Database Users

Any one use orb to stream live tv

If so can you change channels. I can watch the last channel I was watching in media center but it doesn't change to the channel I select in the program guide on orb? Is there another software like orb that will stream the live tv to my 8525 or do I need to wait till I have the cash for a sling box.

Personally I use slingbox, and its frekin awesome! I have it coneected to my tivo, and slingplayer mobile allows for full control of your tivo with my 8525. I havent used orb, but when I was in your position researching it seemed like the video quality is about the same. AV quality is VERY good with wifi, good with 3g, and choppy with edge.

chrisryn said:
If so can you change channels. I can watch the last channel I was watching in media center but it doesn't change to the channel I select in the program guide on orb? Is there another software like orb that will stream the live tv to my 8525 or do I need to wait till I have the cash for a sling box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although i currently don't have it set up at the moment due to rom upgrades, i did have this working previously and it changed channels no problem.
As long as you have the channels setup correctly in orb configuration this will work as you want.

Slingbox does a better job so far.

I just started with Orb streaming my media and pictures off of my server, but I haven't set up TV yet because I have a weak link in my cable so that when I split it to hook up my TV Tuner card, I lose about half my speed with my cable modem. Video from the PC has come across great with 2.0, I hope the same with the TV.

yes, it rocks
i've had it working for a few months. I use xp- not media center addition- just plain xp.
ati all in wonder radeon 8500dv
orb 2.0_latest release
I use the file browser to get gps maps, etc down to my 8525. play mp3, video, even look at my webcam, and watch tv (or listen to it while I'm driving). works on 3g and edge, even with an old pentium3 pc!
never tried a $lingbox, but my orb pc is free. sits there with no monitor, no keyboard, no mouse, just cable tv and lan.

I'm using my Note to 'throw' photos and videos to my TV. It's great!

This is probably just a standard feature of android now, but I've just come across it recently after upgrading to a smart TV. It's just so easy now to watch my vids and photo slideshows at a whim on my 50" plasma. Another great use I've discovered for my Note.

How do you "throw" videos to your TV?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Using Allshare

Do you have a Samsung TV? The only way I know of to "throw" media via AllShare is with a Sammy TV or using the AllShare dongle connected to the TV.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

So, let's try to understand this... I tried AllShare as a server on my PC, I thought it sucked to I installed Twonky instead.
Can I still get content "pushed" to my (older, Samsung) TV from the tablet?

My TV is a Panasonic 50GT50. I would assume this works on any `smart ` TV as long as it's dlna certified, so that should include all of em.
When looking at pics in my photo gallery I now have an extra button visible on screen because a dlna device is within reach. When I touch that, the photo I'm viewing appears on the TV in a few seconds.
It's the same with videos.
It's great for downloaded HD music videos from YouTube, or my photo slideshows I'm making in Windows movie maker (a great program).

SteveYorks said:
My TV is a Panasonic 50GT50. I would assume this works on any `smart ` TV as long as it's dlna certified, so that should include all of em.
When looking at pics in my photo gallery I now have an extra button visible on screen because a dlna device is within reach. When I touch that, the photo I'm viewing appears on the TV in a few seconds.
It's the same with videos.
It's great for downloaded HD music videos from YouTube, or my photo slideshows I'm making in Windows movie maker (a great program).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works well with a wdtv live.

It can also be thrown to an Xbox consoles that connected to the same Wireless network
As will you can watch youtube vedio from mobile to tv through youtube xbox application install it on xbox and pair your note with it and you will be able to watch the vedios on your mobile youtube on your larger LED
Sent from my GT-N8000 using Tapatalk 2

SteveYorks said:
My TV is a Panasonic 50GT50. I would assume this works on any `smart ` TV as long as it's dlna certified, so that should include all of em.
When looking at pics in my photo gallery I now have an extra button visible on screen because a dlna device is within reach. When I touch that, the photo I'm viewing appears on the TV in a few seconds.
It's the same with videos.
It's great for downloaded HD music videos from YouTube, or my photo slideshows I'm making in Windows movie maker (a great program).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true. Dlna makes it possible. Works with my Samsung blueray player hooked to My LG t.v. I couldn't get the allshare thing working. Then I discovered the dlna way. Same thing really.

