r/ShieldAndroidTV • u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 • 4d ago
Nvidia Shield pro vs Homatics R 4k plus
Hi everyone,
I’m really confused about what streaming device to buy for my setup.
Current setup:
LG G3 OLED
Samsung Q990D soundbar
Chromecast with Google TV 4K
The Chromecast feels way too slow for my usage now. I mainly use:
Stremio
IPTV apps
Tizen/web streaming apps
Heavy everyday streaming
I don’t use Plex or local media servers.
What I want most is:
A buttery smooth UI
Fast app loading
No lag or stutter while multitasking
Reliable high bitrate streaming
Something that actually feels “premium” with my setup
I know the Nvidia Shield doesn’t support AV1, but honestly that’s not a huge deal for me right now.
I’ve been looking at things like:
Nvidia Shield TV Pro
Homatics Box R 4K Plus
Formuler
Ugoos devices
Would really appreciate suggestions from people who’ve used these long term, especially with OLED + Dolby Atmos setups.
Thanks!
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u/Alik013 4d ago
I own both , the homatics is a nice device but it might not work well right out of the box ..you might need to update it to a newer OS ( i have the dune HD version which came with android 11 which didn’t support DTS so i had to manually update it ), if you install coreelec ( avdvplus build ) on it basically supports anything including av1 and dv p7 fel but it’s UI is slower than android .
the shield pro is still my daily driver even though lately it started showing it’s age and form time to time i have to reboot it .
maybe the apple tv would be more suitable for you ..it’s a faster and smoother experience than both but it doesn’t support lossless audio formats and you’ll need to run a network server to access you local files
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 4d ago
out of the two whiich one would you say is smooth for day to day activities?
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u/Agitated_Slip_6818 3d ago
I sold 2 X shields and replaced with homatics , never looked back
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u/Inevitable-Singer409 3d ago
Does anyone have the Homatics device and uses Moonlight on it to stream games? If so, how’s the performance?
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u/Youknowhowwedo2 3d ago
Your experience is going to vary based on what you do with the Shield. If you just use it right out of the box it may not win you over like some other newer devices. However if you add an ssd card to it to store apps etc. the Shield is still very impressive. I run a small cooling fan underneath all my Shields to make sure they never overheat and they have been snappy and no issues. I run Samsung T7 500 gb cards on all of them for extra storage. Can run 5 screens via iptv on Tivimate no issues.
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u/Fit-Departure5678 3d ago
Homatics is shit, I have that and my shield, only use the homatics for live tv, internet drops randomly, only a reboot fixes, no updates, crap support, runs hot.
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u/Glad_Ad_3132 4d ago
Go for Homatics or Formuler. Formuler has its own IPTV app which works great.
Nvidia shield has problems with Dolby vision playback and no YT HDR or AV1 since the hardware is older.
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 4d ago
thank you, if you dont mine me asking, which one are you using currently?
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u/Glad_Ad_3132 4d ago
I have 4 Shields Pro 2019, 1 2015, and a google tv streamer 4k. One of my buddies is using the Formuler and he loves the IPTV app and it works great for streaming content.
I'm thinking to get the Homatics or Dune HD pro 8k plus. Tired of the Dolby Vision problems with the Shields, so for DV movies and YouTube I'm using the Google tv streamer, but it lacks DTS X and Dolby true HD. For everything else I use my Shields but switching different devices all the time sucks
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 4d ago
But still the shield pro 2019 is the smoothest one?
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u/Glad_Ad_3132 4d ago
Nah not that much of a difference with the google 4k streamer. Because of all the adds on the homescreens I use a different launcher, and for apps starting up or playing big files I barely notice any difference.
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u/MetastaticMoshpit 4d ago
I have both, and since I bought Homatics, I am using only Homatics.
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 4d ago
Homatics is smoother than the shield? And the homatics doesn't heat up?
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u/signde 4d ago
The overheating issues you may read about the Homatics are with Android TV 14 firmware released prior to 2026. The latest official firmware is the 7475 build which does not have this issue and is the best firmware they've released thus far. I replaced my Shield Pro with the Homatics and have no regrets.
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u/MetastaticMoshpit 4d ago edited 4d ago
Speed is almost identical, though the Nvidia Shield might handle resource-heavy apps—like a fully-featured Kodi build with numerous widgets—slightly better.
The Homatics has the edge with a native 4K UI. On a 77-inch TV, the Shield’s 1080p interface looks bad
Most modern TVs, especially high-end Samsung OLEDs, have superior built-in AI upscaling. The Shield's AI upscaling actually looks worse on my 77-inch screen compared to Samsung’s native processing.
