When the original Nvidia Shield Android TV box was launched in 2015, it immediately earned bad rap for being expensive and buggy. Fast forward to the present: It just got the latest update on Jan. 26 called the Shield Experience 5.0.2 and tech pundits are heaping the device praises because of what the device can now do.
The transformation is indeed remarkable and this can be attributed to the series of updates it underwent before finally snagging the Shield Experience update, which was first introduced in the second-generation Nvidia Shield TV.
Shield Experience Features
Firstly, the old Shield TV is now rocking the Android 7.0 Nougat system, complete with a proprietary recent apps page, support for picture-in-picture, as well as a new Settings menu.
The hardware itself has been tweaked as well so that it is now able to support 4K and HDR video streaming. Apps like Amazon Video and Netflix can, therefore, stream content with stunning quality and dynamic range when using compatible 4K HDR TVs. HDR is also available when using the GameStream feature.
The GeForce NOW also got upgraded for on-demand gameplay performance up to GeForce GTX 1080 gaming graphics in the cloud.
Overall, the Shield Experience elevates the old streaming box's capabilities to a whole new level. Users can now stream TV, video, 4K contents, and games. The update works seamlessly with the old Shield because the technology under its hood is roughly similar to that found in the new Shield TV.
New Shield Apps
One of the gripes about the original Nvidia Shield TV at launch was that it lacked apps. This is no longer the case at this point. The platform has accumulated several during its 20-month-long existence, catching up to the number of apps available to its competitors such as Roku and Apple TV.
The latest update has added even more apps to the list such as Comedy Central, Vimeo, NFL, Nest and Twitter, among others. Shield Experience also now allows users to access new games such as No Man's Sky, Space Marshalls, and The Witness.
Smart Credentials
A key feature in the new Shield TV flagship involves the support for the Google Assistant. The new Shield controller, for example, is equipped with an always-on ambient microphone that can pick up voice commands. This is not available in the old Shield TV yet, which is not surprising because the flagship does not have this feature as well.
Once the feature rolls out, however, expect these two devices to both support the smart assistant technology.
Remember that the new controller will work with the original Shield TV. In addition the Shield Spot, which is being sold separately, can also work with the device. Users can merely install it anywhere at home and it will get their every "Ok Google" command to be processed in the Shield TV box.
