Develop Bugs

[Q] 3D Movies on the Fire TV?

One of the things I was most excited about pairing my Fire TV with XBMC was the ability to have on-demand 3D movies. Last night I gave it its first run and, unfortunately, it did not go well. We started a 1080p 3D movie via XBMCtorrent. Things went smoothly for the first ten minutes or so, then a big error message appeared on the screen saying that my Fire TV was nearly full to capacity. XBMC showed that it weighed in at over 6 gigabytes. (My Fire TV has only about 3 repositories and 3 add-ons installed beyond the native Fire TV software and the XBMC software itself.)The only thing I could think of to do was to use a Delete Files command that basically set XBMC back to the drawing board, where I had to reinstall all my add-ons, reset the screen size setup, everything, but at least the error message went away. We started up a new 3D movie, and several minutes in, XBMC completely crashed.
I know the storage on a Fire TV isn't enormous. Does that mean that 3D movies aren't playable on the Fire TV?

Raymondo17 said:
One of the things I was most excited about pairing my Fire TV with XBMC was the ability to have on-demand 3D movies. Last night I gave it its first run and, unfortunately, it did not go well. We started a 1080p 3D movie via XBMCtorrent. Things went smoothly for the first ten minutes or so, then a big error message appeared on the screen saying that my Fire TV was nearly full to capacity. XBMC showed that it weighed in at over 6 gigabytes. (My Fire TV has only about 3 repositories and 3 add-ons installed beyond the native Fire TV software and the XBMC software itself.)The only thing I could think of to do was to use a Delete Files command that basically set XBMC back to the drawing board, where I had to reinstall all my add-ons, reset the screen size setup, everything, but at least the error message went away. We started up a new 3D movie, and several minutes in, XBMC completely crashed.
I know the storage on a Fire TV isn't enormous. Does that mean that 3D movies aren't playable on the Fire TV?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on your source I guess.
I have 3D Blurays I ripped to SBS MKV files using AnyDvdHD and BD-rebuilder. They play just fine so far.
But I'll admit I haven't tried playing any Torrents

Just a guess but are you using genesis with fan art enabled? Those thumbnails add up. Lots of people have complained about low memory. I'm rooted and since using advanced settings to store meta data on external drive I've had no space issues.
But, I'm not an expert, however, that doesn't make sense to me. I've watched very large 3d files on devices like atv2 with flash memory.
I don't want to steer you wrong but maybe the zero cache setting would work? I've read lots of posts on low memory and aftv but this is the first time I've heard of a file not playingon a device with apparently enough free space.

KLit75 said:
Just a guess but are you using genesis with fan art enabled? Those thumbnails add up. Lots of people have complained about low memory. I'm rooted and since using advanced settings to store meta data on external drive I've had no space issues.
But, I'm not an expert, however, that doesn't make sense to me. I've watched very large 3d files on devices like atv2 with flash memory.
I don't want to steer you wrong but maybe the zero cache setting would work? I've read lots of posts on low memory and aftv but this is the first time I've heard of a file not playingon a device with apparently enough free space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what advance settings did you use? xml text? and what... dill

Raymondo17 said:
One of the things I was most excited about pairing my Fire TV with XBMC was the ability to have on-demand 3D movies. Last night I gave it its first run and, unfortunately, it did not go well. We started a 1080p 3D movie via XBMCtorrent. Things went smoothly for the first ten minutes or so, then a big error message appeared on the screen saying that my Fire TV was nearly full to capacity. XBMC showed that it weighed in at over 6 gigabytes. (My Fire TV has only about 3 repositories and 3 add-ons installed beyond the native Fire TV software and the XBMC software itself.)The only thing I could think of to do was to use a Delete Files command that basically set XBMC back to the drawing board, where I had to reinstall all my add-ons, reset the screen size setup, everything, but at least the error message went away. We started up a new 3D movie, and several minutes in, XBMC completely crashed.
I know the storage on a Fire TV isn't enormous. Does that mean that 3D movies aren't playable on the Fire TV?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think it just means than any video you try and fully download with sbmctorrent onto the fireTV box is going to be an issue since there isnt room for big movies on the internal storage.
3d movies work fine here, SBS is most common online and is best imo. if your looking to "stream" 3d movies from online, try the addon named after the bird "phoenix" from tvaddons.ag it contains a few of the sources from the old mashup and 3 or 4 of them have a decent 3D section with 20-30 titles in each.

Thanks for the responses here.
KLit75 said:
Just a guess but are you using genesis with fan art enabled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
KLit75, Genesis is one of the three add-ons I'm using. I'll have to dive in and see if I can find where to disable the fan art.
nhumber said:
i think it just means than any video you try and fully download with sbmctorrent onto the fireTV box is going to be an issue since there isn't room for big movies on the internal storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nhumber, are you saying that XBMCtorrent downloads the full movie to the Fire TV itself, while other add-ons do not, they merely stream? Is that correct? XBMCtorrent does seem to operate differently, as a download routine occurs before the movie begins. I wonder, does it discard the movie file once I've finished viewing it, or do I need to go in and manually clear it out somehow?
nhumber said:
3d movies work fine here, SBS is most common online and is best imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not familiar with SBS. Is that an XBMC add-on, or perhaps a 3D file format?
nhumber said:
if your looking to "stream" 3d movies from online, try the add-on named after the bird "phoenix" from tvaddons.ag it contains a few of the sources from the old mashup and 3 or 4 of them have a decent 3D section with 20-30 titles in each.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
An excellent idea. I take it that these will stream like other typical XBMC media and won't bog down the Fire TV by trying to store it locally, is that correct?

Raymondo17 said:
Thanks for the responses here.
nhumber, are you saying that XBMCtorrent downloads the full movie to the Fire TV itself, while other add-ons do not, they merely stream? Is that correct? XBMCtorrent does seem to operate differently, as a download routine occurs before the movie begins. I wonder, does it discard the movie file once I've finished viewing it, or do I need to go in and manually clear it out somehow?
I'm not familiar with SBS. Is that an XBMC add-on, or perhaps a 3D file format?
An excellent idea. I take it that these will stream like other typical XBMC media and won't bog down the Fire TV by trying to store it locally, is that correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from what you are saying i was just assuming that must be how xbmctorrent operates, which wont work well on the fireTV, i dont know if it saves it or if you have to delete stuff yourself, SBS means Side by Side, which is the typical 3d format you will find online. The Phoenix addon has SBS 3d movies in a few catagories and they all work well for me.

