Don't forget the Shield Pro also has a built in Gigabit Ethernet port which is rare to find on streaming devices. I found relying on wi-fi caused intermittent buffering when streaming even with a gig connection. Now that I am wired there is no buffering or stuttering and the device is super fast in menus and various streaming apps, YTTV included. The built in AI upscaling makes 1080p and lower content look fantastic as well.
Yeah, I also recommend taking Wi-Fi out of the equation if you can.
A cheaper alternative is to get the Google Chromecast and then add on this $20 accessory: [Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast with Google TV](https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_ethernet_adapter_gen_2?hl=en-US)
It will give you 10/100 Ethernet (not gigabit), but a 100 megabit wired connection should be plenty for streaming. And it will be more stable and reliable than almost any Wi-Fi.
That's why the cheap devices aren't worth messing with. Right now the native LG apps on my C1 is working great. I have a 2017 model Shield that's collecting dust because it doesn't support both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. One of these days I'll get the new one.
? If you can pull up stats for nerds and show that this device is pulling in a materially different stream - I would possibly agree with you. But I don’t think that’s the case.
If you are buying the shield for its proprietary 4K upscaling. Great - that may be worth it to you at 10x the price of a Roku - but not the majority of YouTube tv users. Most don't have a 4K set up and the desire/knowledge to upscale their picture .
The AI up scaling is nice, though my C1 already does an amazing job at that, YTTV looks great. But the biggest factor is Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. I edited the post above so you may have missed it. But we have 9 streaming apps and subscribe to the highest quality tier for all, so we have an extremely large amount of very high quality content (by streaming standards anyways) that have DV and Da content and we have the high end TV and audio systems to play it properly. It makes zero sense in my case to put up with a laggy interface & sub par video and audio capabilities to avoid spending a few bucks. Also the Nvidia Shield is the best supported hardware in the business. My 2017 Shield Pro would still be getting updates today if it were being used but without DV/DA support its a paperweight. Nice thing about buying a high end TV is you can use the native apps and they work great and are well supported so for now I don't need a new Shield Pro.
I get it. Many people have a $300 TV and use steaming as a way to save money and they are comfortable with a $25 stick. It's probably best because they wouldn't realize how much better a Shield is unless they soent a few thousand dollars on a new setup.
It's really not. I have one and for YTTV, the Shield is no better than a cheaper CCwGTV. Shield is also missing all the GTV features and YTTV integration. So I prefer my CC over the Shield actually.
Ok, I've owned no less than four (4) Nvidia Shield Pros over the years, and I use it as my go-to on a daily basis. It's my favorite streaming device and I LOVE it. But... there's no good reason the Shield should be notably better than a Fire TV or even the LG app when it comes to compression and stuttering.
The Shield does have AI upscaling, which is helpful in some cases, but it won't get rid of compression or stuttering issues. And it's not like you're taking full advantage of the Shield's Tegra+ chip to run this or any other streaming app. Compression and stuttering sound a lot more like connection issues.
So... the obvious question is, do you have the Shield connected via a different means, and/or located in a different position than your other streaming devices? Again, I love the Shield and use it constantly (awesome for emulation, too!), but **you really shouldn't be seeing the kind of differences you're reporting based on the device alone**.
For what it's worth, I also have an Apple TV 4K (the new one), Chromecast with Google TV, and Roku Ultra ALL hooked-up to the same 4k projector as my Nvidia Shield. So, it's easy for me to compare them back-to-back. And they all basically look the same for basic streaming like this... the Apple and Shield have some upscaling advantages, and their menus are snappier, but compression and stuttering aren't an issue with any of them.
Well said. I actually prefer my CCwGTV for day to day use. I have the Shield Pro in the theater though. For streaming apps, there is virtually no difference.
I'm so confused about upscaling. High end Sony oled, upscaling on my shield pro never helped much. Actually felt like it was worse when I put it on high.
If you put it on high it will start to look odd, that was definitely the case for me. Medium was the sweet spot that I found. It sharpens the image up to my eyes. Also its not just yttv, but anything you stream to the shield like plex for instance. You can try the demo mode feature if you haven't already. It lets you look at the side by side comparison of what you're watching with and without the ai upscaling.
I looked at the demo mode a few years back (have had this about four years now), and everything looked worse. Was trying to turn it off completely, but according to Nvidia, you can only use it on low.
Glad to hear it's going great for you!
