NVidia Sheild...is it worth it?

by dj10fld

I am in the market for upgrading my streaming device. Currently I am using a FirestickTV and it is functional but sluggish (regardless of how many tweaks I do). A co-worker suggested the NVidia shield and it looks promising but a little on the pricey side. I also have a Leelbox m9S android box already (i stopped using because some of the apps were not supported due to being a kodi box..ie.. Bell Fibe and CraveTV). So I have a few questions:

1 - Does the larger price difference = large performance jump from Firestick TV for streaming

2 - Is the emulation speed better on the nVidia Shield than the Leelbox m9s. The best the leelbox can do is playstation one emulation (just barely in some instances) and I want to do at least what my phone can do (i.e. Gamecube, PSP, PSone, Dreamcast/Naomi, and arcades)

nicegypt

Just got my 2019 Pro and I have 2015 Pro still rocking. the best device for almost everything.

FellSorcerer

So, here we go.

  1. If you're going to do emulation with the NVIDIA Shield, yes, it's 100% worth it. It is unquestionably the best Android-based emulation box on the market.
  2. If you intend to stream with it, it's worth if you have DV, HDR10+, and Atmos support in your setup.
bentripin

Yes its worth it, in retrospect it will make every other TV box you've ever encountered seem like cheap kids garbage.

The Nintendo Switch uses the same hardware as the ShieldTV, so as far as gaming is concerned its quite good.

uncleguito

The ability to host a Plex Media Server from it via an external HDD make it a no-brainer imo.

pawdog

It's the best streamer on the market. utis it the best for you? a lot of it's capabilities go to waste if you don't have a 4k TV and True HD capable audio system.

Rell_Wild

Yes it's worth it.

GravityDead

Let's keep it short.

For just streaming = NO ( yes, if you expensive setup like DV, Atmos)

For streaming + gaming = YES.

Meanwhile, I'd recommend upgrading to latest firestick 4k

THE_Celts

Most people in this sub are of going to tell you that it's worth it. I have a 2019 Shield Pro and love it, so from that standpoint it's "worth it".

But what it really all comes down to is your specific needs. If you want to run a Plex server, play games, and use it as a Chromecast device, I'd say its worth it. If all you're doing is streaming Netflix, Amazon, etc., then I think it's probably a little overkill for your needs. Only you can say that.

Which Firestick are you using? If you're using an older one, you'll find the performance jump to Firestick 4K to be significant. I use one when I travel and it works great. The Roku streaming stick+ works quite well also, and both are going to be around 100-150 less than the Shield depending on which model you get and when you buy. And Google is supposed to be coming out with their own Android stick that runs Android TV this year as well.

I'd say if you can easily afford a Shield, go for it, it's the best box on the market. If money is an issue, and all you're doing is streaming, I'm not sure it's the best value for your needs.

hboinay

Absolutely the best device around, by far. Considering how long it will last, I would dare to say it's also the cheapest device around for what you get.

jmwint

yes ... make sure you get the "PRO" model... also Shield get regular Android and Nvidia updates