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xopranaut t1_jb6vj80 wrote

TLDR: too many ads, too many apps/subscriptions. But it’s not all bad news:

> There are two kinda-sorta exceptions to the rule here: Apple and Nvidia [Shield]

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pseudocultist t1_jb6zzgf wrote

Apple TV is fine. Actually better than fine if you use HomeKit. Pricey but that’s their way. Considering the other ones subsidize the price with ads. It’s a necessary trade-off I guess.

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Dirk_The_Cowardly t1_jb85lbn wrote

My Fire HD 4k is great and I run like 5 services through it and works so much better than my smart tv software.

I have 4 tv's with it. Awesome over smart tv, Roku, or other crap.

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Zetavu t1_jb9jpjm wrote

Same, I just ignore the main selections and go to the apps directly. Sideload Kodi for my own collection off my NAS and I am good to go. My Soni has Android TV which is just tolerable enough so I leave it there but all other tv's have been turned "dumb" and use Firetv devices.

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theo2112 t1_jbbh9op wrote

Are they pricey? A new appletv costs $150. Let’s assume you don’t even have an iPhone, so some of the “apple” features like airplay, HomeKit, etc don’t even matter. Is that really expensive for a box that will give you AT LEAST 3 years of use every single day?

It will always have the latest apps and updates (small exception being google video apps, but those features come) because of the huge install base and higher end hardware. The interface is better than every other competitor and has zero in your face ads (the closest thing is the top bar if you select TV as a top bar app, but that’s almost a feature) it doesn’t suck up your habits and data and is kept updated overtime.

It’s expensive in comparison to the other junk in the space, but that’s just because those are subsidized by the ads and tracking. And they’re rarely updated, and the experience sucks, and, and, and.

DVD players were always more than $150 until the very end. Nobody said they were expensive and they only could do one thing.

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FlamingoNeon t1_jba8euv wrote

My shield pro isn't great. It's very laggy, and feels old and sometimes just crashes. I can't understand why it doesn't feel as snappy and nice to use as my chromecast.

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TheRogueMoose t1_jbaxlji wrote

Which one do you have? The Shield Pro was an absolute unit for it's time.

Maybe load up some monitoring software? Could be overheating due to bad thermal conductivity. Thermal pads and paste go bad over time.

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maqikelefant t1_jbb5hcc wrote

>for it's time.

Problem is that time was years ago now; the Shield lineup hasn't been updated at all since 2019. Doesn't surprise me they're struggling to keep up now.

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a5mith t1_jbewub6 wrote

If you have the original 2017 Pro, replace the hybrid HDD for a proper SSD, the process is a bit convoluted, but is significantly easier if you have the ability to bit for bit clone a drive either using hardware or software due to the boot sector being a bit picky.

My only complaint now is it's starting to show its age in regards to video formats. Dolby Vision content is green/purple, although this may actually be my LG C9 even though some Dolby Vision content plays fine via the Xbox series x, no support for VP9 Profile 2 so no HDR within YouTube.

If they made a new one with a user serviceable SSD or NVME, decent specs and support for current/future codecs, I'd buy it on the spot.

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TPMJB t1_jbcjl8x wrote

You have to do a lot of custom work to the shield to make it not display ads. I have a custom launcher and the regular launcher disabled.

I mean it works great this way, but it's annoying

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rkhbusa t1_jcsvxnq wrote

I have a shield pro it’s a bona fide piece of shit. I originally bought it when cheap Amazon streaming boxes with slightly better than raspberry pi specs were the norm, I wanted a streaming device with a little more processing power that would stand the test of time and not be as laggy and temperamental as what was currently on the market. Enter Nvidia shield a $300CAD (should have been a down payment on a new console) that gets you this sleek awkward angled streaming device that gets laggier than an iPhone 6 after updates.

I unplug my Nvidia Shield more often than my toaster because it freezes up so much. It pales in comparison to the onboard “Smart” component of my new LG tv.

If you need a streaming device just get a fire stick and just don’t say anything important or controversial in the TV’s room again. 👂

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[deleted] t1_jbf3pbv wrote

[deleted]

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xopranaut t1_jbgj7eb wrote

Heh, I know the feeling. I drifted from Linux to Apple about 15 years ago and my life got sooo much essier.

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