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NVIDIA Shield Android TV Review: Impressive Stuff, Indeed!

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NVIDIA Shield Android TV Review: Impressive Stuff, Indeed!

Games console or media streaming device, or both? We road test the NVIDIA Shield Android TV

Nvidia’s Shield range has already tried to infiltrate the handheld console and tablet arenas, and it was rather surprising to see the company abandon portability with its latest offering, the Nvidia Shield Android TV console. However, the ethos is very much the same – the device is, first and foremost, a showcase of Nvidia’s own hardware and has a strong gaming focus. But is this set-top box really worth considering with the likes of Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV already on the market? Let’s find out.

Nvidia Shield Android TV review: Design

As set-top boxes go, the Shield is certainly unique in terms of aesthetics. From a distance it looks like a flat slab of plastic, but closer inspection reveals its angular surface and intriguing mixture of matt and glossy panels. The power light runs across the middle of the system, and when it lights up it makes the console look like something out of a sci-fi movie. Around the back things are a little more normal, with an array of ports including USB 3.0 (x2), HDMI 2.0, Ethernet, Micro USB and MicroSD.

Despite its unusual look, the Shield is small and easy to accommodate into even the tightest of AV setups. It can be placed horizontally, but by purchasing the official stand you can have it standing vertically as well.  If you want it to be on display during use then this is the best option – especially as the “nano coating” on the base of the stand means it won’t fall over or even move without some serious force being applied – but the accessory is pricey for what it is (£24.99).

Nvidia Shield Android TV review: Controller & Remote

The fact that the Shield comes bundled with a gamepad speaks volumes about what kind of consumer Nvidia is aiming for. The pad will be familiar to those who owned the Shield tablet from last year – Nvidia has standardised the controllers across its range and the pad also works with the Shield handheld – and overall, it’s a pretty decent interface. It’s very close in feel to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, with an almost identical button placement. The dual analogue sticks are precise and comfortable to use, and the 8-way directional pad – so often the Achilles’ heel of modern controllers – is wonderful, featuring a “rolling” circular top which makes hitting diagonals easy.

In the middle of the controller is where you’ll discover the biggest deviation from other controllers. There’s a capacitive touch-pad zone on the lower edge (sadly this doesn’t work with the Shield Android TV) and physical volume buttons, as well as the standard Android commands of “Back” and “Home”, as well as a “Play” command. The power button is also capacitive, and lights up when the pad’s in use. On the top edge there’s a Micro USB port for charging the pad’s internal battery and a 3.5 headphone socket, in case you like to game late at night but not disturb the other occupants of the house.

Connecting the pad to the Shield is easy, and it’s possible to link up four controllers to the same device for those rare moments when you have a game which offers multiplayer support. While pairing wireless pads to Android-based hardware isn’t anything new, Nvidia has baked-in this feature to the core OS, streamlining the process and making it feel more like a traditional home console experience. Just turn on the pad and it will connect to the Shield instantly.

Not included in the box is the official Shield remote control, which costs £39.99 and is arguably essential if you have any aspirations of using the unit as a media playback device; while everything can be controlled using the gamepad, it’s hardly an elegant option. The remote has a circular D-pad for moving around the menu system, a back button, home button, voice search button and a capacitive panel for adjusting the volume. On the bottom edge – just like on the gamepad – there’s a Micro USB port and 3.5mm headphone socket. The remote is a fusion of metal and plastic and is incredibly thin and light, making it a much more effective means of harnessing the Shield’s potential as a media player – it’s just a shame that it’s not included in the box as standard, as buying it pushes the total cost of the package close to £200.

Nvidia Shield Android TV review: Software & User Experience

The Shield runs Android TV, the successor to the much-maligned (and largely ignored) Google TV. The concept is simple enough – this is basically Android 5.1 dressed up in a TV-friendly interface which relies on remote or pad-based input as opposed to the touch-based control you’d normally find on a phone or tablet.

Because you expect your TV set-top box to offer different functionality to your handset, things are a little different to standard Android here. Elements like email, web-browsing and notifications are all removed, turning the unit into little more than a media-consumption platform. This is evidenced by the fact that the home screen is automatically populated by recommendations from the Google Play store, such as compatible games, the latest movies and recent music. You can pick and choose which sources offer recommendations, but on the whole, the system does an admirable job of putting interesting content in your field of vision the moment you switch the unit on. Android TV is, for the most part, intuitive and easy to navigate, and certainly dials down the complexity of Google’s OS to present a more accessible UI.

