BHPhotoVideo: NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV HDR 4K UHD Streaming Media Player (2019) $129

This better than my 2017 version?

Quote from sp44 : This better than my 2017 version?

No. Review:

Performs well however not a significant performance improvement over 2017 Nvidia Shield models that are still the best streamers available. New AI upscaling feature is great but only noticeable on 4K/UHD capable TVs. New remote is a great improvement powered by 2 AAA batteries, backlit with dedicated volume control buttons. Great for streaming however not up to par for gaming due to reduced on board memory/storage, 2GB/8GB respectively as compared to 3GB/16GB on base 2017 model. *Note - Even though it has the same Tegra X1+ chip as 2017 model, it only supports 32 bit architecture/apps - this is by far the biggest disappointment given that it is a 2019 model and is in direct contradiction to Google's 64 bit development roadmap. Would have opted for 2019 Pro model had I known of the 32 bit limitation. Overall a good budget Nvidia streamer.

Yep if I had known all these limitations I wouldn't have bought this either. Plex seems to skip at parts, never did that on my 2017 Shield.

I wish I had gotten the 2019 Pro as well.

the high cost is only justified if it supports plex server.

i don't believe any of the shield (regardless of the year or version) can do youtube HDR.
that said. i find i stopped use my shield when i find out my CX77 does pretty much everything (expect DTS videos) i expect shield to do, but better

same price at bby too

It says you can play fortnite, at lowest graphics probably?
Also does this allow regular android apps to run?

In terms of search integration, is it on par with Roku?

Guys - recommendations on a streamer? Need to be able to do audio pass through for mkv files.

Quote from Ride_The_Sky : It says you can play fortnite, at lowest graphics probably? Also does this allow regular android apps to run? In terms of search integration, is it on par with Roku?

From my understanding the apu is basically what runs in the Nintendo switch. You are pretty much getting the same unit (pro) that you could get in 2015. It is very versatile, but you may not need everything it can do. It can probably run the android version of fortnite very well, and it can game stream from your local pc or streaming service very well. The newest version has some nice ai upscaling that the 2015 version doesn't have, but I am happy sticking with my 2015. It is great for emulating old consoles too. A rarity for android boxes is that amazon allows you to stream prime video on it. You can use it as a plex server if you had to, but I would probably prefer to use a pc as a server. I have loved mine for 5 years, and I have no regrets. This tube version I would probably wish I spent the extra for the pro version. The tube version has less ram and runs only a 32bit architecture which limits what apps you can use. All in all this maxwell based unit is long in the tooth, and I am not sure if android tv with progress much further. I always wanted a internet browser for it that I could use a trackpad or mouse with. I hoped for an updated chip version for awhile though nvidia probably won't do anything more. My next jump will probably be a sff htpc.

Edit: I dont quite know what you mean by search function like in roku, but it does have google assistant built into it.

Quote from reelss : Guys - recommendations on a streamer? Need to be able to do audio pass through for mkv files.

this is it. this supports plex with dolby vision FYI....nothing else does

Will this play .iso files from a network server with kodi perhaps? My WD live players are on their last legs, and was hoping these could replace them. Only 1 out of 6 Kodi boxes have I have tried have actually worked without studders. Thank you.

Quote from yooper2001 : Will this play .iso files from a network server with kodi perhaps? My WD live players are on their last legs, and was hoping these could replace them. Only 1 out of 6 Kodi boxes have I have tried have actually worked without studders. Thank you.

Any specific reason you're using ISO's? You should remux to mkv to open up compatibility

These rarely go on sale and the Nvidia Shield has been and continues to be the most powerful, longest supported Android TV device on the market. It's actually able to properly upscale full bitrate, Blu-ray quality (REMUX) H.265 encoded video to 4K, which is something the other devices in it's class struggle with and that cheaper devices, like a Fire TV 4K, can't handle at all. That specific reason is why I ended up getting another of these. It also works easily with Geforce Now and an xbox controller via BT if you want to do cloud gaming.

This product line is considered the best on the market and has been for years. The only real downsides are the cost and people complain about the Netflix button on the remote being in the way. You can remap what that button does or disable it if you want.

Quote from yooper2001 : Will this play .iso files from a network server with kodi perhaps? My WD live players are on their last legs, and was hoping these could replace them. Only 1 out of 6 Kodi boxes have I have tried have actually worked without studders. Thank you.

Yes it can pretty much play any format with no issues.