I gone to look see if this can be done with my ps3 I want that option......, lol
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda app-developers app

i use BubbleUpnp on my android and XBMC on a RaspberryPi to throw videos, music and Fotos to my TV.

If you happen to have a decent android phone with hdmi connection to tv, you can uses bubleupnp (both devices), to "throw" stuff and junk, if you dont have anything else.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp&hl=en
With mirrop sender/mirrorop reciever app, you can do the equivalent of allsharecast(with lag), where your able to mirror your android devices, great for pics, vids, slow paced games etc etc etc...........ofcourse, ive not got my hdmi cable yet, so im assuming theirs no issues with connecting phone to tv, and mirror my note 10.1 to tv, via phone?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.awindinc.sphone2tv&hl=en

demandarin said:
This is true. Dlna makes it possible. Works with my Samsung blueray player hooked to My LG t.v. I couldn't get the allshare thing working. Then I discovered the dlna way. Same thing really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How you connected it in dlna way?
I have LG tv , dlna certified
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

mohammedsarhan said:
How you connected it in dlna way?
I have LG tv , dlna certified
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My t.v. doesn't have any wireless capabilities. It is an LG though. How I got it connected was through my Samsung blueray player. Which is connected Its wifi capable. But only if you plug in a wifi USB adapter. I have my router Ethernet plug plugged into the back of blueray. The Samsung player has dlna and that allshare cast. But I couldn't figure how to get allshare to work from the blueray end. So since I knew the player and the note had dlna capabilities, I played around with getting it connected. I previously had no experience using Dlna. All I knew that it was something having to do with connecting devices wirelessly or whatever.
How I got it connected? Well going into settings of blueray and in settings of the note. In your case it'll be TV settings where dlna option is at and your note. On your t.v., I'm guessing, as long as you have its wireless capabilities on or connected to your network, youngood to go on that side. On the note, you go into settings. Then more. Then in media share section press "Nearby devices/share your media with other devices" . In there, check the box that says File sharing. Depending on how much content you have saved in your note, it might take a minute or two to sync data. Then go into shared contents and make sure videos, music, and pictures box is checked. It might sync again if they weren't already checked. Then look in "allowed devices". You should see your t.v. name or whatever show up in there. I can't remember if I had to initially accept it or not. Checking the box will only bring up option to delete that device for me now. In my case, I see my blueray player name in there. In upload from other devices, I put "always allow".
Now once you have it set up on tablet side, you should be able to see the option or icon for your tablet appear on t.v. for me I have to press other devices on my blueray and ill see my tablet icon. I click on it and then they both connect. I can access all my video, music, or picture folders and view the contents. Kinda like an HDMI connection. Except dlna only lets you explore clthe content mentioned on the device only. It doesn't mirror everything like an HDMI connection. Like I can't access my apps nnor whatever. Only stored media content on device. Beware though when watching some downloaded movies. Some of these Movies have some kind of failsafe knowledge of knowing you watching a new downloaded movie. For example I have Argo downloaded. It'll let me watch it for a few Minutes. Then it'll stop and say device not authorized to watch this movie..lmfao it detects it by the device recognizing that the movie is in 5.1 Dolby or whatever. Since alot of the movies are screened versions or whatever. People on ps3 watching certain downloaded movies have same issue also. The only work around is reformatting the movie so it won't be detected. Its weird because I can play that movie on my note with no issue. I guess that only occurs when trying to watch it through a new t.v. or blueray player. It may even be built in, but I think its internet connection detects certain things in the movie and can tell that its a new movie that hasn't been released yet or on DVD and you trying to watch a downloaded digital version of it. Which is pretty smart. I can't be mad about that. Ill just watch those certain movies on my tablet which will play them regardless. Its not all downloaded movies. Only certain newer ones depending on what version you downloaded of it. Just a heads up. Experiment and see.
I also have an HDMI adapter for my note. It'll connect to this LG t.v. BUT for some reason the sound won't play through the t.v. or my home theatre setup. Its weird. I've read some t.v.'s be picky like that. I might try another HDMI cable to see if it makes any difference. Now I had another 39in. Flatscreen that I returned. As I didn't need it since I found a better deal on bigger one. But my HDMI played fine on it. Audio and video. Ill be OK though. It still connects the video to t.v. with no issue. So it'll mirror no problem. But when I play a game LR something through HDMI, the sound only comes out through the tablet itself. Doesn't come out the t.v. or theatre sound system. I wish my t.v. or pioneer system had a 3.5mm input jack for audio. As I would connect them that way, audio wise. That's how I connect my audio from my SG3 to my car stereo. I use a double sided 3.5mm male plug to plug them both up. My t.v. or pioneer doesn't have that jack. I haven't tried the coaxel method yet. But I'm not pressed about mirroring anymore. As long as I can access my media content, I'm good. I do miss being able to pull up crackle app and watch movies that way through HDMI. It ain't no good if the sound only coming out the tablet and movie picture on the t.v. lol don't want to watch movie that way. I'm looking for a bigger and newer t.v. so I'm sure my HDMI will work completely on it. But I can play games like Moddern Combat4 through HDMI and it plays fine on t.v. no lag or issues. Only thing is is that the sound to it only comes out my tablet SMH
Good luck getting yours connected. Let me know how it goes.