dillfever said:
what advance settings did you use? xml text? and what... dill
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Click to collapse
I missed the part about xbmctorrent. Thats completely different. I use it on rpi openelec because I have a large HDD attached. I didn't know xbmctorrent even worked on aftv? But if it does it would need to be playing small files because otherwise your internal space will fill up to your limit then the movie will stop. xbmctorrent (I'm fairly certain) needs to download the entire file while it plays. Once finished it should auto delete unless you tell it not to. Like I said I never tried it on aftv but obviously it works. So if you're rooted you'd need to go into the addon settings and hopefully you can save that file to external (need to be rooted.)
The advanced settings I was thinking about is the zero cache from maintenance tool but it doesn't apply here at all now that I read the full post.
My advanced settings to store to external? Is that what you want? It goes something like this, but you need root. Copy this to a plain text and call it advancedsettings.xml
<advancedsettings>
<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/org.xbmc.xbmc/files/.xbmc/userdata/Thumbnails/</from>
<to>/storage/usb/drive1/xbmcthumbnails/</to>
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution>
</advancedsettings>
Amend it if you're using kodi instead of xbmc AND if you mount with stickmount your usb storage will be in sda (don't recall the exact path but just check it by looking with es file or root explorer. I'd suggest using adbfire to mount the drive. Then you can follow those exactly if you're running xbmc. Create the folder in the external "xbmcthumbnails"
***ALSO if your metadata is completely blank after applying this that means it worked. Just delete the Textures13 in database, restart xbmc and they'll be back.
---------- Post added at 01:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------
KLit75, Genesis is one of the three add-ons I'm using. I'll have to dive in and see if I can find where to disable the fan art.
I just responded tht that advice doesn't really pertain to your problem. XBMC uses its own scrapers for all the art. Lots of people began complaining of low memory after Genesis was released. It pulls from many other places and you can access trakt collection, imdb, and other accounts then add them to xbmc library. It's an awesome addon really, but all that metadata that gets stored on your internal can amount to a lot and the AFTV don't have a lot.
But like I said xbmctorrent works by downloading the file to your aftv so the space needs to be available. Unless they're compressed to mkv, 3d files are huge. If you have say 2gb of space available and you want to watch an episode of the Walking Dead in HD (around 1 gb) you shouldn't have issues with playback. Plus, in general, everything runs smoother when your internal memory has room to spare.
If you're rooted Id advise you try those advanced settings I posted. I never get the low memory message.

I'm using spmc and stickmont, should just have to change the directory... no

dillfever said:
I'm using spmc and stickmont, should just have to change the directory... no
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that's right. I've amended it for SPMC, xbmc, helix and when I went from sda to storage/usb/drive1
Remember to create a folder on external "xbmcthumbnails" and like I said all your icons will disappear. Just go into database, delete textures13 and restart. After I do this I usually just delete the thumbnails folder in xbmc. You should see a significant increase in free space after you check.

fire tv
Is there any solution to play 3d movies smoothly without giving error?

anandnitin25 said:
Is there any solution to play 3d movies smoothly without giving error?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes just press the play button.

anandnitin25 said:
Is there any solution to play 3d movies smoothly without giving error?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Encode your 3D Movie as a HSBS MKV, put it on a network share, use SPMC to access that network share and play the movie back.
Works fine for me.
Using Plex Server/Player with my same HSBS MKV files works too.
There are tools out there to make them if you have the Bluray.

Clear Maxed Out Storage
This is good info for a newbie like me. So it looks like XBMCtorrent is not the way to go to view movies for those of us limited to the stock Amazon Fire TV hard drive.
Now the question is, how do I delete the data that has accumulated? Right now, my Amazon Fire is unusable because the Manage All Apps screen shows that XBMCtorrent has accumulated over 9GB of data, (isn't that nearly double what the Fire's hard drive is?), so I clearly need to dump that data somehow.
However, if I use the Manage All Apps screen's option to "Delete Data", as Raymondo17 points out, I lose everything I've spent time dialing in just right.
Is there a way to clear the accumulated downloaded movie data without having to start from scratch afterward? Again, I'm a total newbie as of this weekend, so "XBMCtorrent for Dummies" level answers would be greatly appreciated! ; D
PS - Does anyone have a favorite alternative to XBMCtorrent? I really appreciated the work they put into organizing the movie selections by 1080p, 720, 3D, etc..

mrwizzer said:
This is good info for a newbie like me. So it looks like XBMCtorrent is not the way to go to view movies for those of us limited to the stock Amazon Fire TV hard drive.
Now the question is, how do I delete the data that has accumulated? Right now, my Amazon Fire is unusable because the Manage All Apps screen shows that XBMCtorrent has accumulated over 9GB of data, (isn't that nearly double what the Fire's hard drive is?), so I clearly need to dump that data somehow.
However, if I use the Manage All Apps screen's option to "Delete Data", as Raymondo17 points out, I lose everything I've spent time dialing in just right.
Is there a way to clear the accumulated downloaded movie data without having to start from scratch afterward? Again, I'm a total newbie as of this weekend, so "XBMCtorrent for Dummies" level answers would be greatly appreciated! ; D
PS - Does anyone have a favorite alternative to XBMCtorrent? I really appreciated the work they put into organizing the movie selections by 1080p, 720, 3D, etc..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could say something about not stealing movies... but I won't. Well, I guess I just did...

rbox said:
I could say something about not stealing movies... but I won't. Well, I guess I just did...
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Click to collapse
Heh, true.
But on the other hand, it is kind of ironic thinking about how much of a struggle it is to get my massive library of legally purchased blu-ray (23.976) to stream to my TV. That old idea that scene releases are often better created/packaged than their legal counterparts is absolutely true IMHO. This isn't to say that I support piracy; it's just something I've been thinking about the last week as I work with my AFTV.
*continues reading about installing Fedora*

ECEXCURSION said:
Heh, true.
But on the other hand, it is kind of ironic thinking about how much of a struggle it is to get my massive library of legally purchased blu-ray (23.976) to stream to my TV. That old idea that scene releases are often better created/packaged than their legal counterparts is absolutely true IMHO. This isn't to say that I support piracy; it's just something I've been thinking about the last week as I work with my AFTV.
*continues reading about installing Fedora*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the OT, but you have almost 24000 blurays??
Can you post a picture of the collection? Not that I don't believe you, just to know how this massive amount of BDs look
Btw, I play ripped 3d movies in SBS and OAU and both work (earlier on 13) now on helix played smooth over a nfs share from my synology nas (after I switched from wifi to gb-lan [emoji106]
Gesendet von meinem HTC One_M8 mit Tapatalk

tomoffel said:
Sorry for the OT, but you have almost 24000 blurays??
Can you post a picture of the collection? Not that I don't believe you, just to know how this massive amount of BDs look
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, forgot to label that. I was referring to the frame rate of uncompressed blu-ray video (23.976 fps). Stock, the Fire TV doesn't support 24hz output, so playback is choppy at times.

