Nvidia’s Shield Android TV streaming box gets Netflix in HDR, plus a lot more

By Kris Wouk Updated August 4, 2016

Nvidia Shield Console

While a lot of people in the market for a streaming box opt for a Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV device, they are far from the only options available. Nvidia’s Shield Android TV box might not be well-known, but compared to a lot of other streaming boxes, it is positively feature-packed. And with its most recent software update, it just got even better.

The software update brings a ton of features, but the most impressive is the ability to stream HDR video from Netflix. While a relatively small number of TVs currently support HDR from Netflix directly, Nvidia says this update makes the Shield the first streaming box to support Netflix’s HDR content. Shows and movies in HDR might be limited for the time being, but Netflix has said more than 100 hours of HDR content is coming this summer.

Netflix isn’t the only streaming service getting a visual upgrade with this new update. YouTube streaming is now available at both 4K resolution and frame rates up to 60 frames per second, and movies and TV series from Vudu are now also streaming at 4K resolution. In terms of audio, the Shield now also supports Dolby Atmos 3D object-based surround sound.

As with many other streaming boxes, users have been able to stream from Plex servers to the Shield. Now, thanks to the update, the Plex Media Server software itself can run on the Shield, allowing the small but powerful box to stream your media to the rest of your home.

A number of new apps are now also available on the Shield for the first time. Sports fans now have access to WatchESPN and music lovers now have Spotify, while NBC News helps viewers keep current. More news is on the way with CNNGo, NPR, and ABC News coming soon to Android TV, along with Viacom’s MTV and Comedy Central, plus family programming from Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, Nick, and others.

More under-the-hood features have also arrived in the form of 4:4:4 color space on supported TVs, the ability to attach an NAS (Network Attached Storage) to the Shield, and the ability to access files and folders on the Shield from a PC.

From the start, Nvidia has aimed its Shield products at gamers, and they haven’t been left out, with Borderlands 2 becoming available on the Shield Android TV startingThursday.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Audio / Video

There’s a rare deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones today

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in black.

The massively popular Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones rarely appear in headphone deals, so if you've had your eye on them for quite a while, you're in luck because they're currently $51 off on Walmart. From their original price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349, but only if you hurry because we don't expect stocks to last long. You're going to miss out on the offer if you take too long, so don't hesitate -- add the wireless headphones to your cart and check out as fast as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5
The best headphones that you can buy right now are the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, and it's not even close. At the heart is their outstanding wireless sound, supported by top-quality active noise cancellation that uses two processors and eight microphones to block all unwanted sound, as well as crystal-clear hands-free calling using four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. The wireless headphones also offer Bluetooth multipoint connection so that you can quickly switch between different devices, touch controls for functions like adjusting volume and calling your digital assistant, and Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention features to stop your music and let ambient sound in without having to take them off.

Audio / Video

Sony’s premium soundbars will finally get support for VRR, ALLM

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of top panel.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is almost over. Sony's premium home theater soundbars are set to receive a software update that will add support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), two HDMI 2.1 gaming features that have been absent since these products launched.

The soundbars in question are the Sony HT-A5000, HT-A7000, and the multi-wireless speaker HT-A9 system. All three are scheduled to receive the update this fall, but Sony has declined to share specific timing, saying only that there will be more information closer to the rollout date.

Audio / Video

What is Roku? The streaming platform explained

A roku powered TV hanging on a wall running Roku OS 12.

How do you get your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Prime Video fix? Chances are it's through a streaming device or smart TV, and there's a good chance that it's through a Roku device or one running its pioneering streaming operating system. At this point, cord-cutting is old news, and Roku was one of the earliest companies to drive the adoption of web-based streaming with its self-contained, app-driven devices.

Today, watching something "on Roku" is standard parlance and the company's popular platform can be found baked into some of the biggest TV brands in the world as well as in its own lineup of streaming devices sticks, and set-top boxes. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?