Amazon’s Fire TV made good use of voice commands and Android TV follows suit – a logical approach when you consider that, as standard, there’s no physical keyboard interface here (the on-screen keyboard is, nevertheless, nice enough to use). The issue is that searches are restricted to certain apps and don’t delve as deeply as you might assume. For example, searching for a movie or actor throws up plenty of info, but it’s always limited to Google’s own services, such as Google Play store or YouTube. If the film you’re looking for is on Netflix, voice search won’t make the connection and suggest it. This may well be something that developers can fix in the future.

A bigger problem is compatibility. The issue is that by adopting a touch-less interface means that many existing Android apps aren’t immediately compatible with the Shield. Browsing the Google Play store on the device shows some worrying gaps – if you’re an existing Android user then there are bound to be several essential apps which you won’t be able to install directly to the device. However, with Android being Android, you can always “sideload” these apps by turning on a permission which allows the installation of “unknown sources” and grabbing the .apk file online. Our approach was to obtain a trusted and verified .apk of Dropbox on a computer, copy it to a USB drive (a Micro SD card will work just as well) and then insert that into the Shield. Using a file manager is possible to install the app as normal,after which point all we needed to do was either upload .apks to Dropbox using our phone or computer and access them via the Shield, or download a web browser such as Chrome and download directly to the unit.

All of these processes require additional hardware, such as a keyboard and mouse – wired or Bluetooth is fine. Dropbox in particular shows the perils of running non-optimised Android apps on an Android TV device – while you can scroll through things using the gamepad’s D-pad, you can’t make selections without a mouse as the app expects touch-based control to open some menus.

While the process of getting the apps you want installed on the device isn’t anywhere near as onerous as it was with the Mad Catz .M.O.J.O. micro console, it’s still far from user-friendly, and those users who aren’t so tech-savvy might find the entire exercise a little bit befuddling.

Nvidia Shield Android TV review: Gaming

Given that it comes bundled with a gaming controller – and taking into account Nvidia’s reputation as a company which pushes gaming tech forward – the main reason that many people will be shelling out £150 for the Shield is to play games. Nvidia has done a lot of work lately to ensure that its Shield range has the kind of software which will entice players, and that includes securing exclusive Android ports like Half Life 2, Portal and Trine 2. These games do look and feel amazing, and are leagues ahead of your typical Android fare. However, even when supported by the insane power of the Shield – it’s packing Nvidia’s Tegra X1 processor which boasts a 256-core GPU and 3GB RAM – performance can be sketchy. Titles like Half Life 2 fall foul of inconsistent frame rates, although Doom 3 runs like a dream. This inconsistency proves that such problems are down to the code itself rather than the hardware.

When it comes to “standard” Android releases the story is largely the same; some games run as smooth as butter while others are prone to bouts of stutter which really shouldn’t occur when the hardware is this potent. Android games are famously tricky to optimise because of the massive range of different hardware configurations out there. While everything is still perfectly playable and the presence of a proper controller makes compatible releases a lot more enjoyable, but it’s still a little way away from the kind of performance you’d expect to get from a “proper” console. Needless to say, totally touch-based games are a no-go unless you’re willing to wrestle with a mouse.

If this was all the Shield had to offer then we’d struggle to recommend it, but thankfully it also has Nvidia’s take on the cloud gaming concept, GeForce Grid – which was previously playable on the Shield tablet and handheld and has now been rechristened GeForce Now. Mention cloud gaming to most people and they immediately think of OnLive, the pioneering service which delivered on the idea but suffered from fuzzy visuals and off-putting input lag. While GeForce Now still has these issues, they’re reduced to almost being inconsequential, especially if you’re blessed with a fast home broadband connection and choose to make use of the Shield’s ethernet port for a wired net connection.

