There's not a comparable device short of plugging a pc in to my tv and I'm not going back to that life. I play retro arch installed from the play store, stream my pc from my office in to RDP, and connect a wireless kb to one of two usb ports in the back. I also generally like the Google stuff including the assistant integration. The device is perfect in every way and I shouldn't have to throw this $300 device that's worked great for years in the trash because Google made a bad decision about the launcher. It's better than roku, firestick, and apple TV and they all have worse problems.

Throw it in the trash can't be the response to everything. Why don't I throw my phone and my car in the trash? Maybe I should throw my fridge and microwave in the trash too?

If my fridge started showing ads one day, suggesting that I shouldn't be pissed because I can just throw it out and get a cooler of ice is not helpful.

Yep, the Shield TV really does seem to have some of the best hardware and sort of "just works"

I'd normally just have a Linux box with Kodi, but once you try to get 4K HDR working, things start getting prickly. GPU and driver combos were a bit of a pain and even Windows had issues.

I had the exact same problems. Especially when you're trying to get Netflix out PrimeVideo in 4K, you're pretty much out of open source options.

The recommendation if your fridge starts showing ads one day is indeed that you throw it in the trash and get a fridge that, you know, doesn't do that.

Same goes for an STB, or car, or any other thing that abuses you. You don't have to sit and take it simply because "that's the modern world".

Consumer choice is an important and powerful tool. Don't buy or use crap that abuses you, and don't shop at vendors that think that abusing their users is ok.

We got into this situation because people tend to throw up their hands and suffer.

> I also generally like the Google stuff including the assistant integration.

Google is an advertising company. Everything they do is in service to this goal, despite whatever side perks it may deliver to you occasionally. Liking the Google stuff while not liking ads is a mistake, because they are inseparable.

If you don't like ads, don't give your money and data to an advertising company. Don't run Android TV.

> Same goes for an STB, or car, or any other thing that abuses you. You don't have to sit and take it simply because "that's the modern world".

So you're saying as soon as you're abused just toss a few hundred/thousands/tens of thousands of dollars of hardware out the window and spend a like amount somewhere else -- hoping that /this/ time is different? Even though when you bought the equipment this wasn't the state of it?

It must be nice to live in that world. Wasteful and expensive, but nice.

Wasting thousands of dollars tossing working hardware doesn't seem like it's really sticking it to manufacturers at all.

In some cases you be forced to. Discovering a hidden camera that takes random photos and send them for audience verification might be one reason I would drop a product.

Well, maybe, but that's a different claim.

Google, the vendor in question here, has been previously busted putting hidden microphones in their hardware.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a264489...

Have you considered alternative ROMs? https://www.reddit.com/r/ShieldAndroidTV/comments/h7ihw3/shi...