Graphics hardware giant Nvidia Corp. today announced the launch of Nvidia Shield TV, the next generation of its powerful streaming media player based on Android.

The device will deliver high definition streaming capabilities coupled with gaming and artificial intelligence features.

The product line is actually four years old, launched in May 2015 as set-top box, or “microconsole.” It was revised to a smaller form factor in 2017 but still remained a “box” shape. The new generation of Shield TV is shaped like a small cylinder that takes up far less space.

The two new models will be Shield TV and Shield TV Pro. Both include a Tegra X1+ processor, which is capable of delivering up to 25% more performance than its predecessor.

With this processor, Shield TV will be perfect for delivering Dolby Vision ultravivid imagery and Dolby Atmos for high-fidelity audio. The new processor will also do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to providing greatly improved video quality by using its AI features to scale up high-definition video streams to 4K resolution.

“These new models provide a big step up for Shield, which has consistently delivered groundbreaking innovations in the living room since its introduction five years ago,” said Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of the Consumer Business at Nvidia. “They deliver unquestionably best-in-class entertainment, supported by Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and our breakthroughs in using AI to improve video streaming playback.”

For connectivity, the Shield TV comes with a Gigabit Ethernet port and dual-band Wi-Fi. The Shield TV Pro, which returns to the box form factor for more room, comes with additional memory and storage, as well as two extra Universal Serial Bus ports for running a Plex Media Server (external storage for movies and music), connecting high-capacity hard drives or other USB devices.

The sleek new design also comes with a greatly improved remote control, powered by two AAA batteries, that includes motion-activated backlit buttons, a built-in lost remote locator and a microphone for voice search.

For TV and movie watchers, the Shield TV is an Android device with access to Google Play and more than 500,000 movies and shows. The addition of Dolby Vision delivers ultravivid images streamed at HD quality and upgraded with the Tegra processor. It is capable of dramatic contrast and highlights that are over 40 times brighter and blacks that are 10 times darker.

Music and audio lovers will enjoy what Nvidia describes as a “leap forward from surround sound” with Dolby Atmos, which can deliver a highly immersive soundscape creating “moving audio that flows around listeners.”

For gamers, access to Google Play will deliver more than 5,000 games. Gamers will also be able to play cloud gaming, local streaming and advanced native games. Hundreds of games are also available through the GeForce Now beta, including many recent releases and top free-to-play games such as “Fortnite.”

It has also been reported that the new Shield TV will support Google LLC’s Stadia ultra-high fidelity cloud gaming service.

“By bringing together Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos with Android TV, users of the new Shield TV media players receive an unmatched experience that well represents our platform’s rich content and capabilities,” said Shalini Govil-Pai, senior director of product management for Android TV at Google.

The standard Shield TV starts at $149 with remote and the Shield TV Pro with remote, 3 gigabytes of memory and 16 gigabytes of storage is available for $199. More details on the specifications and where to buy is available on Nvidia’s Shield website.

Image: Nvidia