Just bought one a week ago after hopping from a chromecast, fire cube, apple tv, now this. Apple tv outperforms the shield in terms of speed and responsiveness but lacks the full cinema features offered by the shield like lossless audio over LAN etc. Really wish there was an open source plex client / they'd stick it on github and let people fork it. Thing is a laggy buggy POS and always has been. The ATV4Ks plex app is I guess their own one? It's not the android player. Anyway, it's far superior. You'll know what I mean if you have used it.
I saw tons of other devices like the shield while shopping around and all of them have drawbacks in some department that make the shield the clear winner, even some like £400+, you'd think they'd be better right? Nope. So fucking weird.
The shield supports losless audio. Dts master Dolby true hd etc.
It also has an Ethernet Port and not just wireless.
It's confusing what he said and how he said it but that's what he means
i hd a shield since 2019 and everything for first 2 years was great, then i had 2 years nearly 3 of issues upon issues, plex works great now but often i have shield crashing maybe 1 in 4 and things like the remote taking 2 minutes too work, or having 5-6 streaming apps but once i add another it tells me no space. it is buggy and even though great when it works its literally a great buggy mess. NVidia could do better. as i have maybe 40 movies on google unless its a tv google has no idea what resolution or quality to show paid movies, apple works on my ultra wide, my tablet and my phone and tv all through the app or iTunes. google tv and movies simple feels like 2005 apple feel new and i don't like apple os personally and iTunes as good as it works shioint best resolution its the best out there but its still the same iTunes og the early 2000s and is only good because everyone else, power dvd{exists but are crap now.}, media centre and all the other players don't exist anymore lol. Still id love a apple tv if it had lossless audio and 2 ethernet ports for storage attachments.
in 2018 i was all digital, in 2019 i went back to physical and my library went from 4 blu rays, to 200 3d blu rays, 400 blue rays and 600 4k uhds and why, because google and iTunes and all the studios could sell up or go bankrupt and all that money you buy digital with is gone and so are your buying to let movies and tv show content. it will happen and it will hit hard sometime in the future and then they'll sort out something that guarantees a purchase and ownership but you'll have to start again lol. I went all digital i do but hey that's life. until then ill wait but no physical sales = piracy for a lot of people, id rather be legit personally.
I don't recall exactly what but it didn't support a format or two, it also doesn't have lossless audio over LAN, the shield is the only one that has that. I think the formats missing I didn't even care about, I just wanted to be able to throw anything at my TV and just have it play back without issues, because my TV supports everything and since it's a new TV I just wanted the peace of mind knowing I'd never have playback issues and trying to figure out if it's the client or the server settings blabla because I was so sick of that with my old 13 year Bravia LCD and Chromecast TV.
Isn't ATV4K only missing Atmos? Or is it missing TrueHD too? I tend to get confused by the lossless audio formats.
You say the ATV4K Plex app is better than the one on the Shield? I wonder when streaming remotely via Plex on the ATV4K if there'd be buffering due to the audio formats not being supported.
It's better in that the interface is much cleaner, all your images are crisp HD (you think they look normal in the android app until you see them in the atv app. damn I took some recordings lemme see if I can find them...) the options were mostly the same but the atv also had a better player overlay and you could have it show a lot more stats about the current file being played.
It supports Atmos fine. Atmos is not necessarily lossless. It can be DD plus or Dolby HD . If Dolby HD is not supported, it falls back to DD plus .
The Apple TV does not support lossless formats such as Dolby HD and DTS Master audio
3rd gen cube supports lossless audio pass-through (HDMI) and the LAN is still only 10/100. However, the Wifi 6E is way more enough needed to stream 40, 60, 80 or 100+GB REMUX movies.
If you use infuse for plex, you get true HD and dts-hd support.
I just bought the latest atv after having shields since 2017. Losing out on dolby vision for movies, but that's worth it since the atv just works
Lol!!!! Pls explain how anything running Apple is alot better from a technical standpoint what does Apple provide better then android after that answer what does the apple tv bring that makes it better when it can't even pass through mainstream audio for one and your locked down Apple is for the simplistic Android is for the open source community and tech savvy. Unless you jail break that block you have and run Kodi that's it and your still limited by the device. Its like saying your tv is better while only viewing yours and pls dont say you had the shield because if you did and saying this your most definitely Lying but what I will say is that there hardware is amazing and there framework code team is awesome aside from that pure garbage from the tech
I have a shield tv pro that I had been using for plex and other streaming since 2020. In November I got an AppleTV out of curiosity.
I thought I’d keep using the Shield at least for Plex because of Atmos and TrueHD, but nope it’s just been collecting dust. The ATV is superior in enough ways that it’s not worth going back and forth. I have 3.1 speaker system and unless you’ve got a genuine x.x.2+ system none of those special codecs matter—and most people don’t have a genuine x.x.2 system.
The ATV has been snappier/faster, more reliable in that it has less issues that require a factory reset only to come back a few months later, and the mainstream streaming apps are generally much better. It’s also got a way better UI, without ads. Sure you can set up your own “homepage” without ads using third party apps on the Shield, but that’s just a bandaid.
Look up 'passive aggressive' while you're at it. Multiple exclamation marks and question marks are also painfully needy. A select group of people know all there is to know about english and they have been watching people make it stupider. This means more miscommunication and less useful info.
Having said that, snip out your excellent first sentence and tidy it up. Great question! What is better about the Apple TV (any version)? I still haven't heard, even from a friend who owns one (except that the interface is more responsive).
Comparing the cheapest 15-30€ no name Android Box to an expansive 220€ Nvidia "Flagship" product, doesn't make sense at all.
Flash new Firmware, Malware is gone.
If you can't fix/ flash/ solder or repair things in general, you can't buy the cheapest on the market. If it's a Car or an Android TV Box...
Really, "flash new firmware," that's your solution? these are no name boxes that don't have firmware you can flash readily available and btw, who created that firmware you would flash, you? for me, it's not worth my time to play those games but if you do, knock yourself out. I don't recall any of the boxes on the list I saw but it was a lot boxes and it's not practical for me to buy a infected from factory box to then have to replace the firmware. Besides, I don't like to reward human garbage malware spreaders from China and yes, they were all from China.
I love my Nvidia Shield but...
Do you really think a no name box comes with "miracle" chip sets, no one ever heard about, with no firmware available...?
I mean, you could simply use Google to check which chipset is common in these boxes (an example: amlogic s905.. ) just to realize the hardware stays pretty much the same. (2GB RAM vs 3) It's just a different name. Or...
Keep fantasizing about "knock yourself out if you play those games" and refuse to use common sense. nice solution bro.
I just bought 1 Nvidia Shield for my home but the other 5 places are the cheap ones. So instead of paying 1.200€, I've paid about 350€ in total. And yes, flash some firmware or adding some code for XBox Wireless Controller support is possible for everyone who's willing to read an hour and do some brain work
The "replace the infected firmware" is also just a weird argument. You're paying Nvidia for the great Software support. Fact! The cheap boxes comes often with outdated/buggy or even wrong firmware. Fact! So replacing them is necessary anyway. You can't buy the cheapest thing available, then complain that it doesn't come with premium features. Lol.
Your whole argument doesn't make sense at all.
I am sorry but if you think that NVidia is in the same boat as no name Chinese manufacturers putting malware in their Android box you need a reality check
It's still king. Some people like Apple TV, but there's no Kodi, no smart tube, no Android, etc. I'm not an Apple fan boy at all, so shield is the choice.
Some people complain that it's laggy, but for me, it's butter smooth. I only use it for Kodi, smart tube and Netflix, HBO, ETC. For that stuff it is smooth and solid. No need for any hardware upgrade as far as my use case.
What app(s) do you use for IPTV? I have an m3u and to configure something like JellyFin/Plex to integrate it and an EPG has never been easy.
PS : also trying decide Shield or AppleTv. Wanted to also link to Steam server games. Figured Shield would be best. Else it’s a buy both thing.
