nvidia Shield - Tips & tricks [Read post #1]

Soarer · 17-01-2021 1:48am

Morning all.

My head is fried.
If I watch Netflix/Disney/Prime on my Shield Pro, I get 5.1 through my amp.
If I watch a movie from the hdd that’s plugged into the Shield, I only get stereo. From what I can tell, I tried every option there is, but it doesn’t make any sense.

Currently I have Shield->sync box->tv.
The tv then outputs PCM to my Onkyo amp.

Like I said, the apps on the Shield allow 5.1 on the amp.
My SkyQ box, also routed through the sync box, allows 5.1.
The apps on the tv give 5.1 on the amp.
And when I plug the hdd straight into the tv, I get 5.1.

But not the hdd through the Shield.

I’m using Kodi btw.

swampy353 · 17-01-2021 8:38am

Soarer wrote: »

Morning all.

My head is fried.
If I watch Netflix/Disney/Prime on my Shield Pro, I get 5.1 through my amp.
If I watch a movie from the hdd that’s plugged into the Shield, I only get stereo. From what I can tell, I tried every option there is, but it doesn’t make any sense.

Currently I have Shield->sync box->tv.
The tv then outputs PCM to my Onkyo amp.

Like I said, the apps on the Shield allow 5.1 on the amp.
My SkyQ box, also routed through the sync box, allows 5.1.
The apps on the tv give 5.1 on the amp.
And when I plug the hdd straight into the tv, I get 5.1.

But not the hdd through the Shield.

I’m using Kodi btw.

So based on what you're saying
The amp will take 5.1, the files have 5.1 and the shield will give out 5.1 from certain apps.

Would guess your issue is with Kodi, maybe try VLC to play the files, if it pumps out 5.1, we know the issue is Kodi. At that point you need to decide if you want to use kodi which means spending time troubleshooting it or are you happy with another app that will just work.
Would personally go for Plex over Kodi

batistuta9 · 17-01-2021 9:18am

Enable passthrough in kodi audio settings.

Soarer · 17-01-2021 10:30am

Thanks guys.

@batistuta9. It’s already enabled. Also tried it without being enabled.

@swampy. I’ve no preference to what I use, so will try VLC.
I only bought the Shield because I bought the sync box and strip light. I was perfectly happy with the hdd plugged into the telly. But that configuration now would bypass the strip light.
I’ve genuinely no idea of what the shield is capable of.

Gooey Looey · 17-01-2021 10:45am

How is the TV connected to the amp? Optical?

Soarer · 17-01-2021 10:47am

Gooey Looey wrote: »

How is the TV connected to the amp? Optical?

Yeah

batistuta9 · 17-01-2021 11:05am

Might get something here to help.
https://kodi.wiki/view/Audio_quickstart_guide

Gooey Looey · 17-01-2021 11:17am

Soarer wrote: »

Yeah

Optical doesn't carry very many formats, it doesn't support Dolby digital + that Netflix uses or DTS HD or any other of the new lossy formats. You need to tweak your Kodi passthrough settings so that the formats not supported get transcoded by Kodi to normal Dolby digital and DTS. I'll pm you a pic of my settings later I'm just about to head out for a run.

Your TV is telling the other apps what codecs it supports as it's optical out and the apps are sending what it knows your TV supports

Soarer · 17-01-2021 12:42pm

Right.
Have tried Kodi, Plex and VLC. All the same.
Have swapped from one USB port to the other, still the same.

I don't think it's the sync box as all the apps on the SkyQ box give me "surround sound".

Gooey Looey wrote: »

Optical doesn't carry very many formats, it doesn't support Dolby digital + that Netflix uses or DTS HD or any other of the new lossy formats. You need to tweak your Kodi passthrough settings so that the formats not supported get transcoded by Kodi to normal Dolby digital and DTS. I'll pm you a pic of my settings later I'm just about to head out for a run.

Your TV is telling the other apps what codecs it supports as it's optical out and the apps are sending what it knows your TV supports

Thanks.
I don't think optical is the issue. It's never given me an issue before, and it's still not giving me an issues now, apart from HDD thru Nvidia shield.
HDD directly thru tv is still spot on.

