The future didn't seem very bright for Android TV last year; however, NVIDIA is doing its part to maintain the public's interest in the platform for 2017. A new SHIELD TV was introduced this evening at CES 2017 with a tweaked design, support for more high-end apps and games, and artificial intelligence. It's more of a refresh, rather than an entirely new set-top box or even an upgrade, that allows NVIDIA to simply replace old hardware without confusing anyone.
NVIDIA's changes within its set-top box are all you and I care about. The slight cosmetic changes are nice, but we want to see what's under the hood. Surprisingly, the old and new models are very similar. While you'd expect major components to be replaced, the processor and RAM from 2015 are exactly the same. It really does seem like NVIDIA just gave the design a facelift and worked on software.
Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, VUDU, and Amazon Video are services with 4K video supported by the SHIELD TV. And, when you're done watching hours of your new favorite show, you can switch over to GeForce NOW for game streaming of titles including Watch Dogs 2 and Tomb Raider.
A real surprise for something new here is Google Assistant's arrival. The SHIELD TV, courtesy of Google's artificial intelligence platform, can interact with users hands-free.
The NVIDIA SHIELD TV, which you can pre-order today, comes in two models separated only by internal storage. NVIDIA's new set-top box is offered in 16GB and 500GB sizes for $199 and $299, respectively. Both models include a controller and remote.
Buy it now: NVIDIA
Click here for our CES 2017 coverage
