I think the article sums up the problem well. Does Gooe actually give a damn and will developers? Google seems to be betting it all on the chromecast. I think Android TV will end up where GoogleTV is. Fortunately the shield still makrs for a powerful local streamer.
It has more content than other Android TV boxes.
What an absolute dick this tech journo is. MX V ATV: Reflex an ancient relic? GTFO.
I disagree that it lacks content, but it does lack quality games. Don't get me wrong, it has about a handful of console-quality games, but I'm still waiting on other AAA games that Nvidia announced that are 'coming soon'. It's being marketed as a gaming device after all.
Got mine on Friday at the UK launch. Out of the box there was no support for Amazon Video, iPlayer, ITV player, All 4 , Now TV (didn't try Channel 5) so that's everything bar Netflix for the UK services not supported OOB.
I sideloaded everything bar Amazon Video, Amazon just wouldn't install, need to sideload Chrome I think to get around this. Some of the other apps have defaulted to portrait mode rather than landscape, will be tweaking that via something like Set Orientation later today.
I've even gotten Tidal to work, which sounds great with the passthru. One caveat with this, I have a Logitech Harmony Hub that I have paired with my Shield to give me a bluetooth keyboard and mouse on my phone and tablet. All of the sideloaded apps need the mouse to navigate stuff properly.
Now I knew I'd have to sideload everything and I'm happy doing that, I've been fiddling with Fire Sticks the same way for months, but to not even have iPlayer support on day one is a pretty big own goal.
It doesn't lack content. It's got all the content of other Android TV boxes, and then adds on shield-specific games, Geforce Now and PC game streaming, which is only limited by how many games you want to buy.
Lacks content?!? I may work full time and have a three year old to take care of but I get plenty of use out of the thing and have never run out of content. If I want music the Google Play music have everything I could ever want, gaming has kept me endlessly busy with 30+ games I bought but haven't beaten yet and then TV and movies are endless! When I bought the Shield TV I subscribed to just Netflix and Hulu, now I have upgraded Hulu to lose the commercials, gotten HBO, subscribed to Sling and CBS all access in addition to getting a ton more use out of Pluto and Google Play Movies & TV. I might cry if anything else was begging me to be played/listened to/watched.