Many televisions available today are smart TVs, including many affordable options priced around Rs. 10,000 or more. However, some of these TVs may be smart in name only, and the actual usage experience is often inadequate, especially when manufacturers use custom firmware that doesn’t support many good apps. On the other hand, many users still use old non-smart flat panel televisions and may not be particularly inclined to replace them just yet, but they want access to streaming services.
If you find yourself in a situation like either of the above, streaming devices like the Mi TV Stick can help. Priced at Rs. 2,799 in India, the Mi TV Stick is affordable and achieves a very specific purpose – it adds high-quality modern smarts to your existing television. What exactly is the Mi TV Stick and how does it compare to the more expensive Mi Box 4K? