If you have an old TV that is not a smart TV, you can turn your TV into a media streaming hub using an nVidia Sheild device.

What is an nVidia Sheild?

The Nvidia Shield TV, Shield Android TV, Shield Console, or simply the Nvidia Shield,^[1] is an Android TV-based digital media player produced by Nvidia as part of its Shield brand of Android devices. First released in May 2015, the Shield was initially marketed by Nvidia as a microconsole, emphasizing its ability to play downloaded games and stream games from a compatible PC on a local network, or via the GeForce Now subscription service. As with all other Android TV devices, it can also stream content from various sources using apps, and also supports 4K resolution video. It is produced in two models, with the second Shield TV Pro model distinguished primarily by increased internal storage

Connecting to TV and Network

The nVidia Shield connects to your existing TV using a HDMI cable. It comes with a media and gaming remote to play nVidia games. Your TV does not need to be a smart TV as the nVidia Sheild adds this functionality.

You have the choice of connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi or ethernet cable. Both work well but ethernet is best.

Streaming Services

Due to the nVidia Sheild being an Android based device, it comes loaded with the Google Play store so you can install other android applications such as Plex, Plus7, 10 Play, ABC iView, and much more to extend the streaming service.

Recommendation

We have installed an nVidia Sheild device on all three TV’s in our house. It provides the same user interface on all TV’s so we can start watching a movie on one TV and continue on another. All of our nVidia Sheilds are connected via ethernet cable and we have not experienced any buffering issues on our 50/20 Mbps internet connection.

So instead of buying an expensive smart TV, why not install an nVidia Shield on a regular TV. We would highly recommend the nVidia sheild as it is more than a smart TV.