Just to let you guys know, and warn you not to get the Archos 97 Titanium HD, it's that bad, i don't know what to do with it. i will try to sell it as a second hand and loose money on it. i bought it 5 days ago....
the problems with this device:
1. WIFI is very very slow and reception almost doesn't exists ! you will not be able to get a signal farther than 3m from the router.
2. HD ? Retina ? are you kidding me the device is on Normal mode (half of retina res.) and works sort of OK but still not as fast as expected from a dual core 1.6GHZ CPU with quad core GPU !- SHAME on you Archos.
Putting the device in HD mode, Forget about it, your device will flicker like hell and the lags becomes epic !
IMHO, the worst is the Archos knows about this and doesn't issue a recall or a solution to their customers. this is definitely the last time i will buy Archos for me they are a bunch of thieves because they know about their defective product and they keep selling it.
I feel like it's my obligation to post this message in all the relevant forums, to warn other suckers from falling in Archos trap.
Let me know what you think about this device, i'm going to the store tomorrow and will try to give it back.
"IPAD killer" really ?
OK, HD mode is a bust. Normal mode is OK if not good enough. The screen resolution is still better than a lot of devices. I agree it should work in HD mode but doesn't. For me it surfs the net better than a tegra 3 high end tablet like the Asus transformers.
I suggest you try to change the launcher to nova. For me it speed the device up a lot. (Dont use apex) Also did you update to the latest firmware? The end of January build.
The spec of the device is similar to the original Samsung galaxy note. Its high enough spec to expect it to perform OK but nothing special, I doubt it will ever be able to pump out HD resolution.
Either easy I hope you sort it out
How can any manufacturer release a device with a resolution that they just cannot support?!!?
Archos have great ideas but really poor implementation.
Sent from my 101XS using XDA app
They are making an retina less version called 97b
sent from my UNLOCKED gt-s5360 using the XDA app
I wan't to be sure that it's not only me who is affected, I downloaded Dead Trigger 2 on Lollipop, and it's almost unplayable, whereas on KitKat it was running without any lag even on the High settings. Now it runs like on 10-15 fps, sometimes actually is enjoyable, but then drops down again. The same with Modern Combat 5. Downgrading the graphics from the settings is not a solution for me.
Can anybody check it if it's the same for them?
Szighy said:
I wan't to be sure that it's not only me who is affected, I downloaded Dead Trigger 2 on Lollipop, and it's almost unplayable, whereas on KitKat it was running without any lag even on the High settings. Now it runs like on 10-15 fps, sometimes actually is enjoyable, but then drops down again. The same with Modern Combat 5. Downgrading the graphics from the settings is not a solution for me.
Can anybody check it if it's the same for them?
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Chrome browser and animations are whats laggy for me.
Just installed Dead Trigger 2 and it's highly playable.
abemore said:
Chrome browser and animations are whats laggy for me.
Just installed Dead Trigger 2 and it's highly playable.
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I just clean installed Lollipop with the stock rom google provided, so I will be testing gaming performance in a bit, anyone knows how to root the device without a mod kernel?
Lol I am only playing one game right now. Sad as it is to say this "Cars fast as lightning". Its hard to judge really as while the game is fun, Gameloft support has been slow. Originally it had stuttering and random lockups but when it was running smooth it was running smooth. After lollipop initially it didn't work at all. Then they updated it and for the most part it's fixed. Seemed a little laggier at first but now its fine. Still has the random stuttering but its always had that.
I don't think lollipop is crippling performance I think devs just aren't updating their games
Here is why I stay with KK and not with LP (even 5.1 with insane CPU and GPU OC) : even now at the time of this post, the following games that I play are unplayable on LP but smooth with no OC on KK : Minion Rush, Dead Trigger 2, Vainglory (closed beta), Oddworld, Spiderman Unlimited, Looney Tunes Dash, Deer Hunter 2014, Cars fast as lightning, Heroes Charge lags a bit but playable but still annoying fps drops, etc.