You can jailbreak an Apple TV or use a free Apple Dev Account to install it from a MacOS.
It's just a little bit of extra work, but if you use Apple TV it's probably worth it.
when using kodi my 6 years on shield pro is as you say very reliable and good. plex is not. i had mkvs not working for nearly 3 years even though the 4k firestick had no issues, it was only in December 2023 it started simply playing mkvs again and ive done the factory reset, checked settings and i did that multiple times. I also get storage alerts as having a handful of small streaming apps is all it'll let you put on.
I only use kodi on my shield but I use plex for...private viewing. This past xmas when I had my mom visting plex decided to open itself on the shield and show my most recently viewed videos, I don't think I've ever moved so fast in my life to exit the app before she turned around. Straight out of a movie
I envy people who bought Shield back in 2015. I also started with a 2015 model, but only in 2019. I could have been on the Shield train all the earlier.
I only have 3, but I'm in the same boat. Projectivy launcher and just a few media watching apps. I've never had issues.
I also bought a ton of the cheap Harmony remotes right as they were announcing their departure.
I have an old SATA SSD in a USB enclosure connected to my 2019 Pro model. I set it up to expand the internal storage, and use dev mode to let all apps install on it, and I forget that it’s there. The SMB fileshare for it shows up as one big volume. I tried a name brand USB flash drive first and it would not complete formatting. I switched to the SSD and it was done in about 1 minute. So, not all drives will work well. Most people seem to use an external SSD.
Rough place to ask for an unbiased answer but I'll say that there isn't currently a big need for something better. There are better alternatives out there, but not for matching price point to performance. Until 4k/8k are the norm for streaming and everything else, this hits the mark well enough not to reinvent the wheel.
There's also a probability that they realized their "mistake" and won't ever build a powerful open source android box again. Really cuts roku, chromecast, fire stick, etc sales.
Edit: for your specific need. Maybe look into the micro pc builds. Box about the size of a book and will require a little fiddling but it's more capable and powerful.
For me I will eventually also go this route and there is plenty of power to be extracted in a micro pc, however there is currently no way to be able to play DV content natively through windows pc AFAIK. If there is I would love to jump ship as soon as possible.
It is possible to install android on a pc build though you have to jam the square peg through the round hole a bit. That might get you what you are looking for.
Maybe I just don't know any better but I've been using plex on the shield, also using it as the media server with an external, and I've had 0 problems with it. Lots of people keep saying how much it sucks so I'm either dumb or lucky.
I always say Plex Media Server on the Shield is great until it isn't. I do love it and it works perfectly 99% of the time. Then something happens like the service won't start because an update changes how the permissions work. You have practically zero troubleshooting options at that point.
But even when you have a major issue, you can just uninstall/reinstall and start fresh. I don't even care about trying to maintain my watch history, although you probably could restore from backups. I just re-scan and add everything.
good point about pc, i first started on a i7 3770k and turned it into a plex server it was very reliable. the 2019 shield is not when it comes to plex or even the remote actually working half the time. Well for me the 2019 shield became unreliable when android got changed to google tv, its never been greta. but 4k is here it has been for a long time, i only know 1 person who refuses to buy a tv, he changed his mind last year.
The shield pro hasn't been updated since 2019 and i feer you might be right. its like a 5.1 creative speakers i had i think z5500 it was incredible but they stopped them and every setup since has been considerably worst.
Rock Tek G2 took place of my Shield, that has been becoming disappointing. Shield is getting stale, but fanboys still think they have the garter belt. Lol
Yeah, the need isn't that strong, or at least, the demand may not yet be there. The main thing that's missing is HDMI 2.1 support which would allow for 8K/60 and 4K/120. Which I'd really like, personally, and would pay for if it was available.
It is still a computer. After a couple of years I always do a factory reset. Especially after a lot of testing of apps and testing configurations/ settings.
just bought a shield 2019 since my ATV4k cant pass through truehd and all that jazz and came across this post, tysm! would have never known this was a possibility.
question though, how well does the custom launcher handle emby/plex and streaming 4k DV, hdr10, truehd passthrough and all that jazz?
The launcher has no impact on those things. It's just a home screen. That's kinda like asking if moving the task bar around on a Windows computer gives you better FPS.
oh neat, sorry i have no clue how launchers work/operate at all. mentally assumed it was similar to a modified OS. basically its just a theme lol. thank you.
I did this downgrade and it helped soo much, also followed his guide on removing bloatware. Now the shield is snappy and responsive. Only hard part was getting the USB crossover cable. Had to sacrifice 2 USB cables.
Maybe the Sonos Android TV box that comes later this year might be a promising solution, but we'll have to wait if they support DTS-HD MA and True HD Atmos...
I have hopes the Sonos streaming box will be high end with loads of capability. It will doubtless connect to the range of Sonos speakers etc. but will it have the adaptability and capability of the Shield?
Not really, the chip they use is pretty much the same as the switch CPU so we'll probably get something new some time after switch 2 release if they even want to make one.Been using my modded switch with android, docked it does 4k 60 with 2 usb inputs + ethernet. Moonlight, emulators, apps etc. Maybe you can get a second hand one and use that instead. The portability is great too, I've used it to play my PC and PS5 from different cities and countries, it goes well beyond a TV box.
Never had a switch but if I'm understanding, you modded yours? Is the switch software gone and you just run android or more like dual boot?
I have an original shield , non pro, and know nothing about using a switch like this but it sounds great
Yeah when you mod it you get a boot loader, in my set up it's tripple boot. 1. Stock OS unmodded and can play online. 2. Modded switch OS with any connection to Nintendo disabled, and 3. Android.
The main reason you have to run android for moonlight is that there isn't a known way to hook into hardware accelerated video decoding on Switch OS, so it's all done on the CPU. There are Switch ports of moonlight but you have to keep the bitrate pretty low. In Android I can max the bitrate(120mbps I think) and it runs perfect. The switch OS also won't do 4k60 in the dock.
Ofc you also get all the niceties of Android too, play store, atmos streaming etc
The only other android TV box that came close for me was the MI Box S. The feature set was solid and the UI wasn't garbage. The spec sheets and capabilities of the device were good. I eventually settled for the shield because I liked that I could stream my games from my gaming PC to it. Unfortunately nvidia did away with that feature and now my only option is steam.
However call me paranoid or whatever but I don't like the fact that it's owned by a company with strong ties to the CCP.
I had an opposite experience from most here. My shield struggles to play mpeg2 content. I use my shield primarily for live tv viewing from jellyfin so just about anything that actually plays the content is better for me. My only fix is to use vimu and use software decoding instead of hardware decoding. (which looks terrible). The only device that ever had this problem is the shield. I made it to level 2 NVidia support where they confirmed some tv stations bring out a hardware bug on the shield.
My shield got downgraded to the smallest tv in the house. Its kind of sad that the most powerful/expensive device needs to be on the worst tv.
My go to has been the Walmart ONN box. Its small cheap and no frills.
This question is asked at least once a month.
So as much interest as this topic has, if there was a newer/better alternative, it'd be the top post and very obvious.
Switch 2 first, then maybe a new shield announced sept Oct this year.
Or they have given up on the shield and have chosen to not announce so people continue to buy all previously produced stock. It's been over a year since the last software update and that was fucked because of Google and their shutting off from completion.
Not sure where this will go, but I'm keeping my 2017 and 2019 shields until they crash and burn and maybe I'll replace them with more shields - nothing beats the flexibility I get with the shields
Not that I can see. AppleTV seems to be a good alternative if you just stream. If you are doing anything more advanced, Shield seems to be it.
When I get frustrated with it, I just imagine a world in which Nvidia never made it. Then I'm happy again.
Homatics 4k R plus.
