1479]

Will wait for the next version tho

[@DavidSmith-tn9rm]

TRICK: Tap BUILD on your Settings 10 times, and you will unlock Developer Mode, and then turn off all the animations and make it even faster.

[@HannesHenkelmann]

I put mine to x0,5 immediately every time I set up an android, too

[@DavidSmith-tn9rm]

@@HannesHenkelmann I put it to 0 :-)

[@gueroarias]

I bought this 6 months ago and have not looked back. The only drawback for me initially was the daing Netflix button that kept waking Netflix up, but the button mapper app solved that.

[@EugeneM-Lawrence]

I'm been a user of the nVIDIA's SHIELD since the 1st model. I got the 3 SHIELD TV PRO (2015, 2017, 2019) upgrade each one with a 512 GB SSD. Loved that my 2015 model that came back in the day with android tv 4 and been updated until android tv 11 just like my 2017 and 2019 devices. SHIELD's is for streaming and the same time a Cloud Gaming console using GEFORCE NOW, XBOX GAME PASS, amazon luna and the defunct Google STADIA. PS Hope 2025 nVIDIA bring a new model that was suppose to released at 2021

[@Khutch18]

I bought one this year and was so sad to realize I'd been missing out for years.

[@mynameisearl]

How much of this applies to the stick version?

[@MrPlaidFace]

I hope nivdia continues the legacy of this beautifully designed powerhouse of a box.

[@KelticLad]

got mine in 2019, and it's still the best in my opinion as for the new remote I don't like it the NETFLIX button is annoying, and find it sluggish and unresponsive at times. I've done all the updates to the old remote and it's still chugging along like a dream, not had a system upgrade in a while but I'm sure Nvidia SHIELD will provide one all in all it is a killer of an Android box....! thanks for the review and sharing your experience with the shield enjoyed the video....! 😜

[@Straightforward42]

We do use the NVIDIA Shield TV (not Pro) since years and I am very happy with it. But sometimes I have to reboot the system, because Netflix wont start or the remote wont work anymore! Maybe I should reset the whole device and start fresh?!

[@mikecoughlin4128]

I’m just starting research into these tv boxes. I did not hear you talk about getting access to everything for free after one time purchase of the box. Is it not like the Superbox or Veesee?

[@TorrentFiend10]

Use a little bit of common sense. This is a legitimate device from a legitimate company....... Anything you might choose to load onto it infected with God knows what from untrustworthy sources, well you can but I wouldn't recommend doing so. Again a little bit of common sense is needed. If you want to use legitimate applications such as plex, Nova video player, and a lot of other great apps which allow you to find your own content however you choose and then use it for playback. Yes it's a great device. But it's not going to come pre-loaded with everything free forever because nothing does and anything that claims to is a lie and anyone should know better. But if that's what you're after you should look at those cheap Chinese boxes that are garbage because a lot of them promise big things which are total lies as well and if you want to believe them you might want to buy one of those. The Nvidia shield is more of a quality product users can happily enjoy for many years when used correctly.

[@RobnDob]

Is this the best option for GeForce now?

[@GedNEUK]

Totally solid device - recommended to all my family. Yeah its oricey compared to other competitors but you can buy a used model at a pretty good price.

[@dpt17]

This is probably the GOAT of TV boxes. So flexible.

[@riot9179]

The goat of tv boxes is in this garbage state? Lmao

[@sriramramesh8203]

shield tv even has all those games stuck on it, it would be crazy if someone ported those games to regular android

[@Itsatarp1337]

I just really hope they will release a new version.

[@DavidSmith-tn9rm]

I like it, I can watch IPTV channels, any movie I want with Kodi, or I can stream directly from my PC to my Shield with Steam Link to play games, and it runs fast too.

[@ducciboi]

I got one practically for free before realizing its potential. Pretty stoked

[@RealLifeTech187]

Damien please go and see an ophthalmologist. I told my girlfriend repeatedly if she can't tell the difference between 4K and FHD from a normal seating distance she needs glasses. She strongly insisted I'm wrong until she had to go there for something else and you can probably already guess what he prescribed her. Also helps if you get slight headaches from time to time as that's often from the brain constantly trying to focus the image and failing.

[@vepusan2175]

I use it daily for my media library for 4k viewing mostly using my external lacie works so fine and kodi it's the perfect android device . The day when Sony tvs become powerful enough I'll ditch this shield but until then this stays fine by me ❤

[@arturot.5024]

It surprises me when I try to install some game apps like emulators and some previous generation games. But I need to admit, we need more powerful hardware which has the capability of run demanding games and emulators. Also we need the support for many apps compatibility due the app store for shield tv is completely forgotten

[@Xhizors24]

I still hope for new refresh after Switch 2 release. Expensive or not, it's the best entertainment box (beside lack of AV1 etc)

[@Jedi71]

I love mine, but oddly enough Disney Plus 4k only stutters on the 2019 Nvidia Shield.