If you use your Nexus 7 2013 for checking the weather and watch youtube videos then go with Lollipop if you really want the latest fancy Android themed veraion.
If you use your Nexus 7 2013 for browsing the web and gaming, then stay with KitKat so you can use your tablet's full performance until the devs fix their apps or Google fixes Lollipop for our device (I don't care who has the fault in games working like I have a 2009 phone instead of a 2013 tablet).
I recently bought this Nexus 7 2013 (2Gb RAM / 32GB storage) with the idea that it would be a great tablet to play vainglory with.... I wanted a 7" tablet that had 2GB of RAM and at least 16GB for storage because I felt an 8" or larger tablet would just too big to play on. I was really disappointed with the performance on VG running on 5.1.1. Gutted really because I've already bought two other budget 8" tablets and they didn't work out very well. As good as this tablet still is, I'm really thinking about returning it and just getting a high-end 8" tablet or something.... I guess downgrading to Kit Kat is an option but I really don't like running an older OS.
Before anyone says game streaming I wanted to know if there was any other features that I should consider when deciding over a cheap android box and the shield. I owned a cheap android box for 2 years and it was really good but it was slow and never got updates but kodi worked perfectly until 17 update, but it's hard justifying a $300 price tag for the 16gb over $50 for the cheap one.
1. CPU performance, much faster then any s912, especially it have active cooling make it can keep in full speed, if you use any old amlogic box you will know you just can't decode any 1080 hi10p due to either the HW decoder not support or CPU not fast enough for SW decode. The shield can do it by CPU with 50-70%cpu usage max. Also although newer amlogic such as S912 support h265 but it is very buggy, the shield TV on the other hand is very stable.
2. For Android gaming I don't think you can find any android box in this size/price can better then it. Sure you can get a x86 box but that will much more expensive and larger.
3. Support 1080 ycbcr 422 12bit , I don't have 4K so dunno what is support, but as I remember there are no other cheap android box will support this output. (Sure you will need to take care the HDMI version mismatch problem if you got AVR)
If you will not use Plex and don't need IR then I suggest you just get the 16GB version, by the way I attach a 128GB USB stick to store my mame rom, much faster then hdd version.
Previous I use mi box and some other android box, but I can say shield TV is the most problem free and the fastest one for me.
$50 android boxes are junk, period. These things should be illegal to sell in USA. The manufactures are horrible at support & you never get updates. The only time a cheap android box is worth buying is if there are active private developers. Here's where the price difference matters, your $50 box lasted you 2 years. I've had my shield tv for almost 2 years & my guess is it'll still be alive & kicking in 10 years & still be my main media center. The shield tv was released as a future proof device, meaning it has a long life span while the $50 junk boxes have a very short limited life span hardware & software wise, you'll be replacing these types of boxes every 2 years.
Since when was the 16GB version $300?!
What feature(s)?!
In One Word... Widevine L(evel)1 support. (Ok tht was Two Words, whatever...)
Why is this a big deal? In Two Words this time. Amazon, and Netflix. In full UHD, let alone FHD. Your ~50$ 'Droid Box most likely will never have it. The only exception to that rule would be the Xaiomi Mi Box. Which like the Shield TV is a licenced AndroidTV Box. Which is based on the well known AmLogic S905 SoC. I have no ideas on how, or if Amazon will ever be ported to it. For now I gather it's a bit of a Shield exclusive. But, Netflix should be fine, along with the other usual suspects.
There is also the Gaming, and Emulation side of the Device, that puts it well ahead of the competition. With its small but exclusive Titles under the nVIDIA Lightspeed Studios. But, that may not be enough to convince a mass take up of it considering the initial cost.
If all you need is a cheap Kodi Box than by all means. You could pick one up, and gamble that you get a working one. Note I got burnt TWICE with an AmLogic S912 SoC Device. The first One cooked itself, while using Chrome, and the Second came with a defective WiFi Chip. So you take your chances with an unknown when buying One of these Devices.
