Gadgetory

this is the Nvidia shield this shard adorned android TV box is one of the most powerful streaming devices available and it should be because at two hundred bucks it cost more than twice as much as a Roku or an apple TV there's also a $300 version called the shield pro that increases the storage capacity from 16 to 500 gigs so what do you get for that extra money the first thing as you'd expect from gaming specialist nvidia is improved graphics power the shield can access an array of optimized titles including half-life 2 Borderlands the pre-sequel and telltale games Game of Thrones the ones that I played on the system looked very good and since it comes with a controller they're much easier to play that standard games on Android TV the downside is that you don't get access to first run a list titles like you would on a real console like ps4 or Xbox one shield can deliver pc games by an nvidia equipped computer in your home however it can also access in videos grid streaming service beyond games the shield's other main appeal is 4k it can stream netflix is 4k videos to a compatible 4k TV as well as 4k youtube videos the shield's connectivity outclasses any other streamer 2 with a pair of USB ports and ethernet jack and an SD card slot for expanded storage it can also connect to external hard drives and USB drives as well as the cloud to put photo video and music files on your entertainment system the shield still falls a bit short of our favorite streaming devices however mainly because Android TV still lacks many must-have apps there's no HBO Go amazon instant video watch ESPN or Spotify for example you can get around those limitations by using cast where your android phone or Chrome browser can send content to the shield but it's less convenient than using a native app in its favor Android TV is adding new apps regularly including sling TV and Fox voodoo and epics are coming soon like other Android TV devices the shield offers voice search from either the included controller or the optional $50 remote in the end the powerful expensive shield has less appeal than other streamers or full-fledged video game consoles but for some 4k TV owners or file hoarders it's worth the extra money I'm David Katz mayra cnet you