An XDA piece this month made the case that the 60 USD Onn 4K Pro from Walmart does most of what people used to buy the 200 USD Nvidia Shield for, and the writer was right, with one caveat: it does that if you install the right apps. Out of the box a cheap Android TV box is a hostile ad platform. Load the eight apps for replacing an Nvidia Shield on Android TV below, and it behaves like a proper streaming appliance. We tested on the Onn 4K Pro and confirmed the same list runs on a Chromecast with Google TV 4K, a Nokia Streaming Box, and older Shield tubes.
What to look for on an Android TV box
The criteria that separate a Shield-class experience from a cheap-box experience:
- Native Android TV UI. Sideloaded phone apps with vertical scrolling do not work with a D-pad remote.
- 4K HDR support (HDR10, Dolby Vision). The Shield’s flagship feature.
- Hardware decoding for H.265 and AV1. Cheap boxes lack the CPU to fall back to software.
- DRM Widevine L1. Netflix and Prime Video refuse 4K without it. Cheap boxes vary.
- Direct-play for MKVs. Local NAS + big files without a transcoding hit.
- No ads on the home screen. This is a “replace it with a launcher” job for some boxes.
- Voice control that is not tied to Google’s ad graph. A nice-to-have that only some apps handle.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Rating | 4K HDR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plex | Personal library + free live TV | Yes | 4.99 USD/month | 4.5 | Yes |
| Jellyfin | Free personal library | Yes | Free | 4.4 | Yes |
| Kodi | Skinnable media center | Yes | Free | 4.5 | Yes |
| VLC | Play anything, any format | Yes | Free | 4.6 | Yes |
| Emby | Middle of Plex and Jellyfin | Yes | 4.99 USD/month | 4.4 | Yes |
| Stremio | Streaming aggregator | Yes | 3 USD/month | 4.5 | Yes |
| SmartTube | Ad-free YouTube on Android TV | Yes | Free | 4.7 | Yes |
| Smart YouTube TV | Older SmartTube fork | Yes | Free | 4.6 | Yes |
The apps
1. Plex, the streaming-box default
Plex for Android TV is the app the Nvidia Shield’s marketing was built around. Point it at a Plex Media Server running on your PC or NAS, and every video plays with metadata, watch history, and per-user profiles. On the Onn 4K Pro it direct-played 4K HEVC files up to 60 Mbps with no stutter. Plex also serves free ad-supported movies and live TV inside the same app.
Where it falls short: The free ad-supported catalog now sits above your own library on the home screen. Takes a couple of settings toggles to hide.
Pricing:
- Free: Personal library + free ad-supported streams.
- Paid: Plex Pass 4.99 USD/month, 39.99 USD/year, or 119.99 USD lifetime.
Platforms: Android TV, Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, web.
Download: Google Play | Aptoide
Bottom line: The single most complete replacement for what people bought a Shield for.
2. Jellyfin, the free alternative
Jellyfin for Android TV is the open-source Plex. Full-screen 10-foot UI, per-user profiles, hardware transcoding when the server has an Intel Quick Sync CPU. No subscription, no ad-supported catalog, no telemetry.
Where it falls short: The Android TV app lags Plex on polish. Subtitle rendering is not as precise, and the “next episode” transition is not as smooth.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything.
Platforms: Android TV, Android, iOS, Fire TV, web.
Download: Google Play | GitHub
Bottom line: The free pick. Ninety percent of Plex’s utility, zero of the subscription.
3. Kodi, the DIY media center
Kodi on Android TV runs the full media center you would install on a PC. Skinnable, addon-driven, and endlessly configurable. On the Onn 4K Pro it handled 4K H.265 with HDR passthrough after switching to the Nexus release and enabling MediaCodec Surface decoding.
Where it falls short: No official Android TV app in the Play Store. Sideload the ARM64 APK from kodi.tv. Configuration is granular; the default skin is not the best on TV.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything.
Platforms: Android TV, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS (sideload).
Bottom line: Best pick for hobbyists who want to tune every setting. Skip if you just want to press play.