Thanx
It worked for me today.
Very nice.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

hygradeb said:
I gone to look see if this can be done with my ps3 I want that option......, lol
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do this via imediashare app. Use it on my s2 and Note tab.

Will this work with netflix(streaming), or only local files?
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda premium

Riki1kenobi said:
I do this via imediashare app. Use it on my s2 and Note tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to successfully use the imediashare app. Very easy but why is allshare not playing nicely with the ps3? I'd love to use an app that I already have if I can. Anyone else have luck with allshare and ps3?
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda premium

Maybe allshare is coded to work between Allshare enabled devices. Maybe they need to exchange a handshake code? Be good to get an allshare app for the ps3 and xbox.
I cannot get imediashare to hook up with the xbox though. In fact I can't get any thing to work with xbox.

How well does dlna allshare work when looking at a 1080p high profile movie?
If it is perfect for high profile movies I wonder why we can not mirror our tablet screen with dlna.

Reliable video streaming to Samsung TV?

Has anyone managed to stream video properly from the S4 to a Samsung Smart TV? I can stream video to my UE55ES7000 using the Allshare option in the video app, but the video playback stops every 2-3 seconds and "Loading" appears on the TV screen. This is on short video clips of less than 15 seconds. As far as video streaming functionality goes this is pretty much a waste of time.
The TV is connected to my LAN via ethernet cable, and the S4 connected to a wifi access point which is plugged into the same switch as the TV.
Has anyone got this working acceptably?

same issue with s4 and ES6565, i believe it is because my connection are too slow.
fortunately i get a speed update tommorow, will report back if it solves the issue!

Plex
pzayx said:
same issue with s4 and ES6565, i believe it is because my connection are too slow.
fortunately i get a speed update tommorow, will report back if it solves the issue!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Plex (http://www.plexapp.com/).
You install Plex server on your desktop and the client as an app on your Samsung Smart TV and it works pretty well.