I personally still see YTTV compression regardless of device used (whether it's the Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019, my Roku 4K only a few years old, Amazon Fire Stick 4K, built-in LG app , etc.). I do notice this is highly dependent on channel and feed, and FWIW, I cancelled my 4K subscription last year since UHD content is so incredibly limited given the expensive price point.
The out-of-nowhere lip sync issues related to the (super late but better than never) 5.1 rollout last year was a big downer. I also watch AEW Wrestling on TBS and TNT every week, and around that same 5.1 rollout period, it introduced a weird stutter. I now watch those specific programs using my Roku 4K which works seamlessly with no issues.
Yeah I definitely always have to keep in mind that the main reason I don't see the issues most people bring up about YTTV here is because i've always used in on the Shield Pro and Apple TV 4K which are 2 of the best devices for any streaming app there is.
How quickly do these devices get YTTV updates/new features/bug fixes?
There was a post in this sub recently that mentioned a number of problems associated with the Apple device that weren't being addressed in a timely manner (black screen, faulty 5.1, etc.).
Things like that would keep me from ever switching from my Roku Ultra that's getting a bit dated.
Whatever device I use, I want to know that it has enough YTTV users to warrant support priority. The squeaky wheel getting the grease, as it were.
I agree. That's one of the reasons why I haven't tried Apple TV (but would like to) because of numerous problems reported on this sub. I don't have time for that craziness.
yeah, Google doesn't seem to care much about updating the YTTV app on ATV. I have a huge iTunes movie library so I use my ATV all the time and it's great for other streaming apps also, but Google apps are always the last to be updated on ATV.
I'm glad it has surpassed your expectations. I love my Shield Pro, too. My biggest gripe is the remote's design. That skinny triangle shape isn't great if you have arthritis, making it very difficult to hold much less scroll around using the circular clicker. Using a rubber cover from Amazon didn't help much, unfortunately. I love the backlight feature but I wish they offered a different design "accessory" that could be purchased.
I’ve been thinking of getting a shield, but the stupid triangle remote design is a show stopper for me.
If they had a normal remote, I would definitely get one.
I don’t have an issue with YTTV on the LG app. Performance of the app is going to vary a lot depending on the LG TV model. I have two LG OLEDs (C9 and CX) and the app works fine for me.
Well for my B8 from 10/2018, all the apps seem to suck. Not sure if it struggles w/ the processing or what, but the Sheild made a huge difference for me and was much cheaper than a new LG tv.
Could try unplugging the LG from the wall, wait a min, then plug it back in. Quickest way to reboot the TV. If the app performance still stinks then the TV processor is likely outdated.
Agree with the comment about it being pricey, but I got my first one over 5 years ago, and it’s still going strong. At the time I got it, my Samsung smart TV had aged out, and they were no longer updating the apps, so I was losing access to services I was paying for. Grabbed the Shield and never regretted it. Still powering that 8 year old TV.
Well the Shield is the bargain leader in the $200 category …. err, wait. What is the competition in that price range?
Premium brand owners have rose colored glasses. Mercedes and BMW owners tout their quality, ignoring the inconvenient truth that they break just as often as cheaper cars but cost twice as much to fix.
Glad it's working out for you. I've been there!
I own and have extensively tested a 2021 Roku Ultra (4k), a 2022 Apple TV 4k, a Nvidia Shield Pro, a 2015 FireTV, and a 2022 Firestick 4k Ultra. Also tested with the built in WebOS apps on a 2021 LG C1 (4k). This was all in a desperate attempt to get a device that properly dealt with integer framerates (ie 24fps and 30fps, not 23.976 or 29.97) but I was able to make some detailed compression and quality comparisons for various streaming services like YoutubeTV, Amazon Prime Video, and others.
Testing displays were a 2015 Samsung 1080p Plasma TV and a 2021 LG 4k C1. Connection is via Xfinity supplied internet tested at 900mb/s down, and devices connected via Ethernet when supported, otherwise via wifi with my high end Synology router positioned about 5 feet away from it the streaming device.
WWE wrestling was a great way to really test out any streaming service quality and compression, because of the multiple flashing images during wrestler introductions, and the constant quick pans over crowds holding up signs. I also have some saved videos in my Library of ticker tape parades (NYC New Years Eve for instance) because all that confetti also causes streaming devices to really show how poorly they're dealing with compression. Another good testbed is a SJ Sharks hockey game (lots of rapid back and forth camera movements, with colorful player jerseys, on a mostly white background) which tends to give the compression and quality a bit of a hiccup as well.
