TiVo Stream 4K could soon be updated to Android 10, while NVIDIA stands pat
TiVo is updating the Stream 4K now, while NVIDIA awaits Android 12
What you need to know- The TiVo Stream 4K could be receiving its Android 10 update soon.
- References to Android 10 appeared via the Stream 4K's Google Play Console listing.
- Meanwhile, NVIDIA has confirmed the Shield TV will not be updated.
An updated listing in the Google Play Console suggests that Android 10 could be coming soon to TiVo's streaming dongle (via 9to5Google And while many of us are awaiting the official release of Android 12, there are plenty of Android TV devices out there that are still running Android 9. So the possibility of an upgrade will be great because those devices include some of the best streaming devices such as the TiVo Stream 4K and NVIDIA Shield TV.
The @TiVo Stream 4K is set to received #AndroidTV 10 pretty soon according to the Google Play Console ;)
- Android TV Guide (@AndroidTV_Rumor) August 26, 2021
Also, AT&T TV has been replaced by DIRECTV STREAM in the Play Console. pic.twitter.com/k5D3hOq7ZA
Truthfully, the Android 10 update is a rather minor one, but it's still great to see TiVo remaining committed to providing software updates. The only unfortunate thing about this is that there is no indication as to when the update will begin rolling out to Stream 4K owners.
On the other side of the coin, the team at NVIDIA has confirmed that it does not plan on updating the Shield TV or TV Pro to Android 10. Instead, a forum post states that it was skipped as there was essentially "no impact to end users other than the version string changing." This doesn't mean that all hope is lost for major releases in the future. The same forum post says that "there is still a lot of development going into SHIELD".
This is great news, as it seems that the NVIDIA Shield team is working on bringing more updates to the platform. The lack of an update to Android 10 or Android 11, likely suggests that NVIDIA is focusing more on the Android TV 12 update that is slated to arrive this fall.
With Android TV 12, Google is planning on bringing a "smoother viewing experience", along with some of the best privacy features coming to the standard version of Android 12. Once the update arrives, you'll be able to toggle microphone and camera access, while also viewing which apps have recently accessed the microphone from your streaming device or connected remote.
Android TV for cheapTiVo Stream 4K
$39 at Amazon$40 at Best Buy$39 at Walmart
This isn't the TiVo you're used to
The TiVo Stream 4K is one intriguing little Android TV dongle, as it offers 4K playback along with supporting both Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos Sound.