apple tv or nvidia shield?
- Thread starter nikola
- Start date
desiibond
Keymaster
Apple TV hands down if you want something that just works out of the box and are okay to pay for subscriptions. Shield if you do not want to be tied by restrictions and need side loading.
Vagabond
Herald
I have both devices =, both have some unique pros and cons
Nvidia Shield -
Pros - Robust android device, storage expanded or usb additional storage for media, runs as plex server
Cons - off late too many ads, no hardware update for ages
Apple Tv - very smooth experience for OTT, Arcade games work well with controller (I use DS4)
cons - no usb but network streaming works
Nvidia Shield -
Pros - Robust android device, storage expanded or usb additional storage for media, runs as plex server
Cons - off late too many ads, no hardware update for ages
Apple Tv - very smooth experience for OTT, Arcade games work well with controller (I use DS4)
cons - no usb but network streaming works
If you sideload stuff, then any Android based platform is better. I use Chromecast with Google TV and it has more sideloaded stuff on it, that doesn't even exist for the Apple platform.
Still don't feel that gaming should drive a streaming device purchase though. A Pi or tablet with USB 3 would give much better performance even.
Still don't feel that gaming should drive a streaming device purchase though. A Pi or tablet with USB 3 would give much better performance even.
Dushie
Galvanizer
I have used and have multiple devices listing few below.
On box : Works great small and simple, great for google Tv experience under 2k, currently using the same actively and very happy with it.
Amazon fire stick : have used couple from starting to 4k, they work flawlessly need to use extension cable if you want to connect usb drive or memory card and downloader app to sideload.
Shield : Using the same for over 6 years, works well, is solid buit and pretty stable, remote always had issues, so you can use a differernt remote or app for the same, connectivity is good, 2 usb ports.
Appple tv : used initially years ago but let it go, not able to sideload apps and make much changes as its OS is built like that, interface and UI is pretty good and looks nice.
pi box : you can insall kodi and other different types of softwares, if you want to build something and experiement with it, is great to learn, newer ones are every prpetty good hardware wise, i used an older version 6 years back and experience was good, but you would need to tinker and play around with it.
Mi box : works well, has given good service from over 7 years, no issues, remote works well and UI is good to use. Can sideload apps and interface is fine, only wi fi no network port.
Roku 2 : Used a lot a decade or more ago, when i watched netflix from US and it was not launched in India. Did work well for the money paid for.
Apart from the apple tv, i have all the other players still with me and working fine in our 4 Tv's some are also lying around as backup to which i switch to when needed and ones that i dont use anymore like Xstreamer, WD tv .
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animishticomb
Forerunner
raksrules
Oracle
I (my kids actually) game on Apple Tv using the older black remote which has gyroscope in it. We play basic games like racing, tennis and temple run kind of (minion run) games. Never had gamepad so don't know how they work but I am sure it will be good and this is not even latest apple tv, it is I think like 8+ years old.
But as we know, the device is super restrictive and sideloading is non existent and very convoluted too if you want to install something like Kodi which too doesn't work well due to DRM issues (I have tried sideloading kodi and tried using).
Best is to go for android based devices. I only got apple tv used off facebook marketplace as I am into apple ecosystem and wanted to try it out. UI is very smooth and joy to use and OTT apps work well but only good if you are ok to pay for all subscriptions. I don't so that part is not useful either.
I am just keeping it because my kids like to do casual gaming on the apple tv - Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8, Tennis, Minion Run.
But as we know, the device is super restrictive and sideloading is non existent and very convoluted too if you want to install something like Kodi which too doesn't work well due to DRM issues (I have tried sideloading kodi and tried using).
Best is to go for android based devices. I only got apple tv used off facebook marketplace as I am into apple ecosystem and wanted to try it out. UI is very smooth and joy to use and OTT apps work well but only good if you are ok to pay for all subscriptions. I don't so that part is not useful either.
I am just keeping it because my kids like to do casual gaming on the apple tv - Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8, Tennis, Minion Run.
superczar
Keymaster
Shield is seriously aged hardware.
