One of the benefits of owning the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV is that NVIDIA is dedicated to ensuring the software on offer is unmatched by the other Android TV options. Whether this is in the form of an unrivalled gaming service, exclusive content or just the frequency of updates, the SHIELD looks to offer the best user experience possible for Android TV. In fact, even in terms of the fairly routine updates that come through for the SHIELD, these are typically anything but routine and more often than not come with a number of new and sometimes major features and improvements. Much is the case today with NVIDIA now confirming that the SHIELD Software Upgrade 3.2 is now beginning its roll out to the SHIELD.
In terms of what is on offer with this update, much of the details had already been announced and confirmed by NVIDIA over the last couple of months both at Google I/O and then again more recently. As such, the main overriding theme with this update is its emphasis on bringing a vastly improved user experience. Examples of this come in the form of High Dynamic Range (HDR) support for Netflix, 4K (60fps) support for YouTube and improved audio support through Dolby Atmos, which after updating will be functionally with apps like MX Player, SPMC, the pre-installed ‘Photos & Videos’ app and VUDU. Speaking of which, this update is also the one which brings a VUDU app to the SHIELD. One where you can buy or rent content directly on the SHIELD and in 4K.
Speaking of headline features, this is also the update which adds greater support for Plex. While Plex has always been available in Android app form and for Android TV, this particular upgrade sees Plex becoming far more than just a hub for your content as this update essentially turns the SHIELD into a fully-fledged Plex Media Server. Allowing the SHIELD to act as the main hardware component needed to run the server, including the ability to transcode content directly on the SHIELD. As a result, the Plex updated support will transform the SHIELD into a far richer entertainment-focused machine.
Of course, there are a number of smaller features and improvements included in the update as well, including the ability to access and drag-and-drop files in SHIELD folders from a network PC or Mac, the ability to mount a NAS (network attached storage) device to the SHIELD, and the convenient ability to have the SHIELD automatically turn a TV off when the SHIELD enters a sleep mode. In terms of the more mundane aspects, this update sees improvements to the picture quality on RGB TVs, improvements to refresh rates, greater TV compatibility and also includes the most recent Android security monthly update, June 2016.