The service requires a monthly subscription fee of £7.49, but if you sign up now you get your first three months for nothing. Even after the trial period ends the price isn’t bad at all, but the software on offer is predictably outdated. The games you get unlimited access to are decent but rather old – stuff like Saints Row: The Third, GRID Autosport, Borderlands and Homefront – while the more recent latest releases require you to spend extra cash on top of your monthly sub. For example, The Witcher 3 costs the princely sum of £49.99, but you do get a download code for the PC version with each one. That softens the blow a little if you’re a PC gamer, but begs the question – why would you play a game on your Shield via GeForce Now when you could arguably obtain a superior experience on your desktop PC for less cash? The console also allows you to stream gameplay from your PC as long as you have a compatible Nvidia graphics card – this was a neat extra with the Shield handheld and tablet but it makes less sense when you’re talking about a device which lacks mobility – although it has to be remembered that many people have their PC outside the living room, so this does at least allow you to enjoy a big-screen experience on your television.

The final element worth covering is, depending on your stance, the most impressive. Emulation on Android is something of a dirty secret; everyone knows it’s there and emulators are permitted to exist on the Google Play store, but few companies are brave enough to advertise that their hardware allows users to break copyright law and play ROMs illegally – and Nvidia is no exception. However, as a emulation machine the Shield is peerless; the raw power means that even quite recent “retro” consoles like the Dreamcast, PlayStation, N64 and – surprisingly – Sega Saturn are replicated with near-faultless accuracy. The Saturn is a famously tricky machine to emulate but recent apps like Yabause have been updated to take advantage of OpenGLes3, which means that the 3D visuals are upscaled and improved and performance is very decent indeed – that’s quite a step forward when you consider that around a year ago, Yabause could barely register double figure frame-rates on the Shield tablet.

If you’re truly serious about emulation then the Shield could well be the ultimate machine, as it mixes excellent performance with a fantastic controller which is perfect for all kinds of games. The list of consoles supported is incredible – as well as the mentioned systems you can play Mega Drive, SNES, Game Boy, Neo Geo, PC Engine, Amiga, Spectrum, Commodore 64, Wonderswan, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color and MAME (arcade) titles with barely a single problem. The 16GB of storage in the standard model (a more expensive Pro version comes with a 500GB HDD) limits the number of games you can download, but it’s easy (and cheap) enough to bung everything on a roomy USB stick or MicroSD card. We simply stuck everything on a 64GB thumb drive and had storage to spare.

Nvidia Shield Android TV review: Media

Android TV’s main focus – as the name suggests – is the moving image, despite Nvidia’s attempts to turn the Shield into a games console. Netflix comes pre-installed and offers 4K playback if you have a suitable television, while Google Play is packed with movies and TV shows to download and watch. If you want to use your own files then you can make use of Plex – also installed out of the box – or use one of the many other Android players. MX Player is a personal favourite as it allows hardware acceleration, delivering smooth performance even with high-resolution videos (the normally excellent VLC Player struggled with many of the videos we attempted to play). Furthermore, you can cast media to the Shield from other devices using the Chromecast function – so if you have clips or photos on your phone you can display them on your TV. You can also use your phone as a remote control, playing movies or music via the Chromecast connection.

However, there are some glaring issues here, and these are mainly related to Android. The Android BBC iPlayer app doesn’t display in HD yet – something that even the cheapest, non-Android set-top boxes can manage. There’s also no Amazon Instant Video access, which has more to do with Amazon’s own policy towards rival hardware than anything else – the retail recently removed all Android-based set-top boxes from its online store.

Still, if you’re used to getting your own files rather than streaming them then the Shield is an excellent piece of kit – the support for 4K, 60fps footage will ensure that it is very attractive for those on the cutting edge of AV tech.

Nvidia Shield Android TV review: Conclusion

The Shield Android TV console is without a doubt a cutting-edge piece of hardware, and the fact that Nvidia doesn’t have to worry about throttling its power to maintain battery life or keep the temperature down (incidentally the unit has a fan, but it’s barely audible even when running at full speed) means that for once, its Tegra tech can really fly. The problem is that outside of a handful of games, 4K video and an admittedly impressive selection of emulators, the console doesn’t really get the chance to soar. When software is tailored to its strengths the results are mesmerising – Trine 2 looks gorgeous, as does the Doom 3 – but worryingly, other “exclusive” Shield games suffer from performance issues which take the shine off things. App support needs to improve, too – sideloading is an option but we’d rather see developers add Android TV compatibility.

