I drew flak for saying the Apple TV 4K fills the shoes of Nvidia's Shield TV, and not without some merit.If you love Android or simply prefer the Shield's flexibility, no amount of apps or hardware brawn will make you switch.It's a good media streaming device—its age and the modern app landscape just work against it.
Add How-To Geek on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover However, a lot has happened since then.Nvidia has not only raised the price of the Shield TV Pro but is also facing a newly upgraded (if much more expensive than before) Apple TV 4K.That does change the math, but I still can't tell people to buy the Shield.
The capability gap is widening, with some areas where Apple's box is unambiguously superior.An outdated AI assistant and voice control Apple has pushed ahead Close It's long been easy to recommend the Shield TV Pro over an Apple TV device if you want good voice control.Google Assistant has long had the edge over Apple's Siri with better general knowledge and command context.
Now the roles are reversed.While Siri AI can be slow and is technically influenced by Google Gemini, there's no question that it's better than the increasingly ancient-feeling Assistant.You can issue commands and ask questions in a more natural way.
It draws on personal context, not just what you said earlier.It's also easier to talk to that AI in the first place.Both the Nvidia and Apple set-tops have voice-savvy remotes, but the Apple TV 4K has microphones built into the device itself.
You can control it even if you're far from the remote.While this isn't a brand-new idea (Amazon's Fire TV Cube has had built-in voice for several years), it's still better than holding your remote up every time you want to speak.This wouldn't be such an issue if Nvidia could put Gemini on the Shield, but it can't.
Its Android TV version is too old.It's hard to justify spending $300 knowing that you'll have to deal with an outdated AI helper for years, no matter how adequate it might be in the near term.The Shield TV Pro is now that much slower The Apple TV 4K is a speed demon You don't need a monster processor to play videos.
Even low-cost products like Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K can handle modern streaming just fine and will often have a fluid interface to match.Any $300 machine is overkill if you only want to catch up on Netflix or Prime Video.If you do anything more, however, there's no question that the new Apple TV 4K is the better choice.
Its A19 chip is billed as offering a 50 percent faster CPU and twice-as-fast GPU compared to the last-generation model's A15, and that was already speedier than the Shield TV Pro.This isn't just an advantage in gaming, although it does enable visually richer games that the Shield can't handle.Any app that depends on 3D graphics should run smoother.
Media players that rely on software decoding should handle playback more elegantly.And there's still that greater degree of future-proofing: Apple can extend its functionality for years to come while Nvidia's device is already limited.If I'm going to spend that much money, I want to know that my purchase will stay relevant for a long time.
What good is greater software flexibility if the chip inside can't keep up? Weaker audio and video support Apple is a better match for some home theaters Nvidia's format support is generally strong.You're covered if you want at least some form of HDR or Dolby Atmos audio.In most cases, that's more than enough.
You won't notice the difference if you're using a budget TV or listening to a classic multi-speaker array.Even so, there are compatibility reasons to pick the Apple TV 4K over the Shield TV Pro.Apple supports HDR10+ versus Nvidia's basic HDR10, and that will matter if you have a TV that can use the newer standard's frame-by-frame HDR adjustments.
Why miss out on improved picture quality when you're paying the same amount? Related Why I'm Still Waiting for an NVIDIA Shield 2 Time flies when you're building AI data centers.Posts 2 By Tim Brookes Apple might also have the better option if you live in its ecosystem and hate strewing wires across your living room.The latest Apple TV 4K can use HomePod smart speakers for wireless surround sound.
You don't have to buy in-between hardware just to have a tidy home theater setup, and you'll still have voice-controlled audio even if you decide to move the speakers elsewhere.This move is bound to be expensive (between $600 and $1,400 depending on the speakers) and won't do any good if you're firmly on Team Android.If you're an iPhone fan or platform-agnostic, this could easily tip the balance in favor of the Apple solution. Apple TV 4K is still the way to go Before you ask, I'd love to see Nvidia release a Shield TV 2 that catches up on formats, performance, and AI.
But there's no evidence one is coming, and I can't advise holding off just in case the company has a change of heart.For now, the Apple TV 4K is the reigning champ in high-end media players.
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