When comparing Amazon Fire TV vs Nvidia Shield TV PRO, the Slant community recommends Nvidia Shield TV PRO for most people. In the question“What are the best set-top boxes?” Nvidia Shield TV PRO is ranked 4th while Amazon Fire TV is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose Nvidia Shield TV PRO is:
It has a setting to keep emitting a "silence" sound, just to keep the soundbar (or audio system) awake.
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Pros
Pro Voice search
There is a dedicated voice search button on the remote so you can quickly bring up the voice search prompt from any app that works fast and accurately.
Pro Has support for tons of media service integrations
The Fire TV has support of the following of services: Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, ESPN, Pandora, Showtime, MLB, iHeart Radio, Vevo, Vimeo, Crackle, Bloomberg, Twitch, NBA, Amazon Music, Plex, YouTube, Tune In, Flixster, Quello, AOL on, WWE, HuffPost Live, Frequency, Red Bull TV, and Smithsonian Channel.
Pro Has a simplified kids mode
There is a mode called "freetime" that lets you whitelist specific apps and set watch time limits for kids, or for a simplified interface with only certain apps.
Pro Most powerful set top box
Even though it's only $99, it's far more powerful than its competitors, with a quad core processor and 2GB of ram, and that power really shows in the fluidity of the UI.
Pro Bluetooth Remote
The Fire TV remote doesn't require line of sight, and has a microphone for voice search, thanks to bluetooth support.
Pro Option to play a "silent" sound
It has a setting to keep emitting a "silence" sound, just to keep the soundbar (or audio system) awake.
Pro Powerful hardware
Better hardware than most other products running Android TV.
Pro Mount network storage
It can access remote storage (e.g. from NAS) using either SMB or NFS protocols.
Pro Optional Android app for a virtual remote control
There is an Android app that works as a remote control. In fact, the app can simulate either directional keys, or a virtual mouse using an on-screen touchpad.
Pro Remote can light itself up when picked up
You can configure the brightness of the backlight of the buttons of the remote. And such backlight will automatically turn on when it detects movement, and turn off seconds later.
Cons
Con Lots of Amazon advertisement
The Fire TV prefers Amazon services, and is tailored to purchasing shows and movies through Amazon. The voice search does not clearly expose if it's already available on a non amazon service.
Con Inconsistent UI between apps
Each app has a unique UI making it harder to jump between each app, and requires you to learn a slightly different UI for every app.