NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Pro - 4K HDR Streaming Media Player - High Performance, Dolby Vision, 3GB RAM, 2 x USB, Google Assistant Built-In, Works with Alexa (945-12897-2500-101)

Pros: - very responsive streaming device (Nvidia self proclaimed it the "best media streaming device"); reviewers seem to agree - overall easy to use and intuitive; Android TV device - supports a variety of cutting edge audio and video technologies - nice unusual triangular remote with backlit buttons; can control your TV as well - have not tested it in 4K yet, but I've been reading that AI upscaling is very decent (almost magic it seems) - Nvidia GameStream allows you to stream and play games from a PC powered by an Nvidia graphics card on the same network - a plethora of apps available from the Google Play store - integrated google voice assistant if that matters to you

Cons: - at that price, the 25$ stand should be included for the "pro" (I even though that it was at first given the size of the packaging, but no) - dedicated Netflix button on the remote is an eyesore; a remappable button would have been better; or no button at all (many vendors seem to do this - I personally dislike this kind of very specify branding) - challenge to stream some games via GameStream (setup and/or workaround required), as not all games are natively supported - it was not obvious how to change the remote's batteries (press on the black plastic button on the back and slide the entire back plate off)

Overall Review: If you're buying this to use Nvidia GameStream, it's a great purchase, otherwise it's just an expensive streaming device that turns your TV into a 'smart TV' (and most TVs are now smart TVs anyway). After re-checking twice Nvidia's own product page for the Shield, I cannot believe that GameStream is not even mentioned - for me this was the greatest selling point. On-screen tips say that you can adjust the bitrate and resolution of GameStream... I have yet to find that option. The whole experience could honestly be ironed out - but overall it works pretty well. Steam does not close properly on the PC when quitting the app on the Shield for some reason. Although it is not explicitly mentioned, you can run pretty much anything from your PC, as what GameStream is essentially doing is streaming the PC - you can find a way to stream the Desktop and launch any program or app, which was a pleasant surprise to me. If you're every so slightly technically inclined, you shouldn't have any issues in making this work. I got the "pro" version as I wanted to have the option to plug in USB devices like controllers and dongles for mice and keyboards. However, the Shield has Bluetooth and pairs nicely with Bluetooth keyboards and controllers. I've paired 2 Xbox controllers without any issues. Note that multi-controller support is not enabled by default (not sure why; forums indicate that Nvidia is aware of this; at the time of writing, there is no option to enable multi-controller by default) so it has to be enabled every time that you are launching a game (hold start on your controller). I suspect that for most users, the regular (but still expensive in my opinion) Nvidia Shield will be enough - it's mostly the same - same processor, ethernet jack, bluetooth+ wifi. The base Nvidia Shield has a microSD for expanded storage while the pro handles expanded storage with two USB 3.0 ports. Included storage is 8GB vs 16GB. The pro also has slightly more RAM and Plex Server can be installed on it. I doubt that these extras will matter for most users. The OS is well made and offers many options and settings. You can even mount network storage to the device pretty easily. I use it to play media from a NAS and it works flawlessly. I mostly bought the Shield to be able to play my PC games on a TV using GameStream from a computer located in another room, and for that purpose it works fairly well. Everything in my setup is wired but I imagine that doing this via wifi should work just fine. There may be some minor latency, but I have not noticed anything significant. Most games simply work, and launch, whether it be via Nvidia's GeForce experience or Steam (yes! you can launch Steam on the Shield!). The only issue would be with PC Xbox App games - since these games are UWP (Universal Windows Platform, Microsoft's way of integrating apps into Windows 10) and do not have an easy to find executable file that can be linked to Steam and launched that way: you'll have to find a workaround for this. Simply google "add UWP games to Steam" and you'll find a relatively easy way to launch these games via Steam by using a program like UWPHook and play them on the Shield. So far, I've been able to run all of the games I have via GameStream with only minor troubleshooting necessary sometimes (I've read that controller support is sometimes hit or miss; I've had to override the input control via Steam for one of the games so far). TL;DR: Bottom line: Great streaming device (albeit a bit on the pricey side) with many extra features like GeforceNOW and GameStream. Ideal for anyone a little more tech-savvy but also extremely easy to use if you don't want to tinker around. Runs Android TV. If those extra features appeal to you and you can get a deal on the device, then get it. If it's only for the online streaming features, it's likely that your TV already has those and I wouldn't see the point in getting this device. Simply get a Chromecast if you have already have a smartphone and your TV does not have streaming capabilities. Hope this helps you understand what this device is and make an informed decision about your purchase. Overall, I quite like it! In the picture: Bluetooth keyboard, Xbox controller, Nvidia Shield Pro (connected to power, ethernet and HDMI), Remote