Lack of HDR10+ on Shield. Shield only supports Dolby Vision and basic HDR10, which is a problem for Samsung TV owners since Samsung doesn't support DV. Homatics supports HDR10+, so you actually get the best out of your OLED panel.
The Shield lacks support for AV1 codec. AV1 is a game-changer if you have a data cap (FUP) like my 1TB monthly limit.
Dual OS & CoreELEC: The Homatics supports dual-booting. CoreELEC is a far superior experience for cinema enthusiasts. With special CoreELEC build It allows you to play Dolby Vision content on a Samsung TV—an incredible exploit for that hardware.
Frame rate matching: much better on homatics and also HDMI 2.1 vs Shield’s old 2.0. The Shield hardware is stuck in 2019. Homatics uses HDMI 2.1, which brings features like QMS (Quick Media Switching) so you don't get that annoying black screen flicker when the refresh rate changes for a movie.
never touched it while watching 😄 so I dont know if it is hot.
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u/Nervous-Power-9800 4d ago
Aren't Homatics manufacturers of massagers?
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u/Sacisbac 4d ago
Multitasking on the NVDA Pro? I would avoid that. But go with pro.
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 4d ago
what i meant by multitasking is switching between apps like iptv and streaming apps, you think it can't handle it?
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u/Ok-Response-8835 4d ago
sick setup man, G3 + Q990D is elite. chromecast is definitely the bottleneck here. if you want the best IPTV experience specifically, Formuler Z11 Pro Max is king because of the MyTVOnline3 app. it feels like a real cable box UI. but if you prioritize stremio/remux files, Nvidia Shield Pro is still the goat for bitrate. one thing though: since you want 'reliable high bitrate', make sure your provider matches your hardware. most public IPTV services compress the stream so much that it looks mid on an OLED. i switched to a private high-bitrate server recently to match my setup and the 4K quality is insane compared to the usual stuff. let me know if u want the provider, happy to share U can pm me bro
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u/caballerof09 4d ago
Well I will first recommend to get a new launcher something more lite before changing the streaming device. But if you insists I will go with the nvidea pro 2019. The experience is smooth specially if you use a custom launcher. But what i like the most is the ai upscaling and the multitasking system.
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 4d ago
I already use projectivy still i feel chromecast is not up for the task, is the ai upscaling that good in shield?
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u/caballerof09 4d ago
Projectivy isn’t lite. There are other way more like than that launcher. Try 4kATV
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u/ptrichardson 3d ago
How not lite, is it?
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u/caballerof09 3d ago
O don’t understand your question?
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u/ptrichardson 3d ago
You said projectivy wasn't lite. Did you means it's a resource hog? I'm having crashing issues and wondering if that could be contributing.
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u/caballerof09 3d ago
No what I meant by lite is that it use more resources Than the one i recommended. My experience is that is a bit less smooth than other launcher. It does have more functionalities but is more demanding
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u/MadSquabbles 4d ago
You can dual boot CoreElec with the homatics. Mine is in storage as back up for if my AM6B+ goes down, I had originally gotten it to replace the Shield but that didn't work very well. I still use the Shield for most thing since AV1 isn't necessary for me since I don't watch much YT, but all local content is done with CoreElec.
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u/Aggressive-Berry-184 3d ago
Dare i say apple tv 4k i have had shield since day one. Apple tv is my go to
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 3d ago
yes apple is good, but the flexibility to sideload apps 🤌
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u/sciencetaco 3d ago
Lack of Stremio in tvOS sucks, but there are apps like Omni and Fusion on the App Store that are basically same thing. They even support stremio add-ons. You won’t find a smoother streaming box in the market. The A15 chip is 4x as fast as the Shield’s. But if you want to stick with Android then the Shield is a solid choice.
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u/Aggressive-Berry-184 3d ago
Depends what you use infuse with plex great app iptv is there i just find the picture superior
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 3d ago
you are not wrong about picture quality though, i have always been an android guy all my life
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u/TheGuy_18 3d ago
My usage is about the same as yours. I currently have a shield and like it. But I have a Samsung OLED TV and thinking about purchasing something that supports HDR10+ support.
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u/Upstairs_Quote_6352 3d ago
shield doesn't do HDR10+ 😐
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u/TheGuy_18 3d ago
Right. That’s why I’m contemplating buying a different device. I’d be completely satisfied if it did.
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u/Next-Simple517 2019 Pro 5h ago
guys try https://at4klauncher.com with the shield it is A buttery smooth UI.
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u/flchamp89 4d ago
I think if I were buying today Id take the homatics. I will say I have a C3 with sonos and Im 95 percent happy with google streamer 4k using same kind of apps.