ECEXCURSION said:
Haha, forgot to label that. I was referring to the frame rate of uncompressed blu-ray video (23.976 fps). Stock, the Fire TV doesn't support 24hz output, so playback is choppy at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, okay
Yeah, that 24Hz thing is a really pita.. The only thing I don't like about that box.. And the failure cec..
Gesendet von meinem HTC One_M8 mit Tapatalk

Raymondo17 said:
One of the things I was most excited about pairing my Fire TV with XBMC was the ability to have on-demand 3D movies. Last night I gave it its first run and, unfortunately, it did not go well. We started a 1080p 3D movie via XBMCtorrent. Things went smoothly for the first ten minutes or so, then a big error message appeared on the screen saying that my Fire TV was nearly full to capacity. XBMC showed that it weighed in at over 6 gigabytes. (My Fire TV has only about 3 repositories and 3 add-ons installed beyond the native Fire TV software and the XBMC software itself.)The only thing I could think of to do was to use a Delete Files command that basically set XBMC back to the drawing board, where I had to reinstall all my add-ons, reset the screen size setup, everything, but at least the error message went away. We started up a new 3D movie, and several minutes in, XBMC completely crashed.
I know the storage on a Fire TV isn't enormous. Does that mean that 3D movies aren't playable on the Fire TV?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Real Simple... Find an Addon that does NOT use Bittorent. I mean what exactly would you think would happen if you tried to DL a 50GB 1080p 3D BR rip? On to a Device with only 8GBs of shared Storage?
Without naming names, there are a few Add-ons that offer Movies in 3D (Some also in Top Bottom), and outside of a few of these not playing correct on my tv. (The images weren't aligning correctly), these types of Movies have never caused me any problems. Outside of actually sending a proper 3D switching signal to the tv. Thankfully setting the 3D manually isn't that big of an issue.

Nvidia Shield Capabilities- UK based User

Hi,
First time on this forum and am looking for some advice if possible? I am looking at getting an Nvidia Shield TV (either for Christmas if a relative is feeling generous, or if not will buy one after) Ideally, I want it to replace all the kit I've got and make it my main TV box, but the important thing is it's good (and easy) enough for the kids and wife to use without getting angry at me
Currently I have a Now TV box, Youview box, DVR box, and DVD player, with a Soundbar (I'm based in the UK, so in case there is any confusion, Now TV is a Sky over network offering, and YouView is BT's set top box) So loads of different remotes, I do have a Logitech Harmony, but think the Shield will be a very good option for me.
Now I know, that I can't get it replace everything, but if I can get it close enough, and have gaming capability too, I'll be very happy. So, questions are as follows-
1. Live TV -
I have looked through the forums, and see that there are some USB tuners that work with it, as well as this -
Not allowed to post the link, as it's my first post, it's a HD homerun, available on Amazon. If anyone knows of a cheaper alternative, that would be great.
Which all look good, but I need to be able to record and have good EPG functionality. Has anyone tried these, is recording possible, to either a networked server, or an external USB 3 drive?
2. Now TV- Is there an app available for this, or are you able to Googlecast it from Ipad, Android phone, etc?
3. BT sport App- anyone been able to cast BT sport to it?
4. Gaming- I will probably sign up to the Nvidia streaming service, as my home desktop is not particularly powerful. However, I would like the flexibility of using my home PC as a game streamer. Does anyone know the minimum specs needed to successfully use a PC to stream games to the Shield? Does anyone have a preference Nvidia streaming, or home network gaming?
5. Would like to install Kodi on it for media streaming? Anyone have experience of this, does this work well?
6. This is certainly not a deal breaker, but anyone know if it can integrate with Philips Hue Lights, and Nest thermostat?
I know there's a lot of questions here, I have trawled through the forums and found a few answers, just need to get it all clear in my head, so any advice/info gratefully received.
Thanks
Dan

Hi, I'm from the UK too. Most of your questions are about paid streaming services which I don't use, so I can't help you there. As for minimum streaming PC requirements, I bought a GeForce laptop, which is more than capable of playing the games which I want to play. However I later found out that GameStream is restricted to GTX cards only (even the oldest GTX cards, but not even the latest non-GTX). Nvidia kept that quiet. I completely regret spending the extra money on what I thought was a GameStream ticket. There are alternative game streaming services which do work without GTX (even without Nvidia graphics at all) but they're quite buggy and not very polished.
I haven't used it extensively but Kodi runs as smoothly as you would expect on the hardware (exceptionally smoothly). As for replacing your current setup, I've heard that you can hook up a USB optical drive and play DVDs (but not Blu-Rays) through KODI. However it lacks many UK streaming services, like Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV. So you might want to keep the Now TV box around for a little while.

BenjiHansell said:
Hi, I'm from the UK too. Most of your questions are about paid streaming services which I don't use, so I can't help you there. As for minimum streaming PC requirements, I bought a GeForce laptop, which is more than capable of playing the games which I want to play. However I later found out that GameStream is restricted to GTX cards only (even the oldest GTX cards, but not even the latest non-GTX). Nvidia kept that quiet. I completely regret spending the extra money on what I thought was a GameStream ticket. There are alternative game streaming services which do work without GTX (even without Nvidia graphics at all) but they're quite buggy and not very polished.
I haven't used it extensively but Kodi runs as smoothly as you would expect on the hardware (exceptionally smoothly). As for replacing your current setup, I've heard that you can hook up a USB optical drive and play DVDs (but not Blu-Rays) through KODI. However it lacks many UK streaming services, like Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV. So you might want to keep the Now TV box around for a little while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, that's very helpful. Thanks. I plan to integrate it slowly, so that might work well. Is there another game stream service you can recommend?

hdhomerun can that run sky services?

kyrusdemnati said:
hdhomerun can that run sky services?
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Click to collapse
Not as far as I'm aware, but I could be wrong

i dont think it does... after research on sat forums

[ROM] ROMs Comparison

The threads on custom ROMS are generating lots of posts.
Some questions are asked multiple times, some are never answered (because lost in the flow)... making it hard to take a clear decision about with custom ROM to flash, if any at all.
Thus, I'd like to use this thread to discuss about the "pros and cons" of each method, or rather the "possibilities and limitations" of them.
For the moment, this would include the three following ROM:
- The stock ROM (the one you get which your fresh Shield TV)
- The StockRestyle 3.0 ROM, provided by @zulu99, see the thread here
- The Full Android Marshmallow ROM, provided by @zulu99, see the thread here
The goal is not to encourage you to go in one or the other directions, but to provide objective arguments. This is why I wrote "possibilities and limitations" are preferred to "pros and cons"
Please comment in this thread, and I'll update the following posts regularly.

