NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Now Supports Netflix in HDR and More

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Published 29 Jun 2016

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NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV

NVIDIA has managed to keep the SHIELD Android TV set-top box up-to-date with plenty of software releases, including updating the device to Android Marshmallow not too long ago.

And now the company is back at it again with yet another software upgrade, this one Software Upgrade 3.2, this time focusing on offering the best possible content from the biggest names out there. The SHIELD Android TV already supported 4K content right out of the gate, but now it also supports watching YouTube videos at 4K resolution — and at 60 frames per second. It now also supports watching VUDU TV shows and movies in 4K.

Another big part of the update is support for High Dynamic Range, or HDR, specifically from Netflix which has been rolling out HDR content at a pretty good clip. With HDR support, those with HDR TVs can get a better color range, more details in dark scenes, and brighter highlights as well. LG, Sony, and Samsung offer HDR TVs that support HDR10 –the open standard for HDR content– which is what the SHIELD Android TV supports. (Vizio has HDR TVs that support Dolby Vision, but the company’s M- and P-Series 4K HDR TVs will be updated to support HDR10 in the coming months.)

The rest of the update adds plenty of other noteworthy features to the set-top box as well:

    Dolby Atmos
    Enjoy a home theater experience with rich Dolby® Atmos surround sound pass-through in VUDU, MX Player, SPMC, and SHIELD’s preinstalled Photos & Videos app.

    Best Universal Search
    Perform a natural language search for music, movies, TV shows or games and get results from over 60 apps including top new additions: Netflix, VUDU and Spotify.

    Media Streaming – At Home and On the Go
    With PLEX Media Server now built-in, you can stream your personal media collection from SHIELD to mobile devices, even outside the home. Accelerate your media (even from a NAS) with SHIELD’s HD transcode. Learn more here: https://shield.nvidia.com/support/nvidia-android-tv/faq#plex

    More Top Apps Streaming to Your TV
    If you’re a sports fan you can now stream all WatchESPN has to offer. Music lovers now have access to Spotify. For news junkies, CNNGo, NPR and ABC News are on the way. Family-friendly programming will get a major boost with WATCH ABC, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney Jr. and Disney XD, and Nick. Viacom also brings popular shows with MTV and Comedy Central.

    Automatically Turn your TV Off
    Rounding out our HDMI CEC support, SHIELD now automatically turns off your TV when SHIELD sleeps. Enable in Settings > HDMI > HDMI-CEC preferences.

    Share SHIELD Folders with a PC
    Access SHIELD folders from a network PC or Mac and enjoy drag-and-drop file sharing. Enable in Settings > Storage & reset > Access SHIELD folders on PC.

    Mount Network Storage
    Mount a network attached storage device (NAS) to SHIELD to access your complete media collection. Stream this media to mobile devices using the Plex app and SHIELD’s HD hardware transcode. Set up in Settings > Storage & reset > Network storage.

    Improved Picture Quality
    Enable YCbCr 4:4:4 color space for improved video quality on supported TVs. Go to Settings > HDMI > Color space.

The update should be rolling out now, so if you own a NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV box, keep an eye out.

[via NVIDIA]