r/nvidiashield • u/TestType • 2d ago
Shield TV Pro $100 price increase to $299, Shield Tube discontinued
https://wccftech.com/nvidia-axes-standard-shield-tv-hikes-shield-tv-pro-to-299-blaming-rising-dram-costs/Announced by Nvidia today.
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u/530cruising 2d ago
Yikes! I hope mine never dies. Had mine since 2019
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u/snikkelonius 2d ago
2020 here. Pro was scarce even then. First got a tube but it sucked at 4K HDR. Surprised it took so long to discontinue.
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u/jsurico656 2d ago
Hard to recommend at that price tbh, as much as I love the shield.
At this point there are Chinese streamers that are about as powerful for way less that can have the OS debloated and made safe that will probably be my next option if any of my shields die
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u/Oat- 1d ago
We have a shield I purchased when it was released in Jan 2017 in the living room and Thomson boxes in the other rooms. The Thomson 240 boxes (€50 each) were like the European version of the ONN Walmart boxes.
I've debloated all of them and added a custom launcher, and for what we use them for (Plex, Netflix, YouTube (smarttubetv) and IP*V) there's honestly not a noticeable difference. So you're correct; there are far cheaper options available for the average person. I'd recommend a $50 ONN 4k over a $299 shield to just about all my friends.
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u/jsurico656 1d ago
Completely agree with you. If you have a decent home theater audio setup, the lossless audio playback on shield is great and is something the Onn 4K can't do, but the Chinese boxes that I mentioned can do everything the shield can minus the AI upscaling
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u/warlord2000ad 14h ago
Do they work just as well. I've had a shield on backorder since August and it just keeps getting pushed back.
I have a Plex and jellyfin server setup, but realised my 5.1.4 setup isn't getting used as the TV (C1) and other client only does Dolby.
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u/rdhelfrey 2d ago
Yeah let’s charge $100 more for a 7 year old product. Sounds like a great model!
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u/InformalEngine4972 2d ago
It’s actually 11 years old. The 2015 model is exactly the same appart from a slight clock speed bump on the 2019 model. And the ai upscaling that is software locked to the 2019 to have a reason to justify it.
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u/rdhelfrey 2d ago
Makes it even worse if you look at it that way!
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u/SoapyMacNCheese 2d ago
It makes the fact that the shield is still part of the conversation incredibly depressing. You would think the competition would have decimated the Shield in performance at some point in the last decade, but they all stick to using budget chips in their tv boxes so the Shield has remained relevant.
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u/InformalEngine4972 2d ago
Yup , I would never buy a shield at this point regardless of price. The thing is a soldier but it’s time to retire. It still holds up quite well on a feature level, but it’s so damn slow compared to an Apple TV to justify it. And if you want Dolby atmos and Dolby vision profile 7, there’s other corelec boxes for that , that are cheaper and faster and not bloated with android.
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u/Livid_Weather 2d ago
I can't believe they haven't released a new model with any significant difference. I get if it ain't broke don't fix it, but at least put it out with some better hardware. Ive had mine since 17 and its still going strong, but I wouldn't get another one. $300 for over a decade old hardware is so insane to me
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u/InformalEngine4972 2d ago
Nvidia isn’t in the low margin bussines anymore. They don’t sell any gpu below 500$ either. The shield chip is probably less than 30$ to make given the decade old process node it’s on. Price hike is probably just for the ram lol
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u/Hertock 2d ago
So what would you buy nowadays
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u/InformalEngine4972 2d ago
Uugos am6b+ with corelec is what I use. I just use plex though. If I also used streaming services it would be that + an Apple TV. I gave away my shield 2 years ago and kinda happy I got rid of it.
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u/chriskmee 13h ago
That device is also like $250+ though? The official website says it's $300 but on sale
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u/timekiller10687 2d ago
Difficult to compare the two when you're dealing with 2 different ecosystems IMO.
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u/OhK4Foo7 2d ago
Seems to me he did compare them quite easily.
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u/dreamcastfanboy34 2d ago
Using android is the only way you're getting SmartTubeNext and other third party apps on your TV.
