Were also only looking at boxes with their own remotes, local storage, and operating systems.
It supports streaming video in 4K, but unfortunatelydoes not support HDR video.
It can stream video in 4K and its the only option on our list that also supports HDR.
None of these games play in 4K, though, so were not paying too much attention to those.
It includes Alexa, which means it can donearly anything the Amazon Echo can.
Like the Roku 4, it can stream in 4K, but it cant handle HDR content.
Weve left off the Apple TV this time around since it doesnt support 4K at all.
For everyone else, heres what we found during our comparison.
You have to use the remote control to pop in in your Wi-Fi credentials manually with an on-screen keyboard.
Fortunately, this is the most tedious aspect of setup and it gets considerably easier from there.
Simply search for set up my machine.
This will automatically detect the SHIELD in your living room and pair your phone with it directly.
Now your set-top box is connected to the internet and you didnt have to enter a single password!
Thanks to GooglesSmart Lock, logging into streaming services is easier as well.
Unfortunately, many apps dont yet support Smart Lock.
If you use two-factor authentication (which you should), Amazons login process gets even more cumbersome.
Once youre in, you have access to Amazons video library.
If you want anything else, though, you have to download the apps before you use them.
We had this same complaintwith the Fire TV Stick.
Amazons setup process is already annoying.
The Roku has four dedicated buttons to launch Netflix, Amazon, Sling, andthe now-defunct Rdio.
It has a headphone jack so you’re able to listen to your TV shows privately.
Theres even a remote-finder button on the Roku itself.
Just tap it and your remote will emit a sound to help you find it.
Fortunately, the dedicated app buttons can relieve some of that stress.
Since the SHIELD TV is designed with gaming in mind, NVIDIA packed it withthe companys powerful X1 processor.
As a result,this thing flies.
Of all the set-top boxes Ive examined, none are as smooth as the SHIELD.
Much of the credit for the interface goes to Android TV.
Googles voice search is one of the most powerful (as you might expect).
It will then show you where to find them.
It can even search within apps like Plex that hold your own personal library.
Thats great for gamers, for but everyone else that just wants to watch TV, its cumbersome.
However, Amazon heavily pushes its own content in each one.
If you dont use Amazon Prime, this can make finding content a mess.
There are two 4K-centric channels on the Roku.
First, the4K Spotlight channelshowcases specific shows and movies from various streaming services.
It supports 4K and HDR playback, but wont tell you when a show youre watching supports either.
Surprisingly, this banner is even applied to non-Amazon content.
Playing Back 4K Videos
The Roku 4 is one of the more powerful devices in our comparison.
Even with a solid internet connection, you might see a little lag.
As we mentioned before, the Roku 4 doesnt fully support HDR, either.
This can be a little confusing for customers who arent well-versed in the nuance of what HDR means.
If you might find a 4K video to play on the SHIELD TV, its totally worth it.
It was faster than both the other boxes over the same Wi-Fi connection.
It also handled HDR content beautifully.
There was virtually no extra loading time while streaming HDR-enabled shows.
It worked flawlessly, even when I jumped around in the episode.
At least until the other boxes catch up.
For posterity, we re-did the above test withMarco Polo,a Netflix show that explicitly supports HDR.
This works a lot like YouTubes player.
It doesnt support HDR and, because it uses an HDMI 1.4 port, it never will.
It also showed the most lag while streaming of any box I tested.
When you first play a 4K video, youll see a brief screen that says Optimizing for UHD playback.
Once the videos I watched started, it usually began playing pixelated while the stream caught up.
The SHIELD TV is perfect for anyone who wants lag-free 4K and HDR video.
Everything about it feels like a premium experience.
The interface is slick, search is great, and 4K playback is smooth.
The only problem is the premium price.
At $200, its way more expensive than most devices of its kind.
Or at least one that comes with the basic remote instead of a game controller.
The lack of HDR is a serious blow for future-proofing your home theater, though.
If HDR matters to you, dont buy the Fire TV.
