Angry Mo's - Nvidia Shield TV Review                                                Verdict:  Mo likes it!


  I haven't written any reviews in a while, been busy with work.  But this is the year of the media streamers.  I will try to bring you the best information I can about these latest gadgets.  I also ordered the Neeo smart learning remote.  Will write review once I get it.  For this week, we have the Nvidia Shield TV !

What is it?

The Nvidia Shield TV is a box that you hook up to your TV.  Its sleek and small.  It has a nice green emitting glow to it (see the photo below).  It allows you to do multiple things.  You can use it to watch TV (via the Tablo mentioned in the previous blog), access your Plex library, watch Netflix, Hulu etc.  There are many applications one can download just like the Roku.  But I believe the major advantage that the Shield has over the other streamers is its capability to play games.  Yes Roku can play games, but I'm talking about real games!  We will have to wait and see what happens with the new Apple TV, but this device can beat any of the other streamers when it comes to gaming at this time.



Is it easy to set up??

Yes, just like any other streamer (e.g. Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV), you need a connection from this to your TV (HDMI), and power.  I prefer ethernet connection for internet, but this can do wireless internet as well.

How about the controller and remote?

Unfortunately when I bought my Nvidia Shield Pro, it came with the controller, but I had to buy the remote separately.  Is the remote worth it? Heck yeah!  Its small, feels good in the hand and easy to use.  The best part is the voice control.  There is a small button the remote (controller has it too), and if you press it, it lights up green.  On the screen it waits for your command. I have tried "tell me the weather", "show me local movie times", "what is the football score", it shows me accurate information each time.  This definitely beats Roku (which can just look for movies/TV shows and actors), and I believe according to one article more accurate than Fire TV.  We will have to wait to see how it compares to Siri on Apple Tv.  It can search your Plex database, and will show you YouTube videos!  For example, if I say "Star Wars", it will show me whats available in my Plex server, any you tube videos, Google movies, etc.. it keeps going.  Only thing it doesn't do at this time is show you Netflix videos.. but I think it will in the future.



I have not spent much time with the controller, but its comfortable and very Xbox like.  Do you need the remote? No, but I highly recommend it, adds to the experience.

How's the picture and sound?

I do not have a 4K TV, but this device does support 4K.  For my 1080p Panny Plasma, this device looks great.  The picture is top notch.  I think its even smoother and more pop then my Roku 3.  The other plus side of this device is the speed.  Switching apps is lightening fast.  You can go from one app to the other within seconds.  So lets say I watching TV show on Tablo, and I want to go to Plex, its literally seconds.    Netflix loads up so fast, and ffw/rew is quick too.  Overall great experience and user friendly.

Gaming?? On a media streamer?

Yep, there are several ways to game on the Nvidia Shield Pro.

-First you have Android games.  These are relatively "light" games. Mostly platformers or puzzle games.  They look great, and load up fast.. for example, Half Life and Portal.  Great games.  These games you can purchase from the store on the device, and download them.  Some games are free, but the good ones obviously cost some dough.

-Second you have NVIDIA game stream.  You can try it for free for 30 days, but after that it costs 7.99.  There are some games which are free, others cost money. I tried it a few times.  Its a great concept, but I don't think its ready for prime time. For example, I tried Batman Arkham Asylum.  Tho it was smooth and it was cool that it launched and I played a game from the cloud (you can also do cloud saves), I don't think the graphics were that great.  Compared to my Alienware X51 I have hooked up to my TV for PC gaming, the graphics were sub par. Not sure if needs a patch, or if that's the max, but I wont be renewing my subscription to this service in the future.

-Third you can stream games from your PC on your network to the Nvidia Shield. So lets say your PC is in your office.  You can launch and play a PC game from your Nvidia Shield in the family room!  I tried a few games, it worked well, but I also do no think its ready for prime time either.  You have to have an Nvidia graphics card that supports this, and a good network (mine is wired).  The problem is PC games are faulty to begin with.  They crash, they need updates, they may launch other screens that you can't see on the TV in the living room. For example, I launched Grand Theft Auto 5.  Nothing happened, I waited for minutes.. still nothing.  When I went to see what was happening with my PC in the other room, it was loading some sort of update, and installing it.  I would not have even known that unless I went to look at the PC itself.  It would have taken 15-20 mins to install this update!  I tried some other games like South Park, it was choppy with intermittent drops in frames... this was on a wired connection.  I gave up on this .. I will just use my Alienware X51 for playing games when I want.  Graphics are better, I can see if something crashes or goes wrong, and it doesn't drop frames.

Although this streamer is capable of gaming, I will not use it for that function unless something changes with the above.



Sideloading? Whats that?

You can load other applications that are not available for Nvidia Shield by installing them yourself.  I didn't get into this, because I didn't have time, and I don't like taking time to do things that should already be there anyways.  For example, there are emulators, web browsers etc.