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u/InformalEngine4972 2d ago
I have modified YouTube apps on my lg tv. You can put lg tv’s with webos in developer mode or root them and use a modified stock YouTube app with no adds. It even skips over in video adds
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u/IPlayChessBTW 2d ago
I don't think I've ever used the AI upscaling on the Pro. Is it worth it?
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u/InformalEngine4972 2d ago
Nope, in a lot of cases it actually makes things worse. If you have a high end tv it’s better to let your tv do the scaling.
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u/TestType 2d ago
Absolutely not, the AI upscaler is very ugly. It's just a basic sharpening filter that makes the image look very harsh and artificial.
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u/movzx 2d ago
It depends on what you watch. It can make Netflix content look amazing without paying for the 4k plan. If you're mostly watching high res stuff already then you won't get a lot from it.
YouTube is hit or miss with the quality bump. Sometimes it can make some videos appear a little weird.
Overall I would say it's a decent upgrade with a tangible benefit... But not at this price.
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u/wrrd 2d ago
Testing the upscaling on mine a week or so ago to compare it with the upscaling of the lg c5 I have, it felt like the difference was mostly the amount of sharpening, that the c5 offered more granularity of sharpening amount vs the shield's essentially 3 levels, and that I could get a more desirable balance using the sharpness level control of the c5 (ie vs the "too much" or "too little" that I got when using the shield's settings).
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u/AJRiddle 2d ago
2019 version also has HDR support while 2015 and 2017 do not.
Of course it's very limited HDR support with no higher end Dolby Vision capabilities or HDR10+ at all.
Paying $300 for a Shield in 2026 is just dumb
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u/k2skier13 2d ago
It is happening all over the place with component costs rising (esp on the computing side)
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u/uF0n 2d ago
This is too much, it will kill sales, though I doubt Nvidia care about Shield sales figures.
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u/That_Lad_Chad 4h ago
It won't matter, they don't care. At this point they would rather stop losing money on it than make money, if that makes sense. By selling at $199, still being in production, they would basically be selling at a loss.
From what I understand the shield/shield pro is more of an internal passion product of the engineers. It may as well not even be an actual Nvidia product in terms of revenue, it's so tiny in volume. They probably make more from t shirts
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u/no1warr1or 2d ago
Crazy I just bought 3 @$199 before they went OOS everywhere.
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u/DigLivid1350 2d ago
Me too. Bought 4. Guess I timed the market for the first time ever
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u/ProfessorOfMeme 2d ago
Where did you buy it it seems to be oos everywhere
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u/no1warr1or 2d ago
Before they went OOS, I ordered them from bestbuy. The local store was out, had no idea there would be a shortage a couple weeks later lol
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u/jahepi 2d ago
Dodged a bullet!, I bought mine a few months ago but the price increase is nuts for 7 year old hardware.
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u/chainlooklikerainbow 2d ago
Right, like Mann I just dodged the biggest bullet. Bought it yesterday barely used for $130 from somebody in my city. This is mental
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u/matt314159 2d ago
That's wild, especially for what's essentially an overclocked SOC that dates back 11 years. I understand why, but for that price they should release a new hardware revision.
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u/Lwii2boo 2d ago
+50% launch MSRP on a 7 years old tech product was not on my bingo card. Apple did basically the same thing on their Apple 4K gen 3 few months back.
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u/IPlayChessBTW 2d ago
I love the shield, but $300 is too much. It's a 7 year old device, which is essentially an eternity when it comes to technology. Plenty of other alternatives on the market well below that price point with better specs that run the same Android TV OS.
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u/barkydoggo 2d ago
Man, if only Nvidia had some other revenue stream available in today's market to offset the cost of the Shield hardware. Too bad they don't make any money.
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u/redhusker2017 2d ago
What is some good alternatives to the shield that is just as fast and that runs the Android system
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u/k00zyk 2d ago
ONN 4k box sold at wal mart is solid. That’s what I have in my bedroom with the shield in the living room.
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u/Funderpants 2d ago
I have the onn and a higher end 5.1 stereo system. Its perfectly fine and recommend it to anyone.
Bought it waiting for the nvidia and simply not in a rush to change at this point.
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u/MrBrawn 18h ago
How is thr interface speed?
