If you are an Android user, you might have tested the famous “Power button + Volume down” and it might work on some Android TVs but not with the NVIDIA Shield TV. Here are 2 methods to take a screenshot on your NVIDIA Shield TV and how to download the pictures on your computer.
Using the built-in feature “NVIDIA Share”
1. First, you need to activate the feature in the settings:
Settings > Device Preferences > System > NVIDIA Share: Turn on
You can now take a screenshot by following these steps:
2. Navigate to the screen you want to capture.
3. Press and hold the “Home” button on your Shield TV remote.
4. The NVIDIA Share menu will appear.
Select “Screenshot” on the far right and “Save to Gallery”
5. A “Screenshot Saved” notification will briefly appear on the bottom of your TV screen, indicating that a screenshot has been taken.
The screenshot will be saved in the “Pictures/Screenshots” folder on your Shield TV.
Using the “Button Mapper” app
1. Download the “Button Mapper” app in the Google Play Store.
2. Activate the app: Settings > Device Preferences > Accessibility > Button Mapper > Enable: ON
3. Then “Configuration” will open the app (You can also open the app directly from the Shield App menu)
I decided to map a double-click on the “Netflix” button to screenshot, here’s how:
4. From the main menu of the app “+ Add Buttons”, press the “Netflix” button. It now appears as “BUTTON_12” (might vary depending on the Shield or remote version)
5. Now select the added button you just created to customize it: Double tap > Screenshot
Note: The app might prompt you to purchase the premium version; click “No Thanks.” The pro version would give you more customization options, but the free version is enough for our needs.
6. To take a screenshot, now you can double-tap the “Netflix” button. It will trigger a flashing animation.
The screenshot will sign the “Pictures/Screenshots” folder.
These instructions might vary slightly depending on the version of the Shield TV; this was tested on Shield Android TV v9.1.1
How to Download The Pictures on Your Computer
Chances are if you are taking screenshot, it’s not to keep them on the Shield. They should now be in the “Pictures/Screenshots” folder, here’s how to retrieve them over the network.
1. Your computer should be connected to the same network than the Shield TV
2. Settings > Device Preferences> Storage & reset > Transfer files over network. Turn it on
The menu will now show the Shield local IP and a username/password; you need that information to access the Shield from the computer.
For a PC, from your file browser, go to “\\ {Shield IP Address}”
Once connected with your credentials, right-click to “Map Network Drive” if you want easier access to the Shield in the future.
For MacOS, in Finder:
Go > Connect to Server: smb://{username}@{Shield IP Address}
or
In the sidebar: Locations > Network. You should see a “shield” on the network; double-click, then “Connect As…” in the top right corner, and enter your credentials.