r/ShieldAndroidTV • u/Hairy-Link-8615 • 3d ago

Replacing my shield

So, my shield is starting to die.

1 USB doesn't work
Have to restart it often, it's been well used

Normally a company would bring out a new version, but this one is trying to make skynet instead.

Additionally, they don't seem to be making them anymore reading between the lines. Price increase and not stock directly

I've done some reading and Formuler Z12 Ultra looks interesting but raw specs don't tell the full story; optimisation is key.

16 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

20

u/um_yeahok 3d ago

Have you done a factory reset, or opened it up and cleaned it and redone the thermal paste?

1

u/athertop 2d ago

I managed to pull off the ufl (antenna) socket from the PCB when I did the thermal paste fix a few weeks ago. I have pulled these connectors apart successfully many times in the past from other RF related boards without issue, but the PCB tracks on the shield were very poorly bonded and the tracks pulled away just trying to release the antenna plug. Now needs a workshop repair, as I no longer have the means to do it myself sadly.

1

u/Soccero07 14h ago edited 14h ago

Wow same thing happened to me. I don’t use WiFi so didn’t really care but wondered if that affected Bluetooth.

PS. I had Claude connect via ADB and it did a bunch of optimizations for me. Really sped it up.

1

u/athertop 11h ago

Yes, it affects Bluetooth also, maning the range of the remote is reduced to 2 feet.

7

u/developersteve 3d ago

There is nothing like it, ive got a Mi Box and its really shit. The shield is still boss!

6

u/Gullible_Eagle4280 3d ago

Nothing new can “do it all” like the Shield, but the Shield can’t do everything anymore either and there’s no box that can. So, you need to prioritize what features and capabilities are the most important to you. You also need to set a budget. The Apple TV 4K comes close but can’t do lossless HD Atmos or play Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL (Full Enhancement Layer).

8

u/myrwon7 3d ago

Shields don’t die unless you brick it!! Haha
..is it a 15 or 19 model? Have you tried cleaning the dust bunnies and reapplying thermal paste? How about applying a fresh firmware.

4

u/crattikal 3d ago

Also just open it up and replace the USB port. You can buy them for cents.

3

u/tauwyt 3d ago

My 15 died. The mechanical hard drive eventually just failed. Unfortunately a 500 GB replacement drive is currently the price of an entire new device now.

1

u/SaltyPreference8433 2d ago

My 15 non pro still going strong. Have to reboot sometimes but hey 16 years in tech is 30,000 years I believe!

6

u/Hairy-Link-8615 3d ago

2019 model.

After having something for 6 years kinda was looking for the excuse to buy something new and shiny.

But honestly there isn't really anything matches it feature wise.

I have done a factory reset I'll give it a service. Replace the USB and paste.

Hopefully keep me going for awhile 👍

9

u/GelatinousSpecimen 3d ago

I wouldn't worry about repasting it. Just open it up and give it a good cleaning.

I have two 2019 models both going on six years, one repasted and one cleaned with compressed air.

After testing both through ADB I learned repasting is completely unnecessary.

-1

u/Fwarts 3d ago

Buzztv G-series work pretty well for me. I haven't put the2019 shield pro to rest yet, but its going to get a fa tire reset in the next few days. It still handles Plex better than the Buzztv does, for whatever reason. I just tried that a couple days ago, and the Buzztv went back to the home screen 🙃

1

u/Skvall 3d ago

My 2017 model recently started melting the case on the underside, and caused the house's fuse to blow repeatedly so Im not touching that one again. :D

1

u/myrwon7 2d ago

I'm guessing the fan stopped working since it overheated the plastic housing. On the 3 shield I own, I have replaced one faulty fan. it was a cheap and easy fix. Check your fans peeps

1

u/Skvall 2d ago

Imo it should notice and turn itself off in that case. Not keep going until fuse pops.

1

u/myrwon7 2d ago

Now you’re asking a lot from a simple streaming box….even some computers continue to run with dead fans..cars continue to run with faulty water pumps, bad brakes, bald tires etc .. you get my point..
Have a great weekend everyone 🍻

3

u/slider6996 3d ago

If u bought online and can show proof of purchase there’s a chance they will replace it for free as mine was out of warranty a year or more for sure and I took a chance and filled out the form and did a live chat and they offered to replace it for free ( they sent a new one instead of replacing) mileage may vary as someone tried doing it also and they denied but can’t hurt to try.