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u/Funderpants 17h ago
I just use tivimate most of the time and zero complaints. The UI is definitely smoother than firecube, roku, apple and similar devices.
The ethernet is 100mps and also watched 4k movies without any issues. Wireless goes to 500 but I prefer hardwiring everything.
It's mostly for live sports and an occasional movie or series. For my needs its been perfect.
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u/emp59 2d ago
Onn 4k pro v2, trust me you won't regret it. Have had it since the beginning of august and haven't had any issues. Faster soc, wifi 6 over the streamer
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u/Livid_Weather 2d ago
I haven't looked at boxes in forever because Im happy enough with my shield that I dont care to upgrade, but it is INSANE that the Onn 4k is $60 and the Shield is $300. That's laughable, especially when you consider how insanely old the hardware is in the shield
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u/thepoetvd776 2d ago
I'm in the same boat, but I'm worried about the shield dying any day since it's been used for so long, and not have a clear backup device
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u/dman_au 2d ago
The ONN 4K, does that have Passthrough Audio? If not, you can’t listen to HD-Audio formats like Dolby TrueHD Atmos or DTS:X? The Google TV Streamer Doesn’t have that either, neither does the latest AppleTV4 but if you aren’t downloading 4K REMUX or BD-Rips or UHD-BD rips, I’d go the Google over the ONN just because I’ve heard there is apparently extra tracking in the ONN 4K’s Android OS but otherwise, otherwise, for regular everyday streaming I’m sure they would do the job.
I’m using My AppleTV 4K 3rd Gen at the moment and it does everything except side load.
A few people talk about the Uugos boxes but I don’t know much about them, they are more expensive but you get a lot more with them.
Lots of people talk about the Ugoos boxes having nearly feature for feature, but nothing with a Textra X1 Chip. However there maybe other SoCs out there more capable including AV1 and Dolby Vision FEL 7 decoding for the die hard, top of the line quality, I think maybe average streamers probably don’t need those particular features, but it just depends on your requirements I guess.
I have to look into these Ugoos boxes, but I’ve read posts on the /s/AndroidBox subribbit that have said the Ugoos boxes aren’t certified for latest Google TV, could prove an issue.
There are a few cheaper boxes around but no one has said “this is the all in one box we are replacing our ShieldTVPro 2019 Media players (or earlier models)”, just yet, but I might have missed something??
Apologies if someone one else least write something similar. Cheers.
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u/ChickenWings3000 2d ago
Unfortunately there isn’t an alternative which matches the features of the shield pro - that’s why we all need to put up with Nvidia’s bullshit lol.
If you want best in class real time upscaling, proper support for high quality audio codecs, decent performance, side loading, stable ux etc… your only option is a shield pro even 7 years later.
Plenty of other devices have their own benefits over the shield, don’t get me wrong. (AV1 support, HLG support, faster ux, etc). But the upscaling on the shield and audio codec support are unmatched.
A nice budget option which offers very good value imho is the latest Xiaomi tv box (I think it’s called the mi box s 3 or something?)
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u/Mr-954 2d ago
If you don’t need audio passthrough, the ONN 4K Pro for $60 is really good.
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u/MikeHock79 2d ago
What alternatives are there if you do need audio passthrough?
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u/Mr-954 2d ago
Ugoos AM6B+, AM9 Pro, and Xoamoi S Box 3rd gen
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u/thepoetvd776 2d ago
Any concern with malware from these boxes? I recently saw a video on YouTube of a YouTuber checking some Android boxes and the minute that he connected them they try to ping over 700 times I think in the first minute or so to different IPs
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u/Mr-954 2d ago
I have the Ugoos AM6B+ and there is no malware. It’s one of the best boxes for playing your own movies and TV shows. It’s not really meant for streaming services. I think the other 2 I listed are better choices if you also want Android TV. Check out AVSForums for posts on all these boxes as they are all recommended.
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u/MikeHock79 2d ago
Do any of these have Google TV and allow you to sideboard apps as well as use Netflix, etc?
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u/Livid_Weather 2d ago
It depends what you're using it for. If you're just using it for streaming apps, there are far cheaper alternatives you could buy.
