Jetstream 4k vs. nVidia

by Ajbosley2015

So before anyone just instantly blasts me for asking this question I want you to really think about it and give me a legitimate answer.

Is the 100 dollar difference really worth it?

Interfacing, both have Gb ethernet ports, both have (2) USB 3.0, both obviously have HDMI, the Jetstream has optical audio which supports Dolby Atmos

Internal storage for the base Shield is dismal, as is the internal storage of the Jetstream, so thats no real comparison

Anyone know the WiFi module specs on either device?

I have heard that Netflix is unreliable on JetStream which wouldn't be ok with the wife thats for sure.

Jetstream apparently has a very user friendly interface for creating custom Kodi builds, not sure about Shield. Even though they claim an open apk platform...is it really?

I am not set on buying either one and for me money is by no means a factor...but if I can get a similar product and pocket a hundred for my klipsch system upgrade...I'll definitely do it

So be real with me. Is the shield worth 100 dollars more...and no, I am not a gamer

_R2-D2_

I can only offer the perspective of an Nvidia Shield TV owner, but I recommend the device over all others. The Experience you get using it is going to be more fluid menus and more power to run apps/games, and it's been updated regularly since 2015. If there extra $100 is to much, wait for a sale and get their for like $120-140.

pawdog

What level of 4K. for streaming 4k I would think the Jetstream would be as good as the Shield. high bitrate 4K remux files with Plex or Kodi from my experience with the Mi/box which is essentially the same device I would say it would not be as good. These devices, Jetstream, MiBox, Fire TV Stick 4K, are kind of made for commercial, mainstream, 4K streaming. There is hardly enough difference between to make any decision tough. The Shield is above and beyond for above and beyond use cases.

Max_Roc

To me the $100 extra is worth it to have the fastest box on the market that will play anything I want it too and has top notch support. Nvidia devs are even active in here and are very helpful.

Not knocking the Jetstream though. I've never tried it but seems like a decent box.

jordanclock

For your point about APKs on the Shield, it really is completely open. Whatever is on the Play Store or can be sideloaded will install. There are some apps that will even make custom shortcuts for apps that don't natively support Android TV.

For hardware, the Shield has a much faster CPU, waaaay faster GPU and 50% more RAM. That all adds up to a very smooth experience and one that should continue to be smooth going forward. Also, the 16GB of storage on the Shield vs the 8GB on the Jetstream is going to make a very big difference if you install more than a few apps.

One thing the Shield has that nothing else has natively: Gamestream. If you have a PC with an Nvidia GPU, you can play your games through the Shield. There are apps that will replicate this to a degree, like Moonlight, but I found the experience was poorer.

Speaking of games, the Shield also has GeForce Now, which allows you to play games running in the cloud. It is very easy to use, the selection is quite wide and the Shield TV comes with a number of free games.

CuvisTheConqueror

What does your use case look like? If you're doing 4k, it's worth it. If you have multiple devices in your house and you're looking for something that can stream videos to all of them (using Plex or Emby), it's worth it. If you're looking for something that can stream PC games, the Shield really isn't that much more than the Jetstream and a game controller, plus Nvidia Gamestream is a much more mature product than Steam Link, so it's worth it. If none of those apply, you're probably fine with the Jetstream.

raptor75mlt

No one seems to mention it, but the Shield is certified for 4k Amazon Prime and has a native app, whilst the Jetstream isn't and doesn't, if you use that service.

Asrule

The Shield is worth the money for sure. I mostly use mine to stream and it works great with every service out there. Also, I have had it for over a year and never thought about replacing it.

rldev

Has the Jetstream had any updates yet?

BiggussDikkuss

4K Bluray Rips + HD audio passthrough, Plex server, NVIDIA Gamestreaming, a Wireless games controller, an officially supported Prime Video App, Gigabit Ethernet, a much faster media player PLUS auto Frame Rate Matching for Apps like Kodi & Plex then buy the NVIDIA Shield.

Auto Frame Rate matching results in really smooth video playback, no matter what the Frame Rate of video content you use. Kodi Leia on the Shield also has auto resolution switching for use with 4K TV's.

The Jetstream, Mi Boxes etc do not have this feature, you will end up with juddery video playback depending on the frame rate of the source video when using Kodi and Plex.

Also actually proper deinterlaced video output when used with devices like a HDHomerun for Broadcast TV then buy the Shield. The Jetstream and Mi Boxes still have bad, broken deinterlaced picture outputs (half motion, blocky mpeg2 and stuttery)

The Mi Boxes and the Jetstream can do 4K HDR Youtube, the Shield has no hardware decode support for that.

The Shield has a comparative really poor Wireless remote controller vs say the Mi Boxes and the Jetstream.

The Jetream only has a 100Mbit LAN port. That is not sufficient for reliable home network streaming of high bitrate 4K HDR Bluray Rips. You need Gigabit Ethernet in that scenario.

Personally I do not like to use any of the Android TV OS media player for hardcore Netflix usage. The Apple TV 4K with it's auto Frame Rate Matching, Atmos and DolbyVision - is a far superior Netflix playback platform. Better upscaled picture output quality too when used with a 4K TV.