With full-fledged Android TV and a great remote, Xiaomi’s Mi TV Stick is one of the best budget stream dongles around.
There are plenty of great Android TV cartons in the market right now, and Xiaomi itself has a decent product in this category in the $60 Mi Box S. The 4K-enabled Mi Box S launched virtually two years ago, but it continues to be a decent alternative to the Chromecast Ultra and the Fire TV Stick 4K.
Xiaomi is now setting its sights on the regular 1080 p explanation of the Fire TV Stick. That particular framework is available for $40, which is something that the Mi TV Stick will retail for formerly it debuts in the U.S. The Mi TV Stick has the same fundamentals; you get a great remote, access to your favorite streaming services, full-fledged Android TV interface, and reliable 1080 p streaming performance.
We don’t have details on when the Mi TV Stick shall be published in the U.S ., but with the Mi Box S officially available in the country, Xiaomi should release the concoction in the coming weeks. The Mi TV Stick is slated to propel in Europe for EUR3 9.99 ($ 45) and is set to be announced in India on August 5, so here’s what you need to know about Xiaomi’s latest Android TV streaming solution, and whether it concludes smell to pick up the Mi TV Stick over Amazon’s Fire TV Stick.
At a glance
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick
Bottom line: The Mi TV Stick lowers the barrier to entry for Android TV. It hands reliable action in day-to-day use and gives you access to all of your favorite streaming services. The remote tells you easily invoke Google Assistant, and there’s Chromecast built-in for throwing material from your telephone. In short, the Mi TV Stick is the best Android TV streaming dongle you’ll find for under $50.
The Good
Full-fledged Android TV interface Chromecast built-in Reliable 1080 p recital Huge remote with Assistant and Netflix buttons Excellent appreciate
The Bad
Doesn’t do 4K
Jump to:
What I like What needs slog Competition Should you buy it ?
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick What I like
With dimensions of 92.4 x 30.2 x 15.2 mm, the Mi TV Stick is a more compact version of the Fire TV Stick. There’s a big Mi label on one side, and the lower portion of the dongle has a glossy finish. You get a HDMI connector at the front, Micro-USB port on the two sides, and there’s a Micro-USB to USB-A cable in the box along with a wall plug. You can power the dongle via a USB port on your Tv, and if you don’t have one accessible, you can plug it into the bundled strength adapter.
The Mi TV Stick expenditure the same as the Fire TV Stick, but it runs Android TV instead.
The best part about the Mi TV Stick is that it offers a full-fledged Android TV experience. That passes it a distinct edge over the Chromecast, as you get a UI that lets you stream content directly instead of relying on your phone. Android TV also has a great selection of apps, and as it has Chromecast built-in, it use the same way as a regular Chromecast if you’re looking to cast content from your phone.
The Mi TV Stick is Xiaomi’s take on the Fire TV Stick, and the fact that you get Android TV here realizes it an tempting concoction. There aren’t countless fund Android TV stream commodities from major manufacturers, and while the NVIDIA Shield TV predominates this segment, at $150 it costs virtually four times as much as the Mi TV Stick.
I like Android TV because it is cleaner than what Amazon offers on its streaming concoctions. Content is prominently spotlit on Fire TV OS, but over on Android TV, the emphasis is on apps. Play Store has all the major streaming services and a few activities, and you get more customizability when it comes to the home screen. I generally wish a clean home screen, and with Android TV you get the option to disable the “ribbons, ” the horizontally-scrolling list of content suggestions from works “youre using” frequently.
The Mi TV Stick gives you easy access to all of your favorite streaming services. Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube are installed out of the box, and you are eligible to invest Disney +, HBO Max, Spotify, Twitch, and dozens more from the Play Store.
Coming to the hardware side of things, the Mi TV Stick is powered by a chipset that has four Cortex A5 3 cores, and you likewise get 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage for installing apps from the Play Store and collecting regional content. The dongle has Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, and I didn’t face any issues with Wi-Fi during my usage.
There are zero publications on the performance front, and you get a awesome remote.
Xiaomi also wrap the same remote as the 4K-enabled Mi Box S, and it is one of the best remotes you’ll find on a stream casket that costs less than $50. The remote has a button for mentioning Google Assistant, a D-pad for piloting, back, home, and menu buttons, work restrains, and dedicated buttons for Netflix and Prime Video.
I’ve worked the first-gen Mi Box and the Mi Box S for several years, so I know what Xiaomi has to offer in this category. In day-to-day use, the Mi TV Stick is just as fluid as the Mi Box S, and that’s because the hardware is nearly identical here. The Mi Box S has 2GB of RAM, but it uses the same chipset.