When it comes to Updates, you'd be lucky to see a few Bug fixes before whoever's in charge gets bored, and moves on. nVIDIA have been supporting the Shield TV since it came out in 2015, and they will probably still be supporting it for a while yet with the 2017 version.
One last thing you might like to know about Kodi, and these Cheapo Boxes. Unless those Manufactures get off their butts, and code their CODECs to Android spec. Kodi will only ever function in Software mode only. Which will have a major impact on Video performance. Alas I don't know if the Mi Box also has that problem. Given its a specialized AmLogic build, perhaps not? But, a native Netflix App does not a Kodi make.
Of course there is One other thing that separates both the Shield TV, and the Mi Box. (Which I hinted at earlier.)
They are both Licenced AndroidTV units. And, in case that isn't quite clear to you. Then a word of caution to you. AndroidTV ≠ Android (e.g. Some generic 'Droid Box.), You should expect to see virtually nothing in the (AndroidTV), PlayStore. Certainly nothing like what most People probably imagine, after getting off the PlayStore on their Samsung Phablet. And, you can thank Google for that!
se1000 said:
Since when was the 16GB version $300?!
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Probably since nVIDIA weren't able to meet the demand for the Device which drove Scalpers to scalp it along with the Pro for Upwards of 600€'s, and no I wish I was making that up. The only time the Shield came down to reasonable levels, was just before they announced the Shield 2 (a.k.a. The Shield TV Slim), which was rightly rejected by those who already had a Shield. Seeing that I was able to get a used '15 Pro for 'round 200€ back in January. Good luck finding one now, for that price. If I wanted to spend nearly 300€ on a used One. I would rather just buy the new '17 Model for a fraction more. (i.e. 329€).
Ichijoe said:
What feature(s)?!
One last thing you might like to know about Kodi, and these Cheapo Boxes. Unless those Manufactures get off their butts, and code their CODECs to Android spec. Kodi will only ever function in Software mode only. Which will have a major impact on Video performance. Alas I don't know if the Mi Box also has that problem. Given its a specialized AmLogic build, perhaps not? But, a native Netflix App does not a Kodi make.
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You are correct on this, most cheap android box had broken mediacodec support, as KODI remove the amcodec support so either 1. switch to old version/spmc which have amcode, 2. SW decode, but the cpu not fast enough most of the time.
the google version of mi box's mediacodec are ok, but it still cannot hw decode hi10p (main reason I switch from mi box to shield tv)
DummyPLUG said:
You are correct on this, most cheap android box had broken mediacodec support, as KODI remove the amcodec support so either 1. switch to old version/spmc which have amcode, 2. SW decode, but the cpu not fast enough most of the time.
the google version of mi box's mediacodec are ok, but it still cannot hw decode hi10p (main reason I switch from mi box to shield tv)
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Outside of actively getting off my [REDACTED] to search for some hi10p Materials, back when I was still knee deep in Linux VDR (i.e. HTPC). The chances of actually encountering anything actually encoded at 10bits is extremely rare. And I do likes me some KissAnime. So I would chalk it down as a nice to have feature, and not the Killer One, that Widevine Level 1 is. As only the Select TVs running ATV, or the MiBox, and Shield TV are capable of such high end DRMs, for legaly being able to watch Netflix in either FHD, or UHD.
Since those other Boxes only have Widevine Level 3. You'd be lucky to watch Netflix in 480p MAX!
So for me that's a bigger deal going forward. Mores the pitty that the MiBox is virtually useless outside of North America though.
Not going into hard core comparison as far as audio support and video support but just general laymen comparison.
As reference current devices I own a A95x cheap android box, Fire TV Sticks, Nexus Players and 2nd Gen Fire TV, Roku2, Shield TV Gen 1
1. Performance - I didn't think the difference would be that huge since I mainly just use streaming services and apps like Netflix and Kodi to name a few but it's noticeable even in just those two areas. My FTV2 was snappy I thought compared to my other devices but the Shield just Launches apps quicker and goes through local and internet streams a lot smoother. Not a gamer but I have used them and let kids use them to try games and again just performance is amazing.