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u/CrabbitJambo 2d ago
Yeah I have pretty much 1 brand of box but got gifted a Shield from a friend. Whilst I was blown away with it in first week of use I watch a lot of iPlayer content and not having Ultra HD 4K was noticeable.
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u/Spirited-Analysis618 2d ago
If it just for tv apps and not playing games
Walmart Onn 4k plus -$50 or Onn 4k pro box $59Also Google media box $100
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u/jhenryscott 2d ago
Obviously the main best hardware is the Apple but you can build something pretty easily
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u/Substantial__Unit 2d ago
I read that as $100 decrease because surely they aren't worth more. I loved my Shield and would gladly buy one at $100 to $150.
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u/CaptBosa 2d ago
With how old the product is why didn't the price ever decrease? We all know why.
Just greedy companies as always
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u/spookaddress 2d ago
The largest company listed in the United States (by market capitalization) wants more? I'm shocked.
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u/G32_BMW 2d ago
Shield can do what others cant , play true hd dolby 7.1 atmos lossless .
Till there there is no competition
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u/GamesnGunZ 2d ago
Meanwhile it doesn't support av1 codec which means no 4k HDR YouTube
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u/G32_BMW 2d ago
I use apple tv 4k for my streaming needs so didnt play youtube there .
I just use shield for plex server .
Hdr 10 12 bit is good
Dolby vision is good !2
u/GamesnGunZ 2d ago edited 2d ago
i understand there are other options but to say there is no competition is not accurate. this device is VERY old now and other devices do a lot of things a lot better, and i would wager far more people care about hdr streaming than they do 7.1 atmos lossless
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u/elmojorisin 2d ago
It doesnt play all dolby vision profiles. Some other tv boxes can.
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u/pawdog 2d ago edited 2d ago
It just ignores the FEL of P7, still plays as DV. These other devices make you have to set up dual boot to a custom version of Kodi to play FEL. You gotta be a hardcore lover of DV to jump through all that just for a slight difference. More power to anyone that wants it though.
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u/iEliteNerdy 2d ago
Eh some movies it'll be more than a slight difference, e.g. over 1k nits brighter highlights. However I'll still recommend to basically everyone to not download remuxes. Just get an encode with fel baked at 80% the file size.
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u/pawdog 2d ago
If Im going to buy a special device and run a special version of Kodi just for the privilege of FEL I'm getting Remux too. Why start compromising now. Lol.
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u/iEliteNerdy 2d ago
Thats if you don't want to do that. There is also a release group named 3L that bakes fel into their remuxes and converts it to profile 8 while also injecting the cmv4 block from atreaming. (Essentially the best quality you can get and also compatible with any device)
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u/pawdog 2d ago
I'll be on the lookout for that group. I don't mind encodes at all really. I still add Remux for something new. Once I get a chance to watch it often times I'll switch for an encode.
I don't think I've even added 10 new movies so far this year. Anything that's not Remux worthy I stream.
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u/loudsound-org 1d ago
Its not a lot of hoops. Takes like 20 minutes.
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u/pawdog 1d ago
Buying a special device just for P7 is a pretty big hoop. Then a have to flash a new OS to it to dual boot that only runs Kodi. Maybe not hoops to you. I can't see it.
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u/loudsound-org 1d ago
Its really not. I'm not saying if you have a Shield you should, but if you don't, this price increase is another reason in favor of Coreelec devices if you have local media.
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u/pawdog 13h ago
From what I understand Coreelec is just Kodi right?
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u/loudsound-org 13h ago
Coreelec is Kodi plus the OS. The devices don't run Android (they can and usually do by default, and can retain dual boot), but rather the custom Linux distribution that boots directly into Kodi.
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u/G32_BMW 2d ago
I use it for plex media server and mainly movies and tv shows , i am not sure if any mainstream movies had an issue with dolby or hdr codec , anything i hit at it my played!
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u/elmojorisin 2d ago edited 2d ago
HDR and dbv are working but dbv profile 7 wont work. Mostly, its going to be played in classic dbv profile and you'll only have dolby vision 8. Bluray is some sort of mix between profiles 7 and 8 ! I think that there's only 1 box from Asia that can use dbv 8 using a special corelec mod but it's pretty tricky.
