Need new KodiTV box. Looking at NVIDIA SHIELD TV PRO. What do you think?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Need new KodiTV box. Looking at NVIDIA SHIELD TV PRO. What do you think?

Giggle

46 posts

Geek

#284161 4-Apr-2021 18:20

Greetings,

Looking at getting a new KodiTV box. I curretly have a Zotac Ion running xbmc Gotham (a really old version of KodiTV.)

I built it more than a decade ago and as per my thread on a new AMP - I haven't touched this stuff for a long time. The tech has changed drastically, and I'm somewhat uncertain what I should get. There are some very good reviews of this as both a KodiTV machine and a streamer. Seems it may have room to grow as well??

I know nothing about these boxes. I'm not a gamer at all - just want to play my collection via KodiTV and an unRaid server.

It would need to do audio passthrough I think and deinterlacing (which the Nvidia seems to do).

Does it allow you to remote in (Like using putty or WinSCP) to make mods to the software on it? If so, does that mean you can run custom Kodi skins?

I also saw several posts about Kodi being updated automatically and people losing their installs completely. Supposedly the underlying OS did this, but it seems you cannot turn off the update for individual apps? This could be a concern.

This box will also need to be able to access my unraid sever via Kodi. (I'm assuming because Kodi can now, that this box should be able to?)

What else should I know?

I know there are cheaper options, but all the ones I've looked at need extra attention for either further hardware, software, or both. And a Phd in tech!!

There is probably a lot I haven't thought of, so your comments will be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

1 | 2

7297 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2686370 4-Apr-2021 18:36

V19 updates to a new version of Python. Which breaks addons if devs have not made a change to minver and so on. So that is possibly where the stops working comes in. It kinda broke my phone version - tries to upgrade each launch now and crashes :/

It also stops a lot of popular older HT skins (Tranparancy) with people having no desire to fix them.

There is a heap of options outside of the pre-packaged if you are a tinkerer. LibreElec can install onto RPIs easy (and is not yet at v19 so still fairly stable with older addons) with auto update for sub versions and so on.

Lots of people also put them on IntelNUCs - of which 2nd hand ones pop up here now now and then as users upgrade. Even a 1.6Ghz with SSD in one of those is more than capable.

Giggle

46 posts

Geek

#2686372 4-Apr-2021 18:43

Oblivian:

V19 updates to a new version of Python. Which breaks addons if devs have not made a change to minver and so on. So that is possibly where the stops working comes in. It kinda broke my phone version - tries to upgrade each launch now and crashes :/

It also stops a lot of popular older HT skins (Tranparancy) with people having no desire to fix them.

There is a heap of options outside of the pre-packaged if you are a tinkerer. LibreElec can install onto RPIs easy (and is not yet at v19 so still fairly stable with older addons) with auto update for sub versions and so on.

Lots of people also put them on IntelNUCs - of which 2nd hand ones pop up here now now and then as users upgrade. Even a 1.6Ghz with SSD in one of those is more than capable.

Thanks. I wanted a NUC, but found out how much they cost...and if you add a Win OS -> then too much!

I'm at the point I want something just to work. I think I'm passed my tinkering stage (although who knows :D)

I liked the shield because it seems to just work, got lots of great reviews and is fast.

I don't like when they change things without telling you though. It should be opt in only with software.

I'm sure going to miss my old custom skin. I modded an original one that is no longer updated and I don't have the skills (or tenacity) to want to do it any more.

Thanks for the insight.

driller2000

935 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#2686405 4-Apr-2021 19:54

I have an original 2015 Shield with my media on an unRAID server (75TB) - and they work great together.

I am running v19 of Kodi and the UG did not kill my install / or database.

I use Confluence out of habit - but the Shield is fast enough to run any skin.

Addons - used to use them - but got tired of playing whack a mole.

Gaming has also been OK - but I have an XboxOne in the same room - so the Shield doesn't get much use for gaming.

Also had a tinker with old skool emulators which was fun.

Haven't tried to remote in - haven't wanted/needed to.

In terms of HD audio it passes through Atmos and DTS-X to my Onkyo without issue.

In terms of video it sends 4k to my Projector all good as well - both streaming and via Kodi.

