There are a lot of Android TV streaming boxes, and most of these cost in the vicinity of $50. Then there's the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro, which retails for $200. Why does it cost four times as much as most of the products in its category?
That's what I couldn't understand when the Shield TV Pro launched back in 2019. I was using a Xiaomi Mi Box S at the time, and I was annoyed at how laggy it was at playing 4K content, so I decided to buy the Shield TV and see if it do a better job.
It did that, and so much more. I have over a dozen devices in the house that are based on Android TV — including a half-dozen TVs, several dongles and streaming boxes, and three projectors — and the Shield TV Pro stands head and tall over everything else.
The Shield TV Pro is the best Android TV box by far
A lot of what makes the Shield TV Pro great is down to NVIDIA's work behind the scenes. The hardware is uniquely suited for a streaming device, and you get a level of fluidity with the Shield TV Pro that's lacking on any other Android TV device.
But the main reason why I continue to buy the Shield TV Pro is the software updates. The Shield TV Pro will get software updates far beyond any phone — including the iPhone — and that's a testament to NVIDIA's long-term commitment.
That's why the Shield TV Pro continues to thrive while its rivals fall by the wayside due to lack of updates. In fact, I can't think of any other Android-based device that has picked up as many updates.
That's why I bought three of these over the years, and I'm glad I did. I wasn't sure if it would justify its price, but it did that — and then some.
