Nvidia Shield (2017-?)

[SooKee]

4 hours ago, jphasia said:

So, I went back home to Phuket last week end and tried to find out about my Shield:

HDD: I tried with a spare HDD (WD 2TB) that I have at home and it was not working too. I then tried with a 2nd spare HDD (also WD 2TB) and then it work immediately. I loaded with some movies and music and no issue at all. Hard to understand.

Iflix: No way, it's not working. Impossible to login. I checked the version of the app and it is the same that you mentioned (2.22.1.4051). It just said that my username or password are incorrect. I contacted the Iflix customer support and they told me that Iflix is not compatible with Android TV yet. They suggested me to use Chromecast instead... I then tried with Chromecast using my mobile phone and it work.

I followed your advice and turn off the location and managed to sign in with Amazon Prime. No issue at all.

As I saw you were mentioning about Plex (which I had no clue about it), I decided to try. I have an old Mac at home that I am not using anymore. I installed Plex Media Server, create an account, and load my media files. It's work very well, I am surprise. I can even open my files from Myanmar.

I played around with the Shield, installed some apps, using sideload as you suggest. So now, I am happy with it so far.

Glad it's mostly working for you.  Just VERY strange about iFLIX because I have it on mine and it's working fine?  I noticed you said you had Minix U1s too, do you have iFlix working on that?  It's the same app I have installed on my Shield and it works fine but of course you need an air-mouse with it.

 

I had a few problems with iFlix where I was accidentally adding a space to my email address when tabbing to to the next section to enter my password.  Yes iFlix is not compatible with Android TV but it's only the mobile version you need to install and get working.  I did have a run around with one of my devices with iFlix.  Took several attempts to clear it to allow log in.  IIRC I cleared data / cleared the cache, uninstalled it, restarted the device and downloaded a fresh install from Aptoide TV IIRC.  Again IIRC I even changed my iFlix password too. It wouldn't be any characters in your password not entering correct due to keyboard issues?  I with had log in problems with one app until I figured out that I had accidentally switched the Android keyboard settings to 'UK English'.  As such, every time I entered '#' I was getting '£', I only noticed it when I tested the password in a browser search box, which of course doesn't speedily change a password to *********.  But if your'e using the Android soft keyboard it shouldn't be a problem.  I was using the A2 Lite keyboard though and was looking at it rather than the screen to check it was all entering correctly.  Another thing I found was that one or two apps didn't seem to like passwords entered using the A2 Lite keyboard, I deleted it all and used the painfully slow character selection using the Shield TV remote and Android keyboard and presto, it worked.  Very odd?  Just random things that are coming to mind because I think it HAS to be some kind of problem with something on the app your end.  I have it on my Fire TV, Minix U9 and the Shield and it works OK?  Slinging it via a Chromecast works but it's a pain IMO.  Far better just to get your app sorted out if you can.  

 

I THINK you'll find that if you turn Location back on now Prime will still let you play the Prime content.

[jphasia]

Glad it's mostly working for you.  Just VERY strange about iFLIX because I have it on mine and it's working fine?  I noticed you said you had Minix U1s too, do you have iFlix working on that?  It's the same app I have installed on my Shield and it works fine but of course you need an air-mouse with it.
 
I had a few problems with iFlix where I was accidentally adding a space to my email address when tabbing to to the next section to enter my password.  Yes iFlix is not compatible with Android TV but it's only the mobile version you need to install and get working.  I did have a run around with one of my devices with iFlix.  Took several attempts to clear it to allow log in.  IIRC I cleared data / cleared the cache, uninstalled it, restarted the device and downloaded a fresh install from Aptoide TV IIRC.  Again IIRC I even changed my iFlix password too. It wouldn't be any characters in your password not entering correct due to keyboard issues?  I with had log in problems with one app until I figured out that I had accidentally switched the Android keyboard settings to 'UK English'.  As such, every time I entered '#' I was getting '£', I only noticed it when I tested the password in a browser search box, which of course doesn't speedily change a password to *********.  But if your'e using the Android soft keyboard it shouldn't be a problem.  I was using the A2 Lite keyboard though and was looking at it rather than the screen to check it was all entering correctly.  Another thing I found was that one or two apps didn't seem to like passwords entered using the A2 Lite keyboard, I deleted it all and used the painfully slow character selection using the Shield TV remote and Android keyboard and presto, it worked.  Very odd?  Just random things that are coming to mind because I think it HAS to be some kind of problem with something on the app your end.  I have it on my Fire TV, Minix U9 and the Shield and it works OK?  Slinging it via a Chromecast works but it's a pain IMO.  Far better just to get your app sorted out if you can.  
 
