TV set-top box mi. Xiaomi Mi Box review: TV box with Android TV. Let's move on to installing applications

Xiaomi TV set-top boxes are unique devices whose capabilities have already been used by thousands of users. Small size, excellent functionality, practicality and impeccable quality of materials and workmanship make the gadget easy to use.

Features of Xiaomi consoles

Design. Since the console is a device that will be in a visible place, design is of great importance. High-quality materials are used for production; the main colors are white and black.
Equipment. Having opened the box with the console, the user will find everything necessary for comfortable use. For example, a remote control that has high-quality assembly and is easy to control;
Easy to install. The manufacturer has taken the necessary measures to make operating the Xiaomi TV set-top box as simple as possible. Even an inexperienced user can easily install the device and begin using it immediately.
Compactness. Small dimensions allow you to install the device in any convenient place. You can take the gadget with you on a business trip or travel.
Performance. The consoles are equipped with powerful processors and run an optimized operating system that provides a large number of convenient functions.

Xiaomi TV set-top boxes are devices that provide complete comfort of use:

Equipped with a powerful filling that works smoothly;
Wide functionality;
Simplicity and ease of use;
Stylish design;
The gadget is able to provide a unique vacation in the company of your favorite films!

Rumikom offers to purchase set-top boxes from a Chinese manufacturer. The company store presents the best models sold at affordable prices. Once you place an order, you will soon be able to appreciate all the benefits of Xiaomi technology!

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Specifications

Operating system: Google Android TV 6.0
Processor: Amlogic S905, 4 cores Cortex-A53, 2 GHz
Graphics: MALI-450
Video support: VP9 Profile-2 up to 4K x 2K @ 60fps
H.265 HEVC MP-10 L5.1, up to 4K x 2K at 60fps
H.264 AVC HPat L5.1, up to 4K x 2K at 30fps
H.264 MVC, up to 1080P@60fps
HDR10/HLG HDR
Memory: 2 GB RAM, 8 GB internal eMMC
Network: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz, Bluetooth 4.0
Dimensions: 101x101x20 mm
Weight: 176 grams

Introduction

Despite the fact that almost all new TVs are in one way or another equipped with built-in functions for watching online TV, various kinds of multimedia content and Android support, special set-top boxes for TVs continue to be released, expanding their capabilities.

The Xiaomi Mi TV Box gadget is just such a device. It has Android TV system, allows you to connect to YouTube, Google Play Movies, Netflix, iVi and others, install Google Play applications, play and listen to music. In general, everything that a smartphone can do, only on a big screen.

The kit includes a Bluetooth remote control with a microphone. Using it, you can control the set-top box with voice requests. By the way, in some games the remote control acts as a joystick.

"Iron"

The Xiaomi Mi TV Box is powered by the AMlogic S905 chipset: 64-bit 4-core Cortex-A53 processor with a frequency of 2 GHz, 28 nm, Mali-450 graphics. There are no questions about the speed of the set-top box: everything is fast and fast, without microlags. In Antutu it scores only 36,000 points - about the same as budget MTK type 6737.

RAM 2 GB, internal memory 8 GB, of which about 5 GB available.

However, this is Xiaomi. The first time I failed to connect my account, I had to tinker a little with synchronization. Then a couple of times I encountered errors in the programs; neither flash drives nor disks were connected to the USB port. I solved the problem with USB by installing a new version of the OS, fortunately it downloaded and installed itself.

As for toys, the console is not intended for serious “humor”, however, they will still work, but at minimum settings.

Under processor load, the body of the set-top box heats up within reasonable limits.

Working with Xiaomi Mi TV Box

After turning it on for the first time, you need to connect the remote control, then configure the set-top box using a Google Android phone or manually. Everything is quite simple.

The main screen is represented by Google search (you can use the remote control as a microphone and the phrase “Okay, Google”), recommended content (depending on what you searched for or watched), and quick launch of certain programs. Long-pressing the OK button on an icon allows you to move it left or right, or delete it. Xiaomi recommendations (Netflix and Red Bull TV) cannot be removed from the screen.

