Nvidia releases new Shield TV models with Tegra X1+ for 160 and 219 euros
Nvidia releases the Shield TV and Shield TV Pro. The devices include a faster Tegra X1+ soc and come with a redesigned remote control. The Shield TV costs 160 euros and the Shield TV Pro is for sale for 219 euros.
The Nvidia Shield Pro and Shield dongle will both be available from Monday through the Nvidia website. The Nvidia Shield TV Pro has the same appearance as the current Nvidia Shield with set-top box format. The new Shield TV is cylindrical and relatively compact.
The Shield dongle contains a micro-SD slot, an HDMI 2.0b connection, an Ethernet port and a power connection. The more expensive Pro model does not contain a micro-SD slot, but does have two USB 3.0 ports for a Plex Media Server and external HDDs. The Shield dongle has 8GB of storage, where the Pro contains 16GB. The dongle also has 2GB of ram, while the Pro has 3GB of ram. It seems that Plex Media Server cannot run on the dongle, possibly due to the smaller RAM.
Nvidia Shield TV dongle
Both models contain a new Tegra X1 + chip, which according to Nvidia should perform up to 25 percent better compared to the current Tegra X1. Both Shield variants have a GPU with 256 cores. The products support Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. HDR10 is also supported. The Shield and Shield Pro can also upscale videos to a 4k resolution with up to 30fps thanks to artificial intelligence.
The Shield models run on Android TV 9.0 and have Chromecast built-in. Both devices support Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant. Support for GeForce Now, Nvidia’s game streaming service, will also remain. Users with an Nvidia GPU can also use GameStream to stream PC games to the Shield devices. This requires a GTX 650 or higher. Nvidias mobile GTX 700M GPUs or newer are also supported.
The Shield’s remote control has been updated and has a triangular prism shape. Also new is the Netflix button. Furthermore, the remote control has a built-in search function, which allows users to make the remote control sound if they lose the accessory. That feature can be activated with the Shield TV app for Android and iOS. The remote control works with two AAA batteries. In the future, the remote control will also be sold separately.
The Nvidia Shield Pro already appeared in the hands of American users last week. A Reddit user posted photos of the device, sharing his first experiences. On Monday, several sites published reviews of the new media players, including SlashGear, The Verge and 9to5google.
Nvidia Shield TV Pro