And even though its 6 years old now the Shield still meets my needs - incl std apps ie. Netflix, Youtube, Spotify etc - and I have also sideloaded others like Stremio, TVNZ, Neon etc.

All in all - I LOVE my Shield and would buy another one in flash if this one died.

Notes:

1. Original Shield had an IR receiver which works for me as I use a Logitech Harmony Touch - newer Shields don't have IR - so this may or may not be important for you depending on the remote you use. There is of course the Hub option which will give both IR and wifi.

2. Depending on the version you get - if you do end up needing more storage - my USB drive failed (which is common) - but I replaced that with an external SSD and it has been a great low cost upgrade at circa $60.

3. Kodi has in recent years broken SMB sharing - but hopefully you have figured this out! At any rate I access my unRAID server using NFS.

4. I also have 2 MiBoxs as low cost options in other rooms / travel - and they are great value option - not as fast, but good enough for me to set up and gift 5 of them so far.

5. Apple TV very well regarded by some and better no. of NZ apps - so this may work for you too?

RockCartel

17 posts

Geek

#2686438 4-Apr-2021 22:09

We have a Sony A8H TV that runs Android and Kodi works great on it. Could be an option if your TV runs Android.

RockCartel

17 posts

Geek

#2686441 4-Apr-2021 22:17

driller2000:

...media on an unRAID server (75TB)

...I also have 2 MiBoxs as low cost options in other rooms

75TB! I guess you don't like to delete stuff 😀

What are the MiBoxs you use? I'm looking to replace my 10+ year old bedroom HTPC. Only needs to process 1080p media.

Handle9

11390 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2686479 5-Apr-2021 06:50

If you want a good device for Kodi that isn't a pricey as the shield take a look at the Firestick 4k or basic for 1080p. It doesn't do hd audio but is cheap, snappy and has an excellent remote control. It's much better than the Mi box in my opinion.

You might want to try running Plex/Envy/Jellyfin in a docker on your unraid server. It'll give you much nicer media synchronization across your devices (including mobile) than Kodi. You can still use Kodi as the client with a Plex add on or use the native apps.

Also as leftfield option the Apple TV 4k with infuse has hd audio passthrough. You'd either hate the remote or love it. There seems to be no in between.

PANiCnz

990 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2686500 5-Apr-2021 08:47

Do you want the box to do streaming apps as well as Kodi? If so the Shield is the best option. If its a pure Kodi install then I'd consider something like the Odroid N2+, C4 or a Raspberry Pi 4. These boxes with CoreELEC or LibreELEC will give the best Kodi experience. Kodi running on Android does have a few compromises.

This thread is worth a read for the pros and cons of each.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

rb99

3423 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2686501 5-Apr-2021 09:10

Handle9: If you want a good device for Kodi that isn't a pricey as the shield take a look at the Firestick 4k or basic for 1080p. It doesn't do hd audio but is cheap, snappy and has an excellent remote control. It's much better than the Mi box in my opinion.

You might want to try running Plex/Envy/Jellyfin in a docker on your unraid server. It'll give you much nicer media synchronization across your devices (including mobile) than Kodi. You can still use Kodi as the client with a Plex add on or use the native apps.

Also as leftfield option the Apple TV 4k with infuse has hd audio passthrough. You'd either hate the remote or love it. There seems to be no in between.

Nitpick alert - as you've probably noticed Envy should be Emby 😀

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

rb99

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2686507 5-Apr-2021 09:39

I have run kodi on a few devices. Raspberry PI (model 1) and replaced that years ago with the R Pi II (Its still running fine).

I installed Libreelec on the Pi II and its pretty much just all you need to do - It just works.

I have a Gen 1 Amazon Fire TV that I sideloaded Kodi onto. It still runs not bad, but struggles with some of the HEVC (x265) encoded video files - especially anything over 720p resolution. So have been looking to upgrade that.

In the past week I just got hold of a chromecast with Google TV (~$120)- they aren't officially released here yet but work just fine - there are no region locked settings or anything. I just went to the google play store and installed KODI - All painless. You can install any other apps that you like from the Play Store (TVNZ on demand, 3Now, NEON, Netflix, Disney etc). I have managed to find a couple of 'overseas' apps that I sideloaded - but again - pretty easy to do.

