Samsung SmartThings Link for Nvidia Shield TV review: A cheap smart home hub with one inherent shortcoming

The Nvidia Shield TV streaming box just keeps getting cooler. In addition to doubling as a Plex server, an over-the-air DVR, and a hands-free Google Assistant, the Shield can also now serve as a smart home hub with the addition of a Samsung SmartThings Link. This $40 dongle plugs into one of the Shield's two USB ports, where it can control smart light bulbs, switches, plugs, and any other appliances and devices that work with the full-sized SmartThings hub (here's a list). Yet there is one crucial difference: A dedicated hub can reside anywhere in the house, but the SmartThings Link is inherently bound to wherever your TV lives. If that happens to be in the corner of your house, you might run into some range issues. The SmartThings Link also doesn't include a couple of minor offline and battery-backup features that the full-sized Hub offers.