Switching your smartphone each two or three years is pretty frequent, due to speedy enhancements in screens, charging, battery life, and efficiency. However, two years is not a lot within the typical life cycle of a tv, and lots of people are most likely nonetheless utilizing non-smart televisions which might be 5 or extra years previous. Similarly, you may even personal a sensible TV, however poor software program, an absence of updates, or poor app assist has crippled your skill to look at on-line content material. None of those are essentially ok causes to purchase a brand new TV altogether.
Xiaomi’s newest product, the Mi Box 4K, is supposed for precisely that goal. Priced at Rs. 3,499, the Mi Box 4K is a compact table-top streaming gadget that plugs into the HDMI port of your TV and makes it sensible. Alternatively, it could actually even make a sensible TV ‘smarter’ with higher software program and app assist. How does this inexpensive streaming field work, and what are you able to do with it? Find out in our assessment.
Who is the Mi Box 4K meant for?
Xiaomi entered the sensible tv house in India with the Mi TV 4 55 again in early 2018, and has rapidly established itself as one of many high manufacturers within the trade due to its aggressive pricing. However, just a bit over two years in, the Mi TV 4 55 isn’t getting the latest Android TV update, and anybody used to its sensible performance would rightly be involved for what’s to return. Smart TVs that are not receiving software program updates could lose assist for key apps and providers, or decelerate to the purpose of being near-impossible to make use of.
Another attainable use case is for somebody who’s utilizing a TV that was by no means sensible to start with. Maybe you have been pleased with DTH and cable TV to date, however you now need to give streaming providers a shot. One method to do that is to purchase a brand new tv, however that will not be an inexpensive possibility, and also you may even really feel dangerous about eliminating a superbly practical mannequin earlier than its time is up.
The Mi Box 4K is not large, however must be positioned on a table-top
The Mi Box 4K runs the present model of Android TV – model 9 Pie – and is assured an replace to the subsequent model when it rolls out. This naturally provides the gadget entry to Android TV’s intensive assortment of apps and video games, all of which could be accessed and used along with your HDMI-enabled TV.
How does the Mi Box 4K work?
Like a few of our favourite streaming devices, the Mi Box 4K is a standalone unit with its personal capabilities and capabilities, resembling the Apple TV 4K in relation to type issue. It must be related to a TV utilizing the included HDMI cable, and to an influence outlet. Once that is finished, the Mi Box 4K is able to energy on and arrange. Connectivity to the Internet is simply by Wi-Fi, with Bluetooth 4.2 additionally supported for pairing with audio gadgets, sport controllers, and the included distant.
Once you have set all the things up – together with linking your Google account – the Mi Box 4K takes over because the sensible interface, sending the image and sound alerts to your TV. You may also join exterior audio system to the gadget utilizing the Audio Out port on the Mi Box 4K, bypassing your TV’s audio system if wanted. This is a hybrid port, so you possibly can join digital or analogue audio gadgets to it to redirect the sound.
HDMI is the principle port right here, as that permits you to join the Mi Box 4K to your TV
The gadget is powered by a quad-core Amlogic processor, and has 2GB of RAM plus 8GB of inner storage for apps. As the identify suggests, the Mi Box 4K helps streaming at as much as 4K decision, together with excessive dynamic vary assist as much as the HDR10 format.
The Mi Box 4K has its personal distant, which is used to navigate across the interface, open apps, and regulate the quantity, amongst different issues. The distant intently resembles that of the Mi TV vary, however is barely completely different to replicate the variations within the software program. While Mi TV remotes have a ‘Mi’ button to rapidly entry the PatchWall launcher, the Mi Box 4K’s distant has an app drawer button as a replacement, because it runs solely on Android TV with out PatchWall.
The distant connects to the gadget utilizing Bluetooth, and is powered by two AAA batteries. As is the case with among the current Mi TV variants we have reviewed, batteries aren’t included within the gross sales bundle, which is disappointing. The distant lacks a mute button, and its construct high quality is lower than best. HDMI CEC, whereas practical, did not let our TV’s distant management all the things on the Mi Box 4K, with solely fundamental navigation attainable.
Android TV has over 5,000 apps out there to obtain
What are you able to do with the Mi Box 4K?
Like different standalone streaming gadgets, the Mi Box 4K provides you entry to an enormous assortment of apps and video games that you need to use in your TV. Some apps are preinstalled on the Mi Box 4K, corresponding to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube, whereas others could be put in from the Google Play Store for Android TV. Most widespread streaming providers in India have apps for Android TV, and all the favored choices labored nicely for us on the Mi Box 4K.
Like with most Android TV gadgets, the Mi Box 4K comes with Google Chromecast performance in-built. This is identical because the Chomecast Ultra, and helps casting at as much as 4K decision. You can mirror your display or forged immediately from supported apps on appropriate gadgets. Interestingly, you may as well plug a USB drive into the Mi Box 4K to play native content material. Oddly, we could not discover a preinstalled media participant app, however widespread file supervisor apps on the Google Play Store for Android TV have been in a position to play content material throughout numerous file codecs and resolutions, together with HDR content material.
The Mi Box 4K helps streaming at as much as 4K decision, with assist for HDR as much as the HDR10 normal. The lack of assist for the higher Dolby Vision normal is disappointing, and holds the Mi Box 4K again a bit, particularly contemplating that some televisions priced under Rs. 30,000 now assist the 12-bit normal.
HDR10 is respectable sufficient in case your TV can deal with it, and Netflix and Amazon Prime Video do allow you to play all HDR10 content material. Dolby audio can be supported on the gadget, and this can turn out to be useful when related to televisions or sound techniques that additionally assist the audio format.
There’s additionally Google Assistant on the Mi Box 4K, with a devoted button and microphone on the distant. This labored just about as anticipated. It could be linked to different Google Assistant gadgets for voice instructions, such because the Google Home. If you are utilizing a cellular hotspot or different Internet reference to an information cap, the Mi Box 4K has a data saver operate that can allow you to preserve observe of and cut back bandwidth consumption whereas streaming.
The distant is not constructed very nicely, and there is no mute button on it
Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi Box 4K is not essentially one thing that lots of people will want or need, but it surely serves its very particular goal impressively. While it is not the primary Android TV-powered streaming gadget in India, it’s maybe the one one that gives the complete inventory expertise with none important omissions or brand-centric overlays. It’s additionally 4K and HDR succesful, which is an enormous benefit at its worth.
The largest competitors for the Mi Box 4K comes from the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. Although rather more costly at Rs. 5,999, the Fire TV Stick 4K helps apps corresponding to Apple TV that are not out there on Android TV, and works with the superior Dolby Vision format. That mentioned, the Fire TV Stick 4K lastly will get a worthy competitor within the Mi Box 4K, which provides almost as a lot by the use of capabilities at somewhat over half the value.
Price (MRP): Rs. 3,499
Pros
- Full-fledged Android TV, no bloatware
- 4K and HDR succesful
- Hybrid audio out and USB port
- Very good worth
Cons
- Remote construct high quality is not best
- HDMI CEC would not work completely
- No Dolby Vision
Ratings (Out of 5)
- Design and specs: 4
- Features: 4
- Value for cash: 4.5
- Overall: 4
Mi TV 4X vs Vu Cinema TV: Which is the most effective funds TV in India proper now? We mentioned this on Orbital, our weekly know-how podcast, which you’ll be able to subscribe to by way of Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or simply hit the play button beneath.