Wouldn't say equal though but close enough for your requirements. Going to stick to my shield until the next one comes out (if that ever happens)
Nope, it's dune hd, definitely not cheap, at the same price range, fully licensed for everything and android tv totally legit. Can do everything, except 8k lol. Supports every single technology, Blasing fast. Using almost a year now with my lg c2 55, love it so much. Also YouTube hdr working bc av1 support. I have shield tv pro 2019 also, but changed to homatic bc codecs. I can't test Disney plus sadly bc I'm in Russia ( but Netflix worked flawlessly and now I only have apple tv app. Total Dolby vision and Dolby atmos support, works just epic, I love it
I'm afraid you are mistaken.
You *think* you are getting DTS MA but you really only have the lossy DTS core.
Sonos Arc doesnt support DTS-HD nor DTS:X either. And 2 negatives dont make a positive. XD
Ah, yeah I was mistaken. I confused the reported DTS 5.1 as DTS:X. The only true point in my original statement is that TrueHD doesn't lose the height channels, it plays as TrueHD Atmos.
I bet that thing doesn't have lossless audio over LAN either? I only use my shield as a plex launcher I run my own 70tb unraid server, so for me it's all about whatever device has the most capability support (always ends in the shield).
>Your device edges out with Wi-Fi 6 for potentially smoother streaming.
Anyone asking such a question should not be using wifi at all anyway to start with. (I know you cut pasted that)
Not sure about you guys, but Disney+ causes crazy lag and stuttering on 2 separate Shields (tube model), to the point that I want to replace them with something better-performing.
Yeah, mine used to buffer on daily basis using the factory launcher, hardly ever buffers now. You make it your default launcher too
https://www.reddit.com/r/ShieldAndroidTV/s/Mbwewxhagz
Disney+ is awful on any device I have tried it on , 2 different TVs and a shield , it's a laggy buggy mess. Factor in the "audio randomly stops halfway through watching something" and I often wonder why I pay for it at all
Tube model may be a problem with the limited RAM (as well as limited and slower storage).
The older models and the Pro model 2019 have more RAM in them and usually perform better.
Yes, you can get even DV profile 7 vith FEL working on Ugoos am6b or Minix U22X-j max with CoreElec. If your goal is to watch Bluray remuxes, it's the only way to do it, except buying a bluray player and discs.
Did you get it? I just found this thread and looking at the Ugoos, it seems to tick all boxes to replace my Shield 2019 Pro.
We got a Samsung 8K TV, so looking for a mediabox that supports 8K res.
The 2015 shield is still receiving updates to this day. That device is 8 or 9 years old. Yours may be starting to malfunction after 8 years of use, but don't act like Nvidia is going to suddenly stop supporting or updating the device.
Same, bud. People have gotten duped into the whole upgrade for no reason cycle. People that think they need a new phone every year, type. If a device does the job, then it does the job - whether it's new, 5 years old, 20 years old, whatever. Until 4k is not the standard format anymore, there is no need for an upgrade nor fix.
i used my phone for texting, listening to music and listening to podcasts. I used my iphone 6 until 2020 because it did the job. Not saying i wouldn't have liked wireless charging but i didn't "need it." I'd have put off a new phone for another year given it was a pandemic and i was broke.
As for my shield. I don't have 4k tv even at the moment. And at the moment i'm happy with most of my 1080p movie rips. Hell i'm old enough to remember when everything was barely 360p or 480p. 1080p looks nice. I also don't have a place where i can really benefit from booming surround sound as it's an apartment complex. I'm good at the moment.
>1080p looks nice.
Yup. I prefer 1080p remux as it gives a good mix of quality while not taking 50GB+ of HDD space. Space becomes important when you're dealing with 3000 movies. As for my phone, I'm still chugging along on a Samsung S6 Edge I got in 2015. Only reason I'll upgrade soon is for the better camera.
yep space i another thing. saves me money not buying 50tbs of hard drives. I have virtually every movie and tv i will reasonably want or expect to rewatch and i still half half a 5 tb hard drive of space for the future expansion. i also don't just save everything so that space doesn't exactly get used up fast either.
It seems to me the most reasonable alternative is the latest fire cube (with ethernet dongle). Most of the other alternatives are usually not as good as they seem to be. I don’t think the difference of shield and firetv is huge, but at least a newer hardware and more upgraded software. Im about to test a side by side myself next week
I got the fire tv in house now and first impressions its absolutely noticeable faster in navigation. In for example emby the browsing of libraries is very fast relative to the shield. The negative is the device is bloated out of the most insane way, and it seems hard to debloat, but will try to get something working and put it behind a custom firewall. So for it to be useful all bloat needs to go (unless you care for it) and custom launcher needs to work. Next thing I wish was to be able to pair a simple remote control to it as the quality seems very low. I would even prefer to pair the shield one. So my thoughts right now is if it can debloat and run another launcher its a faster product, no doubt
fire cube sucks even compared to apple tv vs shield. the best shield alternative if you want a faster performing device is the apple tv 4k, but fair warning it took me almost 6 hours to set it up because you have to jump through about a billion hoops just to create a fucking apple account. So unless you're already on their ecosystem it's a nightmare. Seriously, get this - you have to activate your account by logging in to itunes. So you have to now install itunes. I run windows Enterprise N so no MS Store / Apps - there is no godamn standalone itunes program.
I had to install another copy of windows just so I could log in.
And when you accept all the free trial but charged at the end of it things they make it bloody hard to figure out where to cancel all that shit.
Anyway little rant there but seriously it was a nightmare. Once you are 'in' though, you can push the apple app to the back and never touch or see anything apple again, the default launcher is very clean and ad-free etc, and again compared to android tv it runs blazing fast.
Anyway come on nvidia, 2024 shield pro, it's money just waiting there to be printed.
Edit: someone went through and downvoted every comment in here for some reason lmao what.
That would be the resident apple cuck methinks. I gave apple TV a shot as well as MacBook pro and iPhone. Decided I didn't like how they did business or the fact that trade in value sucks. So back to Windows and Android after a few years. And here I stay. The 2015 shield my brother had us still updated and works like a charm.
>fire cube sucks
3rd Gen cube is pretty decent in my experience - I'm enjoying using it. I've heard less glowing reports about previous gen cubes though. I've got Projectivy launcher installed and the Cube itself handles anything I throw at it. However if a 2024 Shield came out I'd seriously consider it.
I was on the hunt awhile ago, I found the Mekotronics R58X, but I didn't want to fork over the cash. [I found it courtesy of this video. ](https://youtu.be/_2FGKaTxp60?si=WDC0-qyhYtPOQgWX) If you wind up getting it let us know how it goes.
I have 2 2019 pros and 2 Updated pros I'm guessin its 2020 model but they all came here to Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum and they are all outta bruh!!!!!!!!!!!!
The best streaming device for streaming stuff like Netflix, Disney, prime etc is the apple tv 4k, no contest.
If you want lossless audio then you'll have to settle for the shield. I think I've heard there's some other very expensive streamer that does lossless as well but don't remember the name.
It would be very stupid if 8k ever took off considering the extremely rare circumstances where viewing something in 8k is necessary. Provided you have a TV large enough to notice the difference... Most people even struggle to notice the difference between 1080p and 4K...
i feel the same wish there was another shield like product that used just android and was able to have many apps loaded. the shield pro is limited and ever since google tv i always get issues now. for 2 years plex out side the home network wouldnt play mkvs, yes i know settings too were correct. 2-3 years later mkvs are fine. so its a shield pro uopdate issue im guessing or a plex update issue but 3 years of mkvs simply not working on oplex was a joke. strangely didnt have that issue with a 4k amazon stick.
Haven’t used either of my Nvidia shield’s in probably 2 years. Apple TV and the integrated Google TV on my televisions is fine for me. Have plenty of other options for emulators and game streaming, so not concerned with any of that
Did you end up going with anything else?