1) The stock ROM
Link to Nvidia Open Source Resources and Drivers here
No operation required, this is the standard ROM already installed on the Shield TV -> Just Plug and Play!
Shield TV game controller and remote fully working wireless (Wifi-Direct), including Voice search, and headset plug.
Can play Nvidia specialized games - Doom 3/Metal Gear Solid/Android based or Geforce Now streamed.
Play store limited to Leanback-compatible apps (Shield TV runs Android TV)
- Thus, the number of compatible apps is limited (also due to the absence of touchscreen, obviously)
- Some apps cannot be installed at all, or cannot be run properly
Standard applications (not available as Leanback-compatible apps, e.g. web-browser...) can/need be sideloaded
- By defalt, sideloaded apps don't appear in the standard Home menu
- Sideloaded apps can be started using Sideload Launcher or Apk2tv
Standard applications can also be installed directly from Play store using Market Helper. NOTE: this requires root access.
Keyboard and Trackpad devices do not produce too much efficiency due to rom limitations
Unability to use a remote desktop
Apps related
No web brower installed, but Chrome (or others) can be sideloaded.
Skype for Leanback isn't working: calling buttons cannot be selected, no video call button.
Kodi can be installed. It allows you to stream content directly to your TV
To be checked:
Amazon fire TV 4K remote and game controlled can be paired using the Shield Accessories tool. (Works on the StockRestyle)

2) The StockRestyle 3.0 ROM
Link to the thread here
Requires to flash the ROM. The process is rather simple, but as always to avoid risks you should know what you are doing. Reading carefully the main post of the thread related to this ROM, and at least the last comments and those from zulu99 is recommended.
Full Play store available (access to more games. Yet, touchscreen-only games cannot be played with a game controller)
Aptoide TV filters apps that are compatible with Android TV. For example, for Skype, the standard Aptoide app provides the last version of Skype (6.26 for the moment, which is not working on this ROM), while Aptoide TV provides the version 6.15.
Shield TV game controller globally working
- Some issues reported with the new version of the game controller: Home and Back buttons not working well.
- Voice search button first starts Google search, a second press (not a double press) starts Voice search
The Nova interface is designed for touch and/or mouse and/or keyboard actions
- Most of the interface can be used using a remote or a game controller
- But, the configuration often requires a mouse (or at least, is faster to use with a mouse)
- A wireless all-in-one keyboard is a good device to use with, e.g. Logitech K400 Plus (others are good too, but this one is battery-friendly)
Web browser usable in full desktop mode, e.g. Chrome (without ads if you download adaway, root required)
Multitasking may look limited. Yet, you can use Alt-Tab on the keyboard to switch between apps
No Android Navigation (softkeys) or Status Bar (e.g. You do not get to see notifications/download progress/etc)
Amazon fire TV 4K remote and game controlled can be paired using the Shield Accessories tool. They won't appear in the list of connected devices, but they are working well, including microphone.
It may feel like a bit of a strange mix, not really remote-friendly, but not really full Android capable either. However, this is the only know solution to keep the proprietary tools from NVidia working while having a standard Android interface.
Apps related
Skype 6.14 and 6.15.x are fully working, i.e. audio and video calls, using UVC webcams (tried with Logitech C920 and C930)
Some easy fixes
Settings App: First step after install - Go to Widgets> Nova Activity and selecting Settings app so that is shows up on desktop
Remote/Controller Friendly Navigation in the App-Drawer: Nova-launcher setting for App-Drawer needs to changed from Vertical to Horizontal
Foreign external keyboard can be remapped using one of the many apps available
- External Keyboard Helper Pro is working well in my case: Android interface in English (US), external keyboards in German (QWERTZ, Logitech K400 Plus and Logitech K830). You can try the demo version for free. PS: I'm not linked in anyway to the developers of this app.

3) The Full Android Marshmallow ROM
Link to the thread here
Requires to flash the ROM. The process is rather simple, but as always to avoid risks you should know what you are doing. Reading carefully the main post of the thread related to this ROM, and at least the last comments and those from zulu99 is recommended.
Smooth, fast, responsive ROM
Full Play store available, more standard applications should be compatible
Leanback only applications can also be launched using an tweak tool: QuickShortcutMaker (see video here)
Shield TV game controllers not working wireless (using Wifi-Direct) but working as normal a standard gamepad when connected via USB
Shield TV remote control working (using Bluetooth), including audio. [Confirmed here]
Long-term update is questionable because it depends only on the person who is providing this ROM (even though this person is very active)
To be checked or confirmed by several users
Some slower performance (frame rates) in games from stock-restyle (feedback based on Rom ver. 1.0, not sure about 1.1) [Mentioned here]
- This could indeed be a counterpart of all what is running in the background of full Android (see here). In others words, full Android is more general in the sense it offers more possibilities, but at the same time it cannot be expert in all those aspects. Thus Android purist would prefer to go for this ROM while Nvidia gamers may prefer to stay on the Stock or StockRestyle ROMs. In the end, YOU make the final choice.
Shield TV remote control working (using Bluetooth), including audio.
- Working: here
- Not working well: here

You could possibly add another or include as an option to #1.
Stock Rooted with Market Helper (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2146216) device spoofer or the other hack.
Options are good.

IamSonoma said:
You could possibly add another or include as an option to #1.
Stock Rooted with Market Helper (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2146216) device spoofer or the other hack.
Options are good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is quiet in here. I was interested in seeing some responses. Maybe an anonymous poll.
If I had more time, less family, less places to fish I would run 3 boxes and compare them all. I would always need to have one that is stock and family friendly for the wife and the kids.
When i bought mine a month ago I was hoping there was more community support but it may take more time to catch on. Luckily Zulu gives us two options to toy with. They work pretty good. Statistically speaking and I could be wrong, About 90% of the people making a purchase like this just want to plug and play and have no desire to tweak or tinker. I know this because out of the 6 in my family I am the only one that even thinks "can I root it?" when I am researching it. The rest of my family just want to plug and play. They want simple.
As for me I want it to over-clock, play games without CDs (Wii<family loved this but I have a tone of unwrapped games> and xBox with external HDDs), aging my self here play a game using two 5 1/4" floppy drives with all files working on 2 disks instead of 6 disks(AD&D SSI games), running android on my tilt 2 slide out keyboard sell phone, I could go on.
I really hope development picks up. I only wish I could help more. I do encourage Zulu and others to continue.

