The Nvidia Shield streaming box is getting support for Auro 3D immersive audio in the latest update, firmware version 9.1.2. However, the new capability arrives along with new, fullscreen ads that are reportedly upsetting some users.
Users on Reddit said the fullscreen ads first began appearing this month, pointing out that they pay automatically in full-screen with the audio jacked up, without any actions by users.
It is not clear in which countries Nvidia has rolled out the fullscreen ads, but one affected Shield box owner was based in the Netherlands, while another from Canada complained that he keeps seeing the same ad for a Hyundai Kona car over and over.
The upsurge in ads has become a common trend in the TV industry, with smart TV platforms such as Android TV, Google TV, Roku, webOS and Tizen all increasing their prevalence in an effort to increase revenues. However, the Shield update is believed to be one of the first instances of a company launching fullscreen ads.
On the other hand, users do get one nice new feature with Nvidia’s update, with the availability of the Auro 3D feature. It’s an immersive audio format that rivals Dolby Atmos. For now, it doesn’t have anything like the same level of content compatibility, but with its first entrance into the video streaming world, it may well become more common.
Users may also be reassured to see Nvidia continuing to support the Shield box, as the update follows a long period in which nothing new was announced.
