NVIDIA SHIELD TV gets a new software update to SHIELD Experience 8.2.1 with tons of bug fixes

NVIDIA has once again put other OEMs to shame with a firmware update for its NVIDIA SHIELD TV range — including the original generation device from all the way back in 2015. Shield Experience Upgrade 8.2.1 doesn’t add a massive amount of new functionality over version 8.2 but rather addresses a lot of niggling bugs from previous editions.

The biggest change is for owners of the most recent (2019) versions. The IR capabilities of the SHIELD Remote have been updated to allow control of more third-party devices such as TVs, speakers, and projectors from brands including Monoprice, ONN, Sennheiser, and Tascam. Owners of older NVIDIA SHIELD TV models won’t find this functionality unless they upgrade to the 2019 style remote (which is backward compatible and will set you back around $30).

Other tweaks include adding a notification to enable AI-upscaling for streaming service GeForce NOW, better handling of sound when routed through a USB DAC or Bluetooth Headset, support to send IR commands as part of an Alexa command, and as you’d expect, security updates, in this case taking us up to August 2020’s security patch level. There’s also a fix for that annoying issue where the SHIELD would stop receiving IR commands from the remote, and the long-time issue of the NVIDIA SHIELD TV device not appearing as a destination for casting.

The changelog is impressively large, so we won’t dissect it all here, we’ve placed it at the bottom of this article for your reference. However, it’s worth saying again that, biannual revisions aside, this is all the same basic device that was launched in 2015, and to see it get another update, just a week after OnePlus confirmed it would only offer one upgrade for its latest Nord handsets, is a refreshing change.

NVIDIA SHIELD TV (2015 & 2017 Forums) ||| NVIDIA SHIELD TV & TV Pro (2019) Forums

Better still, it doesn’t take a lot of work to upgrade, as ever, you’ll get a huge banner on the home screen telling you what to do.

NVIDIA SHIELD Experience 8.2.1 Changelog

Enhancements

• Adds notification to enable AI-upscaling when upscaling GeForce NOW
• Adds IR power control for projector displays
• Adds IR power/volume control for the following brands: Arris, Atyme, BC Acoustique, Dayton, Kora, Monoprice, ONN, Point Source Acoustics, Savant, Sennheiser, SMSL, Tascam
• Improves system volume levels when audio is routed to USB DAC or Bluetooth headset
• Adds developer option to force HDCP 1.4 compatibility mode (4K protected content will not be available)
• Allows IR power commands sent from SHIELD Remote 2019 when using Alexa skill
• Includes security patches up to Android security bulletin (August 2020)

Bug Fixes

AI Scaling:

• Resolves issue where AI upscaling would incorrectly detect content as unsupported, requiring a reboot
• Resolves issue where AI upscaling would randomly detect content as unsupported
• [SHIELD TV Pro 2019] Resolves dropped frames when AI upscaling 60fps video when overscan is adjusted

Display:

• Fixes issue where line is visible when using AI upscaling on Prime Video
• Resolves issue where Screen Saver timers were not set properly
• Resolves black screen issue when playing Dolby Vision content and overscan adjusted

Network/Storage:

• Allows special characters in username when accessing SHIELD over network
• Fixes issue when copying >2GB files from Mac to SHIELD 2019
• Fixes issue when connecting to SHIELD over local network when username has a space
• Fixes rare crash bug when mounting network storage to SHIELD
• Fixes bug where connected storage would become inaccessible, requiring reboot to recover

Accessories:

• Fixes bug where IR volume control would stop working when Talkback is enabled
• Fixes “Long Press Menu” functionality for customized menu button
• Resolves issue where configuring IR control might fail when older SHIELD remotes and controllers are paired
• Fixes bug where IR control was still active after factory reset
• Fixes bug where IR control would not be available after changing language to traditional Chinese
• [SHIELD TV 2019] Resolves issue where IR control would stop working, requiring reboot to recover
• [BFGD] Resolves volume and play/pause button press issues on new SHIELD Remote 2019

Audio:

• Improves system volume levels when using USB DAC or bluetooth speakers
• Fixes bug where audio would randomly drop, requiring a reboot to recover
• Resolves issue where manually enabling AC3 in “Available formats” was not working as advertised
• Fixes NETFLIX issue where 5.1 audio would not be available after disconnecting bluetooth speaker
• Fixes bug where volume control notification would show up incorrectly on KODI

Other:

• Fixes bug where SHIELD Experience upgrade would be blocked if accessory battery is low
• Resolves background display issue when exiting settings menu
• [BFGD] Fixes YouTube crash issue
• Fixes alignment issues on “Ok Google” configuration page

• Resolves issue where SHIELD would not show up available as a cast device

The post NVIDIA SHIELD TV gets a new software update to SHIELD Experience 8.2.1 with tons of bug fixes appeared first on xda-developers.

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