Elsewhere, GeForce Now is without a doubt the most impressive implementation of the cloud gaming concept yet seen, and comes with an agreeable monthly subscription fee as well. It’s held back by a lack of really new software and the need to hand over additional cash for the latest games, but as a platform for Nvidia’s tech, it’s incredibly impressive – and perhaps that’s the point. The Shield range has always been about Nvidia blowing its own trumpet and showing off the effectiveness of its hardware.

Despite its shortcomings, it’s still early days for the Shield. The issues we’ve mentioned – such as a lack of apps, games and features – can be remedied with updates, and since launch the console has already received an OTA update which has smoothed out some niggles. Android TV as a platform is at a very early stage in its life, too, and given time it can mature and improve. For the time being, the Shield comes with a slightly cautious recommendation; the power is incredible, the interface is decent and software which has been coded with the system in mind really does sing. However, if you’re simply looking for a media-streaming device then you might be better off elsewhere, and serious gamers might balk at the lack of killer titles.

Typical Price: 
£149.99
Pros: 
Insanely powerful hardware, Brilliant controller, Perfect for emulation, Great for streaming 4K video


Reviews

Cons: 
Limited selection of software and apps, GeForce Now subscription lacks new titles, Remote costs extra


Damien McFerran

Verdict: 
Quite simply the most powerful Android device we’ve seen and fantastic for emulation, but it needs more games and apps to really meet its potential


14:49, 13 Oct 2015

Games console or media streaming software, or each? We street check the NVIDIA Shield Android TV

Nvidia's Shield vary has already attempted to infiltrate the handheld console and tablet arenas, and it used to be slightly unexpected to peer the corporate abandon portability with its recent providing, the Nvidia Shield Android TV console. However, the ethos could be very so much the similar - the tool is, at the beginning, a show off of Nvidia's personal hardware and has a robust gaming center of attention. But is that this set-most sensible field in reality value making an allowance for with the likes of Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV already available on the market? Let's in finding out.

Nvidia Shield Android TV assessment: Design

As set-most sensible packing containers move, the Shield is undoubtedly distinctive in relation to aesthetics. From a distance it seems like a flat slab of plastic, however nearer inspection unearths its angular surface and fascinating mix of matt and shiny panels. The energy gentle runs around the center of the device, and while it lighting fixtures up it makes the console appear to be one thing out of a sci-fi film. Around the again issues are slightly extra commonplace, with an array of ports together with USB 3.0 (x2), HDMI 2.0, Ethernet, Micro USB and MicroSD.

Despite its strange glance, the Shield is small and simple to house into even the tightest of AV setups. It can also be positioned horizontally, however by way of buying the legitimate stand you'll be able to have it status vertically as smartly.  If you wish to have it to be on show all the way through use then that is the most suitable option - particularly because the "nano coating" at the base of the stand way it would possibly not fall over and even transfer with out a few critical pressure being implemented - however the accent is expensive for what it's (£24.99).

Nvidia Shield Android TV assessment: Controller & Remote

The undeniable fact that the Shield comes bundled with a gamepad speaks volumes approximately what sort of shopper Nvidia is aiming for. The pad will probably be acquainted to those that owned the Shield tablet from remaining yr - Nvidia has standardised the controllers throughout its vary and the pad additionally works with the Shield handheld - and general, it is a lovely respectable interface. It's very shut in really feel to Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, with a nearly equivalent button placement. The twin analogue sticks are exact and at ease to make use of, and the 8-approach directional pad - so frequently the Achilles' heel of up to date controllers - is glorious, that includes a "rolling" round most sensible which makes hitting diagonals simple.

In the center of the controller is the place you'll be able to uncover the largest deviation from different controllers. There's a capacitive contact-pad zone at the decrease part (unfortunately this does not paintings with the Shield Android TV) and bodily quantity buttons, in addition to the usual Android instructions of "Back" and "Home", in addition to a "Play" command. The energy button could also be capacitive, and lighting fixtures up while the pad's in use. On the highest facet there is a Micro USB port for charging the pad's inside battery and a 3.5 headphone socket, when you love to recreation past due at night time however now not disturb the opposite occupants of the home.

Connecting the pad to the Shield is straightforward, and it is imaginable to hyperlink up 4 controllers to the similar software for the ones uncommon moments if you have a recreation which gives multiplayer make stronger. While pairing wireless pads to Android-primarily based hardware is not anything else new, Nvidia has baked-on this function to the center OS, streamlining the method and making it really feel extra like a standard house console revel in. Just flip at the pad and it's going to hook up with the Shield immediately.