At the bottom of the screen are settings and connection to the Wi-Fi network. The settings consist of “Device”, “Settings”, “Remote and accessories”, “Personal data”. Below you can familiarize yourself with each item.

I think there is no particular point in talking about working with Google Play Movies or YouTube content: everything is quite simple and clear, just like on a smartphone, only in a slightly more convenient form.

Unfortunately or fortunately, the system does not allow you to search and download all applications from Google Play; the set-top box only recognizes what can run on it, so you will have to copy games or programs separately to a flash drive or disk. One more thing: you can’t call previously launched applications (or I couldn’t find how). Moreover, if you exit to the main screen, for example, from YouTube, and launch it again, the application will be activated again, and not from the same place. When you turn on the screen saver, a similar situation occurs.

Everything is fine with video playback, the gadget supports almost all formats and codecs, but for this one way or another you will have to install a video player; by default, Mi TV Box is not equipped with a player.

The Mi TV Box device “rolls” videos up to 4K at 60 FPS (“fed” everything - from MKV to ISO, H264/H265), supports HDR, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS sound. The device can act as Google Cast.

The quality of Wi-Fi signal reception is excellent and stable, no strangeness or glitches.

Conclusion

My opinion about any TV set-top boxes is this: if you already have a TV with Smart functions, it plays video, and has a minimum number of applications on board such as ivi.ru, MeGoGo and Google Play Movies, then you do not need a set-top box. For example, I have an inexpensive TV from LG on WEB OS, purchased almost 4 years ago. WEB OS is not the best solution, but even it has all the necessary programs for watching online TV, in addition, the device itself works with disks, flash drives, and so on. Therefore, there is probably no need for me to purchase something like the Xiaomi Mi TV Box. The only caveat: sometimes you need to watch videos recorded with the H265 codec, and my TV no longer understands this format.

If we are talking about a specific thing - Mi TV Box, then this is a cool, fast set-top box for convenient and comfortable viewing of video content via the Internet. Today, Xiaomi Mi TV Box costs 7,990 rubles in the official Xiaomi store in Russia (mi-shop.com). The advantage of purchasing from us is adequate firmware in Russian, with Google Play services and a warranty.

Mi Box is also easy to find in Chinese online stores at a price half the official price in Russia. However, such a purchase will probably take you to the 4PDA site or back to the seller ;)

Price: RUB 4,143.15

I bought this set-top box on Aliexpress for my Xiaomi Mi TV Box 4, it’s probably the best TV set-top box for Android TV 6.0!

Advantages: Russian/Ukrainian interface, intuitive controls, convenient voice search in Russian, Ukrainian and other languages!

Possibility for Android 6.0 to expand memory using a USB flash drive or external screw! Further, a strong and productive filling makes it possible to work without errors and freezes! Bluetooth remote control with voice search on AAA batteries!

Small, neat, with a matte cover and a weighty attachment of 170 g! I have never seen such a cool and powerful device! very pleased! play market, google services out of the box.

Setup on power-on in 3 minutes! equipment: HDMI cable, remote control, manual, set-top box, power supply with European plug! you need to feel it! any formats, 4K, 3D, Dolby digital, 2 GB RAM, 2 GHz and 4 core processor, video accelerator! Simply a masterpiece product from Xiaomi, for such money! best of the best! Delivery to Kyiv in 2 weeks.

For clarity, I found a video review from YouTube of this console.

Video review

Here's her photo

Main characteristics

Manufacturer: Xiaomi
Packaging: Yes
Model size: Mi Box 3
Remote control: Included
OS: Android TV 6.0
RAM/ROM: Original 2GB DDR3/8GB eMMC Flash
CPU: ARM Cortex A53 up to 2GHz Quad-core 64-bits
HDR: 4K
GPU: Penta-core ARM Mali-450
Software Support: OTA update ,Youtube , Kodi , Hulu , Netflix etc

Well, that's all for me. Thank you all for your attention!!! I recommend this device.

How many stars would you give this product? Vote! Support the project!

The market for TV set-top boxes based on Android TV can hardly be called saturated. And although a large number of people are satisfied with models such as the outdated Nexus Player or the brand new top Nvidia Shield, the choice among Android consoles can hardly be called good: there is much less variety on it than, for example, among smartphones. Companies simply don't see the point in producing something that will sell in small quantities, especially considering Google Chromecast, which has eaten up a significant share of the market.

