The Holidays is a family time and one of the pastimes many families like to partake in, is sitting in front of the TV. Which is not surprising considering so many networks put out dedicated Holidays TV content and season finales around this time of the year. So while the act of sitting in front of the TV has not changed that much over the years, that doesn’t mean you cannot upgrade the experience and Android TV really is one of the best ways to do it.
Cut that cord
One of the best reasons to invest in Android TV is that it gives you access to just about all the TV content you can think of. This is thanks to the platform’s dependence on apps. So just like the ability to consume a wide variety of content on your smartphone, pretty much all of the same apps are now available on an Android TV device. What’s more, any video or TV app that is not, can usually be cast to Android TV devices as these units all also come with Cast-support included. More to the point, it is now the case that nearly every network and show you can think of will be available somehow through Android TV without having to sign up for additional hardware, or any long-term commitment associated with cable TV. Yes, most of these services you will have to pay for, but the difference is you will only have to pay on a month-by-month basis and can à la carte choose the networks and content you want to watch. If your family is a GoT family, then just sign up for HBO and you are done. The same goes for pretty much any other show.
You don’t need to bother with network apps
While you do have the choice of signing up for content from the big network and TV players, that doesn’t mean you have to. TV has changed dramatically over the years and the chances are good that in addition to your cable subscription, you also will have a subscription to the likes of Netflix and/or Amazon. For a number of people in the US, it will be a subscription to both as everyone seems to have Netflix these days and Amazon Video comes bundled with a Prime subscription – which again, everyone seems to have nowadays. And access to just these two apps alone will provide you with all the TV content you will need. Which means you not only can forgo a cable subscription altogether, but you could also opt to out of all the paid-monthly network apps as well. Most of the content being shown on these apps will eventually trickle down to Netflix or Amazon in due course, and both do boast a wide and good back catalog already – not to mention a number of highly rated shows that are only available through these apps. This is all even before taking into consideration the numerous other sub-genre and specialist video apps that are available for Android TV. Is your family an anime fan family? Then Crunchyroll is all you will need. This is one of the best selling points of Android TV as the platform removes the need for a catch-all viewing experience. With Android TV, the TV becomes a highly individual and customized experience.
Go with the NVIDIA SHIELD
When it comes to the options, there are quite a few although most of the current Android TV options will require you to invest a little more than you might want to in order to test out a new platform. Either by signing up with a provider and in return getting a free Android TV STB (which defeats the purpose of ‘cutting the cord,’ or by investing in a new big screen which comes with the Android TV interface included. Making the NVIDIA SHIELD one of the more affordable options now for those looking to get involved with Android TV. Luckily though, it also happens to be the best way to engage with the platform as well.
Why is the NVIDIA SHIELD the best option? This is a simple question to answer. While there are not a lot of standalone options to choose from at the moment, taking all other aspects away (like the cost of the SHIELD compared to a new TV), the actual end user experience on offer with the NVIDIA SHIELD is second to none. It is not just better than the experience offered by Xiaomi, Sony, SHARP, LeEco, and the rest, it is light years better. This is due to a combination of things, although the two main points to note is firstly, the SHIELD is simply so powerful that what it can do eclipses what other versions of Android TV can do. To put this point into perspective, although the current NVIDIA SHIELD is a 2017 model, underneath it is not that different compared to the 2015 model – as it boasts many of the same specs and features. With us now going into 2018, this effectively makes the NVIDIA SHIELD at its core a three-year old machine. And yet it is STILL more powerful than everything else on the market. It was in 2015, it is in 2017, and by the looks of it, it will be in 2018. This means it not only handles performance of Android TV apps and content better, but it is also able to handle aspects that other Android TV devices cannot. Like for example, an advanced level of gaming which is unrivaled in the Android TV world at the moment. Yes, we are not talking about PlayStation and Xbox quality here, but we are talking about a solid gaming experience and certainly the best one you will find in the Android world as a whole – not just the Android TV world.
The second reason to focus in on the NVIDIA SHIELD is the updates. This is arguably the most important reason to opt for a SHIELD as NVIDIA now has a proven track record of being one of the most prolific and trustworthy names when it comes to updating its Android TV device. This has become a massive issue in the Android TV world and owners of Sony Android TV devices, LeEco Android TV devices, and Xiaomi’s Mi Box, will all attest to how bad these companies are at maintaining updates for their machines. While this of course affects the performance of an Android TV device, it also affects the security, as Android TV devices, like any Android device, are always prone to new attacks and issues. With the SHIELD this is far less of an issue as the updates for the SHIELD roll out regularly. Not to mention, NVIDIA typically does not just roll out any old update, it rolls out super feature-rich updates which bring even more functionality to the device. In short, the NVIDIA SHIELD is not only the best Android TV device to buy, but it is one which just keeps getting better with age. So if you are looking to upgrade your TV experience for the Holidays, Android TV is the way to do it and the NVIDIA SHIELD is how to do it.
Buy NVIDIA SHIELD