The Nvidia Shield TV still holds up four years later, but it’s due for a refresh

For the longest time, the Nvidia Shield TV was the one really good gadget working on prime of Android TV OS, but now there are lots of. Four years later, the latest-generation Shield TVs are still improbable but are due for an replace.

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Nvidia ushered within the newest model of the Shield TV in 2019, with the tube Shield TV and the Shield TV Pro. At the time, each ran on the newest Android TV 9 platform and have since been up to date to Android 11 with what’s still the perfect Android help on the market and no actual indicators of slowing down both.

And four years later, the Shield TV is still fairly onerous to beat within the Android TV sport.

Over the previous couple of years, the Chromecast with Google TV has been on the middle of my house leisure setup, but it’s been a messy state of affairs. Connecting through a Philips Hue Sync Box actually complicates issues, and it’s led to points resembling delayed audio output, HDR hiccups, and numerous different issues. Most irritating was a problem the place the Chromecast would randomly pause my content material, typically a couple of instances a day, typically a couple of instances per hour.

So, I just lately moved over to the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, which appears to have solved nearly all of my points. The Chromecast is nice for “normal” setups, but the Shield TV is simply so, so good at dealing with area of interest conditions.

But that’s simply scratching the floor of why Shield is so nice and beloved. Another facet I’ve been having fun with is AI upscaling. As subscription prices hold rising, the Shield made my choice to downgrade my Netflix plan simple. That’s not even to say how good the Shield is at Plex and native media, which is, by far, the largest cause anybody ought to dive in on this gadget.

As I’ve been utilizing it, although, I’ve saved feeling the Shield’s age, not in efficiency but compared to different streamers. The new Google TV UI, regardless of its many advertisements and suggestions, appears to be like higher, in my view, than the present iteration of Android TV and has extra options too. I really like having my motion pictures constructed into the homescreen (and truly taking part in them in 4K, the place the outdated Play Movies app is proscribed to 1080p). The watchlist is genuinely helpful, and the current addition of a whole lot of stay TV channels is really great. And whereas Google has added a lot of Google TV’s greatest options to Android TV (or plans to deliver them), it’s simply not the identical.

A refresh of the Shield TV is so as, I really feel.

Updated specs beneath the hood may construct on the already nice upscaling and likewise give Google TV the room to carry out higher than another gadget on the market. Nvidia may even perhaps work with Google to ship integration of GeForce Now onto the Google TV homescreen, an effort Stadia began but by no means actually bought to construct out – I do know, I’m dreaming a bit.

Another space that Nvidia may, and doubtless ought to handle, is the distant. The triangle distant of the present Shield TV technology is exclusive, but it’s not tremendous snug. Its Netflix button can also be notoriously sensitive. I’d like to see a new technology that takes the nice points – clicky buttons, good high quality, and great backlighting – but builds on it with higher ergonomics and maybe extra customization. Nvidia has at all times aimed to please energy customers, so I’d like to see extra clean shortcut buttons alongside the Netflix button (and perhaps the addition of a YouTube key). The framework is already in place with the power to customise the prevailing choices button.

In the meantime, the Shield TV is still a moderately good purchase, as software program help simply retains going and Nvidia’s monitor document retains these units within the dialog, but we’re approaching the purpose the place it’s getting a little harder to drag the set off. It’s unlikely Google will hold bringing extra options to the legacy Android TV interface because the years go on, and that’s an more and more large threat given the $150-200 price ticket the Shield carries.

This Week’s Top Stories

Google Keep will get some love

Keep is one among Google’s greatest apps, but it usually goes lengthy intervals with out getting any updates. This week, although, a lot occurred with Keep. Text formatting has lastly arrived, and there’s additionally now a model historical past for your notes.

• Google Keep textual content formatting begins rolling out on Android
• Here’s Google Keep textual content formatting in motion [Video]
• Google Keep rolling out a primary model historical past for notes

You can now type of use RCS on an iPhone

RCS and iPhone. It’s a characteristic Apple doesn’t appear to care about, but it’s technically lastly obtainable on the iPhone. Beeper, an app designed to deliver your whole chat companies into one place, this week launched Google Messages integration that permits RCS on an iPhone and iMessage on Android.

• Beeper provides help for Google Messages RCS alongside iMessage, works on Android and iPhone

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• Google Photos up to date with new navigation bar, scrapbook-like ‘Memories,’ generative AI
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• Google Contacts now exhibits native time and climate
• How to allow irregular coronary heart rhythm notifications on the Galaxy Watch 6 and others
• ChromeOS making ready main Settings redesign, Google Tasks integration [Gallery]
• OnePlus Ace 2 Pro introduced with 24GB RAM, 150W charging, and a display that works when moist
• WhatsApp is launching ‘HD’ pictures throughout Android, iOS, extra, may even come to movies
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