Seems to play anything I have thrown at it via KODI.

Here are some specs I found.

As KODI is a Play Store app - I assume it will update automatically. But you could just go into Play store and disable updates if this was an issue for you. I haven't got to the point of wanting to customise KODI so couldn't comment on how easy it is to get to the nuts and bolts. I figure that as I can install 'real' apps to to the other things I probably won't want to tinker with KODI too much - just use it to access my media library from my networked PC.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

driller2000

935 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#2686509 5-Apr-2021 09:51

RockCartel:

driller2000:

...media on an unRAID server (75TB)

...I also have 2 MiBoxs as low cost options in other rooms

75TB! I guess you don't like to delete stuff 😀

What are the MiBoxs you use? I'm looking to replace my 10+ year old bedroom HTPC. Only needs to process 1080p media.

Re 75TB - yeah I am a hoarder and I imagine being retired one day and working my way through my media - but with several thousand movies and TV episodes....that ain't gonna happen! Storage is cheap nowadays :p

As for MiBoxes I have tended to buy the Global versions via. BGood - and/or local when they were available. However there aren't many around as it seems to be discontinued and likely replaced with stick versions. (Note: There are a couple on Ali.). My main question re these stick versions would be the fact that they have less ram @ 1G and adding more storage would not be possible given it doesn't have a USB port to attach to - but this may or may not be important for your situation.

As others have noted there are other options ie. Firestick, Apple TV - and I understand that Kodi 19 can now be installed on some versions of Apple TV - so that could be an option?

Giggle

46 posts

Geek

#2686573 5-Apr-2021 10:26

Many thanks for the posts. Lots of things to consider.

@Driller2000 -

Notes:

I wasn't aware the Shield didn't do IR. THat is a killer. I have a Harmony remote -> so is there a way around that? What is the hub option??

Can you add more storage to the Shield? Or, do you just use a USB dock with HDD? That's probably what I would want. Transferring stuff via USB is too slow. I have hot swap drive bays in my puter, so easy to swap drive and use SATA.

3. Kodi has in recent years broken SMB sharing - but hopefully you have figured this out! At any rate I access my unRAID server using NFS.

This also was a surprise! My setup is old (still using xbmc and Gotham), so haven't played with the setup for years. Don't even know if it runs samba (probably does). Is setting up NFS difficult?

I really want something that just works - without countless hours spent tinkering. I want DD+ so I can stream Amazon Prime.

I did look at the Odroid N2+. Couldn't find one locally though and it seems like it needs a lot of setup. This would probably be my next choice though if I could get one locally (in NZ)

@PANiCnz - I read that link before I came here. Many thanks for the pointer.

Thanks for all the comments. Makes my head hurt though :(

There always seems to be something that causes an issue with a particular platform.

farcus

1554 posts

Uber Geek

#2686621 5-Apr-2021 12:43

for a purely kodi media player they don't come much better than the Vero 4k+

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=354168

perhaps not the best solution if you are after access to online streaming services like netflix, although I understand widevine L1 is coming to the Vero that would allow these services to be streamed in full HD, and even 4K

driller2000

935 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#2686626 5-Apr-2021 13:07

Giggle:

Many thanks for the posts. Lots of things to consider.

@Driller2000 -

Notes:

1. Original Shield had an IR receiver which works for me as I use a Logitech Harmony Touch - newer Shields don't have IR - so this may or may not be important for you depending on the remote you use. There is of course the Hub option which will give both IR and wifi.

I wasn't aware the Shield didn't do IR. THat is a killer. I have a Harmony remote -> so is there a way around that? What is the hub option??

2. Depending on the version you get - if you do end up needing more storage - my USB drive failed (which is common) - but I replaced that with an external SSD and it has been a great low cost upgrade at circa $60.

Can you add more storage to the Shield? Or, do you just use a USB dock with HDD? That's probably what I would want. Transferring stuff via USB is too slow. I have hot swap drive bays in my puter, so easy to swap drive and use SATA.

3. Kodi has in recent years broken SMB sharing - but hopefully you have figured this out! At any rate I access my unRAID server using NFS.

