NVIDIA Announces 4K HDR Shield TV, Google Assistant Support, And 'Spot' Smart AI Microphone
The newest model, however, now has full support for 4K HDR streaming from both Netflix and Amazon Video. According to NVIDA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, the new Shield TV has three times the compute performance of existing streamers on the market, but that’s not all. NVIDIA has updated the design of the console, and now bundles in both the remote and the wireless game controller in the box.
In addition, Shield TV has support for the Google Assistant. With Google Assistant support, you can use natural speech patterns to find new content on your Shield TV or seek through a movie/TV show with ease. To achieve this, NVIDIA has announced “Spot”, which is a tiny microphone that plugs directly into a wall outlet. NVIDIA expects that you’ll purchase multiple Spots, which can be placed in every room of your house. Rather than being a standalone device, each Spot connects via Wi-Fi to your Shield TV, and all processing takes place through the console.
NVIDIA Spot uses far-field processing, echo cancellation, and beam-forming to triangulate your position and ensure that the closest microphone picks up your voice (from a distance of up to 20 feet). Combined with Shield TV’s support for the SmartThings smart home hub, Spot has the potential to transform your homes to an AI powerhouse.
“SHIELD TV is the world’s most advanced streamer. Its brilliant 4K HDR quality, hallmark NVIDIA gaming performance and broad access to media content will bring families hours of joy,” said Jen-Hsun. “And with SHIELD’s new AI home capability, we can control and interact with content through the magic of artificial intelligence from anywhere in the house.”
The new NVIDIA Shield TV is priced at $199 (including both the remote and game controller). Each NVIDIA Spot AI microphone will cost you an additional $49.99. The new Shield TV is currently available for pre-order and will ship later this month. Availability has not yet been announced for the Spot.
