Google has announced that Google Play Movies & TV will now supports the playback of 4K content, which is good news for those who have a 4K-compatible device. Actually, the announcement detailing the new support and specifically said that, the devices which can take advantage of the newly-added 4K support are "Chromecast Ultra, your Sony Bravia Android TV, or your Xiaomi Mi Box 3".
Interestingly, there was no mention for whether 4K content can be consumed on the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV. As this is one of the most popular Android TV devices and surely one which does supports 4K content.
Nvidia has also now declared that it is working on an update that will have Nvidia Shield included in Google's list of devices capable of 4K playback.
Reports also have confirmed that the Nvidia Shield was eliminated from the list of supported devices because Google has deemed it unfit. It purportedly has found that the Android TV box lacked VP9 support. Technically, the Nvidia Shield supports VP9 and it is clearly outlined in the device's spec sheet if you visit Nvidia's website.
At Nvidia's website under Video Features there is a specification detailing a 4K playback capability at 60 fps (VP9, H265, and H264).
However, Google has repeated in a statement issued to Android Headlines saying that Shield is not supported as it is not capable of VP9. This echoed an earlier announcement last Dec. 6, indicating that nothing has changed.
Since the VP9 seems to be at the crux of the Nvidia Shield disqualification, it is helpful to explain what it means. To put simply it is a codec that can process 4K content in a way that is manageable for devices. It is a Google technology.
Therefore Nvidia is developing some workaround in order to activate its VP9 capability. However, since Nvidia has already confirmed that it is working on a software fix that would elevate the standard of its VP9 support.
According to TechTimes, there is still no word about the patch rollout schedule but Nvidia is suppose to showcase a new Shield Android TV device at CES 2017 in early January.