I THINK you'll find that if you turn Location back on now Prime will still let you play the Prime content.

Coming back to you on this bit late. Been busy these last days so no much time to look at this.
Yes Iflix is working fine on Minix and so on my smart phone ( android & iphone).So i need some more time to find about about the Nvidia.

One more question about the Nvidia: is there any way to Thai as keyboard language? I checked in the settings but can't thai. The main reason for that is for example sometime my wife want to search something in Thai in utube for example but so far you can type only in English (in the minix was easy to add Thai).



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[Daryle]

I just loaded Droid Buddy on the Shield. No need to going looking for APKs they are on on this! Happy Days at

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[SooKee]

2 hours ago, jphasia said:

 

Coming back to you on this bit late. Been busy these last days so no much time to look at this.
Yes Iflix is working fine on Minix and so on my smart phone ( android & iphone).So i need some more time to find about about the Nvidia.

One more question about the Nvidia: is there any way to Thai as keyboard language? I checked in the settings but can't thai. The main reason for that is for example sometime my wife want to search something in Thai in utube for example but so far you can type only in English (in the minix was easy to add Thai).



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AFAIK on the Thai language front, no.  Only way we get round it, and it's clunky for sure, search on the tablet / phone, add it to one of your lists then pick it up from the Shield.

[vincent13]

Excuse my ignorance but will the Nvidia Shield work with older TVs? I have a Samsung and Toshiba (flat screen) TVs that I bought about 5 years ago. Thanks.

[JaseTheBass]

Excuse my ignorance but will the Nvidia Shield work with older TVs? I have a Samsung and Toshiba (flat screen) TVs that I bought about 5 years ago. Thanks.

As long as you have a HDMI port on the back, then yes.

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[SooKee]

Two very quick updates in terms of apps:

Both Iflix and HooQ will now download from the official Google Play Store and will download optimised for Android TV versions.

Problem with HooQ at the the moment in that on opening the app you get a bar code to scan or a code to input on the mobile version. It doesn't work. At least for me. Just get 'Failed to log in with secondary device'. Been in correspondence with them by email supplying details etc and they're trying to sort it. Hopefully they will. An ATV version would much better and hopefully subs will display in a reasonable size vs using the side loaded mobile app version apk.

Iflix also is now ATV format. Problem with it is there is no way to access your Playlists. So every programme requires a new search. Was chatting with their CS on FB and it seems they are working on trying to add the playlist feature.

Good to see both apps going on the direction of fully compatible ATV apps rather than needing to side load APKs. Now, if only AIS Play would go that route!


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[jphasia]

Two very quick updates in terms of apps:

Both Iflix and HooQ will now download from the official Google Play Store and will download optimised for Android TV versions.

Problem with HooQ at the the moment in that on opening the app you get a bar code to scan or a code to input on the mobile version. It doesn't work. At least for me. Just get 'Failed to log in with secondary device'. Been in correspondence with them by email supplying details etc and they're trying to sort it. Hopefully they will. An ATV version would much better and hopefully subs will display in a reasonable size vs using the side loaded mobile app version apk.

Iflix also is now ATV format. Problem with it is there is no way to access your Playlists. So every programme requires a new search. Was chatting with their CS on FB and it seems they are working on trying to add the playlist feature.

Good to see both apps going on the direction of fully compatible ATV apps rather than needing to side load APKs. Now, if only AIS Play would go that route!


