Jordan O'BrienThe NVIDIA Shield is already one of the most powerful set-top boxes money can buy. Not only can it run all the Apps users know and love, but thanks to the latest software update it can also act as a Plex Media Server, transcoding content for other devices. It can also play Netflix content in HDR.
While HDR support for Netflix is hardly new for users with HDR-compatible TVs, the NVIDIA Shield is the first standalone device to support the standard. It is also a device that supports both 4K and 60fps content on YouTube, as well as 4K support for Vudu.
Installers looking for the ultimate set-top box for an installation scenario may want to opt for the NVIDIA Shield for one reason – Dolby Atmos surround sound pass-through in VUDU, MX Player, SPMC and Shield’s preinstalled Photos & Videos App. That’s unlike similar devices such as the Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku.
All these new features have been released as part of the version 3.2 update, which also allows users to run a Plex Media Server directly from the set-top box. That means users can load their movies, TV shows and music onto a USB hard drive, or directly onto the internal storage of the NVIDIA Shield and share that content with other devices around the world.
That is not where the new features end however, with a whole host of other improvements specifically designed for power users also released as part of the 3.2 update. This includes the ability to access Shield folders from a network PC or Mac, use drag-and-drop file sharing, automatically turn off the TV when the Shield sleeps and even mount a network attached storage device to the Shield.
The NVIDIA Shield is available in a variety of different configurations – with a 16GB storage drive available from £149.99 and 500GB option for £219.99.