Is a nvidia shield still the best? Are there others? I'd like to play various 4k HDR video files. Which one to buy? Any recommendations? Nvidia shield looks very much outdated but there's nothing new.
What about plasma bigscreen? Would that be good? I'd just use it for jellyfin, the DE doesn't matter much.
If you want to avoid transcoding entirely, a Nvidia Shield is probably your best bet as it supports a few more audio codecs and HDMI passthrough that an Apple TV doesn't support. That being said, the Nvidia Shield is both more expensive and older than an Apple TV. I would argue that an Apple TV has a better overall experience with third party apps, newer hardware, more up-to-date OS, whereas a Shield works best for Plex/jellyfin.
I bought a Nvidia Shield first to replace a Smart TV and Steam Link and was pretty disappointed with my overall experience. I ended up biting the bullet and getting an Apple TV and the only issue I've had is that now TrueHD streams are getting transcoded.
Of course, your experience and desires are probably different so would just suggest looking around for what works best for you.
Thx. Apple TV has no android which is a deal breaker