IamSonoma said:
It is quiet in here. I was interested in seeing some responses. Maybe an anonymous poll.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was also hoping for more feedback.
Indeed, the last few weeks I was struggling to find the best ROM that would suit my need. After reading the 200+ pages of post in the thread of the ROM proposed by @zulu99, I had hard time to extract the right information.
Thus, the idea of this post: I want to present objective points of comparison, I have no apps to sell.
The point is also to avoid the post like "Which ROM should I pick?". If the advantages and limitations are clearly listed, everyone should be able to make his/her own decision, all ROMs are good, it only depends on what you want to do with it.
PS: In my case, I wanted to 1) keep the Nvidia Shield TV game controllers (and my Fire TV 4K remote and game controllers), and 2) to have Skype working. Thus, my final choice for the StockRestyle ROM.

Mythamp's Review of the Roms
Stock Rom
Pros:
1. Ideal for basic 4K TV owners who want to stream all current channels of 4K content
2. Can play Nvidia specialized games - Doom 3/Metal Gear Solid/Android based or Geforce Now streamed
3. Remote and Controller work great
4. Kodi allows you to stream content directly to your TV
Cons:
1. Small selection of Android TV Apps
2. Browsers and Non-Android TV apps need to be side-loaded
3. Cannot install most Non-Android TV apps
4. Keyboard and Trackpad devices do not produce too much efficiency due to rom limitations
5. Unable to remote desktop into the device incase you wish to send remote instructions to download content so that you can come home and enjoy.
Overall:
The Stock Rom is unable to take advantage of Android. It is a cumbersome process for people who like quick responses. I would say it is as limited as any other 4k TV's with Android built-in apart from a few Nvidia games. Trust me, this does not justify the $150 investment.
Stock-Restyle Rom
Pros:
1. All of the pros of Stock Rom including full controller and remote support plus
2. Install unlimited Android Apps taking full advantage of the Google Play Store
For Example:
• Use "Airdroid" app (root required) to remote mirror your device from work and have all the content ready when you get home.
• Play thousands of Android games on your 4k TV
• Use Chrome in full desktop mode (root required) without ads (download adaway) - almost as good as a desktop Chrome. Great for quick browsing.
3. Less cumbersome to move around by using a Keyboard with Trackpad (I personally use the "Logitech K400 Plus")
Cons:
1. Multitasking may look limited - yet you can use Alt-Tab on the keyboard to switch between apps
2. Many Android apps (mostly games) require touch, which can be done using android mobile device with Droidmote installed. Some games can be played using the Keyboard/Trackpad combo but its a hit & miss.
3. No Android Navigation (softkeys) or Status Bar (Eg. You do not get to see notifications/download progress/etc)
4. It is technically not a Full/Clean Android as it has Nvidia's framework still builtin
5. Some easy fixes FYI
• Settings App: First step after install - Go to Widgets> Nova Activity and selecting Settings app so that is shows up on desktop
• Remote/Controller Friendly Navigation: Nova-launcher setting for App-Drawer needs to changed from Vertical to Horizontal
Overall:
The Stock-Restyle Rom is in my opinion the best rom for the Nvidia Shield TV. It opens the device to all the Android & Google Play Store goodie-ness, while allowing you to use the fantastic shield controller and remote to play/stream all nvidia and some android games. I have also personally found that android games run smoother on this rom than on the Full Android Rom (Maybe its because the rom is based on the nvidia framework, I could be wrong.)
Bottomline - install this rom before trying the rest.
Full Android Marshmallow Rom
Pros:
1. Amazingly smooth, fast, responsive rom
2. You get the full Android experience
3. Includes all the pros of the above Roms
Cons:
1. No support for Nvidia controller wirelessly, you can use it by plugging in the cable and installing keyboard drivers
2. Noticed some slower performance (framerates) in games from stock-restyle (feedback based on Rom ver. 1.0, not sure about 1.1)
Overall:
The Full Android Marshmallow Rom is a great solution for Android purists. You will miss-out on the seamless (wireless) experience of playing all the Nvidia/Android Games. If someone can get the wireless controllers to work here, I will be the first one to shift over from stock-restyle rom.
- This is just my opinion on the roms based on my usage, I am sure many users have their unique needs which might not match my feedback, so please take all this with an open mind -

mythamp said:
2. Noticed some slower performance (framerates) in games from stock-restyle (feedback based on Rom ver. 1.0, not sure about 1.1)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock, StockRestyle and full Android, on the gaming part, more precisly on Accelerated 3D Graphics, have the exact same components. Are Identical.
I extract this part from stock firmware and are Nvidia proprietary blob. ( every developer can compare the files )
Every Nvidia exclusive games are working on all 3 firmwares in the same way.
But in full Android you can have also more normal games compatible in addition to all Nvidia exclusive games.
Also for Audio and hardware video decode the 3 firmwares have the same components.
There is only one, very important difference between the 3 firmwares. Only full Android have the full Android framework, permissions and components and in the real life you can translate this as more compatibility with millions apps in Google Play. For the present and for the future.
just to be precise.
P.S.
But attention, don't forget that if you run Windows XP on a modern PC, for sure is faster than Windows 10. Why ? Because Windows 10 have more things.
I think that Android TV is not comparable with full Android for the simple reason that Android TV is a stripped down version of full Android.
But if you don't need everything that Android can offer, you can use also Android TV.
Another fact, very simple, is:
If you want everything that Android can offer on TV, a controller or a remote with only directional keys are not sufficient. And if you prefer only directional keys, you will have barriers, limitations and slow interaction forever. Instead if you use a better input device you can have also a full OS on TV that for me is better, because i can do things of both worlds.
It all depends on what you use and what you know, the most important fact is that you can choose.

Great thread, I'm just trying to decide which to install on my Shield when amazon delivers it.
I'm really thinking of using Full Android but have bought the nvidia remote control too (mainly for the audio jack). So..
Is the Shield remote working or not on Full Android (is it bluetooth or works like the controller?). Can anyone point it out, please? Thank you!

grievous2004 said:
Great thread, I'm just trying to decide which to install on my Shield when amazon delivers it.
I'm really thinking of using Full Android but have bought the nvidia remote control too (mainly for the audio jack). So..
Is the Shield remote working or not on Full Android (is it bluetooth or works like the controller?). Can anyone point it out, please? Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it work, also audio.