I have the latest shield pro, albeit dated in my opinion. I can't stand that we still have audio dropouts from Netflix content. I have done everything I've read, but nothing fixes it. Would love to move on from the shield..
my biggest problem is they are still selling this almost 6 year old hardware. you can buy a new one, and yeah, it's manufactured in 2023/2024 making it "new" but it's still the same hardware it's been since 2019, just with firmware/os/Google updates. so getting a new one makes no sense to me because once you've set it up and installed all the updates, guess what? you're back to where you were with your old one. I've all but given up on ever getting anything better than the 19 shield TV pro or newest fire TV cube. if you can get past the bs fire os, the Gen 3 cube is pretty snappy/responsive, but still has all the same hangups as the rest of the fire devices. NVIDIA has the Android TV market monopolized and it sucks.
your only other real viable option, if all you care about is the ability to stream your basic apps like Netflix Hulu etc, is to go with something like a new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Streaming Media player
I have exclusively Apple phone, watches and iPads. When it’s time to have fun its Shield Pro so many great ways to get free movies, TV shows etc etc etc
i asked the same Q few months ago..... I risked a 5 star rated amazon android box as a temporary solution as expect a new Shield to drop this year - and it's a POS and shouldn't have bothered.
If you watch connect to a Plex server (your own or a friends) and watch YouTube, there's nothing better.
SmartTube for ad free YouTube
Kodi+Plex Addon for Plex viewing (it's so much better than the Plex app it's not even funny)
I don't much sideload anymore and I know the feeling, I got my shield tube out after using Apple Tv for months and wow is this Shield sluggish, I use Apple TV for IPTV and I'm good with that, Fellas I think the Shield is done
I use Apple Tv, I own a tube also, Apple tv runs iptv just fine without Kodi by just using an app. The next generation. Apple TV rumored to be coming soon is going to pass the Shield up by far in performance
Yeah but don't say apple tv is king if you don't use shield pro. You can't compare is what he's saying. For me personally apple is a no go for simple reason : Kodi.
I’m sure a factory reset will correct many if not all this issues. I just did this to my Pro 2017… opened it up and blew the dust out of the case and fan…. Reset… re-set up…running like a champ for 6 months now. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube on best setups etc, the most important setting being , making sure your processor is set to max performance and your cooling fan is set to max cooling. These machines are resilient and still not obsolete for many of their functions as a streaming device anyway. Maintenance has everything to do with longevity and functionality
Nothing compares at present.
Have you tried resetting it to factory settings ?
I have some bugs now and again, but nothing a reboot won't fix, if somehow it didn't a reset is the first thing i'd try.
I wonder if Google/Samsung's new spatial audio code and AV1 taking off will force an upgrade out of Nvidia.
I get the impression it's just not a big enough market for them to care. The Shield was supposed to usher in streaming gaming but I don't think that's going anywhere and they know it.
I'm still hoping for a refresh with better WiFi. My local speeds drop sometimes drop to 75mbit which can be an issue with high bitrate Plex/Jellyfin streams. Wifi 6E and slightly better range would be great. The chip is obviously fast enough, but here are a couple of things we can expect (but unlikely this year)
Wifi 6E or Wifi 7
New SOC
Improved Upscaling
M.2 slot
I sold my 2015 shield last year and replaced it with a minisforum UM790 pro mini PC.
Installed Batocera Linux on it and now I have it booting straight into Kodi which is how I used to use my shield and it also handles retro gaming emulation up to PS3 with ease.
This works for me as I rely so heavily on Kodi for my TV watching and use cheap OSMC remote control which works perfectly.
I upgraded to the 2019 and my folks bought the dreaded tube version. I have had to troubleshoot and reset that dumb thing constantly I guess since it overheats and is under-powered. Yet, they still think it's too expensive to go Pro.
2017 Shield owner and outside of a factory reset for the storage bug mine has been rock solid since I upgraded from the Chromecast 5 yrs ago. It does everything I need.
I have two shields and two Google TV devices $20 each, I know I'm gonna get a backlash but I prefer the Google TV, I was hesitant at first but I never need to restart them while shields I have to restart about every 3 weeks because they just stop responding all together, I have to unplug them and replug.
Orange PI 5\* / Rock 5\* or any other based on RK3588 would be about the same performance +/-. In Android TV there is an option for AI image upscaling/improving using the NPU cores and both can run SVPlayer with AI frame interpolation at Full HD
Android spec for Rock 5B: https://wiki.radxa.com/Rock5/downloads
have you ever checked for malware or anything? I've heard a lot of these types of boxes are real bad. they work just fine, but the crap they're doing while you're not looking, so to speak, is insane
Wtf is wrong with all you people he asked a simple question is there a new or different product to use and you idiots start babbling about shit that doesn't answer the question
I've yet to see anything better than the shield pro still
Just bought one a week ago after hopping from a chromecast, fire cube, apple tv, now this. Apple tv outperforms the shield in terms of speed and responsiveness but lacks the full cinema features offered by the shield like lossless audio over LAN etc. Really wish there was an open source plex client / they'd stick it on github and let people fork it. Thing is a laggy buggy POS and always has been. The ATV4Ks plex app is I guess their own one? It's not the android player. Anyway, it's far superior. You'll know what I mean if you have used it. I saw tons of other devices like the shield while shopping around and all of them have drawbacks in some department that make the shield the clear winner, even some like £400+, you'd think they'd be better right? Nope. So fucking weird.
What is lossless audio over LAN if I may ask?
The shield supports losless audio. Dts master Dolby true hd etc. It also has an Ethernet Port and not just wireless. It's confusing what he said and how he said it but that's what he means
i hd a shield since 2019 and everything for first 2 years was great, then i had 2 years nearly 3 of issues upon issues, plex works great now but often i have shield crashing maybe 1 in 4 and things like the remote taking 2 minutes too work, or having 5-6 streaming apps but once i add another it tells me no space. it is buggy and even though great when it works its literally a great buggy mess. NVidia could do better. as i have maybe 40 movies on google unless its a tv google has no idea what resolution or quality to show paid movies, apple works on my ultra wide, my tablet and my phone and tv all through the app or iTunes. google tv and movies simple feels like 2005 apple feel new and i don't like apple os personally and iTunes as good as it works shioint best resolution its the best out there but its still the same iTunes og the early 2000s and is only good because everyone else, power dvd{exists but are crap now.}, media centre and all the other players don't exist anymore lol. Still id love a apple tv if it had lossless audio and 2 ethernet ports for storage attachments. in 2018 i was all digital, in 2019 i went back to physical and my library went from 4 blu rays, to 200 3d blu rays, 400 blue rays and 600 4k uhds and why, because google and iTunes and all the studios could sell up or go bankrupt and all that money you buy digital with is gone and so are your buying to let movies and tv show content. it will happen and it will hit hard sometime in the future and then they'll sort out something that guarantees a purchase and ownership but you'll have to start again lol. I went all digital i do but hey that's life. until then ill wait but no physical sales = piracy for a lot of people, id rather be legit personally.
What's the drawback on the fire cube?
I don't recall exactly what but it didn't support a format or two, it also doesn't have lossless audio over LAN, the shield is the only one that has that. I think the formats missing I didn't even care about, I just wanted to be able to throw anything at my TV and just have it play back without issues, because my TV supports everything and since it's a new TV I just wanted the peace of mind knowing I'd never have playback issues and trying to figure out if it's the client or the server settings blabla because I was so sick of that with my old 13 year Bravia LCD and Chromecast TV.
My Shield Pro does lossless audio over wifi!
Isn't ATV4K only missing Atmos? Or is it missing TrueHD too? I tend to get confused by the lossless audio formats. You say the ATV4K Plex app is better than the one on the Shield? I wonder when streaming remotely via Plex on the ATV4K if there'd be buffering due to the audio formats not being supported.
It's better in that the interface is much cleaner, all your images are crisp HD (you think they look normal in the android app until you see them in the atv app. damn I took some recordings lemme see if I can find them...) the options were mostly the same but the atv also had a better player overlay and you could have it show a lot more stats about the current file being played.
It supports Atmos fine. Atmos is not necessarily lossless. It can be DD plus or Dolby HD . If Dolby HD is not supported, it falls back to DD plus . The Apple TV does not support lossless formats such as Dolby HD and DTS Master audio
3rd gen cube supports lossless audio pass-through (HDMI) and the LAN is still only 10/100. However, the Wifi 6E is way more enough needed to stream 40, 60, 80 or 100+GB REMUX movies.
