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[Pre Order] Nvidia Shield TV Pro (2019) 4K Dolby HDR Streaming Media Player AU$369 (Free Shipping) @ PCByte

530

Similar to the other deal on Shopping Express (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/548993) and making me feel even worse given I bought one just before yesterday for AU$408 on eBay… :-)

Mod Update 2nd July 5pm: Product now on Pre-Order.

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    • +4

      If only the netflix app was updated on the apple tv tho… especially with the 'new' button which goes nowhere.

      Shield atleast has updated netflix app

      • +1

        Feel the pain!

        my GF owns a Apple TV and always mentions "Your netflix app looks so different from mine"… And she is referring to the Netflix App on a 1 or 2yo Kogan TV. LOL

        • +1

          i seriously dont get why they dont update the app on apple tv like most other platforms. Its the worst out of all of them.

          • @nikkon: It works. What exactly do you think you're missing?

            • @mrau: Compared to the app on shield its missing a lot of features. Especially the upcoming and summary of new releases (i know the apple tv have the 'new releases' cat but shield one is way better.

              The app on apple tv hasnt been updated for years. Alot of people on the internet complain about it.

              • @nikkon: The fact that anyone would notice, let alone complain, says a lot about the state of mind of some Apple TV owners. I don't feel I'm missing out. Lots of content on Netflix, I can find it n Apple TV and play it. The video quality is good. Hard to find better value device than Apple TV, even if you're not an iPhone user.

    • +1

      Are you using an OLED tv for this test? Or is you tv edge lit and frame dimming? Or is it localised array dimming?

      • +2

        Sony A1E OLED, just the way they do peak brightness mapping. Same issue with native Netflix App on Sony TV.

        Because HDR map the pure white to high peak brightness, so when you have a white subtitle, it is the brightest part since the app will treat the white the same.

        Apple TV 4K has the flexibility to adjust subtitles so no issues with that.

        • +1

          Good to know! Thanks for sharing

    • +1

      Are you sure about this? Most of the posts I've found about 4K issues are over 3yo, suggesting they refer to the 2017 model?

      • +1

        I own this new model and Apple TV 4K.

        Bought this mainly for local Atmos support which lack in Apple TV 4K.

        I kept both, watching from NAS on Shield and Netflix on ATV.

        4K UI in Netflix is not deal breaker but the subtitle is

    • +1

      The UI not being 4k on a single app is a deal breaker? I guess just ignore the countless other benefits this device has… They'd far outweigh that.

      • My comment is for those who mainly want to use this for Netflix since in this part Apple TV 4K is better.

        I have both since I need the local Atmos passthrough on Shield, some people may also need Plex.

        Again, for people just want to use Netflix, this is not as good as Apple TV 4K, I only learnt this after bought it.

    • -1

      First world problem. Subtitles are super bright on Netflix 4K HDR? Is that all? Not exactly a deal breaker. Maybe turn off HDR on movies with subtitles until Netflix updates their Android TV app. Or it might also be caused HDR on your TV. I often turn off HDR on my Samsung TV, especially at night, because it's just too bright.

      • +1

        Yeah when the selling point of this is 4K HDR Atmos support on Netflix then you suggest to turn HDR off because you feel it is too bright….

        My point is for those just want Netflix experience Apple TV 4K is a better buy since it does not have same issue at all

        • i have LG OLED TV and do use subs (in a dark room with no other light source) so this is useful information

          • +1

            @qtvinsta: Use the native LG Netflix app then, or you can change the subtitle settings in Netflix (try semi-transparent).

    • I wouldn't be getting an Apple TV for Netflix - according to Nvidia, the Apple TV runs an older branched version of Netflix which does not support all of the latest Netflix features like Interactive Content, Top 10 lists, Coming-Soon list, setting reminders, end-credit options etc.

    • Any love for the Vodafone TV? Much cheaper than both the above options. We love ours, plays through the 4k projector and my X75F beautifully. 👌

  • -8

    I will consider buying when they drop to $300

    • +14

      Ok. Thanks.

