Nvidia unveiled the updated Shield TV at CES 2017, and experts have since been generous with their opinion on the device after testing it.
Some consumers may have already had the opportunity to purchase and set up the new Shield TV in their homes. Before you proceed with your fun, Tech Times advises you to take a look at some neat tricks to maximize the Shield TV's potential that you may not be aware of.
Memory Expansion
The 2017 Shield TV comes in two versions with the basic 16GB streaming media device offered at $199.99 and the Shield Pro which has a 500GB capacity at $299.99. However, only the Shield Pro has a microSD card slot for further expansion.
While the Shield Pro looks amazing with its huge memory, you don't really have to shell out that additional $100 just to expand the basic Shield TV's capacity. This is because what the 16GB box lacks in microSD slot, it makes up for with two USB 3.0 ports.
Yes, that means you can actually dedicate two USB 3.0 flash drives or external hard drives for your content. Note, however, that using non-USB 3.0 drives may result in incompatibility so it is best to take a look at Nvidia's recommended storage listed in the specifications page.
Important Note: Once a USB 3.0 storage is adopted into the Shield TV system, owners will NOT be able to use it on any other device unless it is reformatted so ensure that you won't make a mistake of adopting storage you cannot afford to reformat.
To adopt a storage device, please reread the note above carefully first.
Now that you understand and we have the right to say "we told you so" if you still insist on using an important flash drive or external HD, you can attach the storage device to the port and go to the Shield Android TV Settings page, choose "Storage," then adopt the drive. It's that easy.
Connect to PC
Yes, the micro-USB port used to connect the Shield TV device to PCs has been removed but it's really not a cause for concern if you have the right cable. That is because all you need is a USB-A to USB-A cable to connect the box to your PC and you will see that it is still perfectly capable of doing exactly what the old version does. Just don't forget to go to Settings, Storage & Reset, and enable "Shield storage access using USB."
Universal Remote
Another neat trick Nvidia added to the Shield TV remote control and game controller is the infrared (IR) blaster on both accessories. What this means is that both the remote and game controller can now control your TV or entertainment center's power and volume controls when you set it up.
Just head to settings the display & sound. From there, choose either the power control or volume control and Nvidia Shield will find the correct IR code to help you pair your devices with the accessories.
Quick App Switcher
Android Central also shared a neat trick not many people know but would most likely find really useful. All you have to do is to double press the home button of your remote control or game controller and a list of recently used apps would show up. From there, all you have to do is to click left or right to switch to the recently used app you want to open. On the other hand, should you want to force close an app, all you have to do is to highlight it on the app switcher window and press "down" on the directional pad twice.