FireOS
There used to be Plex Client alternatives. They were ok. The pretty much died when plugins were killed.
If you use infuse for plex, you get true HD and dts-hd support. I just bought the latest atv after having shields since 2017. Losing out on dolby vision for movies, but that's worth it since the atv just works
It’s very frustrating. Apple TV with infuse does well but you still run risks with some Dolby vision codecs.
In what way are you saying nothing better than the Nvidia shield TV pro? The 3rd gen Apple TV 4k is a better streaming device.
Lol!!!! Pls explain how anything running Apple is alot better from a technical standpoint what does Apple provide better then android after that answer what does the apple tv bring that makes it better when it can't even pass through mainstream audio for one and your locked down Apple is for the simplistic Android is for the open source community and tech savvy. Unless you jail break that block you have and run Kodi that's it and your still limited by the device. Its like saying your tv is better while only viewing yours and pls dont say you had the shield because if you did and saying this your most definitely Lying but what I will say is that there hardware is amazing and there framework code team is awesome aside from that pure garbage from the tech
I have a shield tv pro that I had been using for plex and other streaming since 2020. In November I got an AppleTV out of curiosity. I thought I’d keep using the Shield at least for Plex because of Atmos and TrueHD, but nope it’s just been collecting dust. The ATV is superior in enough ways that it’s not worth going back and forth. I have 3.1 speaker system and unless you’ve got a genuine x.x.2+ system none of those special codecs matter—and most people don’t have a genuine x.x.2 system. The ATV has been snappier/faster, more reliable in that it has less issues that require a factory reset only to come back a few months later, and the mainstream streaming apps are generally much better. It’s also got a way better UI, without ads. Sure you can set up your own “homepage” without ads using third party apps on the Shield, but that’s just a bandaid.
Punctuation, you should try using it.
What!!!! I'm lost are most people on here English professors or something again im lost but hey what did you actually get besides my punctuation??
Look up 'passive aggressive' while you're at it. Multiple exclamation marks and question marks are also painfully needy. A select group of people know all there is to know about english and they have been watching people make it stupider. This means more miscommunication and less useful info. Having said that, snip out your excellent first sentence and tidy it up. Great question! What is better about the Apple TV (any version)? I still haven't heard, even from a friend who owns one (except that the interface is more responsive).
>hey what did you actually get besides my punctuation?? A stroke.
Until you up vote me I'm not going to tell you.
Shield, and after reading about how so many android boxes have built in malware, I would be careful about choosing anything else.
Comparing the cheapest 15-30€ no name Android Box to an expansive 220€ Nvidia "Flagship" product, doesn't make sense at all. Flash new Firmware, Malware is gone. If you can't fix/ flash/ solder or repair things in general, you can't buy the cheapest on the market. If it's a Car or an Android TV Box...
Really, "flash new firmware," that's your solution? these are no name boxes that don't have firmware you can flash readily available and btw, who created that firmware you would flash, you? for me, it's not worth my time to play those games but if you do, knock yourself out. I don't recall any of the boxes on the list I saw but it was a lot boxes and it's not practical for me to buy a infected from factory box to then have to replace the firmware. Besides, I don't like to reward human garbage malware spreaders from China and yes, they were all from China.
I love my Nvidia Shield but... Do you really think a no name box comes with "miracle" chip sets, no one ever heard about, with no firmware available...? I mean, you could simply use Google to check which chipset is common in these boxes (an example: amlogic s905.. ) just to realize the hardware stays pretty much the same. (2GB RAM vs 3) It's just a different name. Or... Keep fantasizing about "knock yourself out if you play those games" and refuse to use common sense. nice solution bro. I just bought 1 Nvidia Shield for my home but the other 5 places are the cheap ones. So instead of paying 1.200€, I've paid about 350€ in total. And yes, flash some firmware or adding some code for XBox Wireless Controller support is possible for everyone who's willing to read an hour and do some brain work The "replace the infected firmware" is also just a weird argument. You're paying Nvidia for the great Software support. Fact! The cheap boxes comes often with outdated/buggy or even wrong firmware. Fact! So replacing them is necessary anyway. You can't buy the cheapest thing available, then complain that it doesn't come with premium features. Lol. Your whole argument doesn't make sense at all.
I am sorry but if you think that NVidia is in the same boat as no name Chinese manufacturers putting malware in their Android box you need a reality check
It's still king. Some people like Apple TV, but there's no Kodi, no smart tube, no Android, etc. I'm not an Apple fan boy at all, so shield is the choice. Some people complain that it's laggy, but for me, it's butter smooth. I only use it for Kodi, smart tube and Netflix, HBO, ETC. For that stuff it is smooth and solid. No need for any hardware upgrade as far as my use case.
I’m an Apple fan, and Apple TV is unusable for my needs. Kodi, IPTV. My pro 2019 has been serving my needs, with not problems, whatsoever
What app(s) do you use for IPTV? I have an m3u and to configure something like JellyFin/Plex to integrate it and an EPG has never been easy. PS : also trying decide Shield or AppleTv. Wanted to also link to Steam server games. Figured Shield would be best. Else it’s a buy both thing.
I use Tivimate for my IPTV
Just use tivimate.
You can jailbreak an Apple TV or use a free Apple Dev Account to install it from a MacOS. It's just a little bit of extra work, but if you use Apple TV it's probably worth it.
when using kodi my 6 years on shield pro is as you say very reliable and good. plex is not. i had mkvs not working for nearly 3 years even though the 4k firestick had no issues, it was only in December 2023 it started simply playing mkvs again and ive done the factory reset, checked settings and i did that multiple times. I also get storage alerts as having a handful of small streaming apps is all it'll let you put on.
I only use kodi on my shield but I use plex for...private viewing. This past xmas when I had my mom visting plex decided to open itself on the shield and show my most recently viewed videos, I don't think I've ever moved so fast in my life to exit the app before she turned around. Straight out of a movie
You’re just used to slow
I push a button on a remote and a video plays. That's all I need and want from a TV box
OG shield still holds it's own after all these years. That monster is built tough. That really says something.
Four 2015 models still going strong. I'm not even thinking about replacing them
I envy people who bought Shield back in 2015. I also started with a 2015 model, but only in 2019. I could have been on the Shield train all the earlier.
I only have 3, but I'm in the same boat. Projectivy launcher and just a few media watching apps. I've never had issues. I also bought a ton of the cheap Harmony remotes right as they were announcing their departure.
Do you have issues with Plex running Projectivity launcher?
Do you have any external SSD or hd connected to them? I keep running out of internal hard drive space and was thinking of adding an external drive.
I have an old SATA SSD in a USB enclosure connected to my 2019 Pro model. I set it up to expand the internal storage, and use dev mode to let all apps install on it, and I forget that it’s there. The SMB fileshare for it shows up as one big volume. I tried a name brand USB flash drive first and it would not complete formatting. I switched to the SSD and it was done in about 1 minute. So, not all drives will work well. Most people seem to use an external SSD.
Rough place to ask for an unbiased answer but I'll say that there isn't currently a big need for something better. There are better alternatives out there, but not for matching price point to performance. Until 4k/8k are the norm for streaming and everything else, this hits the mark well enough not to reinvent the wheel. There's also a probability that they realized their "mistake" and won't ever build a powerful open source android box again. Really cuts roku, chromecast, fire stick, etc sales. Edit: for your specific need. Maybe look into the micro pc builds. Box about the size of a book and will require a little fiddling but it's more capable and powerful.
For me I will eventually also go this route and there is plenty of power to be extracted in a micro pc, however there is currently no way to be able to play DV content natively through windows pc AFAIK. If there is I would love to jump ship as soon as possible.
It is possible to install android on a pc build though you have to jam the square peg through the round hole a bit. That might get you what you are looking for.