  • +4

    more stocks are coming in, this is now on sale in the US for ~US$200, I bet we will see AU$300 soon

    • -4

      naw yank region gouging - amazon us won't ship at 199 us.

      usual shit gouge aussies - all made possible by our yank government

    • +2

      It's US$209.99 at B+H with shipping to Australia from $25.50, which is around A$374, plus card fees if you pay them. I can't see the price dropping much below $350 anytime soon. Maybe next year, if you can wait, but I'll pay extra to enjoy this beast now :)

  • What you guys would use it for? plex or kodi?

    • +1

      mine will be mostly used for software development (ie. test device for stuff I write).

      But general uses: Netflix, Android gaming, Kodi, Plex. There also the possibility of playing PC games on TV (requires an nVidia card tho)

      • You can't play games straight off the bat? Do you need to purchase a different card and install manually?

        • +4

          You can run old N64 emulators on it and some other ones that I haven't tried yet. It's Gamestream ability allows you to stream any game from your pc to the monitor or tv that the shield is plugged in to. To use gamestream you have to have an nvidia card unfortunately.

          • @mooseca: I did not know this, lucky I just got an new Nvidia video card!

          • +1

            @mooseca: Damn Gamestream sounds cool, kinda wish I picked up one of these now instead of a VTV, as I prefer playing games in the lounge room instead of at my desk.

            • @mangobango: Unplug your tower?

              As someone who travels a lot, I take my pc with me.

              4-6 connections. Power, display, mouse, keyboard - 5. Headphones 6. LAN if you're setup that way. 🤷‍♂️

        • +1

          you can do it with an apple tv or compatible android smart tv and use steamplay to play steam or non steam games. you just need to add the non steam games to your steam library and open through the steamplay stuff.

        • +1

          your pc needs to have an nvidia card to stream to the shield, the shield can play android games etc on it's own but it doesn't have the guts to play AAA games without a pc to stream from

  • +2

    This is the best android based streaming device !!

  • +1

    Newb question - I use a W10 PC as a server and use iTunes/Apple TV - can the Shield pull MP4s off a PC without having to set up Plex/Kodi or similar?

    That is can I just point it at the PC and get movies etc?
    (My old WD media player just saw the PC as an attached hard-drive)

    • I think you would need Kodi or something similar to connect to your PC to play media

    • +3

      the shield can access SMB shares. Also it works fine with SMBv3 these days, not just v1 which is very important as SMBv1 was insecure as hell.
      Once u add ur network share in the Shield storage options, all ur shared drives/folders just show up in Shield apps the same as any other storage.

  • +3

    Do they sell the new remote only? It's been "Coming Soon" on the official AU website since January…

    • +1

      yes also keen on a remote, the old one is really starting to sh#t me.

    • I didn't even realise there was an AU site. I've been annoyed looking at the US site where it's only USD$29.00 and they don't ship overseas.

      • +1

        I've been using planetexpress to buy stuff from US that doesn't ship here. The web interface is easy enough for me and good price too. They charge shipping fee based on dimension, weight and which postal service you prefer.

        There's express shipment like dhl and fedex which takes just a few days but expensive (can cost $35 for small item), while there's economy shipment that costs just $4 to $5 for small item but may take a month.

        I just got a door sensor alarm which roughly a size of a remote and paid for $5 shipping, which took one month to reach but I got it :)

        PM me if you want to sign up using my referral code or have any questions. Not affiliated with them or anything but would like them to stay in business so would recommend them anytime. Do check out their reviews online or in ozb

        • That's sounds worth a look - Australia Post's service would cost me a fortune from what I could tell.

          • @t3chshopper: Just noticed this from Planet Express announcements page so better contact them first before you use their service.
            I also forgot to mention the prices above are in USD :(
            Good luck

            Received: 06-24-2020 07:19 am
            Subject:
            COVID-19 UPDATE
            Text:
            Dear customers To prevent your packages from returning back to our warehouse after a potential mailout request, we had to temporarily disable the following shipping methods to some countries: Planet Mail Economy, Planet Mail Express, USPS ePacket, USPS Economy, and USPS Express.

