Google Assistant Now Available On NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV!
Last night the official NVIDIA SHIELD Twitter account posted a cryptic tweet that read “Hey. Hi. Hello. Tomorrow is going to be awesome.” If you’re anything like me, you immediately started humming “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie… If you’re not like me, you just ignored it and went to bed. This morning before work I turned on my SHIELD TV so I could check the news. Then I got a pop-up telling me that SHIELD Experience Upgrade 6.0 was ready and waiting for me. NVIDIA was right, it was going to be an awesome day!
SHIELD Experience Upgrade 6.0 brings with it a lot of great new features and changes. The biggest update is that with 6.0 the SHIELD TV is the first Android TV to support Google Assistant. Having Google Assistant on the SHIELD allows you to control the device with your voice. You can activate by pressing the microphone button on the SHIELD controller, or you can say “Ok Google” within shouting distance of the controller. It allows you to control the SHIELD, and with a few add-ons, you can even use it to control your smart home.
There are a lot of other things included in the update with YouTube 360o, YouTube Kids, updates to the Amazon Video app, software updates to the controller and remote control, and more! Check out the full changelog below!
If you don’t have an NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV yet, you should definitely look into it. Check out our review here to get the full scoop on it.
- Google Assistant Comes to SHIELD TV
- Reimagine how you interact with your TV. Ask it questions. Tell it to do things. It’s always ready to help.
- Enjoy the Freedom of Hands-Free Voice Control
- Say “OK Google” to talk to your Assistant whenever you want.
- Turn Your Home into a Smart Home
- With the SmartThings Link, SHIELD TV becomes the first streamer to integrate SmartThings hub. This makes it the brain of your connected home. Control hundreds of smart devices around your home with automated routines and voice control. Coming soon.
- Vudu Adds Voice Search and Updated UI
- Finding the latest 4K movies on Vudu is easy with new voice search. The updated Vudu app has also been redesigned with a faster, more responsive user interface.
- 360o Video in YouTube
- SHIELD TV is the first streamer to support YouTube 360o video. Transport yourself into the action with 360-degree viewing, new in the redesigned YouTube app.
- YouTube Kids App
- New Features in the Amazon Video App
- Navigate faster with new seek settings and thumbnail preview images. The updated playback engine delivers improved A/V sync and streams 4K video almost instantly.
- The latest monthly Android security updates.
- The ability to stream DTS-HD Master Audio to older DTS-capable receivers.
- The option to power on your TV and receiver using both CEC and IR simultaneously.
- New setting for accessories to enable/disable double tap of the volume slider to pause.
- SHIELD remote upgrade to firmware v1.15.
- SHIELD remote with headphone jack upgrade to firmware v1.16.
- SHIELD controller upgrade to firmware v1.14.
And just because we can, check out the video below and get the Everything Is Awesome song stuck in your head too! 🙂
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About The Author
Roy R. (rwilco12)
Roy likes to dabble in all things Android and contributes everywhere he can. He owns the site rwilco12.com and its accompanying forum, he develops his own apps and ROM’s, is a Moderator and Recognized Developer on XDA-Developers.com and is the VP of Public Relations for AndroidFileHost.com.