2. Ease of use my gripe with the a95x cheapo is It was IR remote and the interface just sucked. FTV2 and FTV sticks had their own interface over Lollipop and this too I am not a big fan of. Nexus Player and Shield TV are very straightforward and use the Leanback Launcher IMO easier to use and get google play store unlike Amazons offerings.
3. You get what you pay for. It's an investment that hopefully it will last. Performance wise I'm not worried about having to get a new box for a while now. Also the build and the remotes just are more appealing with the metal finish and all and they are rechargeable (yes the drawback is it's not replaceable batteries). It's running official Android TV yes the Playstore is limited for TV devices but for average user that doesn't want to side load and just works great out of the box it's perfect.
If cost is an issue like it was for me just wait for a deal or find one used if you're willing to take the chance. I just got my 1st gen Shield 2 weeks ago because I bought it used for $120 and had I tested it beforehand I never would have bought my a95x, fire tv sticks. I am happy with the Nexus Players I scored those for $40 but it's discontinued and my FTV2 but the Shield TV kicked those devices out of the family room and now those are in mine and kids bedrooms.
If performance isn't a huge deal then I wouldn't upgrade. If it is but cost still too high there are alternatives Fire TV (Just ew Amazon interface) and Nexus Player (Discontinued) or Mi box (Owned for a month and returned it performance wasn't as good as Nexus Player).
I have 2 fire sticks, a firetv box, and the new version of the shield TV. The shield is fast and responsive, but I don't think its performance justifies the price. If you not going for game steaming... I would just use a firetv box. Kodi performance is on par.
Here is my problem with the shield TV. Ram. For its price point I would expect 4gb of ram. This was a huge mistake I feel when they released the new version.
Don't get me wrong, I love my shield but if I didn't get mine for 175 with a deal, I would have not got it.
I couldn't disagree more with the majority of what's been said. It is true that the shield is an investment. It's worth it in the long run to get a shield. Talks of "4gb of ram" are comical at best. You want 4gb of ram buy a jetson tx1 for $500+ The point is, 4gb of ram isn't required when you have a constant power source. Take the Nintendo switch for example, yea sure it's basically a jetson tx1 (4gb ram) but clocked at a much lower speed to run on battery.
I would say it depends greatly upon how you want to come to the Shield TV. If your looking at it as just another in a long line of 'Droid Boxen, then that is how you will see it. If your like me, and your coming in from the huge running costs of an HTPC, with VDR Recording capabilities. Then the Shield becomes self-evident. As it can do those same jobs in a much tighter Footprint, and use just a microfraction of the Electricity to do it. Everything else is just a nice bonus. e.g. The Games, Emulations, Android itself.
So no Op is correct the Shield TV isn't the right answer for everyone. If for example Op wanted just the cheapest Box to do the most basic streaming (Amazon, Hulu, Netflix HBO Go, etc....), Then the Amazon Fire TV, would be right up his street. But IIRC, that only had 2GB of RAM, not that you would need it.
Also, if you want extra storage, you're better off getting the 16GB model and adding an external HDD. The way Nvidia set up the Pro model is kinda dumb - everything (including the system ROM) runs on the HDD, not flash, so it's really slow. It's also not user-replaceable without voiding the warranty and a lot of hassle. 4 TB portable drives are a bit over $100, so you can get a lot more storage for almost the same price.
Mogster2K said:
Also, if you want extra storage, you're better off getting the 16GB model and adding an external HDD. The way Nvidia set up the Pro model is kinda dumb - everything (including the system ROM) runs on the HDD, not flash, so it's really slow. It's also not user-replaceable without voiding the warranty and a lot of hassle. 4 TB portable drives are a bit over $100, so you can get a lot more storage for almost the same price.
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That might be true... But it's not like you couldn't just clone the contents of the Original SSHD, and then write that to the heavier, faster SSD. There are at least Two Threads on that subject, that I'm personally aware of. As to it being slower? That only applies when doing things like unlocking the Bootloader (a precursor to rooting), or factory resetting it where in both cases it'll take the best part of 2h to complete. Under day to day use However, I greatly doubt there is any major difference in the overall speed.