Not incorporated within the field is the legitimate Shield far flung keep an eye on, which prices £39.99 and is arguably very important if in case you have any aspirations of the use of the unit as a media playback tool; at the same time as the whole thing can also be managed the use of the gamepad, it is hardly ever a chic choice. The far flung has a round E-pad for shifting across the menu device, a again button, house button, voice seek button and a capacitive panel for adjusting the quantity. On the ground side - identical to at the gamepad - there is a Micro USB port and 3.5mm headphone socket. The faraway is a fusion of steel and plastic and is extremely skinny and lightweight, making it a a lot more efficient approach of harnessing the Shield's attainable as a media participant - it is only a disgrace that it is not incorporated within the field as same old, as shopping for it pushes the whole value of the package deal just about £200.

Nvidia Shield Android TV evaluate: Software & User Experience

The Shield runs Android TV, the successor to the so much-maligned (and in large part neglected) Google TV. The idea is understated sufficient - that is principally Android 5.1 dressed up in a TV-pleasant interface which depends on far flung or pad-primarily based enter versus the contact-primarily based keep an eye on you would typically in finding on a telephone or tablet.

Because you are expecting your TV set-most sensible field to provide other capability for your handset, issues are just a little other to plain Android right here. Elements like e mail, internet-surfing and notifications are all got rid of, turning the unit into little greater than a media-intake platform. This is evidenced through the truth that the house display is mechanically populated through suggestions from the Google Play retailer, akin to suitable video games, the recent films and up to date song. You can pick out and select which resources be offering suggestions, however at the entire, the device does an admirable process of hanging fascinating content material for your field of regard the instant you turn the unit on. Android TV is, for probably the most phase, intuitive and simple to navigate, and for sure dials down the complexity of Google's OS to offer a extra out there UI.

Amazon's Fire TV made just right use of voice instructions and Android TV follows go well with - a logical way while you believe that, as same old, there is not any bodily keyboard interface right here (the on-display keyboard is, on the other hand, great sufficient to make use of). The factor is that searches are limited to sure apps and do not delve as deeply as you may think. For instance, in search of a film or actor throws up quite a few information, however it is all the time restricted to Google's personal products and services, akin to Google Play retailer or YouTube. If the movie you are in search of is on Netflix, voice seek would possibly not make the relationship and recommend it. This might be one thing that developers can restore at some point.

I larger drawback is compatibility. The factor is that via adopting a marginally-much less interface signifies that many present Android apps don't seem to be in an instant suitable with the Shield. Browsing the Google Play retailer at the software presentations a few being worried gaps - if you are an present Android consumer then there are sure to be a few very important apps that you will not be able to put in immediately to the software. However, with Android being Android, you'll be able to all the time "sideload" those apps via turning on a permission which permits the install of "unknown resources" and grabbing the .apk document on-line. Our method used to be to procure a depended on and established .apk of Dropbox on a pc, reproduction it to a USB pressure (a Micro SD card will paintings simply as smartly) after which insert that into the Shield. Using a record supervisor is imaginable to put in the app as commonplace,and then aspect all we had to do used to be both add .apks to Dropbox the use of our telephone or pc and get entry to them by means of the Shield, or obtain a internet browser akin to Chrome and obtain immediately to the unit.

All of those strategies require further hardware, corresponding to a keyboard and mouse - stressed out or Bluetooth is ok. Dropbox particularly presentations the perils of operating non-optimised Android apps on an Android TV tool - whilst you'll be able to scroll thru issues the use of the gamepad's W-pad, you'll be able to't make alternatives and not using a mouse because the app expects contact-primarily based keep an eye on to open a few menus.

While the method of having the apps you wish to have put in at the software is not any place close to as arduous because it used to be with the Mad Catz .M.O.J.O. micro console, it is nonetheless a long way from consumer-pleasant, and the ones customers who don't seem to be so tech-savvy would possibly in finding all of the workout a bit of bit befuddling.