*1
zulu99 said:
Stock, StockRestyle and full Android, on the gaming part, more precisly on Accelerated 3D Graphics, have the exact same components. Are Identical.
I extract this part from stock firmware and are Nvidia proprietary blob. ( every developer can compare the files )
Every Nvidia exclusive games are working on all 3 firmwares in the same way.
But in full Android you can have also more normal games compatible in addition to all Nvidia exclusive games.
Also for Audio and hardware video decode the 3 firmwares have the same components.
There is only one, very important difference between the 3 firmwares. Only full Android have the full Android framework, permissions and components and in the real life you can translate this as more compatibility with millions apps in Google Play. For the present and for the future.
just to be precise.
P.S.
But attention, don't forget that if you run Windows XP on a modern PC, for sure is faster than Windows 10. Why ? Because Windows 10 have more things.
I think that Android TV is not comparable with full Android for the simple reason that Android TV is a stripped down version of full Android.
But if you don't need everything that Android can offer, you can use also Android TV.
Another fact, very simple, is:
If you want everything that Android can offer on TV, a controller or a remote with only directional keys are not sufficient. And if you prefer only directional keys, you will have barriers, limitations and slow interaction forever. Instead if you use a better input device you can have also a full OS on TV that for me is better, because i can do things of both worlds.
It all depends on what you use and what you know, the most important fact is that you can choose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

All the remarks have been considered in the comparison threads.
One question about the remote on full Android answered.

JulienPr said:
All the remarks have been considered in the comparison threads.
One question about the remote on full Android answered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The remote works for me sometimes but I usually end up ditching it because it is a pain. Sometimes I can pause a show and walk away. Sometimes it does not. I am not sure if it is loosing sync or not.
Voice does not work. Volume control is iffy. It does pause videos with the volume slider on occasion. When I hit the home button it will sometimes go there. It has become useless to me. I am glad it was free.
My issues probably do not reflect the ROM(full android) but I remember it working when ever I picked it up on stock android. I am just not ready to go back.

IamSonoma said:
The remote works for me sometimes but I usually end up ditching it because it is a pain. Sometimes I can pause a show and walk away. Sometimes it does not. I am not sure if it is loosing sync or not.
Voice does not work. Volume control is iffy. It does pause videos with the volume slider on occasion. When I hit the home button it will sometimes go there. It has become useless to me. I am glad it was free.
My issues probably do not reflect the ROM(full android) but I remember it working when ever I picked it up on stock android. I am just not ready to go back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe again an issue with the version of the remote or game controller.
I noticed that on the StockRestyle, the old version of the game controller was working perfect while the new version had issues with the Home, Back and Search buttons (both using the same firmware update).
Might it be the same with the remote? Is there an old version (with Home button represented by a house).
See the difference for the game controllers:
Version 1, this model is still the one you get when bought separately.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Version 2, this model is the one included now with the shield.

JulienPr said:
Maybe again an issue with the version of the remote or game controller.
I noticed that on the StockRestyle, the old version of the game controller was working perfect while the new version had issues with the Home, Back and Search buttons (both using the same firmware update).
Might it be the same with the remote? Is there an old version (with Home button represented by a house).
See the difference for the game controllers:
Version 1, this model is still the one you get when bought separately.
Version 2, this model is the one included now with the shield.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have version 2.

IamSonoma said:
I have version 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if there was a "version 1" of the remote, I cannot find any trace of it.
But, since they change the design of the Home button to be a circle only on the V2 of the game controller, and that it's the same as the V2 of the remote, it wouldn't be surprising if there was a V1 of the remote with similar symbol as the V1 of the game controller.
@zulu99, which remote do you have?

Love this thread guys as I've been considering another ROM but didn't know the clear pros and cons of Full Android and now this ReStyle one which I'm very interested in. I have a few questions for anyone. Perhaps the answers could gain momentum for many others as you guys are absolutely right that AndroidTV's app selection isn't just lacking, it feels like AndroidTV apps exist and the consumers want them, but the interface for getting them or allowing users to simply inform specific developers the demand to support it is insanely behind. On the desktop play store you can't even sort or filter Android TV apps other than seeing these two specific links unless an active user is seeking blogs or postings regarding them.
Apps for Android TV
Games for Android TV
Gotta vent a bit the already known... feel free to skip down...
On the stock play store, you can search for apps but not having even top charts or proper categories other than the useless 'featured' in addition to strong limitations is hurting as a whole. Some of the biggest brands out there have no or heavily limited apps for ATV, including even many tv channels like TNT or ESPN. I think Nvidia or Google for the time being should at least allow the detection of a mouse and keyboard to least show apps that 'might work' rather than none and give the user the option to control that. Hopefully Android N will improve things with the Picture in Picture and maybe even DVR abilities. Love this box but even though Android is a strength, it's also a weakness in the shade of a very sensitive cycle. More users --> More developers thus more apps --> More users --> More developers --> etc... I feel like the users are there, but while developers are increasingly aware, it should grow faster, and Google should help that awareness.
Anyways my questions were:
1) Does HDMI-CEC still work? Currently in stock it works in turning on the tv and with the tv on its Source Input, off with tv, and controlled by tv remote but not with volume (shield remote controlling tv volume).
2) Any loss of functionality with Casting? More specifically I usually cast from Youtube, Plex, Google Photos, and Mirror Casting from Nexus phone.
3) Any loss of 4K support, including Youtube, Plex, VLC, MXPlayer, or hopefully introduction of HDR support (doesn't work natively on Shield perhaps because of the HDMI 2.0a not yet being implemented). I'm interested in keeping Full dynamic range and ability to toggle 4K 60 and 4K 24fps along with Plex (with Refresh Rate Switching for native 24fps support in 60 mode). So I guess along with this can AndroidTV specific apps still be installed or will the phone/tablet versions be installed instead? Example: Plex.
4) Is Adoptable storage still supported? I'm guessing when flashing the StockRestyle ROM we'll have to wipe the adoptable sdcard and essentially factory reset.
5) Can AptoideTV work just fine on stock? I'm going to probably try it tomorrow
While I personally don't play any of the Nvidia games, I'm looking to have the Stock Stability + current emulator/rom support (rooting for Wiimote support) + specific apps that are not supported on AndroidTV without having to constantly manually update them through sideloading. Apps I'm interested in include Google Apps including Google Photos + Logitech Webcam supported (Skype + Hangouts + FB Messenger) and possibly Amazon Prime Video but ideally if it can support at least 1080p or 4K. I also use Kodi but am still learning to use it.
I'm very familiar with modding on my Nexus 6P (TWRP, root, Xposed, with monthly updates) so was wondering if there was anything different I should know other than the obvious loss of a screen when adding custom recovery and rooting along with Nandroid backups. Has any one successfully backed up their stock ROM and restored it later? Also anyone root stock, then backup everything on Titanium Backup (sideloaded) and restore apps + data on StockRestyle ROM?
My set up is 16GB Shield Stock 3.0 not rooted yet + Samsung 128GB Pro+ microsdxc + Stock Controller + Remote, it's connected to a Samsung 4K SUHD UN65JS8500. Also using bluetooth Logitech keyboard + mouse, xbox 360 receiver, x360 controllers. Still waiting for possible DVB-S2 integration and maybe live tv solutions like silicondust.

grievous2004 said:
Great thread, I'm just trying to decide which to install on my Shield when amazon delivers it.
I'm really thinking of using Full Android but have bought the nvidia remote control too (mainly for the audio jack). So..
Is the Shield remote working or not on Full Android (is it bluetooth or works like the controller?). Can anyone point it out, please? Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-> the shield remote is ok on full android.
I use it to watch movies with headset plug in ...but only the microphone function don't work

copticwalad said:
2) Any loss of functionality with Casting? More specifically I usually cast from Youtube, Plex, Google Photos, and Mirror Casting from Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm curious about this too. I like the idea of the shield basically replacing my chromecast, but with Full Android it looks like you can't cast TO it, but you can cast IT'S display like any other phone or tablet. Is it possible in full android to cast another device TO the shield with full android?
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA-Developers mobile app

What will I lose if I put full Android OS on the Shield ?