            We have to respect our logistics partner USPS and its decision to stop its services in countries you can find on this website https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international…

            If you need to ship some packages from the USA to your country, we recommend you using other methods like FedEx Economy, FedEx Express, or DHL Worldwide Express.

            Read the full COVID–19 Updates post on our blog: https://planetexpress.com/2020/04/01/covid-19-updates/

            Your Planet Express

    • even I'm waiting for the new remote to operate my 2017 shield! I reckon it will be way more expensive and won't worth the wait.

  • +2

    OP, don't feel bad for paying $408! These things would be a bargain at twice the price.

  • Noob question: is it much better than Vodafone TV?

    • +1

      Depends what you use it for.

      Shield is great for gaming, 4K streaming/viewing, has Dolby Atmos, and has Game Stream (stream PC games to your TV).

      VTV is quite basic but still works extremely well for 1080p and some lighter games.

      I have a VTV and love using it, for $72 it's a great buy, but if you want all the fancy features then grab a Shield.

      • +1

        I second this. I've got VTV but am seriously considering Shield for the theatre room

        • +2

          Yep, if you've got a theatre room then Shield would be a great buy.

          I just have the VTV hooked up to my 1080p TV in the lounge room, great for screen casting and popping movies and whatnot on a hard drive to watch them (also playing older emulated games).

          Shield is definitely a better option for a theatre room/more power-user friendly.

    • Depends on your needs. I have both. Shield is brilliant. VTV is great bang for buck.

  • Assuming you’ve got a newer Smart TV is there a huge amount of benefit to running a Shield TV Pro?

    Currently using a W10 PC connected to an LG B9 via Plex as a media server. Netflix, Foxtel, Spotify, etc all running through the relevant apps on the LG OS. If really necessary, will plug HDMI into a laptop to run things via PotPlayer (if I want to do weird things with subtitles).

    Suspect that Twitch would have an app via Shield and not via LG OS but for current usage, would there be much benefit outside of convenience? I’ve heard it might help playing 4K Remux but truthfully I can’t tell the difference visually.

    Suspect I’m missing something, but can’t figure out what?

    • +1

      In short, not unless you have an irritant or limitation you want to resolve. It is superior in almost every means but what you'll notice will be quite limited from what you described. I personally avoid TV os / apps like the plague but LG OLED is not bad so if your happy stick with it.

      • When you say superior are you talking output quality, or user experience? I’d agree that the user experience is probably simplified, but if output quality isn’t better (and noticeably better) I’m just surprised so many people are finding such value for this?

        I’d imagine power consumption is lower with a Shield TV but wonder how many hours of watching to recoup the $400 outlay. And that assumes the PC is off whilst doing so, which mightn’t be the case at all times.

        • +1

          Performance, user experience (imo, subjective), formats supported, range of apps and all round broader capability. These new ones have AI upscaling so output quality for some content may be a little improved. But what matters is what you'll actually do with it.

          I have the 2017 model, missing the AI upscaling and a few codecs but otherwise largely the same. I have it setup to connect to both my NAS and PC via SMB shares, same with a VTV in another room. Stream everything from SD files, Netflix, Prime, Kayo, various other IPTV, through to 4K remux from my NAS all over 5ghz wifi. One stop shop device i run everything through. I don't use it as a content server itself as i have the NAS and PC always on.

          If you are looking into power savings from having some other device off as a benefit of getting one, then you don't need it. :)

          • @Xizor: Cool, thanks for the info. I haven't hit anything my LG B9 OLED isn't capable of playing so far. Might consider when I hit that point!

          • @Xizor: Xizor are you saying you configure the Android TV operating system to see the shares, so that they're simply available as local storage for apps?

