I think hardware wise it's no contest. Shield hands down. From my understanding the new CC will have similar hardware to the Tivo Stream 4K. Hopefully with Google optimization. I have the tivo and it's alright as a secondary use device.

Our shield tv in the main room gets daily use and still going strong (2015 model). If it died tomorrow I'd just go buy another one in a second.

Well Sabrina will do 4k HDR You Tube and HLG.

Wait and see if you can. Buy the shield if you cant wait.

If you are planning to buy shield tubes then I would recommend waiting.

I still have my 2015 Nvidia Shield and it has held up remarkably well. Compared to built-in TV OS's I've used, Rokus, and Blu-ray players it is miles better in every way. I'm actually considering buying a 2019 Shield Pro to replace my Roku because the Roku is so slow. I've never considered using a Chromecast because, like you, I use a remote to watch things.

Personally I'd just buy the 2019 Shield Pro. These devices have continued to be supported and updated for years and have excellent 4K/HDR support. Not to mention I can use Ethernet (don't know about Sabrina) and get a Plex server built-in.

Sabrina is definitely going to be the entry-level way to get people into the Android TV market especially the older crowd. I think Google finally understands that to have something tactile in your hand works a lot better especially when you're trying to bring over an age group that's not entirely used to using their phone as a remote or talking directly to their electronics.

I mean think of the fire stick it's easy to turn mom and dad on to the fire stick because it comes with a remote that can control basic functions on their television as well as the fire stick itself. same thing with the Roku It's all about the user experience and the simplicity of it. For someone who's not techno literate a Chromecast can be a very troubling thing to understand and use.

If you're happy with Chromecast than wait for Sabrina.

Let's make sure we are talking Nvidia Shield ((Pro)) right?

I think they fit different uses. The shield TV is a powerhouse thats going to handle almost anything you throw at it. It also has two open USB ports. If one of these is going to be your main entertainment hub then Id make it a shield. The google device will probably be less powerful and maybe better suited for a bedroom or side room where you're less likely to need the extra frills.

I'd just get the shield. Look at the last Android TV box Google made, they stopped supporting it while the first shield is still getting updates.

Edit: 8.2 starts rolling out today in fact.

I would wait just to be sure.

The ultimate question should be ...

Do I need 4K HDR YouTube and 4K HDR Google Play movies that are encoded using Google's own VP9 Profile 2 codec. None of the Shields support VP9.p2 - it's a major omission.

If you do need the above then the only sure fire way of getting them is buying a TV that support HDR in those Apps.

The Mi Boxes do 4K HDR YouTube just fine in my testing (SmartYouTube App is fantastic). Not sure yet about Mi Box HDR in GPM - but I have seen HDR logos in GPM App info pages.

The TiVo Steam 4K currently has issues with HDR & DolbyVision. It outputs everything in those modes when connected to a HDR TV. Which is a major bug if you are watching SDR content.

The Google Sabrina Dongle could possibly have those very same HDR / DV issues - and initial problems with Firmware. It is a great unknown.

If Apple TV 4K end up with 4K HDR YouTube support in upcoming tvOS v14, that would be the closest thing you could get to an Apps "unifying" device. But your SOL if you need Chromecasting support.

Honestly nothing is perfect.

There are always bugs, especially with cheap, newly released Android TV devices. App support also has to be well researched as different ecoSystems can have App support gaps and holes.

It's truly disappointing that Nvidia caved in to #GoogleADware by #Google

Well, given that the Shield TV 2015 has just gotten an update today, 25 straight updates, and that the nexus player was stopped around say... I dunno, 2018?

I think you should get a shield TV pro. It's just more powerful, and Nvidia's support is unmatched, even by google themselves.

It appears the tivo stream 4k is still $50. That's hard to beat and probably the best remote. Sabrina supposedly $80 with same soc. Shield is great if you game or run a server but expect to pay $150 unless you can hold off for black Friday. I'm a bit surprised you are seeing lag on a new tv though.

Sabrina will not be better than a shield pro. The shield pro is expensive because it works. For $80 there is no way Sabrina wont be laggy piece of crap like most other "stick" options and aging smart TV os's.