Remember the Nvidia Shield TV? The last model was released over five years ago, back in December 2019, so it is understandable if it is a product that’s slipped your mind. Despite its age, the GPU giant has still been pushing out the occasional update to the Android TV device.
Yesterday, Nvidia pushed out Upgrade 9.2 to Shield TV devices, and while it comes with the usual bug fixes that we expect, it also comes with some actual new features. For a device released in 2019, that’s a very pleasant surprise, so let’s take a look at the changes Nvidia has introduced for Shield TV owners.
Nvidia Shield TV’s Latest Update Fixes Bugs and Brings New Features
Nvidia has introduced Upgrade 9.2 for its Nvidia Shield TV products, which is perfect for those who still have the relatively dated Android TV device. It’s nice to see that the devices aren’t being neglected.
AURO-3D Gains Support for Hi-Res Immersive Audio
AURO-3D is an audio format similar to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It provides an immersive sound experience for those with multi-speaker setups, allowing for the reproduction of sound in a way that is considered to be extremely lifelike.
The new update allows you to play high-resolution immersive audio using the AURO-3D format when connected over HDMI. However, you will need to make sure that your Shield TV device is connected to a device with AURO-3D support. The Shield TV supports apps like Artist Connection, which have hi-res audio perfect for testing out the immersive sound.
Upgrade 9.2 Bring a Handful of Software Enhancements
AURO-3D is the most newsworthy upgrade for the Shield TV devices, but there are other software enhancements that have been introduced by the hardware giant. I’m not an Nvidia Shield TV owner, so I can’t say I understand the relevance of all of these enhancements. Here they are:
- You can now “match audio content resolution” when your Shield TV is connected to a USB DAC.
- You can now match the frame rate of the content being played (though this is a beta feature).
- There is support for parental controls in French.
- You can clear the HDMI 1.4 flag with a factory reset.
- Security enhancement for 4K DRM playback has been added.
There Are Bug Fixes Aplenty in the Latest Update
Nvidia is used to pushing bug fixes for the Nvidia Shield TV devices, and the latest update doesn’t lose its love for bug squashing. This is the most populous aspect of Upgrade 9.2, so let’s only take a look at some of the most important bugs that have been fixed:
- Choppy video playback after fast-forwarding or rewinding
- Remote doesn’t respond for 60 seconds after waking the Shield TV from sleep
- Shield TV waking from the lock screen even without a button press
- Audio stutters in Bose and Sony headsets when connected to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
- Crash on changing device volume
- AV sync issues when Dolby Processing is turned on
- Apple Music corruption when casting
- GeForce Now crash after launch
- Occasional crashes in DRM applications
You can take a look at the changelog for a full list of all the bug fixes being introduced.