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I have been very busy on my job these last few weeks and no much time to play with my Nvidia. Following your last post, and as i could have a work break yesterday, i started first to look for the iflix app on the google store tv, found and installed it.
I am not sure if Nvidia shield has better capacity on streaming or my internet here (I am in Yangon) suddently improve but i was able to watch any series / movies without any buffer , working very smootly as well as Netflix.
The fact is that my wife was here with me the last few weeks, she brought her Minix Neo U9 as she is watching a lot iflix and by that time she knew that my Shield couldn't get iflix. The problem while she was here was that iflix on her Minix was not working properly. Like internet was too slow. Too much buffering, long time to launch...she gave up! She left Myanmar middle of last week with her Minix so i couldn't compare yesterday.
So, now so far, my shield is working good and i am very happy with it.
As i discovered Plex from you sometime ago and setup Plex server at home in Phuket using my old Macbook Pro, I am very impress with it now as it working very well from here, able to strean smoothly anything on it including movies with my shield here.
Yes so far the shield suit me perfectly. Also, i like to play games. It off course has nothing to compare with my Playstation 4 or my Xbox one for the gaming but it is find here to play with the Shield instead of bringing my PS4 or Xbox with me in Myanmar.
I still have a lot of things to explore with the shield but so far, i have no regret to have purchase it

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[SooKee]

Great, glad it's working out for you.  I have iFlix on both my U9 and Shield.  TBH I don't notice any difference speed wise.  That said I haven't done much by way of scientific comparison and, being in the bedroom, the U9 gets little use now.  Nice to see that iFlix is rolling out more and more HD content.  I can actually watch LOST on it now.

 

I've had an email back from HooQ saying they were able to replicate the issue.  Asked me to try it again.  Trouble is, it entails downloading the Play Store version to get the Android TV version then try it out and again in this case it didn't work.  Which then involves a re-install of the mobile APK and signing in again.  In all honesty I'm not that bothered with HooQ save for the series Nikita which I never got round to watching.  If it wasn't free with the AIS Playbox package I wouldn't even bother with it and certainly wouldn't pay for it.  The side-loaded mobile APK works fine BUT the subtitles appear so small on the screen that you can't see them.  The app doesn't seem to render the subs proportionately, unlike iFlix and Netflix that display fine.  Told them it's still not working and they said they'll try and sort it and get an updated app out.

 

Glad you got Plex sorted.  I still tend to use it for local media despite Kodi having the better built in TrakT integration.

 

Not tried any games on the Shield yet, not really a gamer these days.  My PS3 and Xbox 360 haven't been used in 3-4 years.  I might try the Shield subscription service though.  Trial it for a month.  Pity it has such a limited range of billing options, either in $ or Euro both of which mean my cards will attract a foreign currency transaction fee, adding to the cost of it, not much but it's extra cost for no good reason.  Shouldn't be hard to implement international billing I would have thought.

 

Overall, very happy with the Shield.  Was going to buy a second one for the bedroom.  I might if the U9 packs up but given the use it gets it wouldn't be VFM so I'll stick with the U9.

[SooKee]

Out of curiosity I signed up for and tried Nvidia 'Ge-Force Now' which is basically their streaming game service that uses the current Ge-Force cards from the Nvidia game servers.  In all honesty I found it quite underwhelming, especially for the cost!  The service has limited billing options and if you're based in Thailand it will default to € at a cost of €9.99 per month.  Of course unless your card is from a € based country there will likely be a non-standard currency transaction cost added to that.  There is a free trial period of one month (after you've supplied your credit card details) and you need to cancel if you don't want it to continue.

 

Problem for me is what you get for your €9.99 pm and the fact is, not a lot IMO (and that's being polite!).  There's around 55 games that are included 'free' with Ge-Force now but not ONE of them is a current (or even recent) 'AAA' game.  In fact most of the free games are complete junk and /or several years old (with some being 10 years plus!). Quite a few seem to be Playstation 1 ports.  There are no decent sports / racing games.  The most current you get are games like 'Witcher 2', 'Deus Ex' and 'Sniper Elite 2'.  Not bad but certainly not worth €9.99.  Any game that even borders on decent is on the paid list and we're talking top prices here - €49.99 for 'F1 2015', a game that costs €19 on Steam!! Exorbitant or what!  The rest of the games are complete crap IMO and on that basis I really wonder what the benefit of Ge-Force now is.  It's a feeling that seems to run strongly on the Nvidia forums and Nvidia do seem to have got themselves a bit of a reputation for talking up developments then failing to deliver on them.  Ge-force Now for me represents awesome technology with crap execution.  