Twonky is worth looking at as well.

cadbusca said:
I use Plex (http://www.plexapp.com/).
You install Plex server on your desktop and the client as an app on your Samsung Smart TV and it works pretty well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will Plex allow me to stream content that's stored on the phone?

itm said:
Will Plex allow me to stream content that's stored on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will, but you need to install install it on your phone first:
http://www.plexapp.com/mobile/

I use Imediashare to stream content to my Samsung tv (not a Smart Tv) using dlna. Does a better job compared to allshare/samumg link.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bianor.amspersonal
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Ok I just revisited the whole Plex thing (I remember trying it a couple of years ago). I remember uninstalling it last time because it couldn't handle my large music library (85,000 tracks) - whole chunks of the collection were missing after it had completed scanning.
Unfortunately my experience is no better this time. I set up the server, then installed the Plex client on the TV and connected it to the server. I could browse the video content on the server from the TV, but whenever I tried to play back anything it just threw up a blank screen that didn't go away (I waited 5 minutes, which I figured was long enough). Same thing on 2-3 different video files.
I also couldn't figure out any way to use Plex to play back video content from the phone to the TV (which was the whole point of this thread). Setting up the phone as a media server isn't a good solution, as it doesn't have a static IP address (it seems that the Samsung TV Plex client can only connect to servers using a hard-coded IP address). So it looks like I'll be un-installing Plex (again). I'm sure Plex works great in *pple setups but I have to say it's not ready for primetime with Android/Windows users.
So I tried installing iMediaShare, but it doesn't see the TV on the network at all.
I thought this would all be much easier, particularly as I have a Samsung phone as well as a Samsung TV :0(

I just tried the next potential solution, which was the upgraded Allcast app which was released today. This was able to stream a standard def video podcast uninterrupted for a minute (there's a 60 second limit on the trial version of Allcast), but when I tried to stream mp4 HD video which was shot on the phone I got the same problem with the video stopping every few seconds to buffer.
I'm pretty sure that I was able to stream HD videos from the S4 to the TV last summer, but can't remember what I used to do it. Now I'm wondering whether an Android update has introduced the problem - maybe Ice Cream Sandwich was better able to support HD video streaming than Jelly Bean? Any views?

[Q] Netflix - no picture, but sound (hdcp?)?

Hi,
I have an appleTV and an Amazon Fire Stick, and the Nexus Player. All 3 are routed through my Yamaha RX-v3900 amp and then to the TV.
The AppleTV and the Amazon Fire stick both display netflix without issue. The Nexus displays all menus, but when you start playing content, the screen goes blank and you only get audio.
If I connect the Nexus directly to the TV, it plays fine.
I suspect this is an hdcp issue. I've called Google's support line. They suggested unplugging the Nexus, unplugging the amp, unplugging the TV. None of these steps worked. Although, unplugging the nexus caused Netflix not to be able to connect to it's servers, and the app had to be uninstalled and re-installed to get back the menu level.
Anybody else seeing this? Any thoughts on how to proceed?
Thanks,
Jim

jbresee said:
Hi,
I have an appleTV and an Amazon Fire Stick, and the Nexus Player. All 3 are routed through my Yamaha RX-v3900 amp and then to the TV.
The AppleTV and the Amazon Fire stick both display netflix without issue. The Nexus displays all menus, but when you start playing content, the screen goes blank and you only get audio.
If I connect the Nexus directly to the TV, it plays fine.
I suspect this is an hdcp issue. I've called Google's support line. They suggested unplugging the Nexus, unplugging the amp, unplugging the TV. None of these steps worked. Although, unplugging the nexus caused Netflix not to be able to connect to it's servers, and the app had to be uninstalled and re-installed to get back the menu level.
Anybody else seeing this? Any thoughts on how to proceed?
Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that this is all that practical but maybe swap out the amp for an hdcp compliant one? (I think that is a thing since it's passing through hdcp signals)

the netflix app for the player has HORRID HDCP compliance.. i returned mine because of this.. the app is just screwed if you dont have a very simplistic setup.. anything at all between the tv and the player will cause it to not function correctly.

HDCP
Xenosis said:
Not that this is all that practical but maybe swap out the amp for an hdcp compliant one? (I think that is a thing since it's passing through hdcp signals)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This amp is HDCP compliant. There is a bug in the Way nexus player handles HDCP with certain amps.

