After Google and Apple reached a deal to bring the Apple TV app to Android TV devices late last year, this week Nvidia has now added support for Apple TV to its Shield TV devices.
Previously, Apple TV was one of the last remaining major streaming services not available on Google TV/Android TV devices. However, as announced in a blog post back in December 2020, Google and Apple were finally able to come to terms that would bring the Apple TV app to Android TV devices, starting with the Chromecast with Google TV which got support for Apple TV earlier this year, with more devices to come throughout 2021.
As one of Android TV’s most popular streaming boxes, it’s nice to see Nvidia add support for Apple TV to its family of Shield TV devices, and with Nvidia’s strong history of software updates across multiple generations of the Shield TV, it’s not a big surprise that Shield TVs are some of the first third-party Android TV devices to get Apple TV.
Nvidia says the Apple TV app on Shield TV devices will support streaming content in 4K HDR (where available) thanks to Dolby Vision, along with immersive sound via Dolby Atmos. Nvidia will also support individual Apple TV channels, which lets users access video-on-demand content from partners such as AMC+, Paramount+, Starz, and more, while support for Family Sharing means Shield TV users can share their Apple TV subscription with up to six people.
And even though Android TV devices don’t come with support for Siri, users will be able to navigate and find shows with their voice using Google Assistant.
Finally, to help sweeten the deal for anyone thinking about purchasing a Shield TV, Nvidia is also running a limited-time promotion that will give anyone who purchases a Shield TV a free three-month subscription to GeForce Now, which is Nvidia’s online game streaming service and supports the ability to play games on a variety of devices including desktops, laptops, phones, and of course, the Nvidia Shield TV.