Gooey Looey · 17-01-2021 12:53pm

It's 100% a Kodi passthrough setting issue, I'll get you a pic now. The TV is smart enough to know what codecs it supports and downmixes to go out through optical. The apps like Netflix don't do passthrough, they query the TV for the codecs it supports. Kodi is different, it supports passthrough as well as hdmi

Soarer · 17-01-2021 2:20pm

Gooey Looey wrote: »

It's 100% a Kodi passthrough setting issue, I'll get you a pic now. The TV is smart enough to know what codecs it supports and downmixes to go out through optical. The apps like Netflix don't do passthrough, they query the TV for the codecs it supports. Kodi is different, it supports passthrough as well as hdmi

Got those pics, thanks Looey.

“number of channels” option. I had it set to 5.1, yours is 2.0.
Even though it says it doesn’t apply to passthrough, I changed it to 2.0.
Under the “passthrough” section, I had everything selected as my amp will do DTS, DTS-MA and TrueHD. You have these 3 options disabled, so I disabled them too.
Boom! The amp kicked into life!

Can understand why the “number of channels” option might’ve confused things. Don’t know why the DTS stuff would’ve mattered.

Anyways, it’s working now!

Was half thinking about trying Plex again, but might just leave well enough alone!

Gooey Looey · 17-01-2021 3:31pm

Soarer wrote: »

Got those pics, thanks Looey.

“number of channels” option. I had it set to 5.1, yours is 2.0.
Even though it says it doesn’t apply to passthrough, I changed it to 2.0.
Under the “passthrough” section, I had everything selected as my amp will do DTS, DTS-MA and TrueHD. You have these 3 options disabled, so I disabled them too.
Boom! The amp kicked into life!

Can understand why the “number of channels” option might’ve confused things. Don’t know why the DTS stuff would’ve mattered.

Anyways, it’s working now!

Was half thinking about trying Plex again, but might just leave well enough alone!

Glad you got it sorted

Your amp will not do DTS-MA and TrueHD when connected by optical, it doesn't have the bandwidth, optical is very limited these days.

McMurphy · 19-01-2021 3:38pm

Basq wrote: »

Saw on Reddit and think it's something I can get behind..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08FMKTZY8/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A3PZDZPOPY874V&psc=1

My Shield remote falls onto a hardwood floor and into our pieces (backing and batteries fly) probably at least once a week.

Thanks basq, ordered this at the weekend and received today, very nice - comes in a 2 pack, one black and one white. (And bizarrely, 4 X wrist straps too)

Will save my remote from the constant drops of my lil terrors!

EoinMcLovin · 20-01-2021 12:31am

Ugh. Downloaded recent SHIELD experience update and device is stuck on Nvidia logo. Tried factory reset and wipe and still no change. Any ideas on what else I could try?

alanhiggyno1 · 20-01-2021 12:34am

EoinMcLovin wrote: »

Ugh. Downloaded recent SHIELD experience update and device is stuck on Nvidia logo. Tried factory reset and wipe and still no change. Any ideas on what else I could try?

All u had to do was press the back button on the remote. That's what I did.

beauf · 20-01-2021 12:50am

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

All u had to do was press the back button on the remote. That's what I did.

Same here. Wasn't obvious though...

EoinMcLovin · 20-01-2021 12:57am

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

All u had to do was press the back button on the remote. That's what I did.

Yeah I haven't used the remote in months. I either use a rii universal remote or the lg magic remote. Tried using the game controller and still no luck. Factory reset did nothing

McMurphy · 20-01-2021 7:11am

EoinMcLovin wrote: »

Ugh. Downloaded recent SHIELD experience update and device is stuck on Nvidia logo. Tried factory reset and wipe and still no change. Any ideas on what else I could try?

Nvidia should do something about that, it has to be fairly widespread FFS.

McMurphy wrote: »

Did the update last night and had a bit of a panic afterwards.

For anyone else reading this who hasn't updated it yet - don't panic thinking you have bricked your shield the "updating to 8.+" and the rolling bar is just an image.