Nvidia Shield Android TV evaluate: Gaming

Given that it comes bundled with a gaming controller - and bearing in mind Nvidia's popularity as an organization which pushes gaming tech ahead - the primary explanation why that many of us will probably be dishing out £150 for the Shield is to play video games. Nvidia has performed a large number of paintings in recent years to make certain that its Shield vary has the type of tool so one can trap gamers, and that incorporates securing unique Android ports like Half Life 2, Portal and Trine 2. These video games do appear and feel superb, and are leagues in advance of your conventional Android fare. However, even if supported through the insane energy of the Shield - it is packing Nvidia's Tegra X1 processor which boasts a 256-center GPU and 3GB RAM - efficiency may also be sketchy. Titles like Half Life 2 fall foul of inconsistent body charges, even if Doom 3 runs like a dream. This inconsistency proves that such issues are right down to the code itself moderately than the hardware.

When it involves "same old" Android releases the tale is in large part the similar; a few video games run as clean as butter at the same time as others are at risk of bouts of stutter which in reality cannot happen while the hardware is that this powerful. Android video games are famously tough to optimise as a result of the huge vary of various hardware configurations in the market. While the whole thing continues to be completely playable and the presence of a right kind controller makes suitable releases much more relaxing, however it is nonetheless a bit of approach clear of the type of efficiency you would be expecting to get from a "right kind" console. Needless to mention, utterly contact-primarily based video games are a no-move until you are prepared to strive against with a mouse.

If this used to be all of the Shield had to provide then we might battle to suggest it, however fortunately it additionally has Nvidia's take at the cloud gaming idea, GeForce Grid - which used to be in the past playable at the Shield tablet and hand held and has now been rechristened GeForce Now. Mention cloud gaming to most of the people they usually in an instant call to mind OnLive, the pioneering carrier which brought at the concept however suffered from fuzzy visuals and stale-hanging enter lag. While GeForce Now nonetheless has those problems, they are lowered to nearly being inconsequential, particularly if you are blessed with a quick house broadband connection and make a selection to use the Shield's ethernet port for a stressed out web connection.

The carrier calls for a per month subscription rate of £7.49, however in the event you enroll now you get your first 3 months for not anything. Even after the trial duration ends the fee is not dangerous in any respect, however the device on be offering is predictably out of date. The video games you get limitless get right of entry to to are respectable however slightly antique - stuff like Saints Row: The Third, GRID Autosport, Borderlands and Homefront - whilst the extra contemporary recent releases require you to spend more cash on most sensible of your per month sub. For instance, The Witcher 3 prices the princely sum of £49.99, however you do get a obtain code for the PC model with each and every one. That softens the blow somewhat if you are a PC gamer, however begs the query - why may you play a recreation for your Shield by means of GeForce Now while it's essential to arguably download a superb revel in in your personal computer PC for much less money? The console additionally permits you to flow gameplay out of your PC so long as you might have a suitable Nvidia pics card - this used to be a neat additional with the Shield hand held and tablet however it makes much less feel when you are speaking a few tool which lacks mobility - even if it needs to be remembered that many of us have their PC out of doors the lounge, so this does no less than will let you revel in a large-monitor revel in for your tv.

The ultimate component value overlaying is, relying for your stance, probably the most spectacular. Emulation on Android is one thing of a filthy mystery; we all know it is there and emulators are authorised to exist at the Google Play retailer, however few firms are courageous sufficient to put it up for sale that their hardware lets in customers to damage copyright regulation and play ROMs illegally - and Nvidia isn't any exception. However, as a emulation system the Shield is peerless; the uncooked energy signifies that even rather contemporary "unfashionable" consoles just like the Dreamcast, PlayStation, N64 and - strangely - Sega Saturn are replicated with close to-perfect accuracy. The Saturn is a famously tough device to emulate however up to date apps like Yabause were up to date to make the most of OpenGLes3, this means that that the 3-d visuals are upscaled and progressed and function could be very respectable certainly - that is relatively a step ahead while you believe that round a yr in the past, Yabause may just slightly check in double determine body-charges at the Shield tablet.

If you are really occupied with emulation then the Shield may just smartly be without equal system, because it mixes very good efficiency with an unbelievable controller that is best possible for a wide variety of video games. The listing of consoles supported is implausible - in addition to the discussed methods you'll be able to play Mega Drive, SNES, Game Boy, Neo Geo, PC Engine, Amiga, Spectrum, Commodore 64, Wonderswan, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color and MAME (arcade) titles with slightly a unmarried drawback. The 16GB of garage in the usual style (a costlier Pro model comes with a 500GB HDD) limits the selection of video games you'll be able to obtain, however it is simple (and inexpensive) sufficient to bung the whole thing on a roomy USB stick or MicroSD card. We merely caught the whole thing on a 64GB thumb force and had garage to spare.

