I have a 2019 Shield and love it. Haven’t had any issues with it. So I’m adding a streaming device to another TV I bought, and I wanted to makes sure Shield is still the best out there before I buy another one for that TV.
Thank you!
Shield is good but getting long in the tooth. There are a few top tier devices out there and I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them. Personally I’d look more for things like fast cpu/gpu, 4 GBs RAM and 64 GBs ROM.
Have fun and STREAM ON!.
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Yes, it is still the best. But like Miki said, there are more top tier devices to consider now than before. It really depends on how you plan on using it. Buzz and Formuler make great IPTV boxes for about the same price as the Shield. If you do a search in here, there are many devices we talk about.
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Put it this way. I have 3 Shields, the 1st one is 8+ years old, the 2nd one is 6+ years old, and the third is 4+ years old. Not one of them have experienced ANY malfunction in hardware and all are used daily.
Not always is the device with the most ram, rom, etc., the best. Sometimes the one that just works and lasts the test of time is the one to give you peace of mind.
When 2nd place is not an option…then Nvidia!
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The formuler series especially the New z11 pro Max is completely faster and smoother than any Nvidia shield. I have resold almost a 100 of these devices and I believe to date 31 shield customers always say and have said the same thing about the speed of this new device. I think shield has found a competitor that is worthy of taking them down simply because this is the first release of this device and if it’s this fast and this smooth at this release or base level there’s only one way or place it can go and that is up.
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Personally I like my Nvidea shield…bbbbbut the Formuler is also a great box…my fav however is the Buzz X5…a few issues at first but a great box, well built and now my fav.
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The Shield has found more competitors because they simply refuse to focus on the streaming device sector of their business. Still the best out there from top to bottom, without even trying. Its focus is more on gaming where these “IPTV” boxes are more focused on the day to day stuff we talk about in here. I still wouldnt trade mine for any box mentioned.
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Time is the test and time will tell.
Nvidia: Why fix what isn’t broken?
However, I do agree that Nvidia would do good to update their product. Then again here is a 5 year old product still being touted as the best by most rubrics.
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Not a Gamer. For over 5 years my cheap China T95Z Plus boxes served me well. They are still doing their job. I recently purchased the ONN 4K $20 box which is absolutely wonderful. Tivimate + a few paid IPTV services + RD + KODI + Trakt is a helluva setup IMO. Enjoy your Shields!
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One big thing people always overlook in this topic is upscaling. I have a shield pro and the upscaling to 4K looks better than any TV sets native ability in my opinion. And if your TV doesn’t do upscaling then it’s a must for your streaming device. Do all these other devices mentioned do quality upscaling? For a daily use device this is very important.
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I totally agree I have three also in the same ages and have served me well. I also have 2 Ugo I bought just to play around with as spares and never needed them. I am definitely very happy with my shields 
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Opinion is all relative, of course.
If you love your shield and it does everything you want it to do, then there should be a easy bet to designate another shield as your streaming/media hub for tv2 also.
…unless there’s a cost factor. There are cheaper alternatives and depending on what role your 2nd tv plays in your landscape, it may make better sense to invest in a cheaper model that still does a good job as what the shield does, with less bells and whistles. Especially if the TV gets far less traffic.
If Atmos and Vision is a factor, then consider the shield has onboard decoding and pass through, while you’ll have to ensure other branded models is able to passthrough if you use an external decoder for Vision and Atmos support. There’s also 1080p AI hardware upscaling and true 4k60 (
that future model will support 4k120). Then there’s always GEFORCE NOW cloud gaming that may be relevant.
I’m a fan of the shield, toblerone shaped, remotes. Not sure how many others are. Lol.
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That remote is the best evah
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Let’s also not forget about the Shield TV app…
…thread turning into a shield fanboy shout out.
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In addition to the other devices mentioned here, you might check out the Ugoos AM6 B Plus, AM7 and their other offerings. AM6 and AM7 can be had for under $200 on Amazon and you can check out their video reviews on Utube. They are great quality stock android devices with great build quality, Amlogic processors, with 4gbs of RAM, at least 32 gbs of internal storage and great freedom to add whatever apps you like.
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Guilty as charged. 
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Though the 2019 models are capable far beyond their end of life cycle time frame, there are shortcomings that the 2019 lineup has to consider implementing with a new modernized version.
HDMI 2.1. (This is the biggest point) This interface update will likely bring 4k120, adaptive frame rate matching, better eARC, etc.
SoC upgrade from the Tegra X1+. This, along with a bump in system RAM would bring overhead room to broaden HDR support, such as adding HDR10+ and AV1. This would also allow for additional audio codec support, especially DTS-MA and the higher bit rate DTS-X.
Bring back the SD-Card slot!
Internal storage baseline should be 32gb, unless you revive the sd-card slot from the prior Pro.
Remote control upgrade - love the current one. I’d love it even more if they added more IR control, gyroscopic mouse (like the harmony), better and more button assignment.
Keep the Plex server support!
Include a vertical stand base - I bought mine online, which was very well created using a 3D printer. It wouldn’t hurt to include one though.
So, yes - there is argument that while there not a dire need to fix what the 2019 already does very well, there is much room for improving it’s throne position.
This is crazy. The question is too general and should be more defined on wants and need. If all you do is watch tv and movies, and have a budget of 100 or less, then shield is definately not the best box for you to buy.
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