I feel like a damn boomer but what is this thing for? Is it a replacement for the OS on smart TVs? So, like, you plug this into the TV through HDMI and it does all of the actual streaming?
It won’t make your setup any better, but it will be ready for it if you do. It is a great choice if you have a server that can’t transcode media as it can play most files directly. The only thing it can’t do is play AV1 encoded files. AV1 didn’t exist when the shield came out so it will be missing out on the future proofing of AV1.
That being said, if you know you are only going to use it for files encoded in 264 or 265, then you have nothing to worry about. I however am going to wait for the next revision, if one will exist. They are due for an update right about now.
I feel like a damn boomer but what is this thing for? Is it a replacement for the OS on smart TVs? So, like, you plug this into the TV through HDMI and it does all of the actual streaming?
Correct, it is the gold standard of Plex clients. It supports all of the formats, 7.1 Dolby Atmos audio and video.
Would that do me any good if I don’t have a particularly good audio setup?
It won’t make your setup any better, but it will be ready for it if you do. It is a great choice if you have a server that can’t transcode media as it can play most files directly. The only thing it can’t do is play AV1 encoded files. AV1 didn’t exist when the shield came out so it will be missing out on the future proofing of AV1.
That being said, if you know you are only going to use it for files encoded in 264 or 265, then you have nothing to worry about. I however am going to wait for the next revision, if one will exist. They are due for an update right about now.