Having instant access to a library of entertainment to stream, well, that's kind of more important than ever right now. To keep that quarantined sanity in check. And with NVIDIA launching the new SHIELD TV ($289.95) and SHIELD TV Pro ($399.95) in Australia -- we go through how one of the best sreaming devices available just got better.

What makes the Shield TV immediately stand-out in 2020, as a product line, is the same thing that made it do just that a couple of years ago – a clean, fast, and reliable UI experience with excellent app support and performance. This time powered by NVIDIA’s updated Tegra X1+ processor and two models available; one with a cylindrical look that sits somewhere between an external device and a streaming stick (that can sit behind a display or cabinet), and the other the same mini device look of the original.

The differences in how each SHIELD TV looks points to the functionality or potential usage. The TV Pro has additional RAM (3GB versus 2GB), increased storage (16GB versus 8GB), and two full-sized USB 3.0 ports for external storage and peripherals. The hardware upgrade of the TV Pro’s additional RAM allows for NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios ports of games like Tomb Raider, Portal, Half-Life 2, and Resident Evil 5 to run natively without fuss. Plus, PLEX Media Server support that offers up 1080p transcoding and streaming to other devices connected to the same network. From that, the USB ports and beefed up internal storage makes sense.

Click Here to Read Our Full NVIDIA SHIELD TV and TV Pro Review

Do the older 2019 and earlier models have USB ? I don't recall there being a Pro on the older models.

Can you install Foxtel GO like you can on a mobile phone on these or are they limited to only what you can install on Android TV?

Yeah the previous model (2017 revision) was basically the pro in terms of look and featured 2x USB ports. The new cylindrical look is to offer a more entry-level streaming focused version.

Oh and good question E... I don't have Foxtel so didn't test that, from what I can see it's limited to Android TV and the Foxtel Now app which is supported

Thanks Kosta. I thought that would be the case. That's why I have stuck with my old Intel NUC stuck up behind my bedroom TV so I can still have Foxtel without paying them extra $ :p

You can still sideload most regular android apps onto the shield, though most phone-targeted android apps only have touchscreen UI navigation. Any apps like that, you'd have to use a mouse for UI nav. Some sideloaded phone apps are also fixed in portrait orientation.

NFI where foxtel's apps fit into this, but I presume if they have an app on android-powered smart TV's that version of the app would be sideloadable onto a shield.