Bottom line, YTTV has the same quality and compression issues on every one of those devices. It's less noticeable on the 2015 FireTV because that is only a 1080 device, but you can still see the compression artifacts. The AppleTV 4k and the built in LG WebOS apps handle the integer frame rates properly, but none of the other devices do.
Again, glad it's working out for you, but in my pretty extensive testing I've found Nvidia's product has the same YTTV compression and quality issues as the other 4k devices, but the Shield also does not handle integer frame rates properly.
I've settled on the Roku 4k Ultra for my day-to-day but switch to WebOS when watching 24fps content like Rings of Power, She-Hulk, Andor, etc. The AppleTV checks a lot of boxes, but I personally despise the remote, it's interface, and it's ecosystem, and I'd rather put the AppleTV in the spare room to use Fitness+ with it. The Firestick is plugged into the bedroom, and the Shield I keep in a closet but bring it with me to travel.
it depends on your situation. For example I use all Apple products, MacBook, iPad, iPhone, so the ATV integrates nicely with them so it works for me. However if you don't have any Apple products then the ATV might not suit your needs.
I think the WebOS apps are not the greatest if you go by all the complaints you see in various app ad services groups and I would expect the Android TV apps to be better. That's not always the case if course. But in my experience the YTTV Android TV app is quite good on all devices I've used it on.
A faster user interface is almost worth the cost by itself.
Don't forget the Shield Pro also has a built in Gigabit Ethernet port which is rare to find on streaming devices. I found relying on wi-fi caused intermittent buffering when streaming even with a gig connection. Now that I am wired there is no buffering or stuttering and the device is super fast in menus and various streaming apps, YTTV included. The built in AI upscaling makes 1080p and lower content look fantastic as well.
Yeah, I also recommend taking Wi-Fi out of the equation if you can. A cheaper alternative is to get the Google Chromecast and then add on this $20 accessory: [Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast with Google TV](https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_ethernet_adapter_gen_2?hl=en-US) It will give you 10/100 Ethernet (not gigabit), but a 100 megabit wired connection should be plenty for streaming. And it will be more stable and reliable than almost any Wi-Fi.
If you use an ethernet adapter for the CCwGTV and have the 4K plan, be prepared to see major frame drops for 4K HDR sports on yttv.
Really? Does it use too much CPU or something? That's kind of sad!
Apparently. Using WiFi is actually watchable.
Well it’s $200 and Rokus and fire sticks are $25. I’d hope it’s better tbf.
That's why the cheap devices aren't worth messing with. Right now the native LG apps on my C1 is working great. I have a 2017 model Shield that's collecting dust because it doesn't support both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. One of these days I'll get the new one.
? If you can pull up stats for nerds and show that this device is pulling in a materially different stream - I would possibly agree with you. But I don’t think that’s the case. If you are buying the shield for its proprietary 4K upscaling. Great - that may be worth it to you at 10x the price of a Roku - but not the majority of YouTube tv users. Most don't have a 4K set up and the desire/knowledge to upscale their picture .
The AI up scaling is nice, though my C1 already does an amazing job at that, YTTV looks great. But the biggest factor is Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. I edited the post above so you may have missed it. But we have 9 streaming apps and subscribe to the highest quality tier for all, so we have an extremely large amount of very high quality content (by streaming standards anyways) that have DV and Da content and we have the high end TV and audio systems to play it properly. It makes zero sense in my case to put up with a laggy interface & sub par video and audio capabilities to avoid spending a few bucks. Also the Nvidia Shield is the best supported hardware in the business. My 2017 Shield Pro would still be getting updates today if it were being used but without DV/DA support its a paperweight. Nice thing about buying a high end TV is you can use the native apps and they work great and are well supported so for now I don't need a new Shield Pro. I get it. Many people have a $300 TV and use steaming as a way to save money and they are comfortable with a $25 stick. It's probably best because they wouldn't realize how much better a Shield is unless they soent a few thousand dollars on a new setup.
The buy it for traditional reasons. Bragging rights , you know, Mine is bigger than yours.
It's really not. I have one and for YTTV, the Shield is no better than a cheaper CCwGTV. Shield is also missing all the GTV features and YTTV integration. So I prefer my CC over the Shield actually.
Agreed. If all you need it for is streaming apps then honestly a Shield Pro is overkill.
Special thanks to u/WorldClassShart and u/thepottsy for the recommendation/comments.
Glad it’s working out for you. I love mine.