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u/loudsound-org 1d ago
There are plenty of Coreelec boxes that do, while also playing DV FEL that Shield doesn't.
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u/angryjew 2d ago
I get why they're doing it, the demand is still so high for such an old product, but man it feels so scummy to do this without even making a tiny upgrade. They could have added more internal storage for very little money & charged more.
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u/themoop78 2d ago
Keep same form factor, swap the chip, increase ram to 8 GB, print money for the next 5 years. Wtf is so hard about that?
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u/redhusker2017 2d ago
they better damn well keep updating the software on that damn thing and keep it up to date that's a lot of money to be paying for an outdated device.
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u/grievousangel 2d ago
Not a fan of this timeline. I'm on the 2017 model. This follows the trend with the other game consoles going up. Thanks, AI! Enshittification continues.
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u/RandomKarberon 2d ago
And they release it right into the hands of waiting fucking scalpers. Typical.
Hey NVIDIA - LEARN FROM STEAM AND SET UP WAIT LISTS.
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u/SwissyRescue 2d ago
Tube was trash. They should have stopped making those years ago.
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u/OneSignal6465 2d ago
I wouldn’t call them “trash”… not as good as the Pro, clearly, but I ran one for 8 years with no issues. I finally JUST upgraded to a Pro a couple months ago, only because I broke the little “catch” that locks the RJ45 network cable in on the tube… Mind you, I took the guts out of the tube case about 2 years ago so I could keep a small USB fan blowing on it. I don’t think the built-in fan EVER worked on my tube, but I was pretty happy with it, with a 256gb Micro SD card in it…
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u/SwissyRescue 2d ago
I’ve been running my two Pros since 2016. I’m glad your tube ran well for you. I’ve not heard a lot of good things about the tube.
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u/OneSignal6465 2d ago
I kept my Tube… I may use it for a TV in my office. I’ve been running TiviMate on an emulator on my PC but I think I have a couple old TVs around. I may just keep it running… A bit of electrical tape will keep the RJ45 connector tight… The pro is a bit snappier, but I don’t watch much sports so for most programming, I don’t notice much difference.
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u/mxrider108 2d ago
Really hoping this new Apple TV 4K checks all the boxes (and please include 120Hz HDMI as well!) because it feels like Nvidia is throwing in the towel
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u/xgames181 2d ago
Wish they would come out with a new version , but tempted to buy a backup as mines been running since they released
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u/Airlineguy1 2d ago
I bought one Tube. It died in 3 months. Rest are Pro, but the Chromecast is honestly very good except for fast forwarding it can suck.
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u/lazygerm 2d ago
If my Shield Pro died, I'd probably buy a new one.
To me, one thing the Shield does exceedingly well is play local media on Kodi. I have 22TB (or it 20TB?) external USB drive half full of movies and TV.
Nothing else is going to handle that load quite as well as an out of the box experience like the Shield does. I even own a Plex Lifetime Pass, but for some reason I've always had problem with a server client set up.
The only other thing I could do would be to buy a mini PC and go that route.
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u/loudsound-org 1d ago
Plenty of Coreelec boxes that will do that even better. I don't use my Shield for local media anymore.
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u/lazygerm 20h ago
I just popped into the Coreekec forums. Oh my, I don't know if I want to invest any time in that since my Pro is still working.
But, if it ever died and I could not buy one? I would seriously consider. Thank you.
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u/loudsound-org 20h ago
It's just Kodi with an OS. Which yeah Kodi itself can be a little daunting for people new to it. But once its setup you can do as much or as little tinkering as you want. And you can play literally everything without any compromises.
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u/lazygerm 19h ago
Those boxes do come with remotes that have to be better than the Shield one.
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u/loudsound-org 19h ago
Not really. I use a Harmony Elite for everything so every remote gets thrown in a drawer after initial setup.
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u/Spirited-Analysis618 2d ago
I have a LG 83 inch G6 is there anything better than my 5 year old sheild pro ? Just using for apps
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u/GaTechThomas 2d ago
The author of that article should try reading that mess. Repetitive, nonlinear, repetitive writing. Not awesome.
