How Fast is NVIDIA Shield TV? The Ultimate Guide
The NVIDIA Shield TV is one of the most powerful and versatile streaming devices available today. With its Tegra X1+ processor, it delivers smooth 4K HDR video playback and high-performance gaming. But just how fast is the NVIDIA Shield TV? In this guide, we‘ll take an in-depth look at the Shield TV‘s speed and performance across various uses.
Hardware Specs and Processing Power
At the heart of the NVIDIA Shield TV is the Tegra X1+ processor, which features a 256-core NVIDIA GPU and a 2.2GHz ARM Cortex-A57 CPU. This gives the Shield TV immense processing power – in fact, NVIDIA claims it‘s 25% faster than the previous generation Shield TV.
Benchmarks confirm the Shield TV‘s prowess. It scores over 27,000 on AnTuTu – higher than any other Android TV box. Real-world use also demonstrates the Shield TV‘s speed: apps open instantly, navigating the interface is smooth and fluid, and 4K HDR content plays effortlessly.
In addition to the powerful X1+ processor, the Shield TV comes equipped with 3GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The Pro model doubles the storage to 16GB. This hardware combination enables lightning-fast performance whether you’re streaming media, gaming, using apps or surfing the web.
4K HDR Streaming and Upscaling
One of the Shield TV‘s headline features is support for 4K HDR video streaming. With HDMI 2.0b and HDCP 2.2 compatibility, it can play 4K content from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and other services without any lag or buffering issues.
High bandwidth video formats like VP9 Profile 2 and HEVC are hardware-accelerated, allowing the Shield TV to efficiently decode streams without overtaxing the processor. This enables smooth playback of 4K shows and movies. HDR10 and Dolby Vision are also supported for enhanced contrast and colors.
According to NVIDIA, the Shield TV can even upscale lower resolution streams to near-4K quality. Powered by AI, this upscaling makes 720p or 1080p videos look sharper and clearer on 4K TVs. While not as good as native 4K, it helps improve the viewing experience of non-4K content.
Gaming Performance
As a gaming platform, the Shield TV is virtually unrivaled among streaming devices. Its Tegra X1+ chip can deliver up to twice the gaming performance of the previous generation Shield TV thanks to the 256-core GPU.
With features like GameStream and GeForce Now, you can easily stream games from a compatible PC or from the cloud. Games run impressively smoothly, with frame rates up to 60fps at 1080p resolution and 120fps at 720p. If you have a fast internet connection, you can even stream games in 4K HDR.
The Shield TV also gives you full access to the Google Play Store, allowing you to download and play thousands of Android games natively. Graphically intensive titles like Asphalt 9 and PUBG Mobile run flawlessly on the Shield TV. And you can use Bluetooth controllers from Xbox, PlayStation and others for a true console gaming experience.
Network Connectivity and Wi-Fi Speeds
To deliver optimal performance, especially for 4K streaming and gaming, the Shield TV supports fast wired and wireless connectivity.
It includes a Gigabit Ethernet port for the most reliable wired speeds of up to 1,000Mbps. For wireless, it‘s equipped with 2×2 MIMO 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi supporting speeds up to 1.7Gbps. Bluetooth 5.0 is also built-in for connecting devices like headphones and controllers.
In practical use, the Shield TV‘s network connectivity enables stable 4K streaming with no buffering as well as smooth cloud gaming. NVIDIA even recommends using Ethernet for the lowest latency experience when streaming PC games over GameStream.
Plex Media Server Capabilities
With its powerful hardware and Gigabit Ethernet support, the Shield TV can actually function as a Plex Media Server for streaming your locally stored movies, shows and other media.
As a Plex server, the Shield TV can transcode multiple 1080p streams simultaneously without buffering or quality loss. Its hardware encoding engine can stream in virtually any format and resolution, including 4K HDR. And you can use external USB drives or networked storage to easily expand beyond the built-in 16GB capacity.
Setting up the Shield TV as a Plex server only takes a few minutes. Just download the Plex server app, connect your storage drives, and point the app to your media folders. Then you can start streaming your library anywhere.
AI Upscaling for Non-4K Content
A unique capability of the Shield TV is using AI to upscale lower resolution videos to near-4K quality. NVIDIA‘s upscaling engine employs deep learning to sharpen and enhance 1080p or 720p streams when playing on a 4K display.
According to tests, NVIDIA‘s upscaling can make HD video look nearly as detailed as real 4K. Fine details and textures are preserved better compared to basic upscaling methods. This allows you to enjoy a boost in visual quality from your non-4K content library when viewing on an ultra high-def display.