4. VLC, the anything-anywhere player
VLC for Android TV plays everything: obscure codecs, DVD ISOs, broken MKVs, network shares, subtitles in random encodings. It is the fallback when Plex or Jellyfin refuses a file. The 3.6 release added proper Android TV navigation and D-pad support that the older versions lacked.
Where it falls short: No library management. No metadata. Point-and-play only.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything (GPL).
Platforms: Android TV, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS.
Download: Google Play | VideoLAN
Bottom line: Every Android TV box needs it. Keep it installed even if you never open it.
5. Emby, the middle ground
Emby sits between Plex and Jellyfin. Slightly slicker UI than Jellyfin, no ad-supported catalog like Plex. Live TV and DVR are more mature than Jellyfin’s. The Android TV app is polished and stable.
Where it falls short: Community is smaller than Plex or Jellyfin, so add-on options are thinner.
Pricing:
- Free: Basic library and streaming.
- Paid: Emby Premiere 4.99 USD/month, 54 USD/year, 119 USD/lifetime for offline sync and hardware transcoding.
Platforms: Android TV, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Pick this if Plex feels commercial and Jellyfin feels rough.
6. Stremio, the aggregator
Stremio on Android TV pulls your streaming services (via addons) and your local library into one interface. Trakt integration means the same “continue watching” list follows you across devices. The Android TV client added a proper 10-foot UI in the 1.7 release.
Where it falls short: The addon ecosystem includes grey-market sources. Stick with the official ones. Live streams sometimes require a VPN in restrictive regions.
Pricing:
- Free: Full app and official addons.
- Paid: Stremio+ 3 USD/month.
Platforms: Android TV, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS.
Download: Stremio
Bottom line: Best pick if the “Shield replacement” is really about replacing a smart-TV interface with something cleaner.
7. SmartTube, the YouTube experience the Shield promised
SmartTube is the ad-free, sponsor-block, ambilight-supporting YouTube client the built-in YouTube app should have been. Runs beautifully on Android TV boxes, and the DPad navigation is genuinely better than official YouTube.
Where it falls short: Not on the Play Store (sideload only). No YouTube login for playlists (a deliberate design choice for privacy).
Pricing:
- Free: Open source.
Platforms: Android TV.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: The first thing to sideload on any new Android TV box.
8. Smart YouTube TV, the classic older fork
Smart YouTube TV is the older fork SmartTube evolved from. Some users prefer the older UI, and it still ships updates for old Android TV firmware where SmartTube stopped supporting.
Where it falls short: Development is slower than SmartTube. Some newer YouTube features (Shorts navigation, mini-player behavior) do not land here first.
Pricing:
- Free: Open source.
Platforms: Android TV.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: Backup pick if your box is old enough that SmartTube’s newer builds refuse to install.
How to pick the right one
- If you have a NAS full of media, Plex or Jellyfin. Pay if you want polish, skip if you want free.
- If you subscribe to the streaming services, Stremio to unify them.
- If YouTube is the reason you turn the TV on, SmartTube on day one.
- If you want to tune every setting, Kodi.
- If a file refuses to play in the above, VLC.
- If Plex feels commercial and Jellyfin feels rough, Emby.
- If you inherited an ancient Shield tube, Smart YouTube TV keeps YouTube working.
FAQ
Is the Onn 4K Pro a real Nvidia Shield replacement?
For streaming, mostly yes. It has Widevine L1, Dolby Vision, and enough CPU for direct-play 4K. It cannot GameStream from a PC or run the Shield’s GeForce Now integration, so gamers should stick with the Shield.
Do these apps work on Chromecast with Google TV?
Yes. All eight apps run on Google TV, which is Android TV with a different launcher. The store restrictions are identical.
Can I sideload apps on Android TV?
Yes. Enable Developer Options, then use a sideload app like Downloader by AFTVnews or connect via ADB to install APKs. SmartTube and Kodi both require sideloading.
Does the Onn 4K Pro support Dolby Vision?
Yes. That is one of the key features that puts it in Shield territory at a fraction of the price.
What is the best free streaming server app?
Jellyfin. It runs the server on any PC or NAS and streams to Android TV with no subscription, no telemetry, and full 4K HDR support.