Yeah, the Amazon firestick and AppleTV both play through the Yamaha 3900 without HDCP issues, so the problem is with the Nexus player, or at least the Netflix implementation on the Nexus player. I'm also back to having resolution issues. Compared to both the fireTV and the AppleTV, the Nexus Player looks like crap.

I have no problem using the NP with my pioneer amp... Have you tried different inputs on the amp or different cables?
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using XDA Free mobile app

jbresee said:
Hi,
I have an appleTV and an Amazon Fire Stick, and the Nexus Player. All 3 are routed through my Yamaha RX-v3900 amp and then to the TV.
The AppleTV and the Amazon Fire stick both display netflix without issue. The Nexus displays all menus, but when you start playing content, the screen goes blank and you only get audio.
If I connect the Nexus directly to the TV, it plays fine.
I suspect this is an hdcp issue. I've called Google's support line. They suggested unplugging the Nexus, unplugging the amp, unplugging the TV. None of these steps worked. Although, unplugging the nexus caused Netflix not to be able to connect to it's servers, and the app had to be uninstalled and re-installed to get back the menu level.
Anybody else seeing this? Any thoughts on how to proceed?
Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had the exact same issue, it's the length of the HDMI cables. I use a 5 to 1 switch. Once I removed the Nexus Player and plugged it directly into the TV (3ft HDMI cable), it worked perfectly. My Logitech Revue had no issues, my raspberry pi and Chromecast also don't have any challenges. Seems the opamps for the NP might be a little weak (speculating).
d

Same exact issue here.
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V675
-Firmware 1.6 (up to date)
Netflix plays audio but no picture, youtube plays but is choppy.
TV shows resolution as 576p.
Alternate thread describing issue.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-player/help/low-resolution-receiver-t2940767
None of these issues are apparent when the player is connected directly to the tv.
Unfortunately this isn't a very good work around for me as my tv's digital audio out doesn't seems to perform well with my receiver. (cheap tv, seiki)
The issue seems isolated to the Nexus player as Chromecast and roku work perfectly through receiver. (Guess i won't be replacing them both with this device as soon as i hoped)
Sounds like hdcp, hopefully google pushes an update or a patch is discovered soon.

killerb7854 said:
Same exact issue here.
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V675
-Firmware 1.6 (up to date)
Netflix plays audio but no picture, youtube plays but is choppy.
TV shows resolution as 576p.
Alternate thread describing issue.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-player/help/low-resolution-receiver-t2940767
None of these issues are apparent when the player is connected directly to the tv.
Unfortunately this isn't a very good work around for me as my tv's digital audio out doesn't seems to perform well with my receiver. (cheap tv, seiki)
The issue seems isolated to the Nexus player as Chromecast and roku work perfectly through receiver. (Guess i won't be replacing them both with this device as soon as i hoped)
Sounds like hdcp, hopefully google pushes an update or a patch is discovered soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent summary, BUT we can also add Google Movies & TV to the list. I get the exact same symptoms using a hdmi switch as I do with Netflix. Again, only direct connect works, all other devices (Chromecast, Raspberry Pi, Google TV, PS3) I run work just fine (even with Netflix & G Movie&TV.
Happy New Year!!
d

I assume you all are still experiencing this issue? I just purchased a NP and have the same issues with both Netflix and Google Play Movies. However, YouTube and Hulu play just fine. I have short high speed HDMI cables (very good quality ones) . I use a Denon 2000 receiver. Chromecast and ATV works well. I can't connect directly to the TV as a work around (that's another story)

unix4linux said:
I assume you all are still experiencing this issue? I just purchased a NP and have the same issues with both Netflix and Google Play Movies. However, YouTube and Hulu play just fine. I have short high speed HDMI cables (very good quality ones) . I use a Denon 2000 receiver. Chromecast and ATV works well. I can't connect directly to the TV as a work around (that's another story)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured out my issue. It was my directv box causing the issue. For some reason, it triggered the hdcp security on it for copy protected channels like hbo and showtime. It wouldn't let me play anything on those channels. The directv box was connected to the same receiver as the Nexus player. So, I reset the directv box and I was able to see my hbo and showtime TV again. When I tried to view videos on the NP via Google Play Movies and Netflix, it was working fine again ☺
Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