Can your wife use this device?

Yes after some initial instructions my wife can use this device, but its not as user friendly as the Roku.  I highly doubt any wife would use the gaming functions.

Can you cut the cord?

Yes, just like Roku,AppleTV and others, if you don't mind missing some channels, you can cut cable with this device.

Pros:

Nice looking device/good build quality
Awesome voice function
Good selection of apps (Plex and Kodi)
Capable of playing games (and I mean high quality games)
Blazing fast interface

Cons:

Rarely, but it does happen,... apps can freeze. Some bugs that need to be fixed. Hopefully Nvidia will get this under better control.
Gaming there, but needs fine tuning.  Game streaming from your PC not flawless.
Although there are good apps.. needs more apps  (No Amazon video on demand. This part is stupid, because Amazon stopped selling Apple TV and Chromecast .. but they still sell Nvidia Shield TV.  Maybe they are getting it soon?)
Why is the Netflix listed in the gaming section? That is dumb.  Should be able to move it to  where the rest of the apps are at the bottom of the screen
Airplay would be nice.  I know it has Chromecast, but I don't think its as good as airplay. You can download Airplay apps, but they don't work all the time.


Verdict:

If you want the most powerful streamer out there, I would say this is it
Buy it!

Will be reviewing the new Apple TV next week, and perhaps the Neeo smart remote when its in.

Tablo TV 2 Tuner Review

Angry Mo's - Tablo TV 2 Tuner Review                                           Verdict: Mo likes it!

  Welcome to my second blog review.  Last time I brought you the killer Roku 3...  designed to bring you the best video/audio entertainment in a simple user-friendly device.  For this week, I want to you all to be aware of the Tablo TV 2 Tuner.

I also promised to bring you movie reviews, but I haven't seen anything lately... so stay tuned!

What is it?

Its an over the air tuner (OTA) that brings you free local channels.  It is basically  a small black box that you hook up to an antenna.  The antenna than receives broadcast signals over the air and gives them to the Tablo TV.  The antenna you have to supply on your own, but don't worry its not as complex as you think.  Antennas can be outdoor (on your roof or side of your house), or they can be indoor.  For my setup I use an indoor antenna that I bought from Amazon.  See the antenna section below.  The Tablo TV then sends the broadcast to the internet via its Ethernet connection on the back to your local network (connect it to your router).  You can access the channels via web browser.  I bought it to go with my Roku 3 for live TV and even better.. it can function as a digital video recorder (DVR) to record shows when your not home!  So easy.. its craaazzzzzy!









What do you need? 

First you need the Tablo TV itself.  I bought mine from : http://www.tablotv.com/
Then you need an antenna.  See antenna section below to give you an example.
Lastly, you need a hard drive to record shows.  I had an old USB hard drive .. it works awesome.

Before you have the above, you should have a router and a working internet connection.


What channels do you get?

I get the following :  Local NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX.  Those are really the only channels I care about.  It really depends on your location.  PBS is also available.  The Tablo TV website noted above has an easy to use page where you can fill in your zip code and find out what stations you can get.  For my wife and I we like to watch : NBC Nightly News, Jeopardy, Hell's Kitchen and I can't miss my Judge Judy (I like it when she yells at people).

Is it easy to setup and use?

yes, yes, yes, yes!

Where did you get an antenna?

Like I said you can get an antenna for outdoor (I recommend this for people who know what they are doing), or indoor atenna (this is for people who don't know what they are doing). I do not know anything about outdoor stuff so I went with a simple indoor antenna.  I actually got it from Amazon.com.  See here:

 http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Extreme-Performance-Amplified-Antenna/dp/B00DIFIP06/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1398792120&sr=1-2&keywords=amazon+antenna

I have it taped to the inside of a window.  One end goes into an outlet to give it power, the other end goes into the Tablo TV.  Easy!



You mentioned Tablo TV can record shows?  how?

I have had it for several weeks now and it hasn't missed recording a single show.  And you know what?  The picture quality is fantastic.  All you need is a USB hard drive.  I had an old Western Digital Mybook, and it works perfectly.  You just plug it into the Tablo TV.  That is it for the hardware.  The Tablo then hooks up to your local network via your router.
Once its all set up you simply go to a web browser, scan for channels and your done.  Then you can setup recordings.



Devices that you can use with it?

You can use it with iPad, any laptop/PC via web browser.  For my setup as I already mentioned I use it with Roku.  I have several of them throughout the house.  There is a channel you can get for Tablo TV.  I am able to access live TV, recordings, and scheduled recordings.  Tablo TV plans on coming out with a 4 Tuner model.  Right now the 2 -Tuner means that you can be recording one channel and watch another one.  Or two people can watch two different channels.. you get the point.

