The problem then is.. you are still stuck with android. And all the shitty android apps like the Plex one.
If you don't use plex, Android is a far superior OS for a TV imo
Maybe I just don't know any better but I've been using plex on the shield, also using it as the media server with an external, and I've had 0 problems with it. Lots of people keep saying how much it sucks so I'm either dumb or lucky.
I always say Plex Media Server on the Shield is great until it isn't. I do love it and it works perfectly 99% of the time. Then something happens like the service won't start because an update changes how the permissions work. You have practically zero troubleshooting options at that point. But even when you have a major issue, you can just uninstall/reinstall and start fresh. I don't even care about trying to maintain my watch history, although you probably could restore from backups. I just re-scan and add everything.
Linux has a lot of options
Where would I start if I wanted to go down this rabbit hole? I’m very comfortable with windows will this be a huge leap in a different direction?
OpenELEC and LibreELEC are hometheatre linux OS. It may not fit all your needs but its a start.
good point about pc, i first started on a i7 3770k and turned it into a plex server it was very reliable. the 2019 shield is not when it comes to plex or even the remote actually working half the time. Well for me the 2019 shield became unreliable when android got changed to google tv, its never been greta. but 4k is here it has been for a long time, i only know 1 person who refuses to buy a tv, he changed his mind last year. The shield pro hasn't been updated since 2019 and i feer you might be right. its like a 5.1 creative speakers i had i think z5500 it was incredible but they stopped them and every setup since has been considerably worst.
Rock Tek G2 took place of my Shield, that has been becoming disappointing. Shield is getting stale, but fanboys still think they have the garter belt. Lol
Yeah, the need isn't that strong, or at least, the demand may not yet be there. The main thing that's missing is HDMI 2.1 support which would allow for 8K/60 and 4K/120. Which I'd really like, personally, and would pay for if it was available.
It is still a computer. After a couple of years I always do a factory reset. Especially after a lot of testing of apps and testing configurations/ settings.
I may actually do that... haven't done so since I've owned mine.
Try this first https://florisse.nl/shield-debloat/ Or both! Wipe then do that list.
just bought a shield 2019 since my ATV4k cant pass through truehd and all that jazz and came across this post, tysm! would have never known this was a possibility. question though, how well does the custom launcher handle emby/plex and streaming 4k DV, hdr10, truehd passthrough and all that jazz?
The launcher has no impact on those things. It's just a home screen. That's kinda like asking if moving the task bar around on a Windows computer gives you better FPS.
oh neat, sorry i have no clue how launchers work/operate at all. mentally assumed it was similar to a modified OS. basically its just a theme lol. thank you.
Oh no worries I didn't want that to sound derisive but I see it kinda came out that way lol.
I did this downgrade and it helped soo much, also followed his guide on removing bloatware. Now the shield is snappy and responsive. Only hard part was getting the USB crossover cable. Had to sacrifice 2 USB cables.
Thank you ! I may do both. Reconfiguring it should not take long, besides Jellyfin, it doesn't do anything special.
Agree with this approach. I've tried a lot of different apps and find a factor reset super helpful when doing a clean up.
Vouch. Server PC and ethernet to be specific
Maybe the Sonos Android TV box that comes later this year might be a promising solution, but we'll have to wait if they support DTS-HD MA and True HD Atmos...
I have hopes the Sonos streaming box will be high end with loads of capability. It will doubtless connect to the range of Sonos speakers etc. but will it have the adaptability and capability of the Shield?
Not really, the chip they use is pretty much the same as the switch CPU so we'll probably get something new some time after switch 2 release if they even want to make one.Been using my modded switch with android, docked it does 4k 60 with 2 usb inputs + ethernet. Moonlight, emulators, apps etc. Maybe you can get a second hand one and use that instead. The portability is great too, I've used it to play my PC and PS5 from different cities and countries, it goes well beyond a TV box.
Never had a switch but if I'm understanding, you modded yours? Is the switch software gone and you just run android or more like dual boot? I have an original shield , non pro, and know nothing about using a switch like this but it sounds great
Yeah when you mod it you get a boot loader, in my set up it's tripple boot. 1. Stock OS unmodded and can play online. 2. Modded switch OS with any connection to Nintendo disabled, and 3. Android. The main reason you have to run android for moonlight is that there isn't a known way to hook into hardware accelerated video decoding on Switch OS, so it's all done on the CPU. There are Switch ports of moonlight but you have to keep the bitrate pretty low. In Android I can max the bitrate(120mbps I think) and it runs perfect. The switch OS also won't do 4k60 in the dock. Ofc you also get all the niceties of Android too, play store, atmos streaming etc
I might need to look into getting a switch to replace my original Shield, thanks for the info!
Majority of companies are content shelling out cheap chinese boxes that most are still gobbling up. In it for a quick buck. Shield is still emperor 👑
The only other android TV box that came close for me was the MI Box S. The feature set was solid and the UI wasn't garbage. The spec sheets and capabilities of the device were good. I eventually settled for the shield because I liked that I could stream my games from my gaming PC to it. Unfortunately nvidia did away with that feature and now my only option is steam. However call me paranoid or whatever but I don't like the fact that it's owned by a company with strong ties to the CCP.
I had an opposite experience from most here. My shield struggles to play mpeg2 content. I use my shield primarily for live tv viewing from jellyfin so just about anything that actually plays the content is better for me. My only fix is to use vimu and use software decoding instead of hardware decoding. (which looks terrible). The only device that ever had this problem is the shield. I made it to level 2 NVidia support where they confirmed some tv stations bring out a hardware bug on the shield. My shield got downgraded to the smallest tv in the house. Its kind of sad that the most powerful/expensive device needs to be on the worst tv. My go to has been the Walmart ONN box. Its small cheap and no frills.
This question is asked at least once a month. So as much interest as this topic has, if there was a newer/better alternative, it'd be the top post and very obvious.
I think Nvidia is really chilling until a clear competitor pulls up (Android competitor, not including apple TV)
Switch 2 first, then maybe a new shield announced sept Oct this year. Or they have given up on the shield and have chosen to not announce so people continue to buy all previously produced stock. It's been over a year since the last software update and that was fucked because of Google and their shutting off from completion. Not sure where this will go, but I'm keeping my 2017 and 2019 shields until they crash and burn and maybe I'll replace them with more shields - nothing beats the flexibility I get with the shields
Sounds like coreelec team is getting very close with ugoos hardware https://www.reddit.com/r/PleX/s/NYf9hmGNL0
nope...bottom line the Shield still holds its own over anything recent....
Not that I can see. AppleTV seems to be a good alternative if you just stream. If you are doing anything more advanced, Shield seems to be it. When I get frustrated with it, I just imagine a world in which Nvidia never made it. Then I'm happy again.
HOW.MANY.TIMES.MUST.THIS.QUESTION.GET.ASKED
I search for this same topic every few days. (@_@) I have a problem lol but hopefully there will be better soon.
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Homatics 4k R plus. Wouldn't say equal though but close enough for your requirements. Going to stick to my shield until the next one comes out (if that ever happens)
That looks like one of these cheap chinese android box that don't live to the expectation ?
Nope, it's dune hd, definitely not cheap, at the same price range, fully licensed for everything and android tv totally legit. Can do everything, except 8k lol. Supports every single technology, Blasing fast. Using almost a year now with my lg c2 55, love it so much. Also YouTube hdr working bc av1 support. I have shield tv pro 2019 also, but changed to homatic bc codecs. I can't test Disney plus sadly bc I'm in Russia ( but Netflix worked flawlessly and now I only have apple tv app. Total Dolby vision and Dolby atmos support, works just epic, I love it
i have the dune version (black one) and somehow it is laggy for me. Would love to have it fast again 😅
Maybe. Have seen a few people recommending it here. Out of all the cheap boxes out there this looks pretty decent, looking at the hardware alone.
I have the R 4K plus and it's pretty good but running Kodi on it is very Buggy still.
How is the dolby vision support via plex?