This also was a surprise! My setup is old (still using xbmc and Gotham), so haven't played with the setup for years. Don't even know if it runs samba (probably does). Is setting up NFS difficult?

I really want something that just works - without countless hours spent tinkering. I want DD+ so I can stream Amazon Prime.

I did look at the Odroid N2+. Couldn't find one locally though and it seems like it needs a lot of setup. This would probably be my next choice though if I could get one locally (in NZ)

@PANiCnz - I read that link before I came here. Many thanks for the pointer.

Thanks for all the comments. Makes my head hurt though :(

There always seems to be something that causes an issue with a particular platform.

Re Lack of IR - Sorry I meant Harmony Companion which incl both IR and Wifi control. Alt lower cost option I have read about is a FLIRC which might be worth researching.

Re Storage - Yes I just plugged in a $60 ext 240G SSD to one of the USB ports, added it as adoptive storage ie. effectively internal storage - which I needed as the internal storage on the original Shield ROM is too small given my rather large Kodi database. Also means I can mol install as many apps I like without running out of space and/or adversely affecting speed.

Re NFS - Yep piece of p*ss - ie. enable NFS on unRAID (can't recall if its enabled by default, it may well be.) and on Kodi when you add sources just add NFS source - and *your server name* should be visible plus any shares you have created in unRAID - and voila!

Re SMB "Broken" - I might have overstated this - but from what I understand with changes to SMB protocols due to security vulnerabilities with SMB1 - my windows based shares no longer worked, so I had to remap my 3 Kodi installs, incl with username + passwords to my SMB shares and tinker with my Windows box and it was a pain. However with unRAID having NFS - I would suggest you just use this.

Giggle

46 posts

Geek

#2686653 5-Apr-2021 14:48

driller2000:

Re Lack of IR - Sorry I meant Harmony Companion which incl both IR and Wifi control. Alt lower cost option I have read about is a FLIRC which might be worth researching.

Re Storage - Yes I just plugged in a $60 ext 240G SSD to one of the USB ports, added it as adoptive storage ie. effectively internal storage - which I needed as the internal storage on the original Shield ROM is too small given my rather large Kodi database. Also means I can mol install as many apps I like without running out of space and/or adversely affecting speed.

Re NFS - Yep piece of p*ss - ie. enable NFS on unRAID (can't recall if its enabled by default, it may well be.) and on Kodi when you add sources just add NFS source - and *your server name* should be visible plus any shares you have created in unRAID - and voila!

Re SMB "Broken" - I might have overstated this - but from what I understand with changes to SMB protocols due to security vulnerabilities with SMB1 - my windows based shares no longer worked, so I had to remap my 3 Kodi installs, incl with username + passwords to my SMB shares and tinker with my Windows box and it was a pain. However with unRAID having NFS - I would suggest you just use this.

@driller2000 - I've gone and checked out the Harmony Companion. I can get them here (NZ), but they are expensive. It's NOT clear if the hub can be used with a Harmony 650 remote -> which I already have? Or...if you can use IR AND WiFI at the same time (like send a IR signal that converts to WiFi to drive the Shield (Or is this it's purpose??).

I have been researching the FLIRC. Seems that will do the job, can get one here if you believe the online BS, and is a fraction of the cost of the harmony. Perhaps more difficult to setup out of the box though?? I already have a IR receiver (USB) to control my Ion. Not sure it'll work with the shield as it's getting old now (like me 😄 ).

The extra storage sounds great. Guess you can side-load apps to the Shield?? Wonder if you can access the Kodi install folder and manipulate the skin??

NFS - need to check that one out. Not sure how my Kodi / unraid is set.

@farcus -> thanks for the Vero link. I'll have a read. Can't seem to find any in NZ though and it's not clear if it does IR (infrared)?

farcus

1554 posts

Uber Geek

#2686708 5-Apr-2021 15:41

Giggle:

@farcus -> thanks for the Vero link. I'll have a read. Can't seem to find any in NZ though and it's not clear if it does IR (infrared)?

no, it's shipped directly from the supplier in the UK.
It receives really good support at https://discourse.osmc.tv/

the developer @sn Sam Nazarko is also a member on Geekzone

the Vero 4k has a built in IR & RF receiver

1 | 2