Being caught with a dumb TV in an period the place OTT content material is the topic of lunch break conversations and web page 3 headlines is usually a ache. Particularly if it’s a TV with show. A wise TV that may’t offer you all of the smartness you want (by way of the apps and companies desired) is equally unhealthy. That’s a state of affairs greatest dealt with by a streaming stick in fact. These items additionally turn out to be useful whenever you’re travelling and need your lodge room TV to indicate you your favourites. Properly, Xiaomi has a brand new one within the type of the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K. It’s a easy identify for a easy machine — it’s a TV dongle that may stream at 4K. However there’s extra to it than that. Right here’s a better look…
When it comes to design, the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K is as standard as you’d anticipate. It’s an HDMI dongle that’s meant to go behind the telly and be hidden from view after that, quietly doing its job. Maybe to impart it respectable seems, Xiaomi has coated it with a shiny end and plastered massive branding on high. On the facet is a micro-USB port for energy, and reality be informed, its presence feels a bit unusual at a time when Kind-C ports have develop into ubiquitous. That mentioned, given the character of the machine, you’re unlikely to make use of its micro-USB port fairly often, so I’ll let this cross.
A wall adapter and a micro-USB cable come included within the field. Other than these and the distant, Xiaomi additionally contains an HDMI extender within the retail pack — a helpful accent if the HDMI port is tough to entry or can’t accommodate the TV stick straight. What’s not included within the field, nevertheless, is a pair of AAA cells for the distant. Now, this looks like a bizarre omission since you may’t get began with the machine immediately if you happen to don’t have a pair of those batteries accessible at dwelling.
Coming to the distant, it’s a typical Xiaomi unit — the identical one which comes together with the model’s good TVs. This implies you may anticipate the identical pluses and minuses: it’s compact and fairly intuitive to make use of, and options devoted keys for Netflix, Prime Video and Hotstar. It does, nevertheless, miss out on a devoted quantity mute key. Quantity might be muted with a double press of the amount down key on the distant although.
The place the Xiaomi TV Stick 4k shines is the options and capabilities it affords. The truth that it might probably stream content material at 4K decision is evident from its identify, but it surely helps HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient as nicely, and audio capabilities embrace Dolby Atmos assist. {Hardware} specs embrace a quad-core A35 CPU, Mali G35 MP2 graphics, 2 gigs of RAM and 8GB native storage. These guarantee easy efficiency, fluid navigation, fast app launch instances and no lag throughout day-to-day utilization. Google voice assistant and Chromecast are on provide too. So far as software program is anxious, you get the acquainted Android TV interface (atop Android 11), full with the Google Play Retailer that offers you entry to the complete vary of apps accessible for the ecosystem.
Identical to the Xiaomi and Redmi TVs although, you additionally get PatchWall, which is Xiaomi’s personal TV platform that curates content material and affords solutions from throughout totally different streaming companies. PatchWall has its personal devoted key on the distant, and can be launched through an onscreen icon. Its magnificence lies in the way in which it curates and presents content material solutions, affords options like common search, and categorises of content material primarily based on components like IMDb scores, style, language, and so forth. Android TV is nice by way of simplicity, whereas PatchWall brings richness and usefulness for these searching for new content material primarily based on particular pursuits. And with the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K, you get the most effective of each worlds.
Desk of Contents
Verdict
Priced at Rs 4,999, the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K faces rivalry from related choices from Realme and Amazon, with the latter’s Fireplace TV Sticks being accessible throughout totally different value factors, toting totally different capabilities. For me, the important thing level in favour of selecting the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K could be PatchWall, which is certainly one thing that works as a key differentiator and helps it stand out. Even in any other case, the machine is sort of succesful and scores excessive with its easy efficiency and assist for codecs like Dolby Imaginative and prescient.
Editor’s ranking: 4 / 5
Professionals:
- Crisp 4K streaming
- Easy efficiency
- HDR / Dolby Imaginative and prescient Help
- Android TV with Patchwall
Cons:
- No mute key on distant
- No batteries included
