Gadgetory

what's going on guys lawn here from andrew authority and if you're looking for a set-top box and a gaming console combined into one then nvidia has your answer this is the Nvidia shield powered by Android TV the Nvidia shield might be the most powerful set-top box today and that's because it was designed with gaming in mind so it only makes sense that it somewhat resembles a gaming console but unlike the ps4 or Xbox one it's only a fraction of the size but it's still bigger than most set-top boxes the design isn't flashy but it's functional and it works making it blend in easily with the rest of your home entertainment setup and considering its size you should have no problems finding a place for it there's a green light bar to indicate that the console is turned on and a power button on top denoted by the Nvidia logo on the back side is where you'll find all of the i/o there's two USB 3.0 ports a microUSB port gigabit ethernet a microSD card slot for additional storage and HDMI 2.0 that allows to shield to output content in 4k so if you have a 4k TV you'll be able to enjoy content from Netflix and YouTube and all of its 4k glory also included with the shield is a single controller for playing games navigating through the interface and controlling media the controller itself feels really nice and it's coated in a matte finish which provides for a nice amount of grip you've got your standard d-pad on the left side and x/y a and B buttons on the right side and two thumb sticks with a rubberized coating that makes them very comfortable to use on the top side are the left and right shoulder buttons with a 3.5 mm headset jack and a microUSB port in between so you can listen to audio without disturbing others and charge the controller when necessary in the middle of the controller is a back home play pod and a Nvidia logo to wake up the console or activate Google Voice Search and towards the bottom below the thumbsticks is a large silver button for controlling volume additionally nvidia sells two optional accessories for the shield one being a metal stand that blends in quite well with the angular design of the shield and it's meant to prop up the shield vertically if you'd prefer the second accessory is a fairly standard remote for general UI navigation MIDI controls and voice search and just like the controller it also features a 3.5 mm headset jack for private listening being that this is an nvidia product it's only fitting that the shield is running on invidious in-house processor so inside you'll find the Tegra x1 with three gigabytes of RAM to keep things running smoothly at all times navigating through the interface poses no problems whatsoever and even the most graphically demanding titles like asphalt 8 Skyforce modern combat 5 and dead trigger 2 run perfectly fine without any lag stutters or dropped frames the x1 processor is also capable of delivering some excellent graphics and I have to admit it made for a very enjoyable gaming experience it's not on the level of the ps4 or xbox one graphics but it's definitely on par with last gens gaming consoles if not a little bit better as far as storage goes the base model comes with 16 gigabytes of storage which isn't a lot especially if you plan on downloading a lot of games but Nvidia does offer the pro version which comes with 500 gigabytes of internal storage or you can always expand via microSD which is definitely recommended if you opt for the 16 gigabyte version for the software the shield is powered by Android TV which means you get access to many of Google services like the Play Store YouTube google play music and many other media applications like Plex Hulu and of course Netflix Android TV has a very easy to use interface with large colored tiles and being able to conduct voice searches to find what you need is a very handy feature but it's certainly far from perfect the home row of recommendations seems rather random and is usually filled with content that didn't necessarily seem tailored for my tastes and the selection of applications is still pretty limited especially when it comes to games although there are a ton of games on Android there's only a handful of major Android gaming titles that are compatible with Android TV but thankfully the shield allows our PC titles to be streamed by and videos grid service give you a wider selection of games to pick from now I personally was unable to test the service because I don't own a PC but as long you have a solid internet connection and a PC with a fairly recent Nvidia graphics card you should be able to stream games without much of an issue since this is an Android TV device you also have built-in Google cast support which means you can stream content directly to the shield from your phone or tablet overall though the software experience is quite good whether you're using the shield as a gaming console or more as a traditional set-top box and it's only going to continue to get better as Android TV improves the Nvidia shield starts at one 9999 for the 16 gigabyte version and to $99.99 if you opt for the 500 gigabyte pro version which will save you the hassle of having to purchase an additional micro SD card for extra storage the optional accessory should you decide to purchase them will run you an extra $30 for the metal stand and $50 for the remote obviously there are cheaper set-top boxes on the market like the Amazon fire TV the Roku and even the Nexus player that also runs Android TV but the shield isn't your average set-top box it's pretty clear that NVIDIA has put gaming at the forefront with the shield especially with their integrated grid service that gives it a huge edge over the competition at least when it comes to gaming so the biggest question is who is the shield for well that's a pretty tough question to answer but if you're on the lookout for a set-top box with a big emphasis on gaming and you're willing to deal with the growing pains of Android TV then the shield is going to be your best bet however in order to take full advantage of everything that shield has to offer like 4k video playback and the grid streaming service you'll need a 4k TV and a capable PC I wouldn't run out and buy one if you don't already own both of these items but if you happen to check all those boxes then the shield is definitely worth considering as always guys thanks so much for watching this video if you did enjoy please give it a thumbs up down below we definitely appreciate it and also subscribe to the channel which is also down below if you haven't already and if you want to see more here from us at Android authority make sure to check out the links over on the side and also don't forget to check out the website as well for more in-depth coverage and Jordan 30.com because we are your source for all things Android