AI upscaling is enabled by default and runs automatically when playing lower resolution videos on supported apps like Netflix and YouTube. There are no settings to adjust – just sit back and enjoy your HD content looking crisper than ever thanks to the Shield TV‘s clever neural processing.
Expandable Storage Options
A key advantage of the Shield TV Pro model is its expandable storage. While the base Shield TV is limited to 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, the Shield TV Pro provides multiple options to connect external drives and expand your capacity.
For starters, the Pro model has two USB 3.0 ports that support attaching flash drives, portable SSDs, and external hard drives. So you can easily add terabytes of additional space for storing games, media files, apps, and recordings.
The USB ports are fast enough to even run games and apps directly off the attached storage. And many external drives today leverage the latest USB 3.2 standard for transfer speeds up to 20Gbps.
Additionally, the Pro model‘s Gigabit Ethernet port allows you to connect Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices. You can store your entire media library on network storage and stream it directly to the Shield TV.
With these flexible expandable storage options, you never have to worry about running out of space for games, apps, 4K videos and more.
USB Peripheral and Accessory Connectivity
The Shield TV Pro provides two USB 3.0 ports for connecting more than just external storage – you can also attach other USB peripherals and accessories to enhance the experience.
For one, you can connect wired USB gaming controllers to play shield games with precision. Xbox, PlayStation, and other controller brands are supported. The USB ports provide lower latency and more reliable connectivity compared to Bluetooth.
You can also connect USB webcams for video chatting or conferencing right from the Shield TV. Any UVC-compatible webcam should work seamlessly with streaming apps like Skype and Zoom.
Other supported accessories include USB microphones, keyboards, and mice. This makes the Shield TV much more versatile compared to streamers with only Bluetooth support. And with two USB 3.0 ports, you can connect multiple accessories at once.
Customization of Android Experience
Unlike some streamers running closed proprietary firmware, the Shield TV leverages the open Android TV platform. This provides multiple options for customizing and shaping the experience to your needs.
For example, you can easily sideload media player apps, emulators, utilities and other APKs not available on the Google Play Store. This level of openness and customization isn‘t possible on many competitors.
You can also customize the launcher as you wish. Options like Sideload Launcher, Wolf Launcher and ReTV provide alternative UIs and skins for the home screen. Sideloaded apps like Button Mapper let you reprogram the remote‘s buttons.
And if you want to use voice controls, both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are built-in. You can choose your preferred virtual assistant to handle voice commands.
This flexibility and personalization gives power users more control over their Shield TV compared to closed platforms. You can tailor the experience to suit your specific needs.
Smart Home Control Hub
With Google Assistant and SmartThings integration, the NVIDIA Shield TV can also serve as a smart home control hub.
You can use voice commands to control compatible lights, locks, switches, thermostats, and other smart devices. Ask Google to turn off the lights, lower the temperature, or lock the front door, and it will send the command instantly to connected smart home gadgets.
The SmartThings app lets you view all your devices in one dashboard and automate routines. For example, configure lights and thermostats to activate at sunset or shut off when you leave the house. You can build robust whole-home automations right from the Shield TV.
As a centralized smart home controller, the Shield TV brings added convenience to managing your network of IoT devices. And it works with popular brands like Philips Hue, Nest, Ecobee, Ring, Netatmo and more.
Automatic Updates and Longevity
NVIDIA has a proven track record of providing consistent firmware updates to its Shield lineup. This ensures a long useful lifespan with new features and improvements added over time.
The Shield TV regularly receives OTA updates to enhance performance, fix bugs, and add capabilities. For example, a 2019 update brought Amazon Music integration along with new AI upscaling settings. NVIDIA also keeps the GPU drivers up-to-date for optimal gaming.
With a 4+ year old device still being actively updated and supported today, you can expect a new Shield TV purchase to stay fresh and capable for many years. NVIDIA’s ongoing update support increases the lifespan and long-term value.
Voice Control Capabilities
For easy hands-free navigation and searching, the Shield TV offers advanced voice control features. You can press the mic button on the Shield remote to trigger Google Assistant.
Ask Google to launch apps, play shows, control smart home devices, provide sports scores, weather updates, general information, and much more. Voice commands make it simple to get the most out of the Shield TV without complex menus or typing.
You also have the option to use Amazon Alexa if you prefer. Just install the Amazon Alexa app to set up your account and enable voice control through your Echo device or Alexa app.
With these dual voice assistant options, you can interact with the Shield TV completely hands-free using your preferred platform. Voice control makes using the speedy interface even simpler.