Video Summary - I Finally Understand Why People Pay $200 for the Nvidia Shield

Nvidia Shield TV Pro Review

Broad local-media playback: The Shield played the tested Plex files—including HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby audio, and SRT subtitles—without requiring Plex to transcode them. Its video and subtitle compatibility was broadly comparable to Apple TV 4K and better than that of the tested TV software and Onn device.
Native lossless audio: The Shield supports uncompressed formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. Apple TV 4K cannot decode lossless audio and instead outputs a compressed format such as Dolby Digital. The reviewer identifies this as the main reason enthusiasts consider the Shield superior.
Connections: It has two USB ports, HDMI, and built-in gigabit Ethernet. Apple TV charges extra for Ethernet.
Android TV flexibility: The Shield supports third-party launchers, and its apps-only tab can hide the ad-filled home screen.
Compact design: The unit was smaller than the reviewer expected.

Expensive: At around $200, it costs much more than a used Apple TV 4K, which the reviewer says can be found for about $100. Used Shields were reportedly selling for more than $200.
Frustrating setup: Voice-based account pairing failed, forcing the reviewer to enter account details manually.
Ads: The default interface is ad-filled, though the apps tab or a third-party launcher can reduce the clutter.
Sluggish interface: Despite its price, the Shield felt slower than the reviewer’s new TV interface and a $50 Onn 4K Plus. The reviewer did not prefer its operating system to Apple TV’s.
Streaming limitations: The reviewer also mentions problems with some streaming apps playing at unusual frame rates.
Lossless audio depends on the system: The difference was barely noticeable on the office’s inexpensive speakers and became more apparent on a higher-end home theater system.

Versus Apple TV 4K: The Shield’s video and subtitle playback was essentially on par, but it can output native lossless audio while Apple TV cannot. Apple TV was described as a better general-purpose choice and can be much cheaper when bought used.
Versus Onn: The cheaper Onn was praised as a good option for ordinary streaming and basic media-server use. It also felt faster in the reviewer’s interface comparison, while the Shield offered better media-format handling than the tested Onn.
Recommendation: The reviewer does not recommend the Shield for most people. A used first-generation Apple TV 4K or the cheaper Onn 4K Pro/Plus is likely sufficient for regular streaming or basic Plex/Jellyfin use. The Shield may be worth $200 for people with a serious home theater—such as a projector or large TV and a capable surround-sound system—who want lossless audio and want to avoid compromises.

No numerical rating or score was given.

Main reviewer: Found the Shield slow and awkward to set up, and heard little difference in the office. The reviewer concluded that lossless-audio support is valuable mainly for serious home-theater owners.
Tyson: Tested it with a more capable home theater and reported that the Shield’s audio sounded better than Apple TV’s.