Don't do what I did and sit watching it for twenty five minutes thinking "oh shiït, I've broke it" :pl:cool:

EoinMcLovin · 20-01-2021 8:23pm

well, got onto customer support and even though it's well outside warranty (bought in May 2017) , they are making an exception and sending me replacement

alanhiggyno1 · 20-01-2021 8:39pm

EoinMcLovin wrote: »

well, got onto customer support and even though it's well outside warranty (bought in May 2017) , they are making an exception and sending me replacement

Did u need proof of purchase for them to send a replacement. Fair play to them for sending one out of warranty

EoinMcLovin · 20-01-2021 9:07pm

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

Did u need proof of purchase for them to send a replacement. Fair play to them for sending one out of warranty

I provided invoice from Amazon and photo of serial number on back of controller

swampy353 · 21-01-2021 8:00pm

Benzino wrote: »

Yeah it's a great piece of kit, but has started giving me a bit of trouble lately. Sometimes Netflix just gets stuck at the loading phase (no video, but audio is playing). Likewise something similar for Youtube, and requires a restarting the device to fix. But rock solid beyond that.

The solution to the netflix issue, is play another episode for a second and then go back to the thing you want to watch, only figured it out today

robbe · 22-01-2021 1:25pm

swampy353 wrote: »

The solution to the netflix issue, is play another episode for a second and then go back to the thing you want to watch, only figured it out today

Happens to me too.....when you say another episode I assume you mean of the same show? Never occurred to me to do that, anytime this occurs even if I try another show it does the same thing (audio only, buffering visual generally stops at 25%). Exiting Netflix and forcing stop/clearing cache doesn't work either so would be nice to get fix that doesn't involve a restart.

Bluefoam · 22-01-2021 2:31pm

robbe wrote: »

Happens to me too.....when you say another episode I assume you mean of the same show? Never occurred to me to do that, anytime this occurs even if I try another show it does the same thing (audio only, buffering visual generally stops at 25%). Exiting Netflix and forcing stop/clearing cache doesn't work either so would be nice to get fix that doesn't involve a restart.

Same issue, I get buffering to 25% then the audio continues without picture. Only solution I have found is to restart the box. It usually happens after watching a number of episodes back to back...

clintondaly · 22-01-2021 2:41pm

Hey,

When you come out of an app in the Shield it remains open in the back ground.
You have the multi view window of the current apps that are open in the background like on an android phone, I usually close the app here and it always starts fine again when I need to go back in.Even the restart of the Shield does not kill background apps only a power removal(lead out and back in ) will do this.

You also have in the developer options a setting to kill an app as you leave it but that will apply to all apps

nedd · 22-01-2021 4:30pm

clintondaly wrote: »

Hey,

When you come out of an app in the Shield it remains open in the back ground.
You have the multi view window of the current apps that are open in the background like on an android phone, I usually close the app here and it always starts fine again when I need to go back in.Even the restart of the Shield does not kill background apps only a power removal(lead out and back in ) will do this.

You also have in the developer options a setting to kill an app as you leave it but that will apply to all apps

When I get this problem (audio with no video in Netflix) killing the app doesn't work. Restarting works 100% of the time.

DessieJames · 26-01-2021 4:29pm

folks my shield remote control looks to be stuck after i replaced some batteries, any idea how i can get it open again when i need to, i used to just use a pen but that wont work.

corks finest · 28-01-2021 11:23am

DessieJames wrote: »

folks my shield remote control looks to be stuck after i replaced some batteries, any idea how i can get it open again when i need to, i used to just use a pen but that wont work.

It'll work, be a small bit brutish,,, you tube

moonboy52 · 28-01-2021 6:25pm

Battery strength is now down to 3 or 4 days on my 2015 remote control.

Looks like Scan is the option nvidia give from their website, to buy the latest remote

Seems to be only UK addresses allowed now from what i can see

Are there other options available does anyone know?

I have a 3rd party remote from Aliexpress (was posted here a few years ago) so no real need for their own remote, but i would like to have it

joficeduns1 · 29-01-2021 3:07pm

moonboy52 wrote: »

Battery strength is now down to 3 or 4 days on my 2015 remote control.

Looks like Scan is the option nvidia give from their website, to buy the latest remote

Seems to be only UK addresses allowed now from what i can see

Are there other options available does anyone know?

I have a 3rd party remote from Aliexpress (was posted here a few years ago) so no real need for their own remote, but i would like to have it

How old is your remote do you mind me asking? Apologies, I've no advice in replacements, haven't had mine a year yet.

nvidia Shield - Tips & tricks [Read post #1]

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