[@Mogalize]

I'm struggling with a Chromecast 4k and it has become painfully slow. All my seaches tell the the Shield pro is the best option. With it being 5 years old now, how much longer will it be supported? Everyone still says its the one to get, but if it's only going to get 1-2 more years of use....?

[@MyTableau]

Dont wait longer! Launched in 15, a new model in 17 & the latest was released in 2019. I ran through & wasted a lot on cheap boxes & finally got the 17 in 2018 only to see the new one with Atmos launch a few months later in 2019🤦🏻‍♂ Did not not need it as I did not have an ATMOS sound system, so upgraded only when I got the system. Dont think, just buy it. If you use the what if next year, you will be waiting like me from 2015 to 2018 ✌🏻

[@rickgrimes931]

I don't think we will see another one. Didn't development for the Tegra chips stop?

[@aucklandguy6362]

The shield is the best way to do plex stuff in dolby vision / atmos The apple tv doesn't like certain profiles of DV. Also doesn't do dtshdma and such properly. Built in TV stuff sucks as it's just a 100mbit port on the TV, which peaks on some high bit rate stuff, also seems cpu on the TVs peaks too... Lots of weird behaviour with that kind of content, I guess they're designed for streaming platforms which use much lower bit rates for video and audio. Back to the shield... The shield occasionally stutters on content if other apps are running, so I make sure I kill everything now and then and it's fine. Can't wait for a refresh of the shield so I don't have to do that.

[@krzychom1161]

NVIDIA abandoned users with updates, very bad of NVIDIA to pay $200 where for $50 Chromecast still gets updates. I'm waiting for a new Chromecast and I'm selling a shield. NVIDIA thinks users are idiots...

[@johnsnow7836]

I agree had I known I’d of never ordered one , luckily when I dove into it found out and sent it back

[@Techfanatic73]

Have not used mine for a bit but now it seems Kina blurry for some reason.

[@dragonite4242]

We're not getting a new TV shield until Nintendo releases the switch. 2. That's why it's enjoyed such a long lifespan

[@JerrySilver]

No one has mentioned that it's the only box that can passthrough TrueHD Atmos and DTS:X. Important if you have invested in a sound system that can handle those formats.

[@riot9179]

Well, no one mentioned this mainly because it’s not true.

[@JerrySilver]

@@riot9179 I'd love to know if there are other boxes that can do this reliably. I know that the FTV Cube claims it can do it but most reviews I've read dispute that. Same with the Dune Homatics.

[@owisun85]

​@@riot9179 So it's true or false?

[@davidenaclerio]

It's true

[@legacy_the_archer]

my shield sometimes fries the receiving ends hdmi port .

[@nmdpeaceout]

It is so good, just wish it had an optical output for full 5.1. I have a usb to optical adaptor, but still cant quite get the proper 5.1 sound to my system. Also, i wish thr youtube app had 2x speed, for some reason it lacks this feature. Other than that, it is freeking sweet.

[@nicbongo]

Why don't you just connect the TV to the optical audio?

[@nmdpeaceout]

​@@nicbongomy projector doesnt have optical

[@Ichijoe2112]

Is nVidia even still supporting this 9 Year-old Device? It's been north of a year now since they bothered to drop an update for it.

[@TorrentFiend10]

Button remapper has no problem whatsoever remapping your Netflix button. You are probably doing it incorrectly somehow. Have you made sure the accessibility option for button mapper app is turned on under your Preferences? I actually currently use the Netflix button on my shield remote to launch three separate applications. Normal click launches smart tube app, a quick double tap of the Netflix key launches Disney/Hulu app (because now that they have Hulu as well I can watch Hulu and Disney content in a single Disney app.), And if I long press the Netflix button it will open HBO Max app. For everything else I press the assistant mic button and say the name of the app. Button mapper app works perfectly fine to remap the Netflix key to anything. I've been using it for years without a single issue. If you have any questions on doing this to get it working right just ask. It should be very easy for you to get this working correctly.

[@nicbongo]

It does reset on occasion which can be annoying. Typically after an update. Remapping Netflix button to mute is a god send!

[@coolasice2187]

How does this compare to Fire stick? Can someone please clue me in? Thanks.

[@drunknspike]

I upgraded from the fire TV cube it's way better

[@Leroyy536]

No new shields, is there one in the pipeline?

[@jeffshehan96]

I agree, I love my shield. And I also must agree with the annoying fact of the Netflix button. If any update to this product... I would really hope that they would allow you to customize that button. If not, at least remove it. I've also used that remapping app and even though it says it remapped it, it doesn't! No matter what happens, if you're watching TV or whatever and you happen to hit that button it immediately goes to Netflix!!! 😡🤬🤬🤬

[@jasc4364]

Nice piece of hardware with comprehensive functionalities, but even after 10 years it’s still not stable. Every 2 or 3 days I have to restart it because it freezes or crashes. It's also not very fast. I can't recommend it.

[@JFLTX]

The lack of native frame rate matching is unforgivable. The Shield is obsolete & way overpriced

[@TorrentFiend10]

This is extremely easy to achieve. At least when it comes to your own content. Perhaps not for a content on Netflix etc but frame rate matching can happen automatically with Plex and other very good media players I highly recommend like Nova video player. Most of what I watch is under Nova Video Player these days and it does have frame rate switching to match the content being played. Most of the time this is a non-issue once you use the correct apps that do allow this feature.

