New 2017 NVIDIA SHIELD TV REVIEW

    Before we go into the details of the new Nvidia Shield TV, let’s take a look at its design. While the 2017 Shield TV is almost identical to the 2015 model with an angular design and mix of matte and shiny surfaces for a sleek and sexy look, it’s much smaller than the original. We’re not talking about a few millimetres being shaved off either – the new Shield TV is -much smaller. Specifically, the new Shield TV measures in at 16 x 9.9 x 2.5cm and only 848g, compared to the 21 x 13 x 2.5cm first-gen Shield TV.

    It’s not the only thing that has had a makeover, either. We loved the original Nvidia Shield TV, but we had our reservations about the controller: it was chunky, awkward to hold and wasn’t very comfortable to use over long periods, not ideal for long gaming sessions. Nvidia took this on board and redesigned the controller for the second-generation Shield TV. Featuring an angular design like that of the media streamer, the controller is now slimmer and much, much more comfortable to use than its predecessor.
Unlike the controller, the Shield TV remote looks much the same as the first-generation remote, featuring a button for Google/voice control, and a touch-sensitive volume controller along the central grove of the remote.     In terms of internals, the first- and second-generation Shield TVs are almost identical. The 2017 model is powered by Nvidia’s own Tegra X1 processor, which Nvidia says is three times more powerful than any other media streamer (including the 2015 Apple TV) on the market and after spending some time with the streamer, we agree. When coupled with a 256-core CPU and 3GB of RAM, the Shield is responsive whether it’s being used to stream the latest series on Netflix or play the latest Android games via Google Play.
One difference from the original Shield TV is improved game streaming. If you’ve got a Nvidia GTX-powered PC at home, you can easily stream your entire game library via LAN to the Shield TV in glorious 4K – if your PC can handle it, that is. The 4K resolution from a maximum output of 1080p HD on the original device, and provides gamers with a crisp TV gaming experience with minimal lag. Sure, there’s a sacrifice to be made in terms of response time, but it’s not bad enough to affect gameplay and makes it much easier to game on a big-screen TV.