There are 5 things that matter for a streaming box:
A) Interface UX and Fluidity : Else you might as well use TV apps
B) Ability to play all OTT and all local files
C) Ability to handle DV/ HDR 10+/HDR10
D) Ability to handle auto switching between dynamic range modes on the fly based on content .. bonus points for frame rate matching
E) Ability to pass through Atmos/ LPCM. Bonus points for lossless ATMOS
F) Quality of Remote
Shield can no longer compete with similarly priced hardware from AMazon, Apple and few other manufacturers like Homatics/ Zidoo and its a completely pointless buy today.
Amazon Cube does well on most of the above except losing bonus points on D
ATV does the best of all on A, gets bonus points on D but not E .
Homatics box ticks all the boxes but loses a bit on fluidity
Shield loses bonus points on D but ticks E.. However it loses big time on A because of the slow inteface. The base SoC is almost a decade old now and even the revision is 5+ .. Both an eternity in Arm chips. At this point, you might as well get a much cheaper Firestick Max over this
Choose your poison accordingly
There are 5 things that matter for a streaming box:
A) Interface UX and Fluidity : Else you might as well use TV apps
B) Ability to play all OTT and all local files
C) Ability to handle DV/ HDR 10+/HDR10
D) Ability to handle auto switching between dynamic range modes on the fly based on content .. bonus points for frame rate matching
E) Ability to pass through Atmos/ LPCM. Bonus points for lossless ATMOS
F) Quality of Remote
Shield can no longer compete with similarly priced hardware from AMazon, Apple and few other manufacturers like Homatics/ Zidoo and its a completely pointless buy today.
Amazon Cube does well on most of the above except losing bonus points on D
ATV does the best of all on A, gets bonus points on D but not E .
Homatics box ticks all the boxes but loses a bit on fluidity
Shield loses bonus points on D but ticks E.. However it loses big time on A because of the slow inteface. The base SoC is almost a decade old now and even the revision is 5+ .. Both an eternity in Arm chips. At this point, you might as well get a much cheaper Firestick Max over this
Choose your poison accordingly
thechordmaster
Contributor
if you could spare a bit more, buy a tiny pc for 5-6k, slap an external hard drive (2tb) and run your own streaming server...
animishticomb
Forerunner
This works ...I bought an intel nuc mini i3 some years back and it is much much faster than any streaming device...it worked flawlessly and its windows so you have a lifetime of experience with it...
I sold it off when I moved to a full pc but definitely an option but doesn't offer switch on/off and comfort of a streamer like fire stick
superczar
Keymaster
No, these mini PCs / SBCs etc don't handle OTT well at all
No 4K, no DV, no nothing.
They are good only and only if your usage is limited to local playback only
hellblazer33
Forerunner
thechordmaster
Contributor
could always add in sonarr, radarr integration to automatically pull shows. use plex or jellyfin as a front end. Request shows/movies from anywhere via overseer... so its there by the time you reach home...
look up techdoctoruk on YouTube
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superczar
Keymaster
If you are single and unattached, sure.
But you can't really masquerade sonarr or radarr or even stremio/RD as a substitute for OTT.
HTPCs are for all practical purposes a relic from the past ..their glory days from the 2000-15 era is long gone barring some edge use cases.
Also no matter what you do, HDR barely works with a win htpc, let alone dv
Why are you bothering with kodi on atv to begin with?
The devs never built a decent implementation on tvos
Use plex if you want completely free player for local files
VLC is ok too
Infuse is the best local media player , arguably on any platform although it's paid
There is also Vidi if you prefer streaming to***nts via real debrid
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raksrules
Oracle
I only wanted to try kodi. I had to use xcode on my macbook to sideload kodi on atv and even after that it was useless for me as I watch jio cinema content on kodi and atv gives drm error. It is kodi on atv limitation with no solution. On top of that we have the 7 day expiry of sideloaded app.
I am a heavy kodi user on my fire TV as i watch some jio cinema shows in kodi and also music channel using jiotv addon in kodi.
superczar
Keymaster
Kodi was never properly forked for atv.
There is a sad fork called mrmc but it's useless for all practical purposes.
There are several alternatives though, some better on some fronts, some worse..
I was a heavy Kodi user myself till about 2015/16 or so.
Now I can't stand using it on any platform.
All i would say is explore other options beyond kodi regardless of your choice of platform or box