            Well I never

            • @bliz: For write permissions it can be a bit more complicated depending on the APP in my experience, but yes.

    • Gaming and Longer term support.

      I can't recall my Kogan "Smart[er] TV" ever getting a firmware update and I recall a friend of mine having the unfortunate discovery his Samsung TV would soon stop working with Netflix. I had the same happening with the old WD TV losing Amazon VoD

      For those thinking "updates are not that important" my suggested read is:

      https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/10/iot_trouble_root_cert…

      it will be quite interesting to see how this will impact devices sold by bigger brands such as Samsung, LG, etc that have a pretty annoying habit of discontinuing software updates of perfectly functional devices.

      • Gaming isn't useful to me as I'm a PC gamer and would use my desktop for that.

        As for the longer-term support this makes a lot of sense, but I suppose that's probably me buying the 2022 Shield model or something.

  • I have just plugged in an older LG TV and found it no longer has Youtube and no Prime support.

    Use-case is Netflix, Prime and DLNA (via wifi/NAS with the broadest format type support like VLC)

    Currently have a Pi3b (retropie/kodi) available, but have no idea how to add other stuff ie netflix/prime, but will give it a go if directions are available.

    Im considering a Roku/fire/shield as all seem to have youtube/prime/dlna via wifi.
    Can I please get some subjective opinions as to which would be best and why?

    • +1

      This is an Android TV device so you can expect:

      • Excellent YouTube support
      • Netflix is great (caveat to the 4K UI complain someone posted earlier - I haven't validated that yet but not a show stopper)
      • Prime I haven't tested but seems supported (e.g. https://9to5google.com/2020/04/22/nvidia-shield-tv-prime-vid…)
      • DLNA. There seems to be support via 3rd party (you can install Kodi on it for example).

      I have a RetroPie myself and to be honest… It works. But is it really worth? I have a number of RPi around so sort of. But I don't recommend that path unless you don't mind spending hours trying to figure out what hot to set it to work as you expect and I was… nah. Thanks.

      • 4k is not something Im interested in unless I have no choice to accept, mainly due to having no displays that are 4k capable.
        FHD is more than good enough for everything we do.

      • Thanks for the great reply.

        I picked one up and OMG its awesome, no steep learning curve to do anything (unlike the pi).

        Everything I wanted with a few nice suprises thrown in. The rest of my night is now busy.

        Cheers, and again, thank you.

  • +1

    Are these any better than the old one I bought in 2018? Specs are identical. I bought mine for $180.

    • If that's the 2017 model, 4k upscaling looks to be pretty good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYfmxb1OqzE - But I can't comment on that myself (I have the old model too)

      Also the remote is better apparently.

      Up to you if you think that's worth it.

      Full rundown
      https://mightygadget.co.uk/nvidia-shield-tv-pro-2019-vs-shie…

    • +1

      I would suspect that to be the 2017 model?

      2019 Shield Pro 2019 Shield 2017 Shield 2015 Shield Pro
      Design Box Cylindrical Box Box
      Chip Tegra X1+ Tegra X1+ Tegra X1 Tegra X1
      RAM 3GB 2GB 3GB 3GB
      Storage 16GB 8GB 16GB 500GB
      Resolution 4K60 4K60 4K60 4K60
      HDR HDR10 + Dolby Vision HDR10 + Dolby Vision HDR10 HDR10
      Dolby Atmos Decode + passthrough Decode + passthrough Passthrough only Passthrough only
      DTS:X Passthrough only Passthrough only Passthrough only Passthrough only
      OS (at launch) Android TV 9 Android TV 9 Android TV 7 Android TV 5
      OS (current) Android TV 9 Android TV 9 Android TV 9 Android TV 9
      HDMI version 2.0b 2.0b 2.0b 2.0b
      Upscaling "AI" "AI" Standard Standard
      Codecs HEVC, VP9 HEVC, VP9 HEVC, VP9 HEVC, VP9
      Remote Backlit Backlit Standard Standard
      Netflix button Unfortunately, yes Unfortunately, yes Thank god, no Thank god, no
      Game controller Optional Optional Bundled Bundled
      Controller support PS4 / Xbox / Shield / others PS4 / Xbox / Shield / others ? / Shield / others ? / Shield / others
      WiFi WiFi 5 (ac) WiFi 5 (ac) WiFi 5 (ac) WiFi 5 (ac)
      Bluetooth 5.0 5.0 4.1 4.1
      USB Yes (3.0) No Yes (3.0) Yes (3.0)
      microSD No Yes No Yes
    • I'm sticking with my 2017 model; it decodes 4k flawlessly and I don't have need for Atmos. The 2019 Pro model is sigificantly more expensive than the 2017 was; the standard 2019 model is crippled by a lack of a USB port.

