The Nvidia Shield TV is old, but it’s still better than many other Android streaming devices. That’s why so many people still use one. Part of the appeal is the power inside, which makes them good for far more than just Netflix and Disney+.
Now, you don’t have to retire your Shield TV and repurpose it completely to extend its functionality. While some lower-powered boxes are really only good for streaming apps, a Shield can be used for a few other purposes. Here are five that you might find interesting.
A dedicated media hub for the whole house
Way back when the Shield TV models were released, Plex Media Server support was a headlining feature. To this day, Shield TVs are the only Android TV devices that support the Plex Media Server software. This is a pretty cool use for a few reasons.
Instead of leaving a power-hungry desktop PC running 24/7 to host your movie collection, you can let the Shield handle the heavy lifting. All you need to do is plug in an external hard drive and enable the Plex Media Server in the app. You’ll be guided through the process of granting permissions and getting everything up and running. It’s shockingly easy.
On the Inside: What our editor used to build his Plex server
There are all sorts of benefits to setting up a NAS network. All of your media and files will be backed up in one place, making everything easier to access. Of course, this also makes a NAS server an ideal way to use Plex, a service that allows you to stream all your own media.
Smart Home Dashboard
Use your remote to control your home
With a little creativity, the Shield TV can be a remote-controlled—like, a physical remote—smart home dashboard. This is largely thanks to the fact that it still has Google Assistant baked into the software. That means you can say things like, “Turn off the living room lights” or “show me the front door.”
Admittedly, that’s not super compelling. Google Home controls haven’t been made available for Android TV like they are on Google TV. However, there is a cool app called “QuickBars” if you’re a Home Assistant user. The app gives you an overlay that can be filled with customizable toggles and shortcuts. The app can be installed from the Play Store on the Shield.
Retro Gaming Console
More than capable for classic old games
While the Shield TV can stream AAA games through GeForce NOW, it’s also great for emulators. RetroArch and MAME4droid are two of the best options. RetroArch includes emulators for systems such as the SNES, Nintendo 64, and Sega Genesis, but the Shield can also handle more recent emulators like the PS2 and Nintendo Wii. MAME4droid, on the other hand, is all about arcade machine emulators.
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Arcade Stick
4K movies and high-quality music—no internet required
Streaming apps and media servers are great, but there’s an even more direct route to watching or listening to content on the Shield TV. Apps like Kodi or VLC can play almost any file format you throw at them, including massive files that would make other devices struggle. The newer Shield’s Tegra X1+ chip can handle the most demanding bitrates, and you never have to worry about your Wi-Fi speed or processing from a streaming app ruining the picture quality. Sometimes, simplicity is best.
Install Ubuntu Linux
Yes, it’s possible
The one thing you can do to your Shield TV that is the furthest away from streaming is install Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Bionic on it. This is not a task for the faint of heart, as it requires flashing a kernel, but it effectively turns your streaming box into a desktop PC. But fear not, you can revert if you don’t like it. Once Linux is running, you can use the Shield just like you would any other desktop computer. The project started over on XDA in 2022, and it’s still going strong.
The Shield yearns for more
Ultimately, part of the reason why the Shield TV has remained so popular is its versatility. In a market filled with super cheap, low-powered dongles, the Shield stands out. Whether you’re transforming it into a full-blown Linux desktop or simply using it to play Donkey Kong Country, it can handle the job. If you have one sitting under your TV doing little more than jumping between streaming apps, it might be time to give it more responsibility.
Why your Nvidia Shield TV keeps buffering—and 6 fixes that actually work
The Nvidia Shield TV is one of the best Android product lines in history, including phones. That’s why people are still using models that are nearly a decade old. However, keeping a device running smoothly for that long requires some upkeep.
