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?

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driller2000

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#2686720 5-Apr-2021 16:32

Re Harmony Companion - I believe you get a remote with the Harmony Companion? So you would just add this to your MyHarmony account as a new remote and copy your devices and activities across. But I must admit I have only skimmed this option - in prep for the day either my remote or Shield dies!

Re Flirc - Given you can get these for $40 I reckon its worth a crack - albeit it might need some set up, but there seem to be a fair few posts out there to check for guidance.

Re Sideloading - Yep no worries as long as there is a compatible Android TV version of the app. I use File Commander to sideload.

Re Manipulating Skins - Dunno! :)

Re Vero - Have read very good this about this device in the past.

PS: The thread that PANiCnz posted above has been gold for me in the past: https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=252916

Handle9

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#2686724 5-Apr-2021 16:39

If you are going to continue down the harmony road just spend the money and buy the companion. You'll have a significantly better experience than the older harmony remotes and also have some extra features like controlling your new AVR over the network.

The upgrade from an old harmony to the hub devices is like night and day.

Saying that I don't use my harmony remotes much anymore. It's really not necessary with CEC and auto switching on the AVR.

Giggle

46 posts

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#2686733 5-Apr-2021 16:52

driller2000:

Re Harmony Companion - I believe you get a remote with the Harmony Companion? So you would just add this to your MyHarmony account as a new remote and copy your devices and activities across. But I must admit I have only skimmed this option - in prep for the day either my remote or Shield dies!

Re Flirc - Given you can get these for $40 I reckon its worth a crack - albeit it might need some set up, but there seem to be a fair few posts out there to check for guidance.

Re Sideloading - Yep no worries as long as there is a compatible Android TV version of the app. I use File Commander to sideload.

Re Manipulating Skins - Dunno! :)

Re Vero - Have read very good this about this device in the past.

PS: The thread that PANiCnz posted above has been gold for me in the past: https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=252916

Been reviewing the Harmony Companion remote and Hub. It DOES NOT have a built in IR receiver. The companion remote works only RF only. The hub receives RF only. The hub does have IR emitters, but only to convert the WiFi to IR. My setup would need IR emitters all through the cabinets to make this work for all devices. FLIRC sounds like the best choice for now.

"Yep no worries as long as there is a compatible Android TV version of the app" what do you mean by this?

"I use File Commander to sideload" can you access the shield from my windows puter? FC looks like an app that loads onto the shield or TV.

I looked at the Vero. Doesn't seem to run Kodi but seems to run custom media center software (perhaps based on Kodi)

I've even wondered about a modern RasPi -> but I worry it is underpowered like my ION -> well for the size of my library. I'm also having audio sync issues with some HD files that are perhaps related to the power of the cpu. Don't seem to get them on my desktop. Want something grunty!

Giggle

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#2686736 5-Apr-2021 16:57

Handle9:

If you are going to continue down the harmony road just spend the money and buy the companion. You'll have a significantly better experience than the older harmony remotes and also have some extra features like controlling your new AVR over the network.

The upgrade from an old harmony to the hub devices is like night and day.

Saying that I don't use my harmony remotes much anymore. It's really not necessary with CEC and auto switching on the AVR.

How is this CEC thingee controlled? A touch screen? A smartphone? What do you mean by auto-switching?

My current setup works very well with IR...but I guess it could be better. Remotes are so easy and I don't need to see it to use it. Still...open to new possibilities. Sometimes I think the easiest setup is one where you set to function (like on a touchscreen) then just use a basic (only a few buttons) clicker to do all the work.

Handle9

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#2686738 5-Apr-2021 16:59

Giggle:

Handle9:

If you are going to continue down the harmony road just spend the money and buy the companion. You'll have a significantly better experience than the older harmony remotes and also have some extra features like controlling your new AVR over the network.

The upgrade from an old harmony to the hub devices is like night and day.

Saying that I don't use my harmony remotes much anymore. It's really not necessary with CEC and auto switching on the AVR.

How is this CEC thingee controlled? A touch screen? A smartphone? What do you mean by auto-switching?

My current setup works very well with IR...but I guess it could be better. Remotes are so easy and I don't need to see it to use it. Still...open to new possibilities. Sometimes I think the easiest setup is one where you set to function (like on a touchscreen) then just use a basic (only a few buttons) clicker to do all the work.

CEC uses the HDMI cable to control all the devices in the chain. Click a button on the Shield remote and the AVR and TV automagically switch to the right input. Alternatively switch inputs on your AVR and the AVR remote controls the Shield.

