Nvidia has issued a pretty major update to its Shield TV streaming box, adding new features for both movie watchers and gamers that should be appreciated.
The update, Shield Experience 9.1, introduces IMAX Enhanced Support for Disney+ streaming content, including an expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio that allows more of the picture to be shown on screen, in its original format.
For now, there is only a limited amount of IMAX Enhanced content on Disney+, such as a few Marvel superhero films and the newly release Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness, but it’s a library that will surely expand in the future as more content is released.
A second movie-related update pertains to the “new night listening mode” on Nvidia Shield that, as the name suggests, works by optimising the audio output for people watching at night. According to the company, it works by leveling out loud noises such as explosions, while enhancing quieter sounds such as dialogue, to provide a more balanced and consistent listening experience when the volume is set low. The general idea is that night owls will be able to sit up watching films all night without disturbing their family or housemates.
On the gaming side, the major news is that Nvidia Shield now supports Auto Low Latency Mode, or ALLM, a move that should significantly improve the performance and responsiveness of streamed video games.
The Shield TV is not a console but it does support the Nvidia GeForce Now game streaming platform, which has a fairly decent library of games. It also supports hundreds of native Android games that run locally on the machine. Nvidia said that when users switch over from watching TV to playing a game, the Shield will automatically switch into “Game Mode”, and reduce latency as much as possible. Note, however, that this will only happen if the Nvidia Shield is connected to a TV or monitor that also supports ALLM.
“Whether gaming from the cloud with GeForce NOW or playing an Android game locally, your gaming experience will feel more responsive than ever," the company promised.
In addition, Nvidia announced the timely release of six new games for GeForce Now that support 4K resolution and 4K with HDR10. They include Dying Light 2, Rainbow Six Extraction and SIFU in 4K, and Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Apex Legends and Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order in 4K HDR.
Last but not least, the fairly beefy update also throws in AI upscaling support for 60Hz HDR10 video, adds some improvements that allows users to better customise their remote controls and game controllers, and the ability to block the displaying of HDR and Dolby Vision content on lower-end TVs that don’t support those formats.
Nvidia said the Shield Experience 9.1 update is available to download now on both the Nvidia Shield TV and the Nvidia Shield TV Pro.