While there was some lag initially on the Mi TV Stick, there was an out-of-the-box update that deposited the issue. I watched a great deal of videos on YouTube and streamed the second season of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, and I did not face any issues with content playback. I consistently went 1080 p video and did not understand any slow within Netflix’s interface at all.
Using the Mi TV Stick reminded me of Xiaomi’s budget Mi TVs. Xiaomi uses a similar chipset and 1GB of recall there as well, so the brand clearly knows how to optimize the hardware to deliver a lag-free usage experience.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick What needs study
The Mi TV Stick doesn’t have any drawbacks. By restrict the Mi TV Stick to 1080p, Xiaomi eliminated the one issue that affliction the Mi Box S. The hardware on offer doesn’t certainly handle 4K, so it was a smart move by Xiaomi to focus on 1080 p streaming here.
You may need to use an HDMI extension cable to plug the Mi TV Stick into your TV.
Because of the design of the dongle itself, you may run into issues plugging the Mi TV Stick immediately into the HDMI port on your TV — especially if you’re use the HDMI ports next to it. That was the case for me, so I had to use an HDMI extension cable. Amazon accommodates one out of the box with Fire TV Stick, but Xiaomi doesn’t do so here, so you will have to buy an extension cable if you run into this issue.
I would have liked to see an HDMI extension cable in the box, but other than that, there really isn’t anything missing with the Mi TV Stick. I’ve been using the dongle for really over five days now, and I’ll update this affix after a few weeks formerly I get some more usage under my belt.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Competition
The self-evident challenger to the Mi TV Stick is Amazon’s $40 Fire TV Stick. It extradites the same value and same operation in day-to-day use, but you get Fire TV OS instead of Android TV and Alexa in lieu of Google Assistant. If you’ve already invested in Amazon’s ecosystem, the Fire TV Stick may just be the better option.
Then there’s the Google Chromecast. The third-gen variant is now available for $ 30, but you miss out on a remote, and there’s no UI here — you will have to use your phone to give material to the Chromecast.
There’s likewise the $30 Roku Express, which lets you stream 1080 p content and is providing your favorite streaming services. The downside here is that there’s no Wi-Fi ac connectivity, and the Roku interface were not able to be to everyone’s tastes.
Of course, if you’re looking for a stream chest that can handle 4K playback, there’s always the $50 Fire TV Stick 4K or the $60 Mi Box S.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Should you buy it?
Who it’s for
If you’re looking for an Android TV streaming dongle If you’re in the market for price If you’re looking for Chromecast built-in and Google Assistant amalgamation If you need a stream dongle that delivers reliable accomplishment
Who it isn’t for
If you crave a 4K streaming casket
The Mi TV Stick is essentially a Fire TV Stick that runs Android TV. Everything from the branding to the orange packaging is clearly derived from Amazon, but the facts of the case that you get Android TV here stirs the Mi TV Stick a pretty great option for under $50. There aren’t numerous Android TV products in this category from major manufacturers, and Xiaomi is clearly taking advantage of that.
The Mi TV Stick is one of the best plan streaming dongles around.
If you have an older TV and need to add some smarts, the Mi TV Stick is the ideal make for your call subject. You’re getting much more value for your money than with a regular Chromecast, and the remote is the same one that’s wrap with Xiaomi’s Mi TVs and the Mi Box S. The Mi TV Stick hands lag-free performance in day-to-day use, there’s Chromecast built-in and Google Assistant integrating, and overall you’re only going great value.
As long as you’re okay with being limited to 1080 p material, the Mi TV Stick is one of the best fund streaming cartons you can buy today.
4.5
out of 5
The Mi TV Stick is going on sale in India shortly, and with the 4K-enabled Mi Box retailing for [?] 3,499 $ 46 ) in the country, Xiaomi will be looking to price the Mi TV Stick that much more aggressively. If I had to guess, I interpret the Mi TV Stick priced at [?] 2,499 ($ 33) in India, but we should know more on this front on August 5.
The Mi TV Stick is also debuting in Europe in the coming weeks for EUR3 9.99 ($ 45 ), and the dongle should make its way to the U.S. as well sometime this year.
Stream everywhere
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick
The best plan Android TV stream dongle
The Mi TV Stick lowers the barrier to entry for Android TV. It extradites reliable action in day-to-day use and gives you access to all of your favorite streaming services. The remote causes you easily mention Google Assistant, and there’s Chromecast built-in for assigning content from your telephone. In short, the Mi TV Stick is the best Android TV stream dongle you’ll find for under $50.
Read more: androidcentral.com
Recent Comments