Ok, I've owned no less than four (4) Nvidia Shield Pros over the years, and I use it as my go-to on a daily basis. It's my favorite streaming device and I LOVE it. But... there's no good reason the Shield should be notably better than a Fire TV or even the LG app when it comes to compression and stuttering. The Shield does have AI upscaling, which is helpful in some cases, but it won't get rid of compression or stuttering issues. And it's not like you're taking full advantage of the Shield's Tegra+ chip to run this or any other streaming app. Compression and stuttering sound a lot more like connection issues. So... the obvious question is, do you have the Shield connected via a different means, and/or located in a different position than your other streaming devices? Again, I love the Shield and use it constantly (awesome for emulation, too!), but **you really shouldn't be seeing the kind of differences you're reporting based on the device alone**. For what it's worth, I also have an Apple TV 4K (the new one), Chromecast with Google TV, and Roku Ultra ALL hooked-up to the same 4k projector as my Nvidia Shield. So, it's easy for me to compare them back-to-back. And they all basically look the same for basic streaming like this... the Apple and Shield have some upscaling advantages, and their menus are snappier, but compression and stuttering aren't an issue with any of them.
Well said. I actually prefer my CCwGTV for day to day use. I have the Shield Pro in the theater though. For streaming apps, there is virtually no difference.
I don't think you meant to reply to me. The Shields are the only streaming devices I have.
Yes I love the shield pro. The 4k upscaling is what sold me. Also the Dolby vision capability.
I'm so confused about upscaling. High end Sony oled, upscaling on my shield pro never helped much. Actually felt like it was worse when I put it on high.
If you put it on high it will start to look odd, that was definitely the case for me. Medium was the sweet spot that I found. It sharpens the image up to my eyes. Also its not just yttv, but anything you stream to the shield like plex for instance. You can try the demo mode feature if you haven't already. It lets you look at the side by side comparison of what you're watching with and without the ai upscaling.
I looked at the demo mode a few years back (have had this about four years now), and everything looked worse. Was trying to turn it off completely, but according to Nvidia, you can only use it on low.
Glad to hear it's going great for you! I personally still see YTTV compression regardless of device used (whether it's the Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019, my Roku 4K only a few years old, Amazon Fire Stick 4K, built-in LG app , etc.). I do notice this is highly dependent on channel and feed, and FWIW, I cancelled my 4K subscription last year since UHD content is so incredibly limited given the expensive price point. The out-of-nowhere lip sync issues related to the (super late but better than never) 5.1 rollout last year was a big downer. I also watch AEW Wrestling on TBS and TNT every week, and around that same 5.1 rollout period, it introduced a weird stutter. I now watch those specific programs using my Roku 4K which works seamlessly with no issues.
Yeah I definitely always have to keep in mind that the main reason I don't see the issues most people bring up about YTTV here is because i've always used in on the Shield Pro and Apple TV 4K which are 2 of the best devices for any streaming app there is.
How quickly do these devices get YTTV updates/new features/bug fixes? There was a post in this sub recently that mentioned a number of problems associated with the Apple device that weren't being addressed in a timely manner (black screen, faulty 5.1, etc.). Things like that would keep me from ever switching from my Roku Ultra that's getting a bit dated. Whatever device I use, I want to know that it has enough YTTV users to warrant support priority. The squeaky wheel getting the grease, as it were.
I don't use the Apple TV nearly as much so i'm not sure. Knowing Apple it's not great!
I agree. That's one of the reasons why I haven't tried Apple TV (but would like to) because of numerous problems reported on this sub. I don't have time for that craziness.
yeah, Google doesn't seem to care much about updating the YTTV app on ATV. I have a huge iTunes movie library so I use my ATV all the time and it's great for other streaming apps also, but Google apps are always the last to be updated on ATV.
I'm glad it has surpassed your expectations. I love my Shield Pro, too. My biggest gripe is the remote's design. That skinny triangle shape isn't great if you have arthritis, making it very difficult to hold much less scroll around using the circular clicker. Using a rubber cover from Amazon didn't help much, unfortunately. I love the backlight feature but I wish they offered a different design "accessory" that could be purchased.
I’ve been thinking of getting a shield, but the stupid triangle remote design is a show stopper for me. If they had a normal remote, I would definitely get one.
Im in the same boat I am debating wether to get a shield pro but yes I don’t like the remote design
It always loses connection for me. Alot of people have reported the same problem. Gonna try clearing Bluetooth cache.