unix4linux said:
I figured out my issue. It was my directv box causing the issue. For some reason, it triggered the hdcp security on it for copy protected channels like hbo and showtime. It wouldn't let me play anything on those channels. The directv box was connected to the same receiver as the Nexus player. So, I reset the directv box and I was able to see my hbo and showtime TV again. When I tried to view videos on the NP via Google Play Movies and Netflix, it was working fine again
Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bummer... I pulled power on everything. Then left the directv box off and powered everything up. Still can't get netflix to show a picture on the nexus player.

jbresee said:
bummer... I pulled power on everything. Then left the directv box off and powered everything up. Still can't get netflix to show a picture on the nexus player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That didn't work for me either. I had to actually hit the reset button on the directv box (the red reset button). Try that
Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

Ok - did the reset button on the Directv, replaced all cables with shorter cables. Nada.
I finally routed the Nexus Player directly to the TV (works), then put a toslink opitcal out from the TV to the amp. Seems to be working, but it makes setting up to watch Android TV a PITA.
I wish they would fix the Nexus Player, but this is a decent work around.

Working now!
Looks like a recent update fixed this for me! Decided to try it today after noticing there was a new plex (not plex pass) app and realized that I hadn't tried through my receiver in a while. Connected it back up to my yamaha receiver and to my surprise, everything is working great! Netflix, google movies and the plex app connected through my receiver, audio AND video coming through as expected. Even the GUI Menu is showing the proper 1080p resolution.
Looks like I may finally be able to replace my roku/chromecast with the nexus.
Your mileage may vary but check your nexus to make sure it's up to date and give it another go!
Note: I am fairly confident an update was the fix as it was the only change to my setup. Simply plugged it in with the same cables/connections as my previous testing.

Good to hear! I was hoping for more stability with Netflix on the NP before I pull the trigger.
How about Dolby Digital/5.1 surround from Netflix? I read previously it only outputs in 2.0 stereo.
Thanks!
killerb7854 said:
Looks like a recent update fixed this for me! Decided to try it today after noticing there was a new plex (not plex pass) app and realized that I hadn't tried through my receiver in a while. Connected it back up to my yamaha receiver and to my surprise, everything is working great! Netflix, google movies and the plex app connected through my receiver, audio AND video coming through as expected. Even the GUI Menu is showing the proper 1080p resolution.
Looks like I may finally be able to replace my roku/chromecast with the nexus.
Your mileage may vary but check your nexus to make sure it's up to date and give it another go!
Note: I am fairly confident an update was the fix as it was the only change to my setup. Simply plugged it in with the same cables/connections as my previous testing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

latest update fixed my netflix issue as well....
I now can watch netflix going through my Yamaha amp. Yeah!

what you think about your shield?

just bought 50 inch 4k lcd tv, brand is tcl
it plays anything i tried so far (with exception of dts audio, but this is easy to convert with avidemux)
the thing is - smart tv functions is pure [email protected]
around 1 minute to start, 10 seconds to open youtube, and 30 seconds of buffering
what is most annoying is just 360-480p video with no settings to change that
so i need to buy some android box that will:
play all 1080p media smoothly
play 1080p youtube videos
run skype with external camera
allow me to run some games etc.
there is plenty of solutions but shield seems to combine decent specs, good design and reasonable price
can anyone confirm that it will work ok with external webcam (both video and microphone?)

