Streaming Services.
Premium:
Netflix, Hulu, CinemaNow, HBO Go, MLB.TV, CBS All Access, Google Play Movie and TV, Showtime, Disney Movies Anywhere, UFC.TV & UFC Fight Pass, NBA 2015-16, Sling TV (and any app that supports Google Cast like Vudu, M-Go, etc. )
Other:
YouTube, Pandora, Crackle, FX Now, Epix, Plex, Vevo, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, Rdio, Google Play Music, Starz Play (and any app that supports Google Cast), and more
Description.While the Nvidia Shield is marketed more towards gaming, it does a great job as a streaming media player and is the first player to support the new Ultra HD format. This Android TV device is one of the bigger players out there at about 8.5 inches wide, 5 inches deep, and an inch high. It is one of the more stylish players with glossy and matte triangles on the top -- one of which being the touch sensitive power button -- and a green LED power indicator. The rear panel contains a power-cord receptacle, one HDMI input, an Ethernet jack, two USB ports, a micro USB port, and microSD card slot. Since it is intended more for gaming it comes with a an advanced game controller instead of a traditional remote, though you could buy the optional Bluetooth remote with a built in mic for voice search for about $50. It has the normal gamming controls (a D-pad, dual joysticks, A/B/X/Y buttons, left and right bumpers and triggers) as well as Android home and back buttons, a power button which doubles as the voice search button, and a built in mic. More notably, the controller has a headset jack, which when connected automatically shuts off the sound to a TV or A/V receiver, allowing you to listen privately even when others are in the same room. It has volume controls on the controller itself to control the volume of the headset, and supports in game voice chat. Since it is an Android TV device, it also has the casting abilities seen in the Chromecast and Nexus Player, so in addition to the apps that can be downloaded onto the player, you can also "cast" content from any app that supports Google Cast or from a computer via the Chrome web browser.
Setup. This player is generally easy to set up. While there is labeling for all the connections, they lack contrast, making it a bit more difficult to connect the HDMI and other cables. There is an onscreen setup guide the first time you power up the player that syncs the WiFi Direct game controller and then automatically scans for available WiFi networks. It even supports WPS connections that let you pair the device without entering a password. Unfortunately, the player does not automatically prompt you to update the firmware which was required in order to get access to Netflix.
Ease of use. For everyday use the box is generally easy to use:
Interface. The main home screen uses graphic tiles divided into sub-sections (recommendations, Shield Hub, and apps). All of the content displayed in the recommendations section are from Google Play (including games), YouTube, or CinemaNow and will load pretty quickly. However, you cannot manually organize your apps, which can make it harder to use if a favorite app is not at the beginning of the default layout. It also has a very responsive voice search function that will search Google Play and CinemaNow for content. Thanks to its advanced processor, we found this player's response to be noticeably faster than most other players, which made navigating the menus and content more pleasing. It also loads apps faster than other players.
Remote control. Instead of a traditional remote, the Shield comes with an advanced game controller, which might take a while to get used to using it to navigate the menus. The buttons' size and labeling is good, though it might be difficult to use in a room with low light conditions. You can use either the D-pad or left joystick to navigate the menu and the "A" button to select. The home and back buttons use the standard Android icons and the Nvidia button is used to power on and sync the controller as well as to activate the voice search feature, so it may take a while to get used to their functions. The remote uses a WiFi Direct connection so it doesn't require line of sight to control the box. It also has a built in mic for voice searches. A unique feature is its built in headphone jack, with volume controls right on the remote that can also be used with a headset for in game voice chat. When a headphone or earphone is plugged into the remote, it cuts off the sound from the TV. You can download an Android app that lets you use a phone or tablet to control the player, use the device's mic for voice searches, or its QWERTY keyboard to enter text, making it easier to enter passwords. However, the app's QWERTY keyboard might not work with all apps, like Netflix.
Picture quality. This player supports 2160p output. In general we found the streaming picture quality for both HD and UHD to be very good. HD content is better than standard DVDs but not quite as sharp or detailed as from a Blu-ray disc, and UHD content matches what we see with streaming content on the best UHD Smart TVs. Note that you need an UHD TV in order to stream UHD content. Unfortunately, the video quality cast from a Chrome web browser was not as good. While it outputs 1080p, moving images appeared soft (more like 720p), so it will not be able to reproduce the finest details in true high definition content. In addition, we found latencies in the video streams, with sporadic pauses at times that could get annoying when watching longer programs. We also saw some slight compression artifacts that appeared as slightly visible blocks or as a subtle overall band in what should be a smooth transition from darker to lighter shades. However, the quality of the video you'll get is largely dependent on the speed of your wired or wireless network. (We tested all the players using a wired Ethernet connection.)
Audio. This player will output multichannel digital audio via its HDMI output.
Connections. It has a good number of connections, including one HDMI output, an Ethernet port, a microSD card slot, a mini USB port and two USB ports (that can be used with an external hard drive) so you can play images, videos, and music. It supports the latest WiFi standard (802.11ac), which supports dual-band 5GHz networks, and the remote has a headphone jack. While it lacks DLNA support, you can play your personal music files that are loaded onto your Google Play Music cloud drive and your photos that are stored on your Google Photos drive. It supports "casting," which allows you to load content from YouTube and Netflix onto the player and control the video from the app on your mobile device. While it does support Miracast - allowing you to mirror an Android device's screen onto your TV via the player - it has to be accessed through the Chromecast app running on Android devices.
Miscellaneous. The Nvidia Shield comes with an HDMI cable and a USB cable for charging the game controller. It was the first streaming media player to supports 2160p or Ultra HD resolution output and will play UHD content from Netflix, YouTube, and personal video files via the USB ports, though, you need to have an Ultra HD TV to be able to view the 2160p output. The Shield also has several features that set it apart from other streaming boxes in terms of gaming. It has access to a large list of games available on the Google Play Store. Games that are optimized specifically for Shield devices can be found through the Nvidia Tegrazone app. In addition, you can also stream games from a PC via WiFi and play them on the Shield console. More games are available to stream from Nvidia's cloud service called Grid. Many of the titles available are popular games that are also available on consoles, such as Batman Arkham City and Darksiders. The high end specs, provided and game controller and access to many games make it a good choice for those looking to get their streaming media and gaming device from the same device but don't want to pay the high price of PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Also, while it does have a standby mode that reduces the power consumption when not in use, it still consumes a good amount of power (about 3.5 Watts).
Firmware Version. All players are evaluated using the latest firmware version available at the time of testing.
Firmware version for the NVIDIA Shield is: Version 5.1 Build LMY47D.35739_609.6420
About Firmware Version. Our test results are valid for the version of firmware indicated above. If your player's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the players’s firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your player via a wired or wireless network, USB port, or memory card, depending on your player’s capability. You can check your player’s firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer’s website if further guidance is needed.
