Nvidia Shield - AI Upscaling

Channels Android TV
#1

Setup:
Server: Asustor NAS running PLEX (free) and Channels DVR (paid)
Client: 2019 Shield Pro (living room) and 2019 Shield tube (bedroom)

If I open a video through PLEX I an able to use the AI upscaling feature on Shield. If I play the same video through Channels DVR the shield says "unsupported video".

This feature has NEVER worked on either shield for Channels DVR. It is only a minor annoyance. But its a feature I would love.

NOTE
For those who do not have a Shield TV. Please go buy one. Its the best streaming box and emulator. BUT, the ai-upscaling does better video upscaling then I ever seen. 720P will look like 1080P. And 1080P looks almost like 2k video content. Its amazing.

#2

AI upscaling works for me for TVE
Also, it's a Pro only feature, the tube doesn't have it

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#3

2019 Tube does have AI upscaling.

Let me clarify. It WILL upscale when watching live tv from my antenna outside of Channels app (hd home run quatro hd). It will NOT upscale when watching TVE or my Library (offline recordings, downloads, torrents and PlayOn).

So basicly the AI upscale works as long as Channels App isnt the one playing the video

Edit: 2-11-24
I noticed this got a like today. Re-reading post. I want to make correction.

It will NOT upscale when watching TVE or my Library (offline recordings, downloads, torrents and PlayOn).

AI Upscaling works if decoder is set to Hardware. AI Upscaling does NOT work on hybrid/software

4 Likes
#4

So after looking more, my pro doesn't upscale when watching from the hdhr, but it does for TVE.

Like I said, I think it has something to do with the pro having abilities the tube doesn't, think it's 60fps upscaling it does and the tube doesn't? I thought it was all upscaling, but a couple of Google searches I noticed the 60fps thing.

Try enabling "apply upscaling while streaming" in the shields ai upscaling settings. Resolution I have set is 4k 59.940

#5

The tube won't AI upscale interlaced content, only progressive (and only 30fps not 60). Nothing to do with channels.
I have the shield and the appletv 4k. I really want to like the shield but sadly it doesnt handle ota as well as appletv. I get wierd artifacts when playing recordings from ABC during camera changes sometimes. It looks like a couple of frames of "snow" from back in the analog days. Doesn't happen on ATV, firestick, or even the built in channels app on my Sony android tv. Also sometimes I get a green screen when playing back and mpeg2 recording on the shield. @tmm1 says that they have to use the stock player for the shield so they are limited as to what can be done from a troubleshooting standpoint.

But.... The shield plays back TVE recordings awesome so i think it is just an mpeg2 issue that the shield has...

#6

It detects if the format is compatible inorder to use AI Upscale.
Has to be the exact resolution, framerate, and video stream format(codec) being streamed.
It works fine for me on both my 2019 Pro and Tube Shield, for TVE channels that match the criteria. (I can tell by setting the AI Enhance to High, it way over sharpens things.)

And, don't be fooled...it is not true up-scaling. All i can tell is it just adds a level of sharpening filter to the image, which makes the picture look "better" to most.

This is best a question for the nvidia forms to inquire how their Ai Upscaling is triggered.
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/support/shield-tv/ai-upscaling/

AI Upscaling is not available for the following types of content:

  • Video resolution is less than 480p
  • Video frame rate higher than 30Hz
  • Video content color space is RGB

There are many tv and web streams that stream in 720p 60fps.
And pretty sure most of the streams, and feed from a HDHR are RGB, not YUV.

1 Like
#7

Yall have been very helpful. I am now going to be going back from my tube to pro to compare. My wife will think I am crazy,

As far as AI upsccale, DO NOT SET ON MAX. Your right it over sharpens. I do find medium helps with some my online downloaded content (People dont always give good bit rates/ encodes)

I understand about the limitations of shield 480p, 30hz, rgb, etc..

Here is why I still think it MIGHT be a channels DVR problem and not a shield problem (I am most likely wrong, lets be honest, its like 95% im wrong and yall right)

So if I load up a 720p video file. I am using GoT s01e01 as test. If I load the video file through plex I can use AI upscaling. If I load same exact video file through Channels, I can only do "basic" upscale and not AI upscale. So I think it might be the video player that the Channels App uses might be different then the video player Plex uses?

That being said. AI upscaling is only a minor inconvience. I still love channels and shield.

Just a few more features and I can ditch PLEX 100% and go all channels. You guys rock!

#8

I use MPV (side loaded) to play local files/movies etc on my Shield.
The AI Upscale always says Format not supported, for files I know could be compatible.
I also use Emby, and the AI thing sometimes works.
Seems to me, its Nvidia being picky or there it may only be coded to activate for certain apps, or based on some other factor Nvidia has not stated.

Either way, since all it does is add a sharpen filter, you are far better off letting your TV/monitor do processing of your image, as it can do a better job of it.
Most TV's have some sort of image enhancement or even upscaling built in.
If anything, set the Sharpness setting up a few ticks, and presto, looks the same or better as Nvidia's so called AI Enhance, and it would be on all the time, since it is on the display side.
I use a LG computer monitor, and it has their own "SuperRes" thing that basically just sharpens up the display and increases the refresh rate.
Its on all the time, so when the Nvidia AI thing activates, even on Low, things are over sharpened.

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#9

Thanks for the suggestion about this device. I bought one yesterday and very pleased with the AI upscaling. Especially on the SD Channels. Wow what a difference. Since Amazons new UI experience I decided to dump Fire TV cube and use the Nvidia Shield Pro. I would like a better remote though. Missing the mute button and home button. Any alternative suggestions for remote.

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#10

The Shield Remote has a Home button, the Circle button. And mute is pressing both vol buttons. There are other actions like double press Home button to get the recent apps screen. U also can install Button Mapper app and map the Netflix button to whatever you want.

#11

It doesn't have the same functionality as the Fire TV remote when you hold it down. The shield goes to settings when held down. The is no way I can find to restore the PIP in full screen. Can only return full screen if I scroll up or down to the channel currently playing and selecting the program again. The Fire TV remote would show options when you hold down the key.

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#12

PIP is a function of the device/OS, not Channels.
Android Tv would be different than Fire TV...etc.
There are several other threads discussing PIP and how it works or how to map buttons to it etc.
And again, u can try out Button Mapper app and change the remote buttons around as you wish, including things like double/triple press and long press.

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#13

My old TIVO bolt remotes work wonderfully with the Shield. Still no home button for PIP options but the functional channel buttons for direct tuning and channel up and down keys to surf and scroll the guide as pages and not having to scroll up or down to navigate. The Tivo Stream 4K remote works too.

#14

You can use almost any remote if you dont like the one that came with it. I purchased a qwerty airmouse on aliexpress. It connected and required no buttom remapping etc.

#15

Any remote will work but have issues reconnecting if the Shield is rebooted. So far the only one that does reconnect is the SofaBaton. All TIVO remotes I've tried work great till after reboot. Then the remotes need to be repair-ed

#16

I use a Amazon Fire Cube 2nd Gen remote with Nvdia Shield TV no problem, just make sure the volume for the controller is set up via the Fire TV before pairing it with the shield as there is no way of setting up the volume within the Shield :slight_smile:

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