Nvidia Shield Adds 4K, HDR Streaming Options

The Nvidia Shield Android TV box's latest software update, announced this week, expands the 4K and HDR video content available on the popular streaming device, and adds a few new features that will make it play nice with computers and the rest of your home entertainment setup.

Netflix's entire HDR library, which will expand to around 100 titles by the end of the summer, is now available for streaming on Shield . You'll need to subscribe to the Ultra HD price plan and have a TV compatible with Dolby Sense or HDR10 to watch. Movies include a smattering of Marvel titles, as well as TV shows like Bloodline and Jessica Jones.

Shield's 4K streaming options, meanwhile, now include YouTube and Vudu, with YouTube clips available at 60 fps.

Audio gets a boost, too. Shield now supports Dolby Atmos pass-through for dedicated surround sound setups and some sound bars. Samsung plans to introduce two Atmos-compatible bars this summer. At $999 and $1,499, they're not impulse buys, though they also include subwoofers and the more expensive one adds two wireless rear speakers.

With the software update, Netflix, Vudu, and Spotify are now compatible with Nvidia Shield's universal search. Similar to Roku and other streaming boxes, one search query will comb the libraries of more than 60 streaming apps.

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Use Nvidia's Shield TV to Access Plex

Speaking of apps, Android TV has added a slew of them. Among the new additions available on Shield are WatchESPN, NBC News, and Spotify, while Disney, MTV, Comedy Central, and ABC apps are coming soon, according to Nvidia.

Finally, Shield owners who take advantage of the box's built-in Plex server will have a few new options for sharing content on their home network, including the ability to mount a NAS drive to Shield and share folders with a Mac or PC. Thanks to HDMI CEC, you can also now configure Shield to shut down your TV when it goes to sleep.