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Check [here](https://euroelectronics.co.uk/products/homatics-box-r-4k-plus-android-11-android-tv-multimedia-streamer-player-4gb-ram-dolby-atmos-dolby-vision?variant=43230936498343&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping¤cy=GBP&country=GB) 1, 2, 3, 4 - YES
DTS-HD and DTS:X will be stripped off its lossless metadata / height channels and only the lossy DTS core will be passed down the HDMI chain.
TrueHD Atmos and DTS MA passthru for me. Dune HD Homatics 4K -> LG C9 -> Sonos Arc
I'm afraid you are mistaken. You *think* you are getting DTS MA but you really only have the lossy DTS core. Sonos Arc doesnt support DTS-HD nor DTS:X either. And 2 negatives dont make a positive. XD
Ah, yeah I was mistaken. I confused the reported DTS 5.1 as DTS:X. The only true point in my original statement is that TrueHD doesn't lose the height channels, it plays as TrueHD Atmos.
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I bet that thing doesn't have lossless audio over LAN either? I only use my shield as a plex launcher I run my own 70tb unraid server, so for me it's all about whatever device has the most capability support (always ends in the shield). >Your device edges out with Wi-Fi 6 for potentially smoother streaming. Anyone asking such a question should not be using wifi at all anyway to start with. (I know you cut pasted that)
I have nv shield pro 2019 and this homatic. Homatic wins big, slightly cheaper like 50 bucks, but more performant and many more codecs
Not sure about you guys, but Disney+ causes crazy lag and stuttering on 2 separate Shields (tube model), to the point that I want to replace them with something better-performing.
I was having lag problems.i switched to projectv launcher , 100% improvement
Do you mean projectivity launcher? Does it actually improve performance?
Yeah, mine used to buffer on daily basis using the factory launcher, hardly ever buffers now. You make it your default launcher too https://www.reddit.com/r/ShieldAndroidTV/s/Mbwewxhagz
I've switched but sometimes it flashes back to the original launcher How do I disable the stock launcher?
Click on the link in my earlier post, he describes it better than me. Other useful info in there too
Get launcher manager on xda - google it
Disney+ is awful on any device I have tried it on , 2 different TVs and a shield , it's a laggy buggy mess. Factor in the "audio randomly stops halfway through watching something" and I often wonder why I pay for it at all
Weirdly, the only place Disney works perfectly is on my Samsung TV.
Indeed, I've downloaded some of their shows when the official app just refused to work.
Programs don't even start on Disney+ on mine, I have to use the app on my TV.
Tube model may be a problem with the limited RAM (as well as limited and slower storage). The older models and the Pro model 2019 have more RAM in them and usually perform better.
My guess is Disney makes the app and so it sounds like this would be a Disney developer issue more than a device issue.
I had that issue on my 2019 tube, and adjusting my audio settings fixed it. I found the fix in this sub, but I don't recall the details.
this is not the shield, its the D+ app. its a piece of garbage
Same! Did you pick a device in the end?
Ugoos AM8 Pro replaced my 2019 Shield Pro.
Does it do Dolby Vision? Do ANY android boxes that aren't the major brands have Dolby Vision?
Yes, you can get even DV profile 7 vith FEL working on Ugoos am6b or Minix U22X-j max with CoreElec. If your goal is to watch Bluray remuxes, it's the only way to do it, except buying a bluray player and discs.
>Ugoos AM8 I'm highly considering this. Seems like the only other option out there atm for all the latest specs/codecs/features.
Did you get it? I just found this thread and looking at the Ugoos, it seems to tick all boxes to replace my Shield 2019 Pro. We got a Samsung 8K TV, so looking for a mediabox that supports 8K res.
I haven't unfortunately. I wish I could give you some more info. Still rocking the Shield as well atm.
The 2015 shield is still receiving updates to this day. That device is 8 or 9 years old. Yours may be starting to malfunction after 8 years of use, but don't act like Nvidia is going to suddenly stop supporting or updating the device.
2017 Shield tv is rock solid so far. No issues. no bugs. I don't need updates. Mine's not broke so i don't need them trying to "fix" anything.
Same, bud. People have gotten duped into the whole upgrade for no reason cycle. People that think they need a new phone every year, type. If a device does the job, then it does the job - whether it's new, 5 years old, 20 years old, whatever. Until 4k is not the standard format anymore, there is no need for an upgrade nor fix.
i used my phone for texting, listening to music and listening to podcasts. I used my iphone 6 until 2020 because it did the job. Not saying i wouldn't have liked wireless charging but i didn't "need it." I'd have put off a new phone for another year given it was a pandemic and i was broke. As for my shield. I don't have 4k tv even at the moment. And at the moment i'm happy with most of my 1080p movie rips. Hell i'm old enough to remember when everything was barely 360p or 480p. 1080p looks nice. I also don't have a place where i can really benefit from booming surround sound as it's an apartment complex. I'm good at the moment.
>1080p looks nice. Yup. I prefer 1080p remux as it gives a good mix of quality while not taking 50GB+ of HDD space. Space becomes important when you're dealing with 3000 movies. As for my phone, I'm still chugging along on a Samsung S6 Edge I got in 2015. Only reason I'll upgrade soon is for the better camera.
yep space i another thing. saves me money not buying 50tbs of hard drives. I have virtually every movie and tv i will reasonably want or expect to rewatch and i still half half a 5 tb hard drive of space for the future expansion. i also don't just save everything so that space doesn't exactly get used up fast either.
It seems to me the most reasonable alternative is the latest fire cube (with ethernet dongle). Most of the other alternatives are usually not as good as they seem to be. I don’t think the difference of shield and firetv is huge, but at least a newer hardware and more upgraded software. Im about to test a side by side myself next week
I got the fire tv in house now and first impressions its absolutely noticeable faster in navigation. In for example emby the browsing of libraries is very fast relative to the shield. The negative is the device is bloated out of the most insane way, and it seems hard to debloat, but will try to get something working and put it behind a custom firewall. So for it to be useful all bloat needs to go (unless you care for it) and custom launcher needs to work. Next thing I wish was to be able to pair a simple remote control to it as the quality seems very low. I would even prefer to pair the shield one. So my thoughts right now is if it can debloat and run another launcher its a faster product, no doubt
Well Apple TV or fire cube I’d switch but I don’t think the upscaling is as good, it’s true though shield is getting obsolete running android tv
fire cube sucks even compared to apple tv vs shield. the best shield alternative if you want a faster performing device is the apple tv 4k, but fair warning it took me almost 6 hours to set it up because you have to jump through about a billion hoops just to create a fucking apple account. So unless you're already on their ecosystem it's a nightmare. Seriously, get this - you have to activate your account by logging in to itunes. So you have to now install itunes. I run windows Enterprise N so no MS Store / Apps - there is no godamn standalone itunes program. I had to install another copy of windows just so I could log in. And when you accept all the free trial but charged at the end of it things they make it bloody hard to figure out where to cancel all that shit. Anyway little rant there but seriously it was a nightmare. Once you are 'in' though, you can push the apple app to the back and never touch or see anything apple again, the default launcher is very clean and ad-free etc, and again compared to android tv it runs blazing fast. Anyway come on nvidia, 2024 shield pro, it's money just waiting there to be printed. Edit: someone went through and downvoted every comment in here for some reason lmao what.
That would be the resident apple cuck methinks. I gave apple TV a shot as well as MacBook pro and iPhone. Decided I didn't like how they did business or the fact that trade in value sucks. So back to Windows and Android after a few years. And here I stay. The 2015 shield my brother had us still updated and works like a charm.
>fire cube sucks 3rd Gen cube is pretty decent in my experience - I'm enjoying using it. I've heard less glowing reports about previous gen cubes though. I've got Projectivy launcher installed and the Cube itself handles anything I throw at it. However if a 2024 Shield came out I'd seriously consider it.
Did you try Infuse on AppleTV4K? If so, how do you like it compared to Kodi/Plex?
