Sticking to what the local TV channels are
broadcasting over cable networks or DTH is
frustrating enough – thanks to those
continuous reruns. So why not get on the OTT
bandwagon and avail video on demand? All you
need is a good internet broadband connection
and a smart TV. Sadly, older smart TVs have
firmware issues, forcing that next TV upgrade
within a span of around 3-4 years. This is reason
enough for investing in an Android streaming
box rather than a new TV. And Xiaomi’s Mi Box 4
can make your existing television smarter for
a puny price of just ₨3499.
coaster and as thick as a conventional
smartphone. All black and matte-finish, it
has a plastic build and is pretty rugged.
Bundled along with the Mi Box 4 is a fully
functional Bluetooth remote, an HDMI cable
and a power adapter. Sadly, you would have
to invest in two AAA batteries for your
remote, which is not included here. It has a
simple and plain-Jane design with an HDMI
2.0 (CEC compatible) port, a power socket, a
standard USB 2.0 port and a hybrid 3.5mm
audio port to connect to your external stereo
speakers (analog) or media receiver (via
optical S/PDIF).
box, and Xiaomi promises upgrades to the
firmware as and when they release. With
Android 9, you are sorted and all the latest
OTT apps will be at your service without any
issues. The Box comes with a Bluetooth
remote that features minimal buttons to
operate. There’s a D-pad for moving around
the interface apart from Back, App drawer
and Home buttons to quickly escape from
what you don’t want, and a volume rocker to
control those audio levels. A missing mute
button is a bummer, and you may have to rely
on your television to do that.
supports HDR10 and Dolby Audio + DTS 2.0.
Sadly, there’s no Dolby Vision support, like
what Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K supports.
However, it won’t matter if your TV does not
support it. There’s also Chromecast Ultra
support built-in so you can stream up to 4K
resolutions from compatible smartphones
and Chrome browsers. Lastly, the device is
powered by a 2GHz quad-core A53 Cortex
processor with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of
storage and supported by a MALI-450 GPU.
nothing to complain. The interface is smooth
— no lag or delays. Connectivity with the
wireless router is strong too and we found no
drops as such. There’s an option for low data
mode too where you can save on internet
data if you are using a mobile network or if
your internet connection has an FUP. The
only part that was a disappointment was the
148g unit itself. There’s no option to wall
mount it or hide it behind the TV and you are
broadcasting over cable networks or DTH is
frustrating enough – thanks to those
continuous reruns. So why not get on the OTT
bandwagon and avail video on demand? All you
need is a good internet broadband connection
and a smart TV. Sadly, older smart TVs have
firmware issues, forcing that next TV upgrade
within a span of around 3-4 years. This is reason
enough for investing in an Android streaming
box rather than a new TV. And Xiaomi’s Mi Box 4
can make your existing television smarter for
a puny price of just ₨3499.
Educate me.
The Mi Box 4 is about the size of a tablecoaster and as thick as a conventional
smartphone. All black and matte-finish, it
has a plastic build and is pretty rugged.
Bundled along with the Mi Box 4 is a fully
functional Bluetooth remote, an HDMI cable
and a power adapter. Sadly, you would have
to invest in two AAA batteries for your
remote, which is not included here. It has a
simple and plain-Jane design with an HDMI
2.0 (CEC compatible) port, a power socket, a
standard USB 2.0 port and a hybrid 3.5mm
audio port to connect to your external stereo
speakers (analog) or media receiver (via
optical S/PDIF).
Am listening!
Mi Box 4 features Android 9 Pie out of thebox, and Xiaomi promises upgrades to the
firmware as and when they release. With
Android 9, you are sorted and all the latest
OTT apps will be at your service without any
issues. The Box comes with a Bluetooth
remote that features minimal buttons to
operate. There’s a D-pad for moving around
the interface apart from Back, App drawer
and Home buttons to quickly escape from
what you don’t want, and a volume rocker to
control those audio levels. A missing mute
button is a bummer, and you may have to rely
on your television to do that.
Is it worth the investment?
The Mi Box 4 is a 4K media player thatsupports HDR10 and Dolby Audio + DTS 2.0.
Sadly, there’s no Dolby Vision support, like
what Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K supports.
However, it won’t matter if your TV does not
support it. There’s also Chromecast Ultra
support built-in so you can stream up to 4K
resolutions from compatible smartphones
and Chrome browsers. Lastly, the device is
powered by a 2GHz quad-core A53 Cortex
processor with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of
storage and supported by a MALI-450 GPU.
And the performance?
The Mi Box is almost flawless and there’snothing to complain. The interface is smooth
— no lag or delays. Connectivity with the
wireless router is strong too and we found no
drops as such. There’s an option for low data
mode too where you can save on internet
data if you are using a mobile network or if
your internet connection has an FUP. The
only part that was a disappointment was the
148g unit itself. There’s no option to wall
mount it or hide it behind the TV and you are
forced to place it on a table around the TV.
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