Can you cut the cord?

Yes !  I used to pay $70.00 a month for Dish Network.  Now I don't need it.  I get all the local channels, plus Roku gives me Netflix, Amazon VOD, Plex as I mentioned in last weeks blog (http://moangry.blogspot.com/2014/04/roku-3-review.html)

Can the wife use it?

Yes!  My wife knows how to use Tablo after I showed her how to use it on the Roku.  Simple as scrolling some icons.  Roku is the most wife friendly device.  It is also kid friendly.

Pros:
Nice looking solid made device (much better made than the Simple TV version 2)
Easy to set up
Excellent picture quality
Has not missed a single recording
Cost effective
Backed  up by a good company which is making regular updates

Cons:
No closed captioning
Can't resume playback after starting a video from your recordings (I believe Tablo is working on this)

Verdict: BUY IT!

Thanks for joining this week, next week we will review the Nvidia Shield, a portable gaming gizmo.

If you liked this review and would like to help support further Angry Mo's Reviews please donate at the following (is appreciated tons!):

Roku 3 Review

Angry Mo's - Roku 3 Review                         Verdict:  Mo like it!

  Welcome to my first blog review.  Every week I tend to bring you a new electronic product which I believe is the best of the best and talk about it here!  

For this week I want to review the Roku 3.  This is the most amazing device anyone who has a TV should get.  Its so simple to use... even my wife can use it!

What is it?  

Its a small box that you attach to your TV.  It gives you access via Internet to multiple video/music streaming services like : Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora, Blockbuster, Youtube, Hulu Plus.. there are literally hundreds of "channels" that you can add to your Roku, I just named a few.  Some of the above services do require a subscription.  You can find more channels here: http://www.roku.com/now-playing

I use Netflix, Amazon, Plex and CNN news the most.  I have seen it go for as low as $80.00, which is pretty inexpensive for such an amazing device.  

Design:

Its basically a small black box.  It is very easy to hide.  There are attachments you can buy online  that make it easy to hide behind your flat screen TV, so its invisible.  The box has a power outlet, ethernet port (if you have a wired ethernet connection I recommend using this), HDMI output.  If you don't have wired ethernet, don't worry its wireless too.  The device is quiet, runs cool and is very, very simple.  My wife has used it for the past 2 years, and still doesn't know what it looks like.

Remote:

The remote is comfortable and easy to use.  It has a minimalist design.  Its fast, responsive, and even has a port on the side to hook up included headphones.  That way, if your spouse is sleeping, you can watch TV, without bothering him or her.  See photo below.  The remote is RF, which means the device can be hidden behind cabinets and behind the TV and still work.  The Roku 3 box is also IR, so if you have a universal remote it would work with it too (e.g. Harmony).  Roku 3 remote is also motion sensitive, so you can play games.  We don't use it for that function, but angry birds is available on Roku 3, and is easy to play with the remote.  If you use the Roku remote instead of a universal remote, you still need to use your regular TV remote to turn on/off the TV. 

Channels:

Kind of like apps for your phone, Roku has many so called "channels".  This includes Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora.  My favorite channels besides these include : CNN, CNET, IGN, Plex, Hulu Plus, Dishworld.  There are tons of options!  My wife watches Hindi channels via Dishworld.  You can even stream your moves/photos/music from your computer to Roku using Plex app.  Plex is a great piece of software, but this is a discussion for a different time.  Some of these services require subscriptions, some do not.

Cutting the cord?  Can it save me money?:

Roku 3 has allowed me to be without cable or satellite services.  It has tons of movies, TV shows, music channels, there is truly something for everyone including kids.   Again, you can even watch your own stored movies via Plex.  What is also a benefit is a nifty device called Tablo.  With Tablo, I am able to get over the air channels for free (no fees), record them, play them back on any connected Roku device.  It is simply amazing.  Right now I have 4 Roku's throughout the home.  Each Roku is able to acccess the Tablo for Live TV.  My next blog will be reviewing this money saving device.  So can you cut the cord?  Yes you can!

Picture and sound quality:
Awesome picture quality and sound.  It can do up to 1080p and Dolby Digital.  I have compared this device to Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV... they are all about the same

Pros:
Small box
Easy to use, nice remote
Headphone jack on remote
Tons of content including over the air channels (some channels require subscription fees, for over the air channels need external equipment)
Fast menu speeds
Wife and kid friendly.. this is a big one!

Cons:
The only con is there is no Airplay available.  However there are channels you can add like Trimeplay and Twonky Beam that allow you to stream content from your phone or pad to your Roku. Roku also has an app for your phone to stream your personal photos/music/video to your device.

Verdict:  BUY IT!

Thanks for joining this week, next week will be reviewing the Tablo TV 2 Tuner

If you would like to help support further reviews please donate below.