2017 Nvidia Shield

dubrov wrote: »

In fairness they have done a good job with the shield but it is nearly two year old tech at this stage so the price should be falling.

If you don't play games on it, there are loads of cheaper options that would do exactly the same thing (see Mi box)

I said I am not gaming on it yet, which means I intend to start at some stage

Can anyone who's got a really good Shield setup please PM me. Would like to ask a few questions directly if possible. Thank you.

Hi all,

I just got a 16GB NVIDIA Shield from Amazon with the remote and game controller and my needs can be summarised as Kodi for online content + Netflix + IPTV (via PErfect Player) + streaming local content from a NAS which I believe is best done via Plex.

I'm not new to Android TV boxes (have had several over the years) but new to NVIDIA Shield and new to the Android TV OS which I initially find a bit restrictive and frustrating but no doubt I'll get used to and see the benefit of.

My home set up is as follows:-

- 150mb internet from Virgin which uses static IP but I can't cable the Shield due to it's location and in the past Homeplugs haven't worked due to some technical issue with how my house is wired. They work fine in the same room/circuit as the router but not when the 2nd homeplug is moved to other rooms.

- I've a 2TB ZyXel NSA310 NAS cabled into the router which I mounted to the NVIDIA shield over Wifi as part of the setup process. I believe in theory the ZyXel could be used as a Plex server but I have no experience with Plex at all and no idea how that would work. I recall looking into it previously and it looked more complicated than I could handle.

- I've a Win 10 HTPC attached to the main family TV which uses Perfect Player for an IPTV service I subscribe to and Netflix etc. It is cabled to the router and works fine.

- There's a gaming PC for the kids (teenagers) cabled to the router which is left on 24/7 and could be used as a Plex server if that made more sense than using the NAS or Shield as a Plex server.

- I've an Asus RT-N66U WiFi router which throws good quality WiFi all over the house.

- I've a Minix Neo X8-H connected to an upstairs bedroom TV which also runs the IPTV service via Perfect Player and Netflix etc

- I've just added the NVIDIA Shield to a TV in a small sitting room (think the old "Good" room every Irish home used to have years ago which was reserved for visitors!!) where myself and the missus increasingly retreat to as the kids and their pals seem to be taking over the rest of the house.

- The sitting room TV is connected to an Onkyo TX-SR875 A/V Receiver via HDMI and there's a Jamo 5.1 S606 surround sound speaker system connected to the Onkyo also. The NVIDIA Shield is connected to the Onkyo via HDMI cable.

I set up the NVIDIA shield without issue and it's streaming Netflix and IPTV (via Perfect Player App) etc over WiFi no problem.

The questions I do have which I'd appreciate some help with (and I have read the entire thread I promise!!) are as follows:-

1. In November OmegaGene stated that "local content =plex, Stream= kodi."
Should I therefore set the Shield up as a Plex server for the 1.5TB of content I have (I haven't any experience of Plex to date) and if I did that would the metadata eat up most/all the 11GB of the internal space there is on the Shield or should I set up the NAS or Gaming PC as a Plex server?

2. Is Plex also a media player i.e. you can watch video content on the Plex app or does it require you to choose another Media app such as VLC or MX Player to actually play the video content on?

3. Is there any reason not to set up Kodi with The TV Addon's Fusion Installer source and Indigo tool etc or is it better to just install individual add on's tailored to the online content I want to access?

4. Are there any alternative launchers for the Shield which give more control how the home screen is set up? I really don't like the recommendations and would like to get rid of them.

5. Other than side loading is there a way to install a Browser for general web surfing and watching browser based online content?

6. This isn't exclusively related to the Shield but can someone explain or point me in the direction of instructions for selecting a folder on my NAS as the preferred folder for streaming content on VLC and/or MX Player so the apps look there automatically for content? For the life of me I can't figure out how to do it and end up using ES File Explorer to search the NAS for a video and then choose which player to play it with. Very frustrating!!

7. Does having a VPN or smart DNS service open up additional functionality on the Shield? I used to have a VPN service which enabled me to access the US library of a well known online video service but they upped their game over a year ago and blocked the VPN I was using and others I trialled so I just settled for the Irish library and dropped the VPN subscription.

