Apple TV vs Nvidia Shield (and where to buy Shield)

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5052 posts

Uber Geek

#2864926 10-Feb-2022 17:39

Decided to order an Apple TV 4K to compare with the Shield Pro. Apple support confirmed I can return the Apple TV with 14 days for refund even if I've used it.

rugrat

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#2864982 10-Feb-2022 19:24

Paul1977:

Decided to order an Apple TV 4K to compare with the Shield Pro. Apple support confirmed I can return the Apple TV with 14 days for refund even if I've used it.

When get it can try VLC on the Applic store.
I found I already had it on Apple TV 4K, but it wasn’t keeping up with 4K content. Lots of pauses.

I’m guessing you are getting the latest Apple 4K which has a faster processor chip then mine, so a chance VLC will work.

Infuse works on mine with 4K, but seems it’s got a lot more expensive since I purchased it.

Paul1977

5052 posts

Uber Geek

#2865051 10-Feb-2022 21:20

rugrat:
When get it can try VLC on the Applic store.
I found I already had it on Apple TV 4K, but it wasn’t keeping up with 4K content. Lots of pauses.

I’m guessing you are getting the latest Apple 4K which has a faster processor chip then mine, so a chance VLC will work.

Infuse works on mine with 4K, but seems it’s got a lot more expensive since I purchased it.

It sounds like Infuse might still be the one to go for with the Apple TV from what I’m reading, but I can get a trial of that as well. The “lifetime” price is quite high, but I’ll see how it goes. If it elevates the Apple TV over the Shield then might be worth it.

Caketiger

69 posts

Master Geek

#2869586 16-Feb-2022 12:43

Paul1977:

For this discussion I don't need to know any specifics of how anyone may be circumventing geoblocks. There's a separate private thread of that.

I don't want to hijack this thread or break FUGs. Any chance I can see the thread on geoblocks? Happy to receive a PM if that is easier.

Paul1977

5052 posts

Uber Geek

#2869877 16-Feb-2022 20:28

Caketiger:

I don't want to hijack this thread or break FUGs. Any chance I can see the thread on geoblocks? Happy to receive a PM if that is easier.

You'll need to PM a moderator I think.

gehenna

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#2870043 17-Feb-2022 08:06

I see Shield released a bug fix/update last night fixing some things that broke in January. In doing so it broke my audio and made it very scratchy and poppy when listening to any app on my Shield. Tried a few things but the thing that actually resolved it was turning it off and on again, but by pulling the power cable completely. Interesting.

rb99

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#2870056 17-Feb-2022 08:23

That sounds vaguely like a thing i occasionally get on the main PC. Its built in bluray player would stop working, and restarting the PC didn't work, but turning it off and restarting did.

“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

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Paul1977

5052 posts

Uber Geek

#2870205 17-Feb-2022 12:03

Right, well got the Shield Pro and the Apple TV 4k to compare and had a go at setting them up last night. So far they've both been an exercise in frustration to get what I want (some may be be to do with my geo-unblocking setup - I'm not sure).

Apple TV 4k:

Got a month trial of Infuse 7 Pro, but it refuses to add my local Emby server. It sees it, but then asks for a username and password. Emby is only ever accessed from the LAN so I don't have passwords on the users. If I try a blank password it says it's a wrong user/password combo. If I add a password to a user then use that it still says wrong user/password combo. The official Emby client app connects fine with no password, but I want to try Infuse as it's meant to be far more compatible.
Universal search only returns results from Apple TV service or Disney+. It returns no results from Prime Video, Netflix, or Emby.

Shield TV Pro:

Took a much greater effort to get US only apps to show up in the store than I was expecting, but got there in the end.
HBO Max won't load, just sits forever on the spinning white dots.
Prime Video (US) initially worked, but then on subsequent loadings says there's an Internet connection problem.

So far the Shield seems better overall (assuming I can get HBO Max and Prime sorted). The upscaling on the Shield does seem pretty good too (even with the non-HD Star Trek DS9); it doesn't turn a rubbish picture into an amazing one but it does give a noticeable improvement. The ads on the updated launcher aren't ideal, but the method @SCUBADOO mentioned works fine to revert back to the old launcher without ads.

I'll probably have to start another thread in the "Unblocking" forum if I can't figure out why HBO Max and Prime are having issues.

Early days though, I still have 13 days until my Apple return windows closes do make a final decision.

Paul1977

5052 posts

Uber Geek

#2876162 28-Feb-2022 11:21

Update.

I'm returning both the Apple TV 4K and Nvidia Shield TV Pro. Both have too many drawbacks for how I want to use them.

Apple TV:

Try as I might I couldn't get connect to my Emby Media server, and I didn't get any help from the Infuse forums.

On some Dolby Vision files I tested with there was noticeable banding that wasn't their on the Shield.

The unified search didn't search everything

Shield TV Pro:

Unified search was better, but not all apps would insert titles into "up next" section.

No matter how many times I disabled it, it would keep putting recommend YouTube channels on the launcher.

Youtube didn't ramp up to highest quality with me manually telling it to each time.

Both:

The biggest problem with both is their inability to have fully separate user profiles for multiple users.

rb99

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#2876183 28-Feb-2022 11:57

On the Apple TV I just tried using Infuse via Emby after not using it for ages. It wouldn't work, I think because I got a new router in the meantime. So I told Infuse to forget its existing Emby connection. Went to 'Another Emby', I think it said, updated the address to 192.168.whatever, gave it my Emby user id (say Fred if Fred is the admin for Emby) and password, clicked OK (I think) and it updated movies and everything.

“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

Paul1977

5052 posts

Uber Geek

#2876231 28-Feb-2022 12:53

rb99:

On the Apple TV I just tried using Infuse via Emby after not using it for ages. It wouldn't work, I think because I got a new router in the meantime. So I told Infuse to forget its existing Emby connection. Went to 'Another Emby', I think it said, updated the address to 192.168.whatever, gave it my Emby user id (say Fred if Fred is the admin for Emby) and password, clicked OK (I think) and it updated movies and everything.

Mine just says wrong username/password, but it definitely isn’t wrong.

Senecio

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#2876237 28-Feb-2022 13:02

Out of interest, what are you planning to use in place of the ATV 4K or Shield that addresses the drawbacks?

rb99

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#2876255 28-Feb-2022 13:15

Is there an all in one that can do everything ? It probably doesn't appeal, but maybe you could have an overseas device and a local device...

“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

Paul1977

5052 posts

Uber Geek

#2876392 28-Feb-2022 16:33

For now I’ll stick with what I had been using; LG TV apps and Xbox. They have their own limitations (otherwise I wouldn’t have been looking at upgrading) but going for the Apple or Shield just seemed like trading one set of limitations for another after using both for a couple of weeks.

Maybe the ultimate device that perfectly suits my needs just doesn’t exist.

mentalinc

3240 posts

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#2876405 28-Feb-2022 17:19

PC connected to TV/Receiver via HDMI cable.

Then chromecast for anything from your phone you want to watch.

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