[@javierdelgado3915]

I got one 9 years ago when i was still living with my parents (the 2015 model), i got it cuz i was like ooooooo I get to play android games and emulators on my TV. And I used it for literally everything EXCEPT that 😂 but media streaming and 4K cloud gaming make even the old 2015 model quite viable even today.

[@faheemahmad3957]

Shield TV 2 should be launched

[@tuborice4571]

The updates have not rolled out for ages.

[@fabians2711]

Honestly, this video loses all credibility the moment you hear “the Shield TV receives regular Android updates”, considering the last “regular update” it received was back in 2022.

[@HORRUS29]

Exactly!

[@rbroccoli_]

Didn't the UI get filled with advertisements?

[@nicbongo]

Yea, with surveying a few bucks on non stock launchers.

[@christianaviles2199]

I guess the question is when is the next gen Nvidia Shield even due out?

[@johnsnow7836]

I don’t think there will one unfortunately

[@thomassetzer]

It still works flawlessly so why get a new one 😊

[@johnsnow7836]

@@thomassetzer if that breaks would you buy another one as mine just broke

[@thomassetzer]

@@johnsnow7836now in that case I understand as with electronics devices go bad

[@johnsnow7836]

@@thomassetzer yeah true I’m contemplating is it worth buying a new one , only thing stopping me is the price it’s not changed since I bought it back 2020 , it’s more than paid for itself hundreds of times over , just using cube and it’s like driving a Ferrari than getting on a bike lol

[@ov3rkill]

I wonder why nvidia isn't upgrading their tv box. A great spec bump would easily beat all other tv boxes.

[@AaronMcFarland]

The best media center box..period. The 2015 works still almost as good as a 2019 version...and pretty much better than any other media center. My only complaint with the device, 16gb is just way too small of a storage drive. Apple TV 4k lowest model has 64gb. Come on Nvidia, give us more storage.

[@Placesandspaces35]

Simple fix for that. Just buy an ssd (I use Samsung T7 500 GB) and sync it to be used as device storage. I did this on all of my Shields and have way more storage capability than i will ever need on any one device. It is simple to do and takes about 2-3 minutes to accomplish.

[@adamuser8246]

why no Netflix?

[@Brett_Nebraska]

Why dont they make a new even better and heavier hitting Nvidia tv shield?

[@armisis]

I just dug out my 2 of them, was thinking about trying to add them to a docker cluster.

[@HORRUS29]

Yeah but they haven't had a software update in a long time.

[@STR82DVD]

I've not seen a firmware update on my Shield Pro in at least two bloody years. Curious that my build is exactly the same as yours and that is NOT a new bloody firmware. What in the hell are you talking about young lad?

[@saisagarsingh3340]

man watched inter win serie A

[@Naamsting1]

Another video is telling that the version 9.1.1 is from end of year 2022.

[@Messy_Marv]

I still think Apple TV outputs a better picture and smoother UI, albeit it doesn’t allow the freedom of Android.

[@thomassetzer]

U have to try that ai upscaling but u have to have a decent tv to see the deference.

[@teneesh3376]

It's really not. It has a lot of issues for streaming and gaming. Let me start. Disney plus just doesnt work. Playing a video would just crash. The bluetooth is terrible. It's range is so low that it will lag. But if someone knows a bluetooth adapter that will work, please let me know

[@azbrown821]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@hectorrodriguez4384]

Obsolete box tho , it’s 5 years old 😂

[@omidyt8260]

Sponsored by Nvidia!

[@belzenga]

Because Android TV hardware is so stagnant every new device uses a crappy chip, compare this to AppleTV it feels mile apart. If there are some SD8 Gen 1-2 then it will be more competitive. Nvidia ShieldTV for $199 at 2024 is not worth it, normally electronic device price drop overtime. If Apple releases a new AppleTV in 2024 then this put a nail in the coffin.

[@kalilka5697]

Too expensive, outdated software. Not the best buck for the money!

[@duplicake4054]

I prefer the new Chromecasts

[@bradavon]

Is this surprising though? The Nvidia Shield TV costs significantly more than other Android TV devices including the Chromecast with Google TV. Most people wouldn't spend the amount to buy this.

[@thisispjetro]

I have exchanged it for Nokia Streaming Box 8010, which I think is better and more stable.

[@hotconductor4749]

Mine got stuck in 720p and just bricked itself. Nvidia refused to replace it. Would not recommend.

[@dragomn]

Nvidia Shield is no longer the best. You folks need to stop simping for Nvidia, and maybe they will finally update their hardware, instead of selling you overpriced 2019 hardware at full price. Do some research, Homatics, Nokia etc.

[@Jedi71]

Links?

[@Techfanatic73]

These videos need to quite kissing nvidias ass. its been 10 dam years. Upgrade the dam thing already. We need a new Shield TV.