Giggle

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#2686742 5-Apr-2021 17:11

Handle9:

CEC uses the HDMI cable to control all the devices in the chain. Click a button on the Shield remote and the AVR and TV automagically switch to the right input. Alternatively switch inputs on your AVR and the AVR remote controls the Shield.

Wow...that sound cool. I'll have to look that up. Guess all my devices have to be compatible. Need to find that out as well. Thanks

robjg63

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#2686757 5-Apr-2021 17:40

HDMI-CEC works on raspberry pi, chromescat with google tv, amazon fire tv etc etc.
On TV'S its often labelled as something else.
Samsung - Anynet
Panasonic - Viera link
LG - SIMPLINK

Means you just use the tv remote to navigate the other devices. Turning on the kodi device can switch on the TV, amp and change the inputs etc for example.

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

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Giggle

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#2686798 5-Apr-2021 19:09

One question I do have about the shield...does it stay in Kodi when you sleep / shutdown, or does it keep opening in the home page and you have to select Kodi again??

I have an android tv, so I have a fair idea what the interface looks like on the Shield.

farcus

1554 posts

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#2686799 5-Apr-2021 19:16

Giggle:

I looked at the Vero. Doesn't seem to run Kodi but seems to run custom media center software (perhaps based on Kodi)

vero runs OSMC - a skinned version of Kodi on top of a debian base.

You can remove the skin and revert to the kodi default

driller2000

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#2686812 5-Apr-2021 19:51

Re Harmony Companion/Hub - IR and Wifi?:

"HARMONY HUB

Harmony Hub centralizes command of all your devices by controlling them with IR, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® wireless signals. You can hide away the cables and receivers and control everything from behind closed cabinets and doors."

Android TV (ATV) Version of Apps - While it has pretty much all mainstream apps as a native ATV app - some lesser known ones may not and the std Android version while it may be able to be sideloaded - it might not have full functionality. This is probably a non issue for most people.

File Commander - Install it to your Shield. Link it to your Google Drive or similar cloud based drive - copy APKs to this cloud drive - sideload onto the Shield.

Grunty? - Definitely - my Kodi database is several Gig's and it loads it mol instantly and scrolls through it fast.

CEC - If you have a relatively simple set up that might be all you need?

Shield / Kodi - On restart it goes to the home screen - but I have Kodi as the 1st tile so its 1 click and I am away. If you let it sleep with Kodi "on" - it will wake with Kodi.

Giggle

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#2687262 6-Apr-2021 14:33

driller2000:

Re Harmony Companion/Hub - IR and Wifi?:

"HARMONY HUB

Harmony Hub centralizes command of all your devices by controlling them with IR, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® wireless signals. You can hide away the cables and receivers and control everything from behind closed cabinets and doors."

@Driller2000 - The Harmony hub reads like it does IR, but it doesn't in the way you think. The hub is actually a RF module that receives an RF signal from the included remote (which only transmits RF). The hub does NOT accept IR input -> but it DOES do IR output to control the rest of your system. It comes with some IR cabled emitters that are designed to sit over the IR receivers of your components. Seems crazy to me they never made it receive IR, but they see it as a NON-line of sight tool.

Thanks for the help and your answers. They are much appreciated and help me to understand what I will face. I'm planning to move ahead with the shield, but I'm hoping to get a new Amp/Receiver as well so I'm up with the latest sound formats (see my other thread), so that will probably take priority.

@farcus -> thanks for that. My current setup is linux based as well. Not sure I want to go that way again. Management is difficult for me now as I forget commands and how to do things - even though I have most of it written down - time passes and I forget it all. I've always told my wife the next one will be windows because of ease of managment and especially how easy it is to try new version of Kodi without having to commit to them. Doing this under linux is much more tricky. In fact, I've never actually done it!. The last time I tried to do something difficult I borked my install and had to rebuild it from scratch. Almost made my brain bleed! I wasn't a happy camper. That's one of the reasons I'm still running such an old install...and...it just works. The Ion is getting tired now though. Many thanks.

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"HARMONY HUB Harmony Hub centralizes command of all your devices by controlling them with IR, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® wireless signals. You can hide away the cables and receivers and control everything from behind closed cabinets and doors."

"HARMONY HUB

Harmony Hub centralizes command of all your devices by controlling them with IR, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® wireless signals. You can hide away the cables and receivers and control everything from behind closed cabinets and doors."