PLEASE DELETE THIS POST... I believe the OP was complaining about the functionality in his TV.. Not the Shield
I have no issues whatsoever playing any 1080p videos from the net or from my home network.
I'm guessing you are running wireless and / or have a slow internet connection. Try putting a 1080p video on a usb stick or memory card and playing it from there.
I'm running wired gigabit and have a 100Mbs Internet speed and this box really shines, even with 1080p Game streaming through their service.

my only issues with the Shield TV are:
* It only comes with a North America-spec power adapter, with a proprietary device-side connector. I think you can change the power pins, but it only comes with an american one in the box (not really an issue if you live in north america)
* The controller is a bit rubbish
It's very fast, and it plays all the media I throw at it through Plex, although with some of the high bitrate stuff, it complains about low connection over wireless - it doesn't seem to connect via 802.11ac all the time.
The games are just your standard Android fare. Games & apps can be installed from the Play Store website if they don't show up on the built-in one. Be aware though; some of them say that they work on AndroidTV but don't actually do any such thing.

I love mine, I got it to replace an old acer revo which was running openelec.
The apps I use the most are Kodi (all in one media streaming app), Retroarch (an app which allows you to play various emulators), Youtube, Twitch, iPlayer, and Gamestream. I havent tried the subscription based game stream option that Nvidia offer as I have the majority of the games which they offer. I do use the option which allows me to stream games from my pc. This runs superbly at 1080p over homeplugs.
The device is very quiet and very fast. I also like having a headphone socket on the remote and joypad.
I would like to see some more UK based media apps on the store (4OD, 5 on demand, Sky), my Xbox One is better for this. Kodi does have addons to get around the lack of this.
The google play store does seem a bit limited for android tv at the moment.
I did have to root mine to enable me to write to the sdcard (for Retroarch).
I would highly recommend one if you want to use Kodi or Emulators.

DrSeahorse said:
I would highly recommend one if you want to use [...] Emulators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this. In fact, I now remember this was my major reason for buying it. It emulates pretty much anything up to and including the Sega Dreamcast, but once again.. it has a pretty rubbish controller. However, it does support the XBox 360 pad if you have the wireless adapter for it, so that's an improvement, and I'm pretty sure it'll natively support any controller that Linux does - so all your USB adapters for your NES or PSX or whatever controller will work.

Gotta throw my opinion in since I've only had it for about 2 weeks now...
Its fast, and I must much better interface than what i was expecting. I bought it for primarily playing PC games from my computer and it does so without any problems at all. It even will pass through full surround sound from the games (which I was NOT expecting).
I also use KODI more than anything and it works great. I do have some sound sync issues here and there and it can be annoying to remedy. But, if you put the time in and use KODI's audio delay correctly you can fix it. (the Wiki will say to use the Shield's built in HDMI-Audio Sync feature, but it doesn't have an overlay for when you are setting the delay. So you basically have to base it entirely off the bouncing ball which doesn't help at all when you are trying to sync voices to the actors mouths. Plus, I found that 0ms works great for all audio syncing through shield (netflix, youtube, etc) and the KODI sync lets me sync JUST KODI.
I only paid $150 for mine since I got in on the controller bundle and they never sent me the controller so I got the $50 refunded. I still would recommend it at $200 though. Once the MM update comes out it will be much better for customizing the start screen.
DO IT is my short answer.

As a media player, about the only thing it lacks is Amazon Prime, though there is a workaround and rumors of official support later. I've been able to play high bitrate rips, Hi10p video, a 1440p VHS 10-bit rip, and everything else with no issues over 802.11ac. It's by far the best player I've seen for SlingTV, also.
Anything that doesn't work natively, you can just cast it to the Shield TV and you're in business (HBO Go, specifically, because Comcast is stupid).
Games work well enough as long as they have controller support. Most of the higher-end and big developer games do. There's Nvidia game stream you can test for 3 months, but I don't have any use for it, honestly. I think you can also stream games from a PC with an nVidia GPU, but I have AMD.
Basically they've built the best video player on the market, hands down. The next best thing is a full-blown HTPC, but the price and lack of a simplified UI (IMO) puts the Shield on top, again.