The catalog of products that Xiaomi has is huge and all of them have great value for money. We have been testing the Xiaomi Mi Box TV, a 4K multimedia player for the television that, as usual with the manufacturer, offers great features at a very content price. Here we leave you our analysis and give you a quality Xiaomi Mi box review after testing it for about a month.
We are facing a product created to compete directly against HDMI sticks such as the Amazon Fire Stick or Chromecast Ultra, but also against more complete decoders such as the Nvidia Shield TV. Like the latter, the Mi Box comes with the Google system for televisions. In fact, it is the device with Android TV and full support for 4K HDR videos on the market.
As we see it is a set-top-box with internal memory and processor. A more complete product than for example the Chromecast, where we are only facing a receiver to send content from the mobile. With the Mi Box TV, we can also use Google Cast but we also have a device to connect it to TV, with its own remote control, its complete operating system, and its USB port in case we want to connect an external hard drive or a USB with our own files. video.
Elegant and very compact, this is the Mi Box TV
With the Mi Box you are sure of not taking up much space if you place it next to the TV. This device is one that is suitable for any space and can be held in your palms with its square design that has rounded tips accompanied with a black plastic body without much noise. The black box is so small that only the small Mi logo will catch our attention.
On the front we have a small white LED to indicate that it is on, the sides are completely smooth and if we turn it upside down we have a rough circle so that it does not slide down the furniture.
By turning it we find the connections. We will always have two cables connected. One of them is power and the other is HDMI. Here Xiaomi includes a one meter HDMI cable. It is something short but it is greatly appreciated that it already comes with a cable that we will need. Other manufacturers with much more expensive models do not have this detail.
Next to the HDMI connector, we have an optical input to connect an audio cable. And on the left side the USB 2.0 connection to connect as we said a USB or an external hard drive. It works very well and if your TV does not have this input, with the Mi Box TV give it this connectivity. Yes, it is noted that it is not USB 3.0 if we want to transfer files to the memory of the Mi Box, but normally this will not be the case.
It is undoubtedly a set-top-box with a very successful design and well used for its size. The only point that we miss is the Ethernet connection, very necessary especially in the case that we have a 4K television and want to see content in high resolution. Accustomed to the Chromecast Ultra that does this, at this point, it’s a step back.
A Simple Bluetooth Remote but With All the Necessary Buttons
Having a remote control is very comfortable to control the TV and move through the new menus. Nothing special is needed, just a small control with a crosshead and a button like the back button. In the case of the Mi Box TV remote, we have the crosshead with a central accept button, back button, home button, a button for voice control, on/off button and buttons for volume.
It works through bluetooth and is very light in hand. In hand, it feels quite good and despite not having very premium materials, the rounded edges make it comfortable. The crosshead protrudes slightly and there are no problems when pressing although we have seen controls with better travel on their buttons.
The most interesting thing about remote control is the button for voice control. The microphone is at the top and in most cases, it detects our words well. By having Android TV, we can make it serve to search for videos or information. At the moment the Mi Box TV does not have Google Assistant.
Being a Bluetooth controller also has the advantage that we do not necessarily need to point to the device to detect us. Finally, comment that it works with two AAA batteries and these are not included in the box. The energy consumption is minimal since in all this time we have only changed the batteries once. From the settings, we can also get to know the percentage of battery that remains in command.
Nothing like watching Netflix or YouTube in 4K HDR
The Mi Box TV allows adjusting to the desired resolution. Be it 720p, 1080p or 4K at 60fps. We will also find an option in the settings to activate HDR. In order to achieve the maximum resolution and quality that the Mi Box TV allows, we must have a television accordingly. If you are lucky, with the Mi Box TV we have an excellent player for consumers with 4K content and compatible with HDR 10 and HLG formats. Far away is the support for Dolby Vision, reserved only for devices of higher ranges. The only real downside that we can have with the Mi Box TV is that it does not have an Ethernet connection and when playing some content we have had some unwanted pause.
Pros
- It works with a common Android with endless options
- Play a 4K video
- Allows for a game with high graphics
- It comes with a Google Assistant that makes it easy to find the programs you love easily and also carry out searches on Google.
- The remote control combines well with the other available controls.
Cons
- Conditional use of the mirror function of the phone makes it harder to chose.
Xiaomi Mi TV Box – Price
In whatever you plan to buy, the price is the central deciding factor, it can never be overlooked
- Xiaomi product prices have always been within a range that is affordable for all, and the price of the Mi Box clearly reflects this.
- It is pocket lightweight and is the best buy you can get in amazon, gearbest or any other market right now.
Xiaomi Mi Box S Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐
It serves its purpose
The Mi box does a splendid job when playing the 1080p content on the screen. Apart from the slight defect of playing 4k content and lack of Amazon Prime content, the new Xiaomi Mi Box serves its purpose and does so at an affordable price.
Mi Box TV, My opinion
With the Mi Box TV, we have a high resolution multimedia player more than enough for most users. Its price of $89.99 on Amazon makes it very interesting for anyone who wants to turn their TV into a smart TV like the one that comes in the latest TVs.
With everything that is said in this Xiaomi Mi box review, it is true that it is one step below the quality that we have in the Nvidia Shield TV or in the Apple TV 4K, but for the price it has, it is well worth betting on it instead of simpler solutions such as the Amazon Fire Stick or any of those Android HDMI sticks. Considering that the fourth generation of the Mi Box will have more humble features, this Mi Box is still an excellent purchase.
Xiaomi Mi Box
$64.5
Pros
- It works with a common Android with endless options
- Play a 4K video
- Allows for a game with high graphics
- It comes with a Google Assistant
- The remote control combines well with the other available controls.
Cons
- Due to no ethernet port available, people may dislike it
- Delay in 4K
- No Amazon prime available
- Conditional use of the mirror function of the phone makes it harder to chose.