 

Luckily I'm not a big gamer and some of the games on the regular Google Play Store might be better (Ashpalt 8 is certainly better in free mode than ANYTHING on GFN) AND maybe better value but if I was into gaming in a big way I'd still go for a console or PC.  While I'm generally very impressed with the Shield to say "It's the streamer for gamers" is a bit OTT IMO.

 

In some respects I suppose the Shield might be considered as OTT for a streaming device given the lacklustre gaming experience (or at least insofar as GFN is concerned) BUT for me it's still a good buy.  It's not like these boxes need to be changed that often (especially when coming from a company as big as Nvidia where it will likely receive substantial and timely OS updates) and the key benefits for me in the streaming department are native HD (up to 4K) Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube.  It's performance with Kodi is also very fast.

[SooKee]

IFlix - playback 

 

The current iFlix app opens up on the Shield as an optimised for Android TV app.  It seems there is a growing trend for these single smart APKs that will open up in a different format depending on which device they are on.  You'll get the mobile option on a phone or tablet and an Android TV version on a device using that OS.

 

Bit of a problem with the current iFlix app is that it doesn't play as well with the Air Mouse.  When playing something the 'fly mode' pointer can no longer be used to click a position on the scrubber bar to take the video forward or back, the FW / RW buttons don't work either which is a bit of a pain.  Actually found it was the D-Pad L/R buttons that performed the FW/RW function but it took some time to get it working and it was very choppy.  Using the Nvidia game controller though it worked well.

 

Not sure if some kind of keymap editor would work for this but the trouble with that is I wouldn't want to screw up the button functionality where it IS working properly with other apps.

[SooKee]

YouTube (Android TV version) - Live Stream 'Quality' issue

 

One thing I have noticed with the Shield is that when watching a live stream (e.g. Sky News watch live) on the You Tube Android TV version app is that the playback seems to lock at max 240 and nothing you can do will change it.  Videos uploaded in HD will play in HD no problem, it's just a live stream issue.  You can watch the same stream in HD with no problem on the Shield if using the YouTube mobile version and it will also play with no problem on my Minix U9 using the YouTube Android TV app so it DOES seem to be a YouTube Android TV / Shield / Live Stream bug.  Problem is, there's no easy way to file a bug report with Nvidia, at least not that I can find yet.

[SooKee]

Two interesting news items for Shield / Android TV device users:

 

1) Google Assistant will finally be coming to Android TV later this year: https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/17/15648978/google-android-tv-update-assistant-io-2017

 

2) Android TV to get a new refreshed interface with Android 8 (one bonus with the Shield is that it will most likely get the most current current Android version and promptly too!).  Seems that the new UI will be great for my needs which is largely ONLY presenting the content I'm interested in from the services I subscribe to (by way of the new channel layout): http://www.techradar.com/news/android-tv-gets-a-new-look-with-android-o-but-it-may-still-be-too-confusing

[phetphet]

2015 Nvidia Shield 500GB.

Can anyone help me with a problem I am having?  I want to load ExpressVPN on my Shield box. I cannot see it in the Google Play Store when I search on my Shield, but I can see Express VPN in store if I search on my PC.

 

Also on expressVPN's site it says it is on Google Play Store.

 

I did see somewhere that ExpressVPN does not run on Android TV.droid. Could this be anything to do with it?

 

TIA

 

 

[SooKee]

Likely. The Shield will see apps designed for Android TV. A computer will see all the apps (one of the criticisms of the Play Store being that you can't specify Android TV apps when browsing from a computer). It's likely that although you can see it from the computer it will say it's not compatible with the Shield if you try to select install. You could try side loading in from Aptoide or by direct download of the apk but it may be worth contacting Express first to see if it's likely to work.


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[jphasia]

2015 Nvidia Shield 500GB.
Can anyone help me with a problem I am having?  I want to load ExpressVPN on my Shield box. I cannot see it in the Google Play Store when I search on my Shield, but I can see Express VPN in store if I search on my PC.
 
Also on expressVPN's site it says it is on Google Play Store.
 
I did see somewhere that ExpressVPN does not run on Android TV.droid. Could this be anything to do with it?
 
