It needs a first party box from Google.
Until eARC becomes a usable and widespread standard, onboard AndroidTV on a main viewing TV is a nonsensical approach. Simply put, you are forced into choosing between 4K video or high res audio ... can't have both.
That's why the ShieldTV remains the ultimate ATV device, pure and simple. My understanding is that the Fire TV does not passthrough TrueHD (although it does do dts-HD MA). If that's still the case, it is not a better choice than the ShieldTV. Until another AndroidTV product can do HDR, TrueHD and dts-HD MA, the Shield TV remains the only product worth considering.
Obviously, I am referring solely to a main viewing area with a proper surround system. Bedrooms, spare rooms, other viewing environments bring tons of options.
Android TV has always been good, but for nerds and enthusiasts who knows what they want, not the every day users. Now it's good for everyone.
The key point is discovery. "Surfing" is something that is a stable of TV for decades, but was never something really that Android TV did well. The new Oreo Leanback system gives more space to different content rather than than just listing what Apps you have (like Roku does). It lets you "surf" a bit better. Also, the Google Assistant and the integration with Google Home/Chromecast means you find what you want quicker.
Thankfully, Google has stopping trying to promote Android TV as a catch-all gaming console. Gone is the 2015 era of the Asus Nexus Players gamepad and the Nvidia Shield controller. Sure, it can do it, but with the ADT-2, we see the focus is on media, not gaming. Nvidia themselves now, as of 2017, use a different SKU called "Gaming Edition" meaning, it's something you add on, and not part of the core. Compare with the 2015 launch where you couldn't get the Shield TV without a controller. The only thing they're lagging on now is bringing a second generation remote control with better volume control.
It's been good for a while. 😂 Least on the Nvidia Shield.
People keep saying the shield supports Dolby Vision in those comments. Lol
Except the Google Play for ATV is ugly and almost never is refreshed. The same stupid apps/games are on display on the homepage for MONTHS and so many of them are subpar.
I love my SHIELD TV, though. I installed vanilla android on it recently, and it’s a game changer. The only issue is that I can’t find a way to use a game controller as a mouse. If I could get that sorted out, it would be perfection.
I want to believe.
Wait, is Amazon Prime video available? I have a Hisense TV running Android TV, and I don't see the app available. Would love to watch it natively on the TV and not have to fire up my PS4.
Sky aren't interested in bringing Sky Go or Now TV to Android TV.
It's the only thing stopping me from getting an Nvidia Shield.
But that's not a platform issue, that's a Comcast being a dick problem.
hbo go?
Well, not for me. Not until Philips fixes problems with constant WiFi dropping in the latest Oreo update. 😔
Well at least two major streaming apps I use are still phone only so, meh
Isnt the price still too high though? I mean I can buy a Firetv for 50$, with discounts all the time, or I can buy a shieldtv for 200$.
Even the Xiaomi box is too expensive, and I dont trust the remote as much as I would the Firetv. Price is a consideration for how good something is, I could build a full PC for how much an Nvidia Shield is.
Chromecast is also glitchy as heck still, if it loses connection you are stuck in limbo without a remote. I constantly have to go into the home app to disconnect it from whatever its doing.
Refresh Rate switching on all apps please