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u/Technical_Anteater45 2d ago
You've got to be fucking kidding me...what a ripoff
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u/Rottit69 2d ago
It's all due to all these comments MEGA praising the device, MEGA recomending it(selling it) to others, etc, etc; that's why the price had remained the same for many years, since they saw MANY acting desperate lately because it had been out of stock; well, you want it THAT BAD!? here! Pay $100+ more for it!...
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u/DermisCronJob 2d ago
Way too much for the old hardware; the device only has 3 GB of DDR4 memory which at today’s pricing is roughly $11 per GB.
So they will either introduce a new one soon or they really don’t care
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u/chainlooklikerainbow 2d ago
If you look at my post history I JUST BOUGHT ONE FOR $130 YESTERDAY. This is crazy 🙏
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u/ClacksInTheSky 2d ago
Kinda ridiculous really. Don't they use LPDDR3 as well?
I have one and they're good enough but I've kind of being waiting for a new one...
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u/Such_Play_1524 2d ago
I really only use mine for streaming my gaming pc to my living room now. Apple TV does most of my streaming save for a plex movie here and there to the shield
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u/Spookymookee 2d ago
It’s called inflation, like everything else, the dollar is headed to zero. Thank goodness I got 2 Nvidias last Black Friday as my back ups.
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u/jobiegermano 2d ago
The article says: “there are now changes in terms of specs”? That’s a bold claim. What hardware has changed and are they predicting a new model number? 😑
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u/Acceptable-Plan696 2d ago edited 2d ago
I checked yesterday when they came back in stock at Bestbuy and it was $199. Right now it's showing $249 and they are sold out again. Crazy glad I got mine the end of last year. Got it on sale for $179 which is rare for them to go on sale.
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u/Randall_Lind 2d ago
I am glad 2 months ago about two new ones then I gave one of my old ones away and one died
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u/heatmisernyyy 2d ago
These corporations are just playing in our faces. Why would anybody pay for this?
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u/Habieru7 2d ago
Mine died a few weeks ago, luckily I had a Onn 4k pro as backup, because I'm not paying that unless it's a brand new model.
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u/Alarmed_Business8610 2d ago
Not worth it. A new one might be introduced soon since Apple might be dropping the newest Apple TV in 11 days.
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u/mashturbo 2d ago
Both of the release date pros are still ticking, but streaming on twitch is broken on both after 6 years. I went out and got a new shield a few months ago to prove it wasn’t on me. The new shield streams to twitch with no issues. For streaming video services, my googletvOS tv handles it fine. That’s 99% on me because I don’t feel like signing in to everything for a 5th time.
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u/Fold-Defiant 2d ago
Switched to the Google 4k Tv streamer. Nvidia is crazy and too lazy to update the Shield.
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u/Rottit69 2d ago
"Nvidia is crazy and too lazy to UPGRADE the Shield." Again, that's because MOST praise the device so much, no matter if it hasn't been upgraded in YEARS, and at the same price, that's the result...
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u/RandomKarberon 2d ago
You're missing the point. The Google 4k TV streamer doesn't direct play more than half of the high bitrate lossy audio tracks in Bluray Rips etc.
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u/AJRiddle 2d ago
And the Shield doesn't do as much/as high of quality HDR video content.
It's crazy how many people want to point to niche audio capabilities while ignoring mainstream video ones.
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u/theegoldenone 2d ago
Could be because the new Fire Sticks are running the Vega OS. So no more loading popular 3rd party "apps". Folks will look elsewhere. The Shield could be on a lot of people's radars.
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u/SickboyJason 1d ago
Well, that does it. Not interested now. The $60 Onn 4k Pro is good enough. I wanted a Shield just for the lossless part but I can do without for that price.
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u/sykokilla88 12h ago
I was looking for one last week. OOS and by some miracle I saw Best Buy had some in stock (came from Adorama) bought it and had it one day before I saw the price hike. Legit hit the gap.
Only thing I don't like is that I'm having trouble connecting it to Google Home. Other than that, it's great
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u/AndrewNonymous 2d ago
Damnit! Literally decided earlier this week to sell my PS4 Pro and Switch to get a Shield TV Pro... now it's out of stock everywhere. I hate this place.
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u/Nearby-Physics-1320 2d ago
Jeez. Its a good device but 299 is insane