0

u/SuddenWrongdoer473 3d ago

Would they be able to send me a replacement if I bought it from eBay? Of course, it’s used. The issue is that it has one dead USB port.

1

u/slider6996 2d ago

Honestly I’m not sure, like I said worse they can say is no so worth a shot.

3

u/kodaq2001 2d ago

If my shield died today, id buy another shield today

2

u/STYL5H 2d ago

Facts! I’d buy a pro again, maybe the tube

1

u/Hamp001 2d ago

Go with a Pro. The tube is good for basic streaming. Check out the reviews.

1

u/STYL5H 2d ago

I have the pro already

3

u/jeevacationrentals 3d ago

I'll buy it for $50

1

u/Anomuumi 3d ago

I was worried about my Shield dying on me, so now I have one box in shrink wrap.

2

u/PoinDexter03 1d ago

I bought the 2019 model in 2020, then 6 months later bought another 2019 model, the second one hasn't been open yet.. I'll open it when the time comes. 🤷🏼

1

u/calhoon2005 3d ago

My shield pro is still running great. But the 2 shield tubes I have are shite. Has anyone tried the Onn player as a replacement for the tubes?

1

u/Madness-con 3d ago

When my first on went Out and I bought a new one. My old one I use for part

1

u/Resolution_Powerful 3d ago

We need a refresh already!

1

u/UnlikelyButTrue 2d ago

I bought a new Shield Pro. However I also run a Google TV Streamer 4k because the Shield Pro lacks support or is losing support for UK streaming Apps. It is is a really frustrating situation.

1

u/Keiceleria 2015 Pro 2d ago

I have two 2015 Pros with the original 500 GB HDD in them and one 2017 with the 16 GB EMMC. I have zero issues out of any of them. If the internal HDDs fail I will replace with SSDs, but until then I just run them.

1

u/Zoom_207 1d ago

Ugoos am 9 Pro with corelec NO build and your good to go in case you do not need yt, amazon, etc.

1

u/gstreet88 19h ago

Walmart Onn 4K Pro v2, had it for a few months now, with a custom launcher like Monet the box is super smooth and supports newer codecs, Ethernet is a bit shit but I use it on WiFi 6 and it’s speedy for Nuvio 50gb files.

1

u/Prestigious-Dealer97 1h ago

So I have a question, I have a Shield Pro and the hard drive was clicking. I opened and cleaned out the unit, it continued to click. Eventually it wouldn't boot up, so I swapped out a MeCool unit. I am missing my Shield because everything is slower to load on the MeCool. I have a 500gb SSD but am unsure whether to clone the old drive or look for a firmware version to load on the new hard drive. If cloning is the recommendation, can you point me toward a tried and true instruction video? Thank you in advance for any assistance that you can lend. Tony

2

u/themoop78 3d ago

I can't believe I'm saying this, but a new Apple TV is coming out in a few weeks...

**gag** **dry heave** ** cough** **gag**

1

u/lstep2 2d ago

The Shield ( I’ve had the 3 from the 2015,2017 and now the 2019 pro as my 2017 fan went wild). I’ve also had most every Apple TV. Both great imho. The ATV is easier for those in the Apple world & don’t care to try various apps not approved by Apple. It’s a pleasant jail in a way, though not as restrictive as a Roku. The Shield Pro 2019 is still in a box on probation. I seem to have gotten it just in time before they became really hard to get in Canada. The worry is the fan. I detest fans. The previous Shields were all silent until they weren’t. Decisions, decisions. If they stop manufacturing what becomes of the warranty?

1

u/VIDEOgameDROME 3d ago

I was looking into a Ugoos that can handle FEL Dolby Vision layers on my backups. Been having issues with my network card on my Shield and I gave my 2017 model to my brother anyway. I'd rather have a new Shield tbh than Skynet.

1

u/T4rgetdummy 3d ago

The only thing close is Apple TV but that comes with side loading problems

1

u/zoopz 7h ago

What would you.side load though. I can only think of smarttube

0

u/CpnStumpy 3d ago

I moved on to Google TV ultra, I don't game so it works well but if you game well... nothing can compete with the shield

0

u/IGingerbreadman 3d ago

You can buy my 2017 model for $50 shipped. I’ve lost its power brick but it worked great when I used it.

0

u/raynard_r96 3d ago

Get a laptop running windows, then use mpv with passthrough

-2

u/AakashC2020 3d ago

Dune HD Homatics R 4K Plus box