As of Monday, Google Play Movies and Google Play TV can stream 4K content straight through the Shield TV — so you will be able to enjoy all your favorite shows and TV in the stunning 4K resolution. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that the Shield TV now supports Cast in 4K — so you will be able to Cast content from your phone, computer, and other devices in 4K.
Of course, just because the Shield TV supports Cast in 4K, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you automatically get 4K content. To stream that resolution, you need a pretty good Wi-Fi network set up. Still, it is nice that the feature is available and it means that as internet service providers offer faster networks, you will be able to take advantage of 4K streaming.
Nvidia is quick to point out that the Shield TV is one of the few streaming devices to support many 4K apps. In fact, only it and the Google Chromecast Ultra support 4K streaming from Google Play Movies and TV. Not only that, but only the Shield TV supports 4K streaming from Vimeo and Kodi.
Plenty more devices with support for 4K streaming will be launched in the near future and with updates, it is likely that devices that already support 4K will begin supporting more apps. Still, if you really need access to a wide range of 4K apps and you need it quick, the Nvidia Shield TV may be the best bet for you. You can check out our review of the Nvidia Shield TV here.
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