Nvidia Shield is the AV nerds' best alternative to Apple TV

Summary

The Nvidia Shield TV Pro boasts powerful specs and customizable features.
The device is ideal for gamers with Nvidia GeForce NOW support for streaming games.
It’s perfect for streaming personal libraries of video and audio content from local servers.

When it comes to streaming devices, most people opt for known entities like the Apple TV 4K, the Roku Ultra, or the Amazon Fire TV Stick. But for the audio-video nerds out there looking to take their streaming experience to the next level, there’s another great device to consider: the Nvidia Shield TV Pro.

Nvidia, best known for its high-end graphics processors, debuted the first Shield TV back in May 2015. It focused on downloading and streaming games from compatible PCs on the same network, and a Pro model was even introduced in 2017. Then, the device got a big refresh in 2019 with upgraded processors and a new cylindrical form factor for the non-Pro model.

Since then, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro has been the go-to device for people looking to stream content in just about any format imaginable, with a significant amount of user control over the system, great features for streaming content stored on local networks, and the ability to play high-quality games from a PC.

Nvidia Shield TV Pro

4K streaming media player with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, GeForce NOW cloud gaming, Google Assistant built-in, and more.

Nvidia Shield TV update kills off one feature but simplifies the experience

Nvidia has pushed an update to its Shield TV devices that finally ditches Gamestream in favour of GeForce Now.

Powerful specs

A system to meet everyone’s needs

Nvidia Shield TV Pro

Brand: Nvidia
Operating System: Android 11.1 powered by Android TV
Resolution: 4K
Ports: Gigabit ethernet, HDMI 2.0b, two USB 3.0 Type A
RAM/storage: 16 GB, expandable
CPU: Nvidia Tegra X1, 256-core GPU, 3 GB RAM

Despite debuting in 2019, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro is still a powerful device. It features the Nvidia Tegra X1+ processor, with a 256-core GPU and 3GB RAM. It has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as an HDMI 2.0 port that is HDCP 2.2 compliant. It also has 16GB onboard storage, which is a little on the small end, but users can upgrade the storage using a USB stick or external hard drive using one of the Shield’s two USB 3.0 ports.

The audio side is where the Shield shines.

Powered by Android 11.0 with Android TV and built-in Chromecast, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro supports a wide variety of video and audio formats. It is 4K HDR ready, with support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR, and natively plays MKV, MP4, MOV, WEB-M, and a variety of other common video files. The audio side is where the Shield shines even more, supporting lossless Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos, as well as DTS-X pass-through, and a wide array of lossless and compressed audio files.

Additionally, the Shield has Google Assistant built-in, and is compatible with Amazon’s Alexa, for users looking for hands-free control of the device. The device is bundled with a number of streaming apps, including Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and more. Plus, users can download additional apps from the Google Play Store.

Latest Nvidia Shield update adds Android 11 and other new tricks

The Nvidia Shield is getting a new “Shield Software Experience Upgrade 9.0” that adds Android 11 and a slew of other features.

Gaming goodness

Stream all the best games

Xbox

Along with streaming movies and TV, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro is great for gamers looking to bring the PC experience to their televisions. Thanks to Nvidia GeForce NOW support, users can stream games they already own right from the cloud.

Connect a wireless game controller using Bluetooth, and the Shield will supply the games in high-resolution, turning the Shield into a surprisingly great alternative to a more expensive standalone console.

Nvidia Shield TV getting major Google TV-style overhaul

Nvidia is rolling out a system update for Shield TV that overhauls the user interface to be much more like the Chromecast with Google TV experience.

The home server life

Streaming a personal library

Thanks to its wide, native support for a variety of video and audio formats, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro is also the perfect device for people who have a large library of video and audio content stored locally. Blu-ray collectors who rip their discs to a hard-drive, for example, can easily stream their files from a local server on the network directly to the Shield, with no worries about formats being unsupported.

An Ethernet connection on the Shield also gives access to the highest speeds, for those extra-large files with high bit rates.

It supports just about every format under the sun, is highly customizable thanks to its Android-based operating system, and is great for gaming.

Apple TV app comes to Nvidia Shiel photo 1

Nvidia Shield gains Apple TV app with 4K and Dolby Atmos support

For those of you who still use Nvidia’s Shield, you may be happy to know the platform just gained a popular app: The Apple TV app.

It’s an all-purpose streamer

Give it a chance — you won’t regret it

Nvidia

Though there are newer streaming devices on the market, and more popular ones, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro is a strong contender for the best streaming box available.

It supports just about every format under the sun, is highly customizable thanks to its Android-based operating system, and is great for gaming. It’s especially worth considering for anybody with a big local server full of movies and TV shows they’re looking to stream to their TV at the highest possible quality.