Sales on the Nvidia Shield TV are relatively rare – as compared to some of our other favorite devices – so this one immediately caught my interest. You can grab the best Android TV box around and get a SmartThings Link for free, basically. You have to buy the Smart Home bundle, obviously.
Read MoreShield Software Experience 7.2.3 brings NHL app and much-needed option to restart WiFi
With every update, small or big, Nvidia's Shield TV gets better and better. Three years on, it's still easily the best standalone Android TV box you can buy. Today's update to Shield Software Experience 7.2.3 isn't a major one by any means, but it brings a feature I've wanted since the start: the option to restart WiFi and re-scan for networks.
Read MoreNVIDIA's Shield holiday game sale includes Riptide GP: Renegade, Ticket to Ride, Talos Principle, and more
Seasonal game sales may more easily bring to mind Steam than Nvidia, but the latter is promoting a massive sale of Android games over on the Play Store with its SHIELD holiday game sale. Right now you can pick up twenty-one titles for up to 66% off. Games on sale include Jackbox Party Pack 5, Teslagrad, Talos Principle, Ticket to Ride, Alito's Adventure, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!, Death Road to Canada, a ton of others. With almost all of the games half off (or more), it's a good time to plump up that gaming to-do list.
Read MoreNVIDIA SHIELD upgrade 7.2 adds Amazon Music, customizable Quick Settings, and more
We just got done telling you that the SHIELD Android TV is still a great device three years after release in part because it keeps getting updates. NVIDIA isn't stopping the updates, either. A new upgrade to the SHIELD is rolling out today with Amazon Music integration, NAS improvements, customizable Quick Settings, and more.
Read MoreNVIDIA SHIELD Android TV re-review: Not the box you bought three years ago
The device we currently know as the "NVIDIA SHIELD" is not the first one to carry the name. That honor goes to the handheld device launched in 2013, later renamed SHIELD Portable. After that came the SHIELD Tablet, and finally the SHIELD Android TV in 2015. It was not the only way to get Android TV, but NVIDIA's box is the only one that had any staying power. Three years on, this device has gotten 20 updates across three major Android versions. I can't think of another Android device that offers so much value after more than three years of use. That's why we're taking another look at the SHIELD—it's changed quite a lot.
Read MoreNVIDIA SHIELD TV is just $119 on Amazon ($60 off)
These days, the only Android TV worth purchasing is NVIDIA's SHIELD TV. Earlier this month, we saw this box discounted to $140 on Amazon, but it's been even further discounted for Cyber Monday. It's temporarily out of stock, but Amazon is currently offering the SHIELD TV for just $118.99.
Read More[Update: Now with free Echo Dot] NVIDIA Shield Android TV (2017) on sale for $140 ($39 off) at Amazon
Four years on, there's really only one Android TV device you should buy: the NVIDIA Shield. The problem is that NVIDIA's box tends to cost more than all the lesser over-the-top streamers. You get more for your money, and there are occasional sales. Like right now, for example. The Shield TV is on sale for $139.99 on Amazon, which is $39 off the usual price.
Read MoreYou can now control your NVIDIA SHIELD TV with Alexa
Nvidia continues to improve the Shield TV experience, now offering users another way to control their Android TV box. Assistant support has been around for a little while now, but Alexa is joining the party thanks to a new skill. Simply activate said skill, link your Nvidia account, and you can start controlling your Shield with your Echo or other Alexa devices.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
NVIDIA adds more Google Home integration to SHIELD
The NVIDIA SHIELD is a strange device. It has Assistant built-in, but it sometimes lacks features of other Assistant devices. You can also control the SHIELD from other Assistant devices, but it doesn't have all the standard Chromecast features. NVIDIA says "deeper integration" with Google Home is rolling out now, which may help to smooth out some inconsistencies.
Read More[Update: Now available for more devices] AntVentor is a gorgeous point and click adventure game for the Shield TV
Android games for the Shield TV aren't released very often at this point, so when something that looks as impressive as AntVentor crosses my path, I just have to take a look. Now that I've spent some time with it, it's clear that this photorealistic point and click adventure game is worth the asking price, and this is only the first chapter out of three planned episodes. So there's plenty more to come.
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