Have the best been defeated?

The Nvidia Shield is the most beloved streaming device in the Android space, but with no updates in the last five years and no updates on the horizon, should you be looking at the Google TV Streamer instead? Here’s what you need to know.

Google TV Streamer vs Nvidia Shield TV: Features

The five-year-old Nvidia Shield TV (we’ll mainly look at the $199 Pro model in this article) was king of the spec list for many years. But in 2024, it starts to lose some of that appeal.

Shield TV Pro is powered by Nvidia Tegra X1+ processor. This chip has plenty of raw power and was launched with the Shield in 2019. But the Tegra X1 on which it’s based is the same chip that powers the Nintendo Switch, first released in 2015, making it nearly a decade old. Therefore, there are deficiencies in some important areas. It supports Dolby Vision and Atmos, as well as 4K HDR (and Nvidia’s AI upscaling), but lacks AV1 support. an important codec For the future of streaming. As a result, one major thing the Shield is missing is HDR support on YouTube.

This chip is paired with 3 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage.

Another area where the Shield’s specs show its age includes the HDMI port, which is still over HDMI 2.0b.

Meanwhile, Google TV Streamer has a technically tamer but more up-to-date package.

The MediaTek 8696 chipset under the hood is the same one found in the Amazon Fire TV Stick Max 4K, which is quite capable but perhaps not as powerful as the Tegra. But we found that when paired with 4GB of RAM, it helped make the device quite fast and overall comparable to the Shield in terms of experience.

Google TV Streamer also has twice the storage at 32GB, supports AV1, and has HDMI 2.1b.

Does Google TV Streamer pair with Shield TV?

In many ways still no. Nvidia’s box has much more raw power, and while it’s outdated in some areas, it’s shown time and time again that it can handle complex home theater setups. Google TV Streamer still needs to prove itself in this area.

Equipment: Utility and style

When it comes to hardware, the Shield’s design looks pretty usable compared to Google’s. The Shield has a distinctive green light, angular look and feel, but a slim profile with ports that take advantage of its size.

On the back of the shield you’ll find a power port, two USB 3.0 ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, and HDMI 2.0 port.

Google TV Streamer’s design is noticeably cleaner and blends in better any home cinema. However, since it has fewer ports, it may be a little larger than it should be. There’s also a single USB-C port used for power as well as external storage if you connect an adapter, as well as an HDMI 2.1 port and a gigabit Ethernet port.

Software: New and old

Google TV and Android TV are built on the same platform but differ significantly.

Android TV is a legacy experience, and one that Google has (mostly) moved away from. As of 2024, it has almost the same features as Google TV, including free channels and lots of ads/recommendations; Something Shield offers I finally gave up in 2021.

It’s a cleaner look overall, if a little outdated for the home screen.

However, Google TV also has its own advantages.

The entire home screen has a more modern design, better integration with your content library, and also a cleaner settings menu. You’ll also get more content recommendations on the home screen compared to Android TV; But this is definitely a matter of preference. There are also new features in Google TV that are unlikely to come to the Android TV experience; these include the new Main Panel, this also enables Nest Doorbell notifications.

Another advantage you’ll probably find in Google TV Streamer is longevity.

While Nvidia’s support for the Shield TV over time is literally unprecedented in Android history, the device seems to be drying up because it doesn’t see it. An update since 2022. The Google TV upgrade will probably never happen either because we haven’t seen it happen on any other device.

Meanwhile, Google TV Streamer comes with Android 14, which is three updates newer than the Shield’s Android 11 build.

Remote controls: Simplicity wins

The remote controls for both of these devices seem to follow a very simple philosophy: simplicity.

The Google TV Streamer and Shield both have remote controls with a limited number of buttons and a simple layout. They both also feature a customizable shortcut button.

So who wins? Really everyone does this here, but personally I generally prefer the ergonomics of the Google TV Streamer’s remote. The Shield TV scores some serious points for being backlit.

There is a “Find My Remote” option for both of these devices, but Google TV Streamer provides this more It is easier to use with the button on the back of the device and is accessed via Google Home. Shield TV Pro does this, custom mobile application.

The only question that matters is: What do you want to do?

For me, the question of whether you should buy the Google TV Streamer or the Nvidia Shield TV is a pretty simple answer, and you can find that answer by just asking what you want to do.

If you only want to use streaming apps, Google TV Streamer is the way to go. It’s just as fast, has capable hardware, and is half the price of the Shield TV Pro.

if you want homeowner If you want support for streaming content, docking peripherals, and advanced game streaming via GeForce, the obvious choice is the Shield TV Pro. It has more ports and Plex integration you won’t find anywhere else. We have also seen this in the past: The shield is better than the task more complex home theater environments than others.

Where do you fall? Which of these devices seems to meet your needs better? Are you considering switching from Shield to Google TV Streamer? Let us know in the comments below.

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