I've been hunting for an android box for over two months now. I never considered the Nvidia Shield because it comes with Android TV instead of regular Android. But I couldn't help not being enamored by the performance it offers. What I want is an Android box I can connect to my TV that will allow me to (1) run kodi (2) stream from an IPTV app (3) run emulators. I was about to pull the trigger on Minix U9, but the Tegra processor just sh*ts on everything out there. Today, I learned that I could actually run Android OS (Nougat) on the Shield. Why would anyone buy a Minix U9 for $160 when a much more powerful Shield goes for mere $40 extra ? I felt it was too good to be true. So, I'm here asking those of you that are running full Android on the Shield, is the full Android firmware stable in the sense that it's not just rife with bugs, and do I lose the ability to stream Netflix in 4k ?

After buying and configuring a few Android TV boxes, I decided on a Shield that would do 99% of what I want in a Android TV box that I would not have to root, etc. I found that the leanback launcher was less than desirable, the lack of Notification/Tool bars, Shield only apps on Playstore and some other annoying issues, I installed the developers copy of Shield TV (5.0.2) and found no way to have Notifications, etc. I have since installed full Android 1.0.3 and the box has everything that I need. I gave up automatic updates and some nVidia tools I was not using. I am not a gamer and I wanted the Shield for media. It does a nice job with Kodi on my 4K TV. I am Prime Video user and 4K works nicely. I would assume that Netflix would be the same. The install of full Android is tricky but doable. Another reason for rooting and installing full Android is that I use TWRP for Recovery. I have both stock 5.0.2 and rooted 5.0.2 on backup for Recovery if 1.3 goes south.

cjeman said:
After buying and configuring a few Android TV boxes, I decided on a Shield that would do 99% of what I want in a Android TV box that I would not have to root, etc. I found that the leanback launcher was less than desirable, the lack of Notification/Tool bars, Shield only apps on Playstore and some other annoying issues, I installed the developers copy of Shield TV (5.0.2) and found no way to have Notifications, etc. I have since installed full Android 1.0.3 and the box has everything that I need. I gave up automatic updates and some nVidia tools I was not using. I am not a gamer and I wanted the Shield for media. It does a nice job with Kodi on my 4K TV. I am Prime Video user and 4K works nicely. I would assume that Netflix would be the same. The install of full Android is tricky but doable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever tried running console emulators ? Also, I'm thinking of getting the Minix A2 remote for having a keyboard and it's air mouse functionality. Have you tried any air mouse on the Shield ?

No. I use a Logitech K400 wireless keyboard/mouse pad combo. I have read that air mice are not an issue.

You can do all three things you're after on Android TV. Is there something else that makes you want to have mobile Android?

JohnRossJennings said:
You can do all three things you're after on Android TV. Is there something else that makes you want to have mobile Android?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with John here too. You can do all three of your requests on the stock shield TV without rooting and custom ROMs. In fact the .emu emulators from Robert work great and use the shield controller perfectly.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I do all what you want to do with my shield, without even rooting. Go for it, it deserves every penny.

abo_mara7 said:
I do all what you want to do with my shield, without even rooting. Go for it, it deserves every penny.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've made up my mind to go for the shield. For $40 extra (over the $160 priced Minix U9), I get a much more powerful system and is gets OS upgrades down the road. The only thing I was worried about was installing android apks and having to go through a very cumbersome path of launching them every time. Is there a way now to launch apps directly from the home screen ? If I can do that, I don't see a reason to even install full android OS.

medwatt said:
I've made up my mind to go for the shield. For $40 extra (over the $160 priced Minix U9), I get a much more powerful system and is gets OS upgrades down the road. The only thing I was worried about was installing android apks and having to go through a very cumbersome path of launching them every time. Is there a way now to launch apps directly from the home screen ? If I can do that, I don't see a reason to even install full android OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can side load and then use chainfires sideload launcher to open them. Works pretty good. The sideload launcher is on the Android TV play store. Also es file explorer is available to help sideload apks. You can also transfer apks over your network using a computer or download from apkmirror. All with the stock out of the box os.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

No point what so ever in using a crappy 3rd party launcher. There's an app in the play store to put side loaded apps on the lean back launcher home screen

techjunky90 said:
No point what so ever in using a crappy 3rd party launcher. There's an app in the play store to put side loaded apps on the lean back launcher home screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What app is that? Would love to try it!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Acid0057 said:
What app is that? Would love to try it!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think its called WBS App Drawer. Its available on the Shield Google Playstore and its free.
Works very well.

medwatt said:
I've made up my mind to go for the shield. For $40 extra (over the $160 priced Minix U9), I get a much more powerful system and is gets OS upgrades down the road. The only thing I was worried about was installing android apks and having to go through a very cumbersome path of launching them every time. Is there a way now to launch apps directly from the home screen ? If I can do that, I don't see a reason to even install full android OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, install Opera browser (there's TV version from Opera, use this one if you use the remote, else use the regular version, better with the controller. Please note that the controller's right stick will work as a mouse)
TV Version:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-player/themes-apps/opera-tv-browser-2-0-t3543518
Regular version:
http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/opera-software-asa/opera/opera-42-8-2246-118317-release/
if you got opera, you can sideload any app from there.
After you've sideloaded your apps, install TV App Repo (
@Acid0057):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=news.androidtv.tvapprepo.playstore
There you'll find all your sideloaded apps, and from there, you can create shortcuts for them in your main screen.
And I second your statement, no need for full Android OS.
To answer a previous question from you, I've installed the following emulators:
Play! (Too slow, still in early stage I guess)
Dolphin (Some games works pretty well, you just need to play with the settings)
PPSSPP (Works very well in HD)
FPSE (I've switched to OpenGL from settings and set the resolution to HD and it works greatly)
GPA.emu (work very well)
Those are the ones I tried, Arc Browser app is good to combine all emulator games in one place.
Also, some Android games although they're listed as not supporting Android TV, they indeed are. For example, LIMPO.
Also if you want to stream games from your PC and you don't meet Nvidia's GameStream requirements, you can try Remotr:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.remotrapp.remotr
Simple app, setup is the easiest, and the controller will work out of the box, actually all you need to do is to install the app on the shield and the server app on your pc.
Those are some of the tips to maximize your experience.