Nvidia Shield Android TV evaluate: Media

Android TV's primary center of attention - because the identify indicates - is the shifting symbol, in spite of Nvidia's makes an attempt to show the Shield right into a video games console. Netflix comes pre-put in and gives 4K playback if in case you have an acceptable tv, at the same time as Google Play is filled with films and TV presentations to obtain and watch. If you wish to have to make use of your personal information then you'll be able to employ Plex - additionally put in out of the field - or use one of the crucial many different Android gamers. MX Player is an individual favorite because it lets in hardware acceleration, turning in clean efficiency in spite of top-solution movies (the in most cases very good VLC Player struggled with some of the movies we tried to play). Furthermore, you'll be able to forged media to the Shield from different units the use of the Chromecast serve as - so if in case you have clips or pictures for your telephone you'll be able to show them for your TV. You too can use your telephone as a far flung regulate, enjoying films or song by means of the Chromecast connection.

However, there are a few obtrusive problems right here, and those are basically associated with Android. The Android BBC iPlayer app does not show in HD but - one thing that even the most cost effective, non-Android set-most sensible packing containers can handle. There's additionally no Amazon Instant Video get right of entry to, which has extra to do with Amazon's personal coverage against rival hardware than anything - the retail lately got rid of all Android-primarily based set-most sensible bins from its on-line retailer.

Still, if you are used to getting your personal information somewhat than streaming them then the Shield is a wonderful piece of equipment - the make stronger for 4K, 60fps pictures will make certain that it is extremely sexy for the ones at the chopping fringe of AV tech.

Nvidia Shield Android TV evaluate: Conclusion

The Shield Android TV console is for sure a state of the art piece of hardware, and the truth that Nvidia does not have to fret approximately throttling its energy to take care of battery lifestyles or stay the temperature down (by the way the unit has a fan, however it is slightly audible even if operating at complete velocity) signifies that for as soon as, its Tegra tech can in reality fly. The drawback is that out of doors of a handful of video games, 4K video and an admittedly spectacular number of emulators, the console does not in reality get the risk to leap. When device is adapted to its strengths the effects are mesmerising - Trine 2 seems stunning, as does the Doom 3 - however worryingly, different "unique" Shield video games be afflicted by efficiency problems which take the shine off issues. App enhance must beef up, too - sideloading is an choice however we might somewhat see developers upload Android TV compatibility.

Elsewhere, GeForce Now is certainly probably the most spectacular implementation of the cloud gaming idea but noticed, and springs with an agreeable per month subscription rate as smartly. It's held again through a loss of in point of fact new device and the want to surrender more money for the up to date video games, however as a platform for Nvidia's tech, it is extremely spectacular - and in all probability that is the aspect. The Shield vary has all the time been approximately Nvidia blowing its personal trumpet and appearing off the effectiveness of its hardware.

Despite its shortcomings, it is nonetheless early days for the Shield. The problems we've got discussed - comparable to a loss of apps, video games and lines - may also be remedied with updates, and because release the console has already won an OTA update which has smoothed out a few niggles. Android TV as a platform is at an overly early level in its lifestyles, too, and given time it may possibly mature and strengthen. For the time being, the Shield comes with a somewhat wary advice; the facility is fantastic, the interface is respectable and tool which has been coded with the gadget in thoughts in point of fact does sing. However, if you are merely in search of a media-streaming software you then may well be at an advantage somewhere else, and critical players would possibly flinch on the loss of killer titles.

Typical Price: 
£149.99
Pros: 
Insanely tough hardware, Brilliant controller, Perfect for emulation, Great for streaming 4K video
Reviews
Cons: 
Limited number of tool and apps, GeForce Now subscription lacks new titles, Remote prices additional
Damien McFerran
Verdict: 
Quite merely probably the most tough Android tool we've noticed and unbelievable for emulation, however it wishes extra video games and apps to actually meet its possible
14:49, 13 Oct 2015
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