Recovery files to recover NVIDIA Shield TV 2019 (Tube Version)

Hi,
unfortunately my shield got defective after a broken update to version 9.1.1.
It cannot pair with a remote anymore and needs a horrible amount of time to boot. Since I am stuck at the pairing screen, I tried to downgrade to 9.0.0 via sd card in fastboot menu, but unfortunately this did not work, since the recovery refuses to install an older version over a new one.

I opened the tube and soldered a micro USB connector to it, to have access via fastboot to flash the device via PC.
Unfortunately I did not found the correct images to reflash the device to 9.0.0 or 8.2.3.
(boot.img, system,img, vendor.img and so on).

Are there any sources to get these files from?
I would be really glad about help, otherwise I think my beloved shield tv is lost…

Hello,

Welcome to the NVIDIA Developer forums! For Shield support, please visit the GeForce forums.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/shield-tv/9/

Hi Tom,
thanks for your reply.
I already contacted nvidia support and they told me, that I should post a help thread over here.

And I am not really sure if this is something the community could help with. Since I need image files to flash my SHIELD TV Tube version via fastboot. Since an SD card downgrade via recovery is not possible…

Hi thrinrot,

We do not supply image files for end users I am afraid.
I asked around internally and if all else fails, like factory reset of the device and retrying the OTA update, your best bet is to try and get it replaced if it is still within warranty.

I am sorry.

HI MarkusHoho,
thanks for your reply and your effort for asking internally for these files.

Unfortunately the SHIELD is out of warranty, so since there is no source for images to flash the device in fastboot mode that shield will be just another contribution to e-waste unfortunately…

Hello! You can actually just unzip the 9.0.0 zip and the imgs should be there. As dats anyway–might need sdat2img and unbrotli to decompress. All the updater does really is flash system, vendor, and boot images. And DTB–should also be floating around the zip somewhere. As it seems you’ve discovered, the zip can be downloaded from Gameworks Download Center | NVIDIA Developer. You might want to flash

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Also you do have the option of flashing LineageOS (OSS Android distribution) recovery image via fastboot and then flashing the standard recovery zip via Lineage recovery. (might need to wipe data)

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Thanks makinbacon21 for chipping in!

Those downloads are of course another option.

Thanks @makinbacon21 for the info.
Unfortunately there is neither the standard recovery, nor the dtb.img files within the zip files provided by Gameworks.
vbmeta.img is also missing compared to the files I have found for the SHIELD TV Pro edition.

@TomNVIDIA @MarkusHoHo

Since the Shield brand is dead and it’s clear you won’t push updates to fix the butchered 9.1.1 firmware AND leave no option for us to fix it or other issues, this feels pretty anti-consumer and anti-right-to-repair.

I have 0 brand loyalty. Between having to worry about my 4090 catching on fire because of your idiot 12VHPWR connector and making DLSS 3.5 40-Series only, AMD is looking pretty appealing.

You’re just digging a deeper and deeper hole.

The source code is a joke on Gamewerks. You’re going to tell me it shared the same source as the 2015 and 2017 Pro versions with completely different SoC’s? I don’t think so.

Just provide us proper Tube 8.2.3 firmware images

For anyone still subscribed to this, there is potentially good news.
There was for a long time a rumor and some stuff here talking about a update but nothing official.

There is now officially a version bump coming that is supposed to be pretty substantial in terms of fixes and optimizations.

I am excited but also only cautiously optimistic.

Nvidia, the fact that you are updating devices for this long is a testament to your dedication to your products and how companies should treat what they put out. For that you absolutely deserve recognition. With 9.1.1 being somewhat of a disaster and being stuck with it for so long (though I did downgrade to 8.2.3 and it’s lightning fast), I just have to finish with; Please make this update count and be the (potentially final?) update that leaves us in a good place.

Help us Nvidia-Canobi, you’re our only hope.