  • +1

    This is now completely out of stock already wow

    • yeah its funny

  • New Apple TV could be out soon and I’d say the A12X will make this look like a child’s toy in comparison.

    • +3

      The Apple TV doesn't need more power…it needs a better remote, audio passthrough, 24fps / 30fps / 60fps support, up-to-date Netflix app, 4K YouTube, expandable storage, Dolby Vision support on Prime, Dolby Atmos for all on Disney+ originals etc.

      IMO the biggest threat to the Shield (and the Apple TV and all other media players) is Sabrina:

      https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/06/16/everything-we-know-…

      • I was thinking of pulling the trigger but now waiting on the new Google Android TV launch on July 8th
        https://eventsonair.withgoogle.com/events/heyg-smart-home-su…

        Looks like it is an HDMI 2.1 Android TV, Hopefully it comes with enough space (looks like the size of Chromecast)

      • I use the remote app, works great. Audio pass through is not needed when using infuse - it decodes all formats to LPCM so I can play any format without loss. 24 and 60fps is supported. 4K YouTube is coming with tvOS 14. I’ve got Atmos on Disney+.

        It also plays games well with the PS4 controller. Really struggling to understand why someone would pay so much for a Shield when Apple TV 4K ticks all the boxes.

        • +1

          I can't speak for everyone but I prefer the Shield as it's android, I can't use android apps on an Apple TV and not sure you can side load apps on Apple TV either. I have the option of running completely different software too if I choose. Plus I paid $168 new for my 2017 Shield and it does pretty much everything an Apple TV can and will do, so for me it's a no brainer. Not sure I'd pay $350 for a new Shield though. Oh chromecast can be handy too, although I rarely use it now days

      • It needs more power. It plays my 100GB 4k blu ray rips just fine, but it needs more headroom because even if it does everything just fine you can never have too much power. The A12X on battery is quite a lot faster than the Tegra X1 on mains power, and connected to mains power the A12X will be a beast. The Infuse app decodes Dolby Atmos just fine, it seems to decode any audio just fine into PCM. You can set it to output the same frame rate as the source video, whether that is 24fps, 30fps, or even 60fps. You can tell it's actually changing frame rate because your TV has to readjust whenever you start a video. You can set your Apple TV to have the one framerate and not change it per video, I think that might even be the default setting.

    • And yet even if so is a locked down limited eco-system. Granted many are perfectly happy with what they know.

  • Just out of interest, why not just get a ps4 or xbox at this price? I am interested, but I cannot convince myself as my Samsung TV is already a smart TV and I have PS4 connected for gaming.

    • It's about what you want to do. Android TV alone as an eco system opens up all sorts of possibilities (google…), and shield does it all superbly.

    • We often watch catch-up local channels and there's no SBS on demand on PS4 anymore gave us reason to switch.

  • +1

    I asked at Harvey Norman for a better price than their $399 sticker, guy said sure, $365.
    Selling like hotcakes since a recent influx of stock and price matching all the usual computer retailers.

  • For htpc purpose, would this be better or nuc? For running kodi/plex

    • Kodi. I never managed to get PLEX running properly on my shield, the best I've managed is video only - music has no audio.

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