TIA
 
 

Well i had exactly the same issue, having a Shield 500G and using ExpressVPN.
I went to google store on my PC and choose my Shield to be install on. It work perfectly now.
For others apps not available on Google store TV from the Shield , i followed the advices of Sooksee with Aptoide and it is also working fine.

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[jphasia]

Well i had exactly the same issue, having a Shield 500G and using ExpressVPN.
I went to google store on my PC and choose my Shield to be install on. It work perfectly now.
For others apps not available on Google store TV from the Shield , i followed the advices of Sooksee with Aptoide and it is also working fine.

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I meant Sookee who has provided me very helpfull support for my Shield

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[Polanskiman]

What would be the recommended usb flash drive for the shield 16gb among the 3 recommended by NVIDIA?

 

- SanDisk Extreme CZ80 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive (SDCZ80-064G-GAM46); or
- SanDisk Ultra USB flash drive, 128 GB, Black (SDCZ48-128G-A46); or
- Corsair Flash Voyager Slider X1 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

 

? Or any other?

[SooKee]

Personally I use the Samsung Bar. Has the benefit of having a very narrow fitting allowing you to still get another USB device in the next slot (in my case, an air mouse dongle).


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[Polanskiman]

Thanks @SooKee. I got my Nvidia Shield from the same guy than you. So far so good. I've installed Kodi and some addon builds. Seem to be working fine. Do you use any VPN? If so anyone you recommend that is worth paying for?

 

Regarding the Mouse which one would you recommend A2 Lite or A3? The A3 has a mic but doesn't seem to work with the Shield so I wonder what's the benefit of the A3.

 

Thanks

[SooKee]

12 minutes ago, Polanskiman said:

Thanks @SooKee. I got my Nvidia Shield from the same guy than you. So far so good. I've installed Kodi and some addon builds. Seem to be working fine. Do you use any VPN? If so anyone you recommend that is worth paying for?

 

Regarding the Mouse which one would you recommend A2 Lite or A3? The A3 has a mic but doesn't seem to work with the Shield so I wonder what's the benefit of the A3.

 

Thanks

I'd go with the A2 Lite.  The A3 'benefit' for users of Minix boxes is the microphone.  The A2 had reported problems when used with a Shield, interfering with the audio settings, the A3 doesn't seem to do that (I have an A3 as well) but the mic still doesn't work.  In any event, I find the 'Mute' and 'Enter' keys far more useful than 'Mic' and 'Settings'.  Using CEC on/off on the Shield you can then wake the Shield / TV with a press of the 'Home' button on the A2 Lite.  You will need to download the Kodi keymap editor to get the 'Back' button to work as it should in Kodi but it's easy enough to do.  

 

Sent you a PM re VPNs.

[Polanskiman]

54 minutes ago, SooKee said:

I'd go with the A2 Lite.  The A3 'benefit' for users of Minix boxes is the microphone.  The A2 had reported problems when used with a Shield, interfering with the audio settings, the A3 doesn't seem to do that (I have an A3 as well) but the mic still doesn't work.  In any event, I find the 'Mute' and 'Enter' keys far more useful than 'Mic' and 'Settings'.  Using CEC on/off on the Shield you can then wake the Shield / TV with a press of the 'Home' button on the A2 Lite.  You will need to download the Kodi keymap editor to get the 'Back' button to work as it should in Kodi but it's easy enough to do.  

 

Sent you a PM re VPNs.

Isn't the interference with the audio settings with the A2 light annoying?

[SooKee]

Isn't the interference with the audio settings with the A2 light annoying?

There are none with the 'A2 Lite'. Only with the A2. Two distinct devices.


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[Polanskiman]

2 hours ago, SooKee said:

 

There are none with the 'A2 Lite'. Only with the A2. Two distinct devices.


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Indeed. I misread. I thought you were referring to the A2 light. Thanks for clarifying.

