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Electronics usually get cheaper over time. Nvidia has chosen to go in a completely different direction. The price of the Shield TV Pro media player, which first launched in 2019, has risen by as much as 50%. Interestingly, the device hasn't had any significant internal hardware upgrades in seven years. So where does such a large price hike come from?
As of 2 October, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro costs $299.99 in the United States, up from $199.99. A similar change has affected the European market, where the list price rose from about €220 to €330.
We're talking about a device whose specifications have hardly changed since launch. The Shield TV Pro still uses the Tegra X1+, 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. It still offers features that make it an attractive option for home cinema fans, such as Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, AI upscaling to 4K and the ability to function as a Plex server.
Boom in AI hits consumers’ wallets
Where did such a drastic price rise come from? Nvidia attributes the decision to a significant increase in component costs, above all memory. The market situation is made worse by huge demand for parts used in data centres and AI systems.
What’s interesting is that Nvidia itself is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom, supplying chips used to train and run advanced models. But that’s not the only change. The manufacturer has also stopped selling the cheaper, entry-level Shield TV, which launched at $149.99. Only the pricier Pro variant remains available, though its stock in stores is currently limited.
The price rise shows that growing component costs are already affecting more than just the newest devices. Even a seven-year-old media player can cost a lot more today than it did at launch. The question is whether, at $300, it’s still as attractive a purchase.
Sources: FlatpanelsHD, Ars Technica