Also the newer Slim (and, light) Shield TV, also lack a few things, like the IR Port (for Harmony Remotes), and the OTG MicroUSB Port, and worse of all the MicroSD Slot.
Also one thing about Adopted Storage, e.g. adding external Storage. Just because you could add a 4TB SS/H/DD, doesn't give you licence to go 'round installing everything to your heart's content as not everything will be installed to External (Adopted), Storage and you will most likely be scratching your head about not having enough Space to install some Game even if you have the best part of 4+ GBs left inside in your External Storage. Just the way it is on my Phablet alas Adopted Storage is kind of a lie. As I see it.
If you replace the Pro HDD with an SSD, you're paying $100 just for the hard drive bay. (Edit: I did not realize the Pro hardware was basically unchanged.) Also, I would not recommend using an HDD as adopted storage anyway. Better to leave it as NTFS since Android network transfers are so slow.
Finally, it is possible to boot the Shield TV from an external SSD. You need a special boot image (MM only unfortunately) and an SSD in a USB enclosure. It's a bit tricky to set up but works pretty well. A Nougat version is in the works.
Ichijoe said:
That might be true... But it's not like you couldn't just clone the contents of the Original SSHD, and then write that to the heavier, faster SSD. There are at least Two Threads on that subject, that I'm personally aware of. As to it being slower? That only applies when doing things like unlocking the Bootloader (a precursor to rooting), or factory resetting it where in both cases it'll take the best part of 2h to complete. Under day to day use However, I greatly doubt there is any major difference in the overall speed.
Also the newer Slim (and, light) Shield TV, also lack a few things, like the IR Port (for Harmony Remotes), and the OTG MicroUSB Port, and worse of all the MicroSD Slot.
Also one thing about Adopted Storage, e.g. adding external Storage. Just because you could add a 4TB SS/H/DD, doesn't give you licence to go 'round installing everything to your heart's content as not everything will be installed to External (Adopted), Storage and you will most likely be scratching your head about not having enough Space to install some Game even if you have the best part of 4+ GBs left inside in your External Storage. Just the way it is on my Phablet alas Adopted Storage is kind of a lie. As I see it.
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Try enable force app install on external in developer options, I had no problem to save everything to my USB.
So i had this idea right, im sitting here in my apartment playing the shield, eating a burrito and then it hits me, with the release of google stadia coming quickly, a new shield with new hardware, and looking more and more likely that the shield might just go into abandonment, and i mean why not just do what all us tech guys do; take something slow/broken/outdated and make it fast/smooth/new, SOOOOOOO i need some thought and opinions on how i should go about this, the idea is too crack open and do a careful teardown of the hadware and case that currently makes up the latetest shield gaming edition, set it aside and fine a small case like a mini ITX, although im thinking i might go a lil smaller, wire the whole deal up using and I/O that comes already on the face of the case, 2+ TB hard disk, (External gpu??) then possibly configuring some kind of water cooling as i FULLY intend too then root the device and use SUperuser too overclock the cpu, and then I KNOWW this is a strech but i was looking into actually running a different OS on the sheild possibly?? WoA (windows on ARM) IS POSSIBLE and fully avalible too developers although the only issue being absolutely no driver support but any NATIVE x86 programs WILL RUN FINE, or possibly running steamOS and making her a steam machine but as newer distrobutions of linux looking like a pretty viable option for gaming nowadays.
aaaaaanyways lemme know what yall think and throw me some of your thoughts my way as any feedback is good feedback
A different Case might be nice, but I don't get the point of running a different OS on it. There are better (and cheaper) Options hardwarewise for other OSes.
jetson board cheaper
At the moment I also use Nvidia Shield. I am planning to add a hard drive to this build to keep my favorite movies in 4k. My library will expand in the future.
Why not get a Network Attached Storage and be able to access it from all the devices in your home?
Fill it with movies from your computer and watch them on your Shield TV (or any other device with a screen for that matter) .