Apologies for the long windy post but having read the thread over the past few hours these are the gaps in knowledge I have which I'd appreciate some guidance on.

Cheers.

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

For the reason you've outlined + the fact using the Shield as a Plex server might result in the metadata eating up a lot of the internal storage I think I'll start using the Gaming PC as the Plex server to start and see how that works.

I bought the Shield with the idea of making it a Plex server for all the content on my Synology NAS but have had some issues. I keep on getting "This server is not powerful enough to convert video" error message while trying to play blu-ray rips. I've tried different suggestions (including some on this thread) but I've come to the conclusion that I would have to convert much of my library (8TB and growing) as for some reason it doesnt "like" the way the audio is encoded (video is standard x264). I've gone back to using my MacMini (2012 version) as a Plex Server and torrent box. May not be as energy efficient but it's way more flexible.
You can test the Plex Server feature on your Shield while still keeping the one on your PC to see if you get the same error. That way you can just revert back to your current set up in case something doesnt work.
Ease of use, IPTV set up and 4K/HDR Netflix still very much justify the purchase for me... pity for Plex Server though

The high horse brigade wrote: »

You should be aiming for direct play when playing locally, not transcoding. Are you downloading in an audio format you don't support?

Yes it's set up as direct play with no transcoding locally. This is an example of the specs of the video file:

SOURCE TYPE.......: Retail Blu-Ray 30,8 GB Movie @ 23453 kbps / 42,0 GB Full
ViDEO SPECS.......: x264 2PASS @ 14000+ Kbps - 23.976 fps
AUDiO SPECS 1.....: English DTS-HD Master 5.1 3266 kbps 48 kHz 24 bit
FiLM ASPECT RATiO.: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Scope / Letterbox
RESOLUTiON........: 1920 X 1080

The same file plays flawlessly if streamed from the MacMini plex server to the Shield over LAN

Should anyone be after one of these linky

KeRbDoG wrote: »

Should anyone be after one of these linky

Nice to see someone selling without trying to gouge!
Good luck with the sale!

They really are an exceptional piece of kit!

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

wonder wuould this be a good replacement for a mag 256

Two very different prices of kit... The mag box is a dedicated iptv streaming box and this is an android box (with android apps including iptv streaming apps)... Depending on what you want to do it might be

Someone get a HTPC for Christmas?

Snake Plisken wrote: »

I had a hype before my Shield but now I only use my Shield HTPC is just gathering dust under my TV

You mean Shield HTPC, or Shield, HTPC (genuine question) I think i am misreading.


I have both, can not afford something like the leet/steiger dynamics from a few years ago, but the decent HTPC below €200 running LibreELEC/Linux MCE is still a better option imho.

recording/storage/life but not comparable either.. I know it can be done on both, and is the reason many prefer e.g. Plex, but the longterm option is my preference. It means every now and then adding extras, but if i legally record movies/sports/TV shows from the TV, then surely i am better set up to protect myself if the Copyright Police come knocking in the future, the way that they have done in Germany.

Quality is as good (on many HTPCs), and apps in Nvidia are as good as many others android boxes, albeit faster, unless you use Netflix/HBO and other paid licences - in which case they are better.
For now, these bugs are the reason i would limit my spending and recommend the same to others unless they wanted to spend. I feel myself going off on a tangent. I like the Nvidia shield, and it is good, but as with all Android devices for now, it is limited. With google closing down Android to mimic iOS, it will become eventually even more limited.
Android TV even more so, but for now, it is great.

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

wonder wuould this be a good replacement for a mag 256

i got this and sold my mag 256 the next day, so i would say yes its a good replacement albeit a different product

yabadabado wrote: »

Can add STB emulator for the Mag experience.

Would that be better than just running your IPTV via Perfect Player, TVirl or one of the other IPTV clients?

I started using Iptv on my shield recently but still learning the ropes. I've got it up and running using STB emu but I'm not finding it great.

I can't search for channels and the yellow/green/red/blue buttons don't work. I tried to map them in the morning settings but my regular TV remote or shield controller don't seem to work (despite both working to change and browse channels on STB emu). I hope I'm missing something, but was planning on trying perfect player this evening.

If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong please let me know.