abo_mara7 said:
First, install Opera browser (there's TV version from Opera, use this one if you use the remote, else use the regular version, better with the controller. Please note that the controller's right stick will work as a mouse)
TV Version:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-player/themes-apps/opera-tv-browser-2-0-t3543518
Regular version:
http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/opera-software-asa/opera/opera-42-8-2246-118317-release/
if you got opera, you can sideload any app from there.
After you've sideloaded your apps, install TV App Repo (
@Acid0057):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=news.androidtv.tvapprepo.playstore
There you'll find all your sideloaded apps, and from there, you can create shortcuts for them in your main screen.
And I second your statement, no need for full Android OS.
To answer a previous question from you, I've installed the following emulators:
Play! (Too slow, still in early stage I guess)
Dolphin (Some games works pretty well, you just need to play with the settings)
PPSSPP (Works very well in HD)
FPSE (I've switched to OpenGL from settings and set the resolution to HD and it works greatly)
GPA.emu (work very well)
Those are the ones I tried, Arc Browser app is good to combine all emulator games in one place.
Also, some Android games although they're listed as not supporting Android TV, they indeed are. For example, LIMPO.
Also if you want to stream games from your PC and you don't meet Nvidia's GameStream requirements, you can try Remotr:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.remotrapp.remotr
Simple app, setup is the easiest, and the controller will work out of the box, actually all you need to do is to install the app on the shield and the server app on your pc.
Those are some of the tips to maximize your experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for those tips. And on the plus side when you stay stock, update will be a lot easier!
shenzhou said:
I think its called WBS App Drawer. Its available on the Shield Google Playstore and its free.
Works very well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I disagree with @techjunky90, as I found the stock leanback launcher very lacking. The recommendations bar got really annoying, and even when I disabled it, it wouldn't go away. Also, only two rows of app icons and having to scroll to the right to find stuff wasn't the most ideal setup. I prefer the simplicity and customization capabilities of TV Launcher to be perfect for my needs. So I uninstalled the leanback launcher, and use use TV Launcher, and I couldn't be happier in regards to that.
I'm on unrooted stock Android TV 5.2, btw.

greevedogg said:
I disagree with @techjunky90, as I found the stock leanback launcher very lacking. The recommendations bar got really annoying, and even when I disabled it, it wouldn't go away. Also, only two rows of app icons and having to scroll to the right to find stuff wasn't the most ideal setup. I prefer the simplicity and customization capabilities of TV Launcher to be perfect for my needs. So I uninstalled the leanback launcher, and use use TV Launcher, and I couldn't be happier in regards to that.
I'm on unrooted stock Android TV 5.2, btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point but the original recommendation stands. There is no reason to install a custom recovery and full Android os. The stock unrooted shield os works fine in most use cases.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

If you are a gamer and love it to play mobile games on TV, the most Games wouldn't run, because NVidia has not implemented the from Shield Tablet well-known gamepad mapper. If this little Tool would be available for Shield TV, you really don't need a full Android.
Gesendet von meinem E6653 mit Tapatalk

Are the mobile games you are referring to games like family feud live?
I have the nvidia shield tv and I would really like to be able to play these games on there but do not know how. I search for them but they don't come up. Only can get them on my galaxy phone. Is it possible to get these on the tv? If so, How? Thanks in advance.

search for your wanted games in google, type the game then apk. do this on a pc or phone. download them. plug a usb drive into your computer or phone via otg and then plug the usb with apk onto the shield then browse for them via es file explorer. enjoy

I have an old HP 22 android monitor in my kitchen and love the "ok google" capability, the apps (250+ card game and Spectrum cable app) that don't work on stock shield. I am worried about it OS at 4.4.4 and want to update but Android TV seems to lack a lot of functionality I would want that full android would have. I have a shield and would like to use it but not sure the touch would work anymore if I usb the monitor back into the shield (I can use mouse and keyboard as alternative). This is why I would want full android.

Love my Shield (2017) just some things that bug me

Hey there,
I have my shield (16GB 2017 version) for quite a while now, but I feel like I'm not using it to it's full potential.
Right now what I did is: Install Kodi and use Kodi... and that works as there is nothing wrong with Kodi. But why work with Android TV if the first thing I do is install a different media system?
So how to get the features I use from Kodi moved out of .. euh.. Kodi? Like I use IPTV, (DL'd) movies, (DL'd) series. I can imagine with the channels system in Android TV the same "experience" can be achieved. Like how do I make a "channel" based on a share in my network? And how to add "information" as Kodi has (so description, thumbnails, etc etc), EPG information for my IPTV, and stuff like that.
Furthermore, the channels also bug me (2 edged sword I guess). Some part of NVidia/Android wants to force themselves on me.. suggested channels always come back up no matter how often I disable them in the settings. Is there a way to just remove all channels except the ones I use? And I mean physically remove so that they never ever pop back up again, unless I hard-reinstall them. (and yes I'm rooted)
Lastly the bluetooth range bugs me, I've read through all the guides and yes they do work, but the range is still mediocre. Now I am looking at the hardware mod to add a 2.4Ghz antenna now is my soldering .. terrible to say the least, but I'll figure that out, but is there a more clear "guide" out there on how to open the shield and stuff like that?
Anyhoo thx for any information

Android TV by itself is not a media player. You can use google's media player if you wish , but don't expect it to be better than kodi. You can have kodi show whatever you want on the Android homepage , look at this : https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=332589 I use NEXTpvr to handle my IPTV on kodi, but it requires a pc that is running next pvr. Kodi has numerous IPTV addons for you to choose from. I am not sure how you've disabled the channels you don't want to see , but those that I have disabled have never showed up again. The only channels displayed on my shield are the Apps channel and Netflix, everything else is removed. A typical class 2 bluetooth will only have a 10 meter range (33 feet) and it's even less with interference and all the other 2.4 ghz signals around (Wifi , cordless phones , etc) so short range is perfectly normal. Youtube has a bunch of videos on how to disassemble your shield. Has for soldering skills , find a crap piece of electronics somewhere and pratice soldering on this before you attempt to solder in your shield if you have no experience.
All this info was easily found using your favorite search engine.. Probably why nobody bothered to answer you..