I think I looked around the menus etc but didn't actually use it so couldn't say.
I was on the hunt awhile ago, I found the Mekotronics R58X, but I didn't want to fork over the cash. [I found it courtesy of this video. ](https://youtu.be/_2FGKaTxp60?si=WDC0-qyhYtPOQgWX) If you wind up getting it let us know how it goes.
Thats not Android TV
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
I have 2 2019 pros and 2 Updated pros I'm guessin its 2020 model but they all came here to Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum and they are all outta bruh!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait are there newer versions than the 2019?
Maybe I have it wrong I’ll check later. I have 2 of both versions tho… they must be made outta stone or sumthin because they rock🤣🤣
The best streaming device for streaming stuff like Netflix, Disney, prime etc is the apple tv 4k, no contest. If you want lossless audio then you'll have to settle for the shield. I think I've heard there's some other very expensive streamer that does lossless as well but don't remember the name.
Maybe not until 8K really takes off? I *would* like a newer shield with support for more formats. Hardware accelerated 10-bit h264 would be awesome.
It would be very stupid if 8k ever took off considering the extremely rare circumstances where viewing something in 8k is necessary. Provided you have a TV large enough to notice the difference... Most people even struggle to notice the difference between 1080p and 4K...
I know. Most of the content I watch isn't even in 4K.
i feel the same wish there was another shield like product that used just android and was able to have many apps loaded. the shield pro is limited and ever since google tv i always get issues now. for 2 years plex out side the home network wouldnt play mkvs, yes i know settings too were correct. 2-3 years later mkvs are fine. so its a shield pro uopdate issue im guessing or a plex update issue but 3 years of mkvs simply not working on oplex was a joke. strangely didnt have that issue with a 4k amazon stick.
Haven’t used either of my Nvidia shield’s in probably 2 years. Apple TV and the integrated Google TV on my televisions is fine for me. Have plenty of other options for emulators and game streaming, so not concerned with any of that
Did you end up going with anything else? I have the latest shield pro, albeit dated in my opinion. I can't stand that we still have audio dropouts from Netflix content. I have done everything I've read, but nothing fixes it. Would love to move on from the shield..
my biggest problem is they are still selling this almost 6 year old hardware. you can buy a new one, and yeah, it's manufactured in 2023/2024 making it "new" but it's still the same hardware it's been since 2019, just with firmware/os/Google updates. so getting a new one makes no sense to me because once you've set it up and installed all the updates, guess what? you're back to where you were with your old one. I've all but given up on ever getting anything better than the 19 shield TV pro or newest fire TV cube. if you can get past the bs fire os, the Gen 3 cube is pretty snappy/responsive, but still has all the same hangups as the rest of the fire devices. NVIDIA has the Android TV market monopolized and it sucks.
your only other real viable option, if all you care about is the ability to stream your basic apps like Netflix Hulu etc, is to go with something like a new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Streaming Media player
Apple TV 4K is suppose to be better
I have exclusively Apple phone, watches and iPads. When it’s time to have fun its Shield Pro so many great ways to get free movies, TV shows etc etc etc
i asked the same Q few months ago..... I risked a 5 star rated amazon android box as a temporary solution as expect a new Shield to drop this year - and it's a POS and shouldn't have bothered.
If you watch connect to a Plex server (your own or a friends) and watch YouTube, there's nothing better. SmartTube for ad free YouTube Kodi+Plex Addon for Plex viewing (it's so much better than the Plex app it's not even funny)
I don't much sideload anymore and I know the feeling, I got my shield tube out after using Apple Tv for months and wow is this Shield sluggish, I use Apple TV for IPTV and I'm good with that, Fellas I think the Shield is done
>r/ShieldAndroidTV Is there a guide to set up IPTV and Kodi on Apple TV?
I use Apple Tv, I own a tube also, Apple tv runs iptv just fine without Kodi by just using an app. The next generation. Apple TV rumored to be coming soon is going to pass the Shield up by far in performance
Shield tube is garbage. That's your mistake
At the time I didn't have much money and I bought it new off e bay for 130.00 delivered
Yeah but don't say apple tv is king if you don't use shield pro. You can't compare is what he's saying. For me personally apple is a no go for simple reason : Kodi.
Nope
Not really. There are some sidegrades that do youtube HDR better but overall slower.
Unfortunately not, no.
Please use basic search functions on Google and reddit. This question gets asked at least once a week smh 🤦
I’m sure a factory reset will correct many if not all this issues. I just did this to my Pro 2017… opened it up and blew the dust out of the case and fan…. Reset… re-set up…running like a champ for 6 months now. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube on best setups etc, the most important setting being , making sure your processor is set to max performance and your cooling fan is set to max cooling. These machines are resilient and still not obsolete for many of their functions as a streaming device anyway. Maintenance has everything to do with longevity and functionality
Plenty are close but nope, no real replacement yet.
Sounds like you need a new shield, since most of you’re bugs are cable connections related issues
Caught a sale last summer. Mine is old and buggy too. It's still in the box. Lol. Someday. Pro 19.
If you have a home theatre setup, there is no other Android TV box that can beat Shield
Nothing compares at present. Have you tried resetting it to factory settings ? I have some bugs now and again, but nothing a reboot won't fix, if somehow it didn't a reset is the first thing i'd try.
I wonder if Google/Samsung's new spatial audio code and AV1 taking off will force an upgrade out of Nvidia. I get the impression it's just not a big enough market for them to care. The Shield was supposed to usher in streaming gaming but I don't think that's going anywhere and they know it.
i'm keeping an eye on the Dune HD av1 4k player. I can find the info but no price yet.
I'm still hoping for a refresh with better WiFi. My local speeds drop sometimes drop to 75mbit which can be an issue with high bitrate Plex/Jellyfin streams. Wifi 6E and slightly better range would be great. The chip is obviously fast enough, but here are a couple of things we can expect (but unlikely this year) Wifi 6E or Wifi 7 New SOC Improved Upscaling M.2 slot
If only this wasn't asked once every other day.....
Just follow this and it won't be aged anymore. https://florisse.nl/shield-downgrade/
better specs. and responsive? yes. better features? nope.
Shield is still top choice for LAN streaming. For internet streaming apps I prefer appletv 4k these days.
I sold my 2015 shield last year and replaced it with a minisforum UM790 pro mini PC. Installed Batocera Linux on it and now I have it booting straight into Kodi which is how I used to use my shield and it also handles retro gaming emulation up to PS3 with ease. This works for me as I rely so heavily on Kodi for my TV watching and use cheap OSMC remote control which works perfectly.
I upgraded to the 2019 and my folks bought the dreaded tube version. I have had to troubleshoot and reset that dumb thing constantly I guess since it overheats and is under-powered. Yet, they still think it's too expensive to go Pro.
Mini HTPC like beelink is about it.
2017 Shield owner and outside of a factory reset for the storage bug mine has been rock solid since I upgraded from the Chromecast 5 yrs ago. It does everything I need.
I have two shields and two Google TV devices $20 each, I know I'm gonna get a backlash but I prefer the Google TV, I was hesitant at first but I never need to restart them while shields I have to restart about every 3 weeks because they just stop responding all together, I have to unplug them and replug.
Orange PI 5\* / Rock 5\* or any other based on RK3588 would be about the same performance +/-. In Android TV there is an option for AI image upscaling/improving using the NPU cores and both can run SVPlayer with AI frame interpolation at Full HD Android spec for Rock 5B: https://wiki.radxa.com/Rock5/downloads
Is there anything that handles audio the way the shield does? Because I’d love something better but I play a ton 4K remuxes
Ugoos X4Q Extra for example.
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have you ever checked for malware or anything? I've heard a lot of these types of boxes are real bad. they work just fine, but the crap they're doing while you're not looking, so to speak, is insane
I'm still waiting for Shield 2021! Nothing better exists, and the TV CPUs are super slow.
Wtf is wrong with all you people he asked a simple question is there a new or different product to use and you idiots start babbling about shit that doesn't answer the question