Google’s Android TV has long been an attractive platform in part because it lacks blatant advertising. That’s starting to change with a leading homecreen series of “highlights” rolling out, but it seems possible that Nvidia’s Shield TV is exempt from these ads.
This week saw a few app updates to Android TV home screen ads rolling out to most users of the platform. Personally, they have arrived on every Android TV device in my house except one – the Shield TV in my living room.
As I look around from user posts about Reddit and a few other Shield owners I know, this seems to be true for everyone. For whatever reason, Nvidia Shield TV models just do not seem to be getting the new home TV ads from Android TV. As updated to the latest Core Services and Home apps – 2.12-320114979-f and 2.13-320113730-f respectively – the Shield keeps the home screen as it always has been, ad-free and app-focused.
Why is this the case? Honestly, we are not quite sure. Google did not provide any details which would make the “highlights” optional. In fact, we were essentially told the opposite when the company said they could not be turned off. However, that does not explain why Shield TVs simply do not get this new series.
We ran out to Nvidia to see if they could fix things, but the company had no comment on the matter.
Based on the obvious evidence, it seems that Shield TV is exempt from Android TV ads, but we can not know for sure. One day, the series ‘Highlights’ might reach Shield owners, but at least they do not come across other models.
More on Android TV:
Thank you Justin, u / rrainwater, Clifton
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