[SooKee]

On 29/05/2017 at 10:32 AM, SooKee said:

...................[snip]

 

I've had an email back from HooQ saying they were able to replicate the issue.  Asked me to try it again.  Trouble is, it entails downloading the Play Store version to get the Android TV version then try it out and again in this case it didn't work.  Which then involves a re-install of the mobile APK and signing in again.  In all honesty I'm not that bothered with HooQ save for the series Nikita which I never got round to watching.  If it wasn't free with the AIS Playbox package I wouldn't even bother with it and certainly wouldn't pay for it.  The side-loaded mobile APK works fine BUT the subtitles appear so small on the screen that you can't see them.  The app doesn't seem to render the subs proportionately, unlike iFlix and Netflix that display fine.  Told them it's still not working and they said they'll try and sort it and get an updated app out.

 

....................[snip]

 

Quick update on this for those that have HooQ on their Shield or Android box.  HooQ have now released a version of their app that is optimised for Android TV.  They actually released it some time ago but it required you to use their app on a mobile phone (in my case an iPhone) to link the TV app account.  For some reason however it would never work, returning 'Failed to link account on secondary device'.  I had mailed HooQ about it and was in correspondence with their Help Desk sending them numerous screen shots and version details of the apps. They said they were looking into it and would contact me with details of any fix.  Seemed they were able to replicate the issue.

 

Anyway, they contacted me the other day to say they had released a new iOS app version (3.1.9.1 IIRC) that fixed the problem and thankfully it did. I likely wouldn't bother with HooQ much but it's free with my AIS account and it does have a couple of series like Gotham and Nikita.  The big bonus with the new 'optimised for Android TV' version is that Thai subtitles will now show correctly scaled to TV size if your device runs Android TV.  Problem is, if your device runs standard Android (such as my Minix in the bedroom), it seems that this app is amongst the growing number of smart apps that detects what device it's being installed on and configures itself automatically unlike before when there would be Android and Android TV versions, allowing you to side-load the TV APK to a regular Android box. Not a big problem overall except there's something amiss with the subtitles on the regular Android version.  Clearly the subtitles on that are coded so as not to be intrusive on a small screen.  Trouble is, you'd need a magnifying glass to watch them on a TV.

[Polanskiman]

So I've had the Shield tv for 6 days now. I am experiencing some issues. I haven't been able to reproduce the issue but it has happened to me several times already. Sometimes when coming out of sleep nothing shows up on the TV. Pushing buttons on the control remote doesn't do anything and there is no video output. I am forced to unplug the Shield. Anyone experienced this? I am not sure but I'm thinking this happens when the Shield goes into screen saver and then sleeps. 

 

edit: there, just did it again 1 minute ago while trying to wake it up.

[SooKee]

I've not had the exact same problem as far as I can recall.  Is it connected direct to the TV or via a sound bar or amp?  Couple of times I think I had a blue screen where the TV seemingly wasn't picking up the HDMI link so it needed to be reset.  Mine is connected to a sound bar via a passive HDMI switch and I think sometimes the HDMI connection goes to rats.    

 

IIRC I tried a new HDMI cable on the Shield and then did a reset (or I pulled the AC cord and did it that way) and since then have had no problems.  I've had just a couple of times where I've lost audio where I've needed to either restart the app or the device.  These I've just put down to app glitches.

[Polanskiman]

It's hooked directly to the TV. I tested the "screen saver then sleep protocol" and each time after I wake up the Shield it just shows a black screen. If I wait long enough (~2/3 minutes) the Shield will reboot by itself and I'll see the Nvidia Logo and then everything will be fine. This seem to be an HDMI bug or maybe that my TV doesn't handle well the handshaking following a screen saver+sleep.

 

If I simply sleep the Shield and then wake it up this doesn't happen.

[SooKee]

I'm confused why you're seeing the Nvidia logo, which as you say is as a result of the Shield rebooting, which, AFAIK shouldn't happen as a result of sleeping, manual or automatic.  I have mine set to sleep after 3 hours (IIRC) of inactivity, just in case I ever forget to turn it off.  But that shouldn't cause a reboot.  Just puts it into standby from where screen power on is pretty much instant.  If the Shield is rebooting it sounds like a Shield problem vs a HDMI problem as I can't see a faulty HDMI cable causing a reboot.  Very odd.  I'll maybe try and see if mine has the same problem after a sleep setting power down, but it'll likely be next week.

[Polanskiman]

You need to try with a screen saver followed by a sleep. Let me know if it does it to you.