Best Cheap Alternatives to the NVIDIA Shield TV (2019) Android Central 2020

The NVIDIA Shield TV (2019) is hands down one of, if not the, best Android TV set-top box you can buy, offering a great mix of features for cord cutters and gamers alike. However, all that greatness comes at a fairly high price. If you're looking to save some money on your next streaming box, your best bet is the Xiaomi Mi Box S, but we've rounded up a couple of other options as well.

Source: Android Central

The Xiaomi Mi Box S is the best option for those wanting the full Android TV experience at a lower price point. Featuring decent specs and compatibility with 4K TVs, this is an affordable option for anyone looking to stream content from the most popular services available from the Google Play Store — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, YouTube, and so on. Given the price and the compatibility, it might seem like a no-brainer but the Xiaomi Mi Box S does have some shortcomings. While it offers support for 4K content, it struggles to stream in 4K without considerable lag. As writer Harish Jonnalagadda explains in his full review, the Mi Box S simply doesn't have the hardware power to fully support 4K streaming and that's a disappointment. Another annoyance is having to turn the box on just to use the Chromecast functionality. Having said that, if stuttering 4K streams isn't a dealbreaker for you, the Xiaomi Mi Box S is a perfectly affordable alternative to the NVIDIA Shield TV. Pros: Runs on Android TV 8.1

Handles 1080p content with ease

Built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant functionality Cons: 4K streaming is laggy

Mi Box needs to be turned on to Cast

Best Overall Xiaomi Mi Box S A comparable Android TV experience at half the price The Xiaomi Mi Box S is a great option for fans of Android TV. It lags in 4K but still offers great value for thrifty cord-cutters. $55 from Amazon

$65 from B&H Photo

Best Value: Roku Ultra

Source: Android Central

Roku is a popular streaming platform that's been used in many smart TVs, and the Roku Ultra represents the best that Roku has to offer for cord cutters. The Ultra is the latest streaming box from Roku that supports 1080p, 4K UHD, and HDR10 content. It ships with a remote that's a jack-of-all-trades. It features a headphone jack for private listening (along with a complimentary pair of earbuds), offers support for voice search, and includes a built-in speaker for the times when it gets lost in a couch cushion. Simply press the remote finder button on the Roku Ultra and your Roku remote will chirp out its location in your home. There's support for all the expected streaming services, local news programming, and hundreds of private channels streaming content of all varieties — the true strength of the Roku platform. The only downside is that it's not running on Android so you don't get access to the Google Play Store. Also, while there's support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision is not supported. Pros: Full support for 4K UHD and HDR10 content

Remote control jam-packed with useful features

Platform offers great support for apps

Comes with earbuds Cons: No support for Dolby Vision

No support for Android apps

Best Value Roku Ultra Roku's best streaming solution The Roku Ultra is a stalwart 4K streamer that supports most streaming services, along with Roku's deep collection of free channels. $90 from Amazon

$100 from Target

Best for Alexa: Amazon Fire TV Cube

Source: Android Central

Amazon's Fire TV Cube is a great choice for anyone who's heavily invested in the Alexa ecosystem. The latest streaming solution from Amazon supports 4K Ultra HD streaming and includes everything you love about Alexa baked right in. The Fire TV Cube offers a bit of everything that makes Amazon's smart home offerings so appealing. You get an improved set-top streaming box that also works as a smart home hub for your other connected devices. It also still works as a voice-controlled Echo speaker when the TV is not in use. For those reasons, it's the best option for anyone already baked into the Alexa ecosystem. Unfortunately, it lacks the support for Google Play services that Android users love about the Shield TV. Pros: Support for 4K UHD and HDR10+

Support for Dolby Vision and Atmos

Use Alexa for voice searches and

Acts as Echo speaker and smart home hub when TV is off Cons: Limited support for gaming

No support for Google Play services (aside from YouTube)

Best for Alexa Amazon Fire TV Cube The perfect Alexa product for your living room Amazon's 4K streaming cube is the perfect way to add Alexa to your living room, and doubles as an Echo speaker when the TV's off. $100 from Amazon

$100 from Best Buy

Best Streaming Dongle: Google Chromecast Ultra

Source: Android Central

The Google Chromecast Ultra is not a fully-fledged streaming box like the other options on this list, but it still functions well for most streaming situations using just your phone. The Ultra also supports 4K HDR streaming, where available, and also offers functionality with Google's Stadia game streaming service. There's no remote here, just an HDMI dongle that connects at the back of your TV and lets you cast apps from your phone (or from a Chrome browser on a computer) to your TV. This makes the Chromecast one of the easiest streaming products to set up and use, but not having physical controls can cause headaches if the media controls disappear from your phone's notification shade. The Chromecast Ultra is not as feature-laden as the other options on this list, but it is a Google product so it plays nice with Google Play and can be controlled by Google Assistant. Pros: Supports 4K HDR content

Easy to set up and use

Works with Google Assistant and Google Stadia Cons: Not a full-featured streaming box

Media controls can disappear while you're streaming

Best Streaming Dongle Google Chromecast Ultra Google's mighty little streaming dongle The Google Chromecast is an affordable way to stream your favorite content in 4K, featuring full support for Google Assistant. $69 from Amazon

$69 from Best Buy

Best Android TV Alternative: Ematic Jetstream 4K

Source: Walmart

While there are a lot of different devices you can use as a streaming box, there aren't as many that are powered by Android TV. The Ematic Jetstream 4K is another option for those with a budget in mind, but it packs quite the punch. In addition to already being powered by Android TV, the included remote sports a few useful shortcut buttons, including a dedicated Google Assistant button. As for the playback itself, the Jetstream is certified with 4K HDR video playback, so your movies will look crisp. There's even the added benefit of the Jetstream supporting Dolby Audio, so you'll get a great picture and fantastic sound which will go hand-in-hand. While there are a few extra benefits such as a microSD card slot, the Jetstream itself is only equipped with 8GB of storage. And while having 4K HDR support is awesome, this Android TV box does not feature automatic video refresh rates, which can cause some choppiness in certain instances. Pros: Supports 4K HDR content

Supports Dolby Audio

Included remote includes useful shortcut buttons

Works with Google Assistant

microSD slot Cons: Bluetooth 4.2 is a bit outdated

Does not feature automatic video refresh rate

Only 8GB of storage

Best Android TV Alternative Ematic Jetstream 4K Android TV with extra punch If you want an Android TV experience that can almost stand up to the Shield TV, then this is the one for you. $84 from Amazon

$84 from Walmart

Best for a Low-Profile Fire TV: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Source: Android Central

If the Fire TV Cube is the set top box replacement, then the Fire TV Stick 4K is a low-profile and fun alternative. The included remote can not only control your television, but it also works with the Fire TV Stick to give you access to the world of Amazon Alexa and all of the possible skills. The Fire TV Stick 4K supports 4K UHD, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+ and even Dolby Atmos, which should cover just about any content that you come across. If you're watching a great movie that's rather loud, just pair your favorite Bluetooth headphones to the Fire TV Stick 4K and watch your movies without waking anyone up. Those who need more than just a Wi-Fi connection will have to rely on Amazon's Ethernet Adapter in order to take advantage. Unlike similar streaming stick options, the Fire TV Stick itself may be a bit too big to plug directly into the HDMI port on your TV. Luckily, Amazon does include an HDMI extender in the box if that ends up being the case. Pros: Supports 4K HDR content

Supports Dolby Vision

Can use remote to control smart home

Can be paired with Bluetooth headphones Cons: Must use adapter for Ethernet connections

May need to use a dongle to plug into the TV

Bottom line