Black Friday is the perfect time to buy the best 4K streaming box

(Image credit: Phil Nickinson / Cordcutters)

Black Friday is here, and if you're looking to upgrade your streaming device, now is as good a time as any to do it. There's no shortage of streaming options available in 2023, but the device I've trusted for over four years is the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro. This Android TV streaming box launched back in 2019, but it continues to be the best overall choice in 2023 — if anything, it has gotten better with time.

The Shield TV Pro combines powerful hardware with the minimalist Android TV interface, and what makes it stand out against every other option is the fluidity. If you're using the default smart interface your TV came with and are noticing issues (not uncommon) with navigation and responsiveness, you should consider switching — you'll see an immediate difference. The Shield TV Pro usually sells for $199, but for Black Friday, you can get your hands on it at just $169 — this is the most that NVIDIA has discounted the streamer over the years, and even at just $30 off, it is a terrific deal.

Android Central's Black Friday deal hubs:
General | Phones | Tablets | Wearables | TVs | Smart Home

Then there's the fact that the Shield TV Pro has everything you need in a modern 4K streaming device: there's Dolby Vision, access to the Play Store so you can install all your favorite streaming services, and an uncluttered UI. It's the last point that makes me want to use the Shield TV Pro daily; I'm not a fan of the Google TV interface, and thankfully, NVIDIA continues to offer the older Android TV UI that has just the app icons in a grid. You can choose if you want to get recommendations, but that's strictly opt-in — unlike Google TV.

You may like

Another reason for getting the Shield TV Pro is long-term updates — this thing will get more software updates than just about any other Android device, and I'm including the Pixel 8 series. NVIDIA goes above and beyond in ensuring the Shield TV Pro gets regular updates with stability tweaks, and the result is that the streaming box continues to be just as great as the day it launched.

In fact, I like the Shield TV Pro so much that I bought three of these streaming boxes for use in the house. I test a lot of projectors these days, and as soon as I'm done evaluating the built-in software, I plug in the Shield TV Pro. Honestly, I can't think of many Android devices I've enjoyed as much as the Shield TV Pro, and if you need a new 4K streaming box, you should pick it up without hesitation — particularly at $169.

Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor of Asia. In his current role, he oversees the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the global semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.