Nvidia Shield TV update brings new features and bug fixes

To say that Nvidia's original Shield TV has been incredibly well supported would be something of an understatement as it begins receiving its 25th update. That's not a typo, btw. This latest update brings Shield Experience Upgrade 8.2 to the range of Nvidia Shield TV streaming devices – including improved AI upscaling, remote control customizations, and and more. We've got the changelog for you after the break.

The Shield Experience Upgrade 8.2 is already rolling out to Nvidia Shield devices with the following improvements:

• Adds IR volume control when using Google Home paired with Shield
• Adds IR volume control when using the Shield TV app
• Allows the Shield Controller and remotes (both old and new) to control volume via IR even when the Shield itself isn't awake
• Fixed volume support for USB DAC
• Adds the option to disable volume lowering when using the “OK, Google” hotrod
• Adds the ability for Kodi to adjust the display resolution for 480p content
• Adds HDR-to-SDR color tone remapping
• Adds SMBv3 service compatibility
• Adds DFS Wifi channel support to the 2015 Shield
• Lets the user grant write access to NAS from installed apps
• Adds developer options to aggressively free system resources
• Removes the forced Shield Experience upgrade after a factory reset

The update also contains a bunch of bug fixes:

Audio

• Restores surround sound audio while casting
• Fixes bug where music would not play if display was turned off
• Resolves audio connectivity issues when pairing with LDAC compatible headsets
• Adds surround sound support for SoundBlaster X-Fi surround 5.1 pro v3
• Restores support for 96kHz/192kHz TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio passthrough
• Resolves audio dropout issue when transcoding Dolby audio to AC3
• Resolves system hang instances when USB DAC is connected
• Resolves audio issues when listening to Dolby content on headphones
• Fixes audio dropout issues when playing high bitrate and TrueHD 7.1 content
• Resolves bug where USB microphone would not be detected properly
• Fixes bug where system sounds would not be present after sleep/wake cycles
• SHIELD 2015/2017: Fixes bug when using Google Home where volume would be reduced but not restored

Video/Display

• Resolves issue detecting Dolby Vision on Vizio or Panasonic TVs when connecting through Samsung soundbars
• Removes BT.2020 signaling on standard Dolby Vision displays
• Fixes crash bug when enabling/disabling “Match Color Space” setting in Netflix
• Fixes bug where selected custom display modes would not be visible in the “Resolution” list
• Resolves issues where AI upscaling incorrectly detects some video content as “unsupported”
• SHIELD 2015/2017: Fixes bug where some VC-1 encoded video would not play properly
• Fixes SHIELD 2015/2017: Fixes stutter issue observed when playing interlaced video for ~15 minutes
• SHIELD 2015/2017: Resolves issue where SHIELD loses TV sync on mode set (e.g. power on, wake, refresh/resolution changes)

Network

• Resolves WiFi disconnect issues when SHIELD sleeps or when connecting to mesh routers
• Fixes issue where NAS would not be connected after reboot
• Resolves reporting issue where status would show up as “Unavailable” when mounting NAS
• Resolves issue where Mac users could not access SD card content from local network

Accessories

• Increases IR volume control speed for SHIELD Remote 2019
• Fixes bug where IR/CEC volume control would not work if using a button remapper
• Fixes bug where IR control would not work in Restricted Mode
• Fixes pairing issues with 2015 SHIELD controller
• Fixes bug where notification would be displayed while pairing SHIELD accessories
• Fixes bug where customized menu button default setting would not work properly on Kodi
• Fixes issue where “OK Google” detection settings would not be visible after language change
• Fixes bug where connected Bluetooth devices with lose pairing after rebooting SHIELD
• Resolves Bluetooth pairing issues for JBL and AKG devices
• Adds alternate Bluetooth pairing mode for devices with pairing issues
• Restores home button functionality when pairing XBOX One Bluetooth controller
• Resolves disconnect issues with paired DualShock 4 controllers
• Resolves Bluetooth pairing issues when accessibility services are enabled

Miscelaneous

• Resolves issue where some apps would not be available on Google Play Store for certain SHIELD devices
• Fixes audio stutter issue when launching Netflix
• Resolves issue where newly added files would not be visible on external storage until reboot
• Fixes bug where twitch streaming would not start
• Fixes PLEX playback issue when playing TrueHD content
• Fixes bug where SHIELD would not enter daydream mode when paused in Netflix
• Resolves issue where low battery warning would show up after replacing batteries
• Removes incorrectly displayed IR setup popup on Phillips TVs
• Resolves Live Channels app issue where closed captioning was not available
• Adds IR/CEC volume setup notification while casting
• Fixes instances where casting would crash if IR volume control was enabled
• Fixes bug where screenshots were limited to 1080p resolutions Resolves issue where some apps would not be available on Google Play Store for certain SHIELD devices

That is one long list of bug fixes included in the Shield Experience Upgrade 8.2 update for the various Nvidia Shield TV streaming devices. I'm still amazed that this is the 25th update for the original Shield TV which launched back in 2015.

Source: Nvidia

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