Nvidia’s Chris Daniel updated the company’s blog with news that the Shield Android TV set-top-box can now be purchased on Google Play in North America. The device is one of three Shield gadgets that Nvidia has released over the years, starting with the Shield handheld (2013) followed by the Shield tablet (2014) and the Shield set-top-box (2015). The other two devices are not for sale on Google’s storefront.
The specifications show that the Shield set-top-box sports a Nvidia Tegra X1 SoC, 3 GB of RAM, a 256-core GPU, 16 GB of storage (500 GB for the “Pro” model), dual-band Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.1/BLE connectivity, and Android 5.1 “Lollipop.” There’s also Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, two USB 3.0 ports, a microSD card slot, a microUSB 2.0 port and an IR receiver.
With this device, Nvidia is shooting to support 4K Ultra HD playback at 60 frames per second when connected to a compatible Ultra HD TV. The specs also show that the box supports Dolby 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound via pass through over HDMI. Playback audio is up to 24-bit/192 kHz over HDMI and USB, the specs reveal.
Despite the box’s movie “theater” roots, Nvidia’s set-top-box also aims to bring HD Android gaming to the living room. Packed with a Nvidia Shield controller, owners can play high-definition games that can’t be played on other Android devices such as Doom 3 BFG Edition, War Thunder, and Brawl.
However, like the other two Shield gadgets, the set-top-box can stream specific PC games from your “Kepler” or better PC gaming rig. Nvidia also serves up over 50 PC games that can be streamed via Nvidia Grid. These games include Batman: Arkham Origins, Ultra Street Fighter IV, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Borderlands, Dead Island, and tons more.
“More than 135 high-quality games are available in our curated SHIELD Hub app, and another 300+ on Google Play. More arrive all the time,” Daniel says.
The Shield set-top-box comes with one controller and 16 GB of storage for a meager $199.99. Want the massive 500 GB version instead? Be prepared to cough up $299.99.
From maximumpc
from http://bit.ly/1fLlpsf
