As I've said before, the NVIDIA Shield TV is the best way to experience Android TV. It's fast performance, unique design, and excellent software make it a great buy, and while NVIDIA's typically been fast with software updates, Oreo has been noticeably absent from the streaming box. However, it looks like we finally have a reason for its delay.
Our friends at 9to5Google recently did some digging, and during CES earlier this month, NVIDIA's Director of Shield Management, Chris Daniel, said in an interview that Oreo hasn't come to the Shield TV yet due to developers not supporting the new software.
The Oreo update brings a major facelift to Android TV, and one of the highlights is channel recommendations. Installed channels are now displayed in a vertical list, and next to these are recommendations for new shows to watch based on your viewing habits and what the apps think you'd like to watch. It's a great idea, but developers need to update their apps to support the new layout, and this hasn't been happening.
Daniel is on record saying "if you release a whole new interface, and the apps aren't supporting it, then we don't feel like it's a good launch for us, so we're working hard on that." Daniel also said that NVIDIA is "making a lot of change with Google" in an effort to get Oreo rolled out as soon as possible.
Android TV's Oreo update and the troublesome channel recommendations.
Oreo is said to finally be coming to the Shield TV at some point in 2018, but there's no exact time frame in place at the moment.
Although it's encouraging to hear that Oreo is on its way, Daniel's comments about lacking developer support for Oreo on Android TV is anything but. It's no secret that most companies spend more time fleshing out apps for Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV before bothering with Android TV, but if this is now resulting in delayed software updates, that's a problem Google needs to address ASAP.
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