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Nvidia, Apple and Amazon share a common vision for a new type of media streaming set-top box that lives in the lounge, providing a state-of-the-art media interface - and powering a new range of mainstream-friendly games. The Cupertino super-power has already shared its plans for its new 2015 revision of the Apple TV, while Amazon has upped the ante with a 4K-capable revision of its Fire TV. Beating both of them to the market is Nvidia with its new Shield Android TV micro-console, by far and away the most technologically advanced device of the bunch.At the heart of the box is Nvidia's bespoke Tegra X1, featuring a 20nm SoC with unrivalled specs in this space: CPU-wise, the firm has opted for an octo-core configuration, with four of ARM's cutting-edge A57s paired with four lower-power A53s. Combined with this is a range of technology derived from the same second-gen Maxwell architecture that powers desktop graphics cards like the recent GTX 950 - we have 256 CUDA cores here (vs the 768 in the 950), combined with the exact same media capabilities, including full 4K support and the ability to decode next-gen compression technologies including Google's VP9 and HEVC.
Physically, the Shield console is a curious mixture of matte and shiny plastics, blended together via a collection of non-symmetrical harsh edges that it make it look very different from any angle you care to view it from. In combination with its best-in-class processor, the device has an enviable range of IO ports too: microSD, microUSB, gigabit Ethernet and two full-size, full-speed USB 3.0 ports. Star of the show is the HDMI 2.0 port, with full HDCP 2.2 support, future-proofing it for next-gen 4K content delivery. This makes it the only premium media streamer with full 60Hz support at ultra-HD resolutions.
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