So basically your complaint is that Shield TV isn't built for piracy?

Huh what? I bought one last week and tons of games came with the membership that was free. I thought that was pretty nice, tho I've already played all of them since they were like first games in some big game series (Witcher 1, Tomb raider, Batman etc) . But I didn't expect anything for free at all. However, I find the gamestream option very useful, it lets me stream the games from my own pc for free? It's not like the box hardware can run very heavy games anyway so I don't know what you expected. It's not a gaming console.

As for the other issues.. I have none of those. I can pause/resume fine on the controller, tho I dont really use it unless I'm gaming. Streaming files from my network drive to kodi couldn't be easier. Chrome can be installed directly if you go to the playstore on puffin and click install from there. Tho I don't recommend it, puffin is much better with the remote. The controller works well as a mouse tho. There's like 20 other ways to install chrome and other apps. The only restrictions I have with the playstore is the actual playstore app on android TV showing only a very small amount of compatible apps if you browse, but the search option shows alot more. They need to fix this.

The only complaints I've got with the Shield is that it didn't come with a HDMI cable and doesnt have optical out.

First thing you need to realize is, there is a difference between Android and Android TV. It sounds like you wanted to use the Shield like one of those shitty pirate boxes that promise you "free TV", which... well, it's not. You can make it work, but that is putting a square peg in a round hole.

Clustertruck for $15? Well... yeah, of course it is. That is the retail price of Clustertruck, and it's the same on Steam and other services (though it is on sale on Steam currently, and not on GeForce Now). The games on GeForce Now are priced competitively with the prices on other platforms, and the Android games are the same price as on the standard Play store, because you're buying them from the Play store. There's no premium for Shield content whatsoever, unless you count the GeForce Now subscription (which is currently free).

Chrome, or any other browser of your choice, is easily sideloaded. In fact, there used to be a bug that you could get it to install Chrome from the Play Store through OK Google, but I don't know if it's still a thing. It won't show on the Leanback launcher page, since it's not an Android TV app, but you could use Sideload Launcher to launch it or TV App Repo to create a Leanback shortcut.

As for the air mouse, you are aware the right stick on the game controller acts as a mouse in non-Android TV content, right? You could always just use that.

I do agree with what you said about the remote, though, which is why I don't bother to use it. There are a lot of other options out there. I personally use a Harmony 350, but that's only an option on the 2015 models or the Pro.

Plain and simple. Android TV is made to do what you want. It's not open source Android. It's Google's TV platform. Cry all you want about how it should be this or It should be that. Google cares not. Not just you, this kind of complaint gets posted a lot.

The so called Play Store restrictions are there to protect users from unsupported and incompatible apps. Chrome is one of those apps. If you need an airmouse to operate it, it's incompatible. Developers are free to create compatible apps and submit them for Android TV. They choose not to. It is what it is.

The reason you hear about the Shield is because, in spite of what ever it is you don't like about it. It still kicks all these other devices in the nuts. If you want to use it like a Chinese box you can. Many people do. Airmice and keyboard choices abound. Sideloading, alternative Play Store apps, they are all out there. No device is for everybody. The Shield will be really easy to sell.

You appear to simply prefer Android OS (very open OS) over AndroidTV OS (very closed off OS). So I'd suggest you do whatever with it and get a box with Android OS on it... or a mini PC or anything that can give you full customization and access.

As you found out, around here you have to walk on eggshells with some of the kids and sales folks when it comes to the shield (your mistake is you said "underwhelming" and " Shield" in your title... that brought them all in). I wouldn't take it personally. What you want isn't what the Shield was designed for.

The Shield does perfectly fine for thing it is intended for, while you try to use it differently. It is very possible that it is not the right device for your use case.

AndroidTV OS is for mainstream users not for hackers, get a chinese STB (ShitTopBox) running normal Android for that. At most you should have considered getting one of those new Mecool boxes.

Reason being AndroidTV is super legitimised so as not to have issues with the big players like Netflix and Amazon and a lot of cable providers for online streaming in 4k and Dolby. Can you imagine if they were easily hackable that anyone could rip those 4k HDR streams right from them?

Having said that, there is a LineageOS for the Nvidia Shield , if you didn't know that, then you ain't so techy as you thought you were. Of course, once installed you lose all the required certifications.

I can't install Chrome, for example, which is important for getting Kodi add-ons.

download the addons on a pc in a shared folder accessible by Kodi ... duh! also you can easily sideload Chrome btw, or remote install it by opening the Play Store on a PC and directing the install to the TV

Some apps have the new GDPR pop up about ads but without a mouse I can't click any of the responses! WTF? I happen to have an airmouse/keyboard combo but what about people who don't?

Sideloaded apps are not optimised for remote usage. You have an airmouse coz you're used to chinese shittopboxes.

I've had it for about two weeks now and am considering selling it

I'll get it off your back at a heavy discount since you don't seem to value it at all

Is there any way to remove the Play store restrictions?

Aptoid Store? . The restrictions are there for a reason, because mainstream users would complain in masses about being so easily provided with apps which are not optimised to work with a remote. But you can sideload any app you want, they just won't appear on the main menu screen, unless you get Oreo.

very techy person

yeah ... right