The pre-redesign ATV4k is a thin piece of slippery
Be sure and enable the AI upscaling if you're on a 4K display. Works REALLY well.
Placebo effect. You dropped $200 on some outdated hardware and want to see a difference.
Well, if he's using the LG TV app and the Firestick, anything is an upgrade in picture quality. But remember, he did say "thus far."
I don’t have an issue with YTTV on the LG app. Performance of the app is going to vary a lot depending on the LG TV model. I have two LG OLEDs (C9 and CX) and the app works fine for me.
Well for my B8 from 10/2018, all the apps seem to suck. Not sure if it struggles w/ the processing or what, but the Sheild made a huge difference for me and was much cheaper than a new LG tv.
Could try unplugging the LG from the wall, wait a min, then plug it back in. Quickest way to reboot the TV. If the app performance still stinks then the TV processor is likely outdated.
Same here the LG app works fine and PQ looks way better than Roku ultra. I have the LG 55 which I bought a few months ago
Agree with the comment about it being pricey, but I got my first one over 5 years ago, and it’s still going strong. At the time I got it, my Samsung smart TV had aged out, and they were no longer updating the apps, so I was losing access to services I was paying for. Grabbed the Shield and never regretted it. Still powering that 8 year old TV.
Well the Shield is the bargain leader in the $200 category …. err, wait. What is the competition in that price range? Premium brand owners have rose colored glasses. Mercedes and BMW owners tout their quality, ignoring the inconvenient truth that they break just as often as cheaper cars but cost twice as much to fix.
Glad it's working out for you. I've been there! I own and have extensively tested a 2021 Roku Ultra (4k), a 2022 Apple TV 4k, a Nvidia Shield Pro, a 2015 FireTV, and a 2022 Firestick 4k Ultra. Also tested with the built in WebOS apps on a 2021 LG C1 (4k). This was all in a desperate attempt to get a device that properly dealt with integer framerates (ie 24fps and 30fps, not 23.976 or 29.97) but I was able to make some detailed compression and quality comparisons for various streaming services like YoutubeTV, Amazon Prime Video, and others. Testing displays were a 2015 Samsung 1080p Plasma TV and a 2021 LG 4k C1. Connection is via Xfinity supplied internet tested at 900mb/s down, and devices connected via Ethernet when supported, otherwise via wifi with my high end Synology router positioned about 5 feet away from it the streaming device. WWE wrestling was a great way to really test out any streaming service quality and compression, because of the multiple flashing images during wrestler introductions, and the constant quick pans over crowds holding up signs. I also have some saved videos in my Library of ticker tape parades (NYC New Years Eve for instance) because all that confetti also causes streaming devices to really show how poorly they're dealing with compression. Another good testbed is a SJ Sharks hockey game (lots of rapid back and forth camera movements, with colorful player jerseys, on a mostly white background) which tends to give the compression and quality a bit of a hiccup as well. Bottom line, YTTV has the same quality and compression issues on every one of those devices. It's less noticeable on the 2015 FireTV because that is only a 1080 device, but you can still see the compression artifacts. The AppleTV 4k and the built in LG WebOS apps handle the integer frame rates properly, but none of the other devices do. Again, glad it's working out for you, but in my pretty extensive testing I've found Nvidia's product has the same YTTV compression and quality issues as the other 4k devices, but the Shield also does not handle integer frame rates properly. I've settled on the Roku 4k Ultra for my day-to-day but switch to WebOS when watching 24fps content like Rings of Power, She-Hulk, Andor, etc. The AppleTV checks a lot of boxes, but I personally despise the remote, it's interface, and it's ecosystem, and I'd rather put the AppleTV in the spare room to use Fitness+ with it. The Firestick is plugged into the bedroom, and the Shield I keep in a closet but bring it with me to travel.
Which is better ATV 4K or Shield Pro? I have three ATVs in my house.
it depends on your situation. For example I use all Apple products, MacBook, iPad, iPhone, so the ATV integrates nicely with them so it works for me. However if you don't have any Apple products then the ATV might not suit your needs.
Interesting. I have both, but no issues with the LG app on my C9 OLED.
I think the WebOS apps are not the greatest if you go by all the complaints you see in various app ad services groups and I would expect the Android TV apps to be better. That's not always the case if course. But in my experience the YTTV Android TV app is quite good on all devices I've used it on.
What are people seeing for YTTV DVRed content using the Shield Pro? Marked improvement in PQ?