Nvidia shield question

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Nvidia shield question

Loismustdye

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#270256 1-May-2020 07:09

After discovering that my Apple TV 4K doesn’t spit out the atmos soundtracks from Plex, I’m looking at getting a shield in order to listen to them as apparently the shield is one of the few devices that will use the atmos soundtrack without converting it.

is anybody with a shield able to confirm this? And is the lower spec (ie cheaper) shield a good enough despite having less RAM than the pro model?

TIA

maoriboy

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#2474374 1-May-2020 09:03

Ohh, gutted for the ATV..Watch out bro, Plex runs on........Android 😝

Anyway according to what I've found....Nvidia shield itself does not play atmos but it allows passthrough for receiver/audio system to play so apps that support passthrough like kodi etc you get atmos.

ShinyChrome

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#2474381 1-May-2020 09:21

I don't have enough speakers to test atmos, but I'm pretty sure as Lewis said, it just passes through. I have a 2019 tube, so I can at least check if my AVR registers an atmos track.

I think the only case where you need the extra RAM is for any emulation/gaming. The Pro can also run 64 bit apps vs only 32 bit on the tube. Especially with the crazy prices right now, $499 for the Pro is nuts!

Edit: It does!

Loismustdye

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#2474420 1-May-2020 10:20

Sorry, should have said that the shield passed through the Sound from the app whereas the ATV converts it to pcm or something.

cheers for the info re: the difference between the 2 units, looks like the cheaper 2020 will be the go then.

@maoriboy it will be the only android device in the house, quite rare for an android device to get updated as frequently as the shield Does lol :-)

ShinyChrome

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#2474488 1-May-2020 11:07

To be honest, unless you are particularly concerned about Dolby Vision support or AI Upscaling, the 2017 Shield is 90% the same beast as the Pro. Might be an option if you can find one cheap enough s/h, I just sold mine on TM for around half the price of the Pro and there was a few around there.

I will admit I only know the broad strokes of using Plex, but it also sounds like the Tube suffers under running a Plex media server, so it might pay to check that out first. I only use mine for streaming currently, so no issues for me.

rb99

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#2474907 1-May-2020 16:54

Could you get from B&H in the US ?

“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

sm1ff

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#2474943 1-May-2020 18:45

I personally use the Nvidia shield 2017 pro model and can confirm that it does indeed play Dolby atmos and dts x in plex as pass-through. However it appears that its my only way to experience atmos and dts x. Doesn't appear to have any streaming services work with atmos.

Loismustdye

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#2474959 1-May-2020 19:32

@rb99 with current exchange rates the pro comes in approx $100 cheaper from there, although I would assume gst would be on top of that, thanks for that suggestion. Will keep tHat in mind when I go to purchase.

@sm1ff that’s good to know, I wonder if the newer models do support pass through with Netflix etc.

@shinychrome I have an old pc that I run the plex server on, so this would solely be performing streaming duties.

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ShinyChrome

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#2474993 1-May-2020 20:19

Netflix, Disney+, and Prime apps now support it on the '19. The '17 might support it with Prime or Disney+, but definitely not Netflix.

With the exchange rate being so crap right meow, is it worth saving the $50 after you add in GST and international shipping and no local warranty?

Loismustdye

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#2475024 1-May-2020 22:13

Ooh nice to know those apps support it on the newer models, and with our dollar in the toilet at present I would probably purchase locally.

cheers for the tips people.