Xiaomi Mi Box 3s offers a small black box with rounded edges, which runs on Android TV and supports 4K resolution with HDR mode. It includes a minimalistic touchscreen remote control. All this wealth is very inexpensive - in our retail stores it can be found for about 4,000 thousand rubles. It is worth noting that Xiaomi has released its set-top boxes before, but this model is one of the first to run on a full-fledged Android TV.

Google needs the support of manufacturers to promote its Android TV OS, and Mi Box 3s is one of these devices. But will this device live up to expectations and can it completely replace Chromecast? Let's try to find out.

Mi Box 3s is delivered in a small, minimalistic box, inside of which the set-top box itself, an HDMI cable, a charger, a remote control and instructions in Chinese were found. The material of the console is a pleasant matte, slightly textured plastic. The thickness of the device is only 10 mm, which is not much thicker than the thickness of most smartphones. It can be easily hidden behind the TV if necessary.

At the bottom there is a rubberized ring that serves as a stand. This material is great for slippery surfaces. All ports are hidden at the back. The only thing that stands out against the black background of the console is the small Mi logo. In addition, while the console is operating, a small LED lights up, which does not interfere at all.

The Bluetooth remote control is also designed in a minimalist style. It weighs nothing at all - and this is taking into account two AAA batteries, which, by the way, come with the remote control. The main control buttons are the up-down-right-left buttons, which are located on a large circle. In the center is the OK button. The circle itself is touch sensitive - when you make circular movements along it with your finger, for example, the text input cursor jumps either to the beginning or to the end of the text field; otherwise there is almost no place to use it. It would be logical to attach a video rewind function to it, but this does not work. In addition, there are buttons for power, back, exit to the home screen, calling the context menu and volume control.

As already mentioned, Mi Box 3s comes with an HDMI cable, which is actually not bad, since a number of other budget set-top boxes do not have it. Its length is approximately 1 meter. The length of the charging cord is also small - still the same meter. This may cause some problems with the positioning of the box, given that the power connector is round rather than a standard USB Type-C or microUSB, and the charging cord is inseparable from the charger.

Installing the set-top box is very easy: just plug in the power and connect Mi Box 3s to the TV via an HDMI cable. Then you can simply switch the TV to the desired input and follow the instructions on the screen using the very convenient remote control.

Mi Box 3s runs on Android TV version 6.0.1. After a little initial setup of the Wi-Fi connection, a rather laconic start menu appears, which for some reason was originally in Indonesian, fortunately, from the icons in the menu it was easy to guess how to change the language to English. There is no Russian language.

In the start menu at the top there are search icons by voice or text. When you click on voice search, an error is displayed, which is understandable - there is no microphone in the set-top box. Text search finds videos on Youtube, everything is correct here.

One gets the impression that we are looking at a console re-flashed by craftsmen, the device’s menu looks so crude. By default, the following applications are installed: Youtube, Google Play, an application for launching media files from a flash drive or over the network Media Explorer, and the Sideload Launcher application, which provides access to all device settings. Two types of settings are available: settings for the firmware itself and standard Android settings. Some settings are not available: for example, we were unable to access some application installations.

You can install various applications using Google Play. Video apps work fine (we tested Youtube and Vimeo), including at 4K resolution (the console only gets slightly warm), but some games have a problem. For example, Minion’s Rush crashed with an error and no longer launched; Asphalt 8 prompted us to enter our age, which we were unable to enter from the remote; but Hill Climb Racing started up and worked great. Perhaps you need a joystick for this. By the way, it is worth noting that there is not much built-in free memory - only about 5 GB, so you cannot install many games.

The function of playing files from a flash drive is available: video, music and photos. It is also possible to connect to a shared folder on the network; all you need to know is the device’s IP address. To do this, just go to Media Manager and click the “Add device” button.

In general, that's all. You can also delve into the settings: connect a Bluetooth joystick, change the Wi-Fi network, change the time settings and other settings. It is worth noting that not all settings items are translated and sometimes texts appear in Chinese, as well as the fact that for some reason the device is displayed as Android Shield.

To sum up, we can say with a high degree of confidence that Mi Box 3s is not a device for everyone. Its most obvious competitor in this price range, the Chromecast Ultra, is, in our opinion, preferable because it has simpler setup and is much easier to control, although it does require a smartphone. Of course, it has fewer features, but otherwise it looks like a much more integral and complete product. For half the money, you can get a regular Chromecast, but keep in mind that it does not support 4K resolution.

In general, if not for the firmware flaws, the Mi Box 3s could be safely recommended for purchase. Now it can only be recommended to those people who do not need games, but desperately need the features of the Mi Box 3s: a separate remote control, the ability to connect their own drives or shared folders over the network. In this regard, it certainly looks much better than its competitor from Google.

Xiaomi Mi Box 3 (international version) is a Chinese video console of the third generation. It was created in collaboration with Google, which is involved in its promotion. The company introduced the set-top box in October 2016.

Models and their applications

Xiaomi Mi Box 3 global version is available in several modifications. All of them can be used to convert an LCD TV to Smart TV format. Most often, a console is purchased to play Android games, displaying them on the big screen. To do this, you need to separately order the Gamepad from Xiaomi.

Xiaomi Mi Box 3 models:

Xiaomi Mi Box RD
Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced Edition

The first 3 versions are intended only for the Chinese market. They don't have Google services. The Xiaomi Mi Box 3S version is called international, its review is below

Equipment

Along with the Xiaomi Mi Box 3 console, the box contains:

A remote control designed to control TV settings and games.
Adapter with Euro plug 1 m long
HDMI cable with short (90 cm) wire

The remote control has a microphone and works via Bluetooth, so there is no need to constantly keep the set-top box in sight. There is voice search in Russian. The function works without errors.

There are few buttons on the remote control:

Navigation with 5 positions,
“Home”, “Back”, “Menu”
Inclusion
Power supply 5V/2.1A

The body is made of black plastic. There is a place to attach a strap, although there are no straps themselves. There are also no additional sensors. AA batteries (not included) are inserted into regular connectors inside the case.

Design

The attachment on top is square in shape and small in size. Height about 2cm, side length 10cm 1mm. Weighs 178 g. The heavy weight is explained by the presence of a large iron ring installed for cooling through the thermal substrates of the internal filling of the device.

Technical characteristics

The technical characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi Box 3 (MDZ-19-AA) media player are collected in the table:

The letter H in the chipset model designation means that the model has received licenses for decoding DD 5.1 and DTS,

The review shows that the set-top box works quickly, a stripped-down version of Android, a special shell from Xiaomi, well suited for working on a large screen and convenient for Smart TV. Experienced customers complain that updates do not arrive. The boxing menu is set in Russian, but sometimes there are Chinese characters. Android TV Launcher was developed by Google employees.

Applications

The fact that the Xiaomi model is international means the ability to access all Google services. After connecting the set-top box and connecting it to the Internet, you can go to the store and select any of the applications provided there. On Google Play, choose paid or free games.

Users indicate that owners of the reduced version do not have access to some of the full applications. Only those programs that can be controlled using the remote control are installed there. There are also those that require a gamepad to use. It is purchased separately and connected to the console.

You can install other programs and applications through a PC browser or an archived APK file. But in this case, you need to connect a mouse to control the device. You cannot select an additional keyboard layout in the Android TV settings. You can install the Android TV remote control program on your smartphone.

The model supports 4k video. All declared formats can be launched easily. The image quality is high.

Network and information formats

Xiaomi Mi 3 supports IPTV technology and can work in Internet browser mode. Chromecast technology allows you to play any video from your phone or computer on your TV. Wireless interfaces installed:

Bluetooth1 +EDR is implemented on the Broadcom BCM4345 chip. There are complaints that sometimes it disconnects on its own and the connection to the Internet disappears. This happens after being unplugged, while the connection level for other devices remains normal. It connects easily, just press and hold two keys on the remote control.
Wi-Fi 11a/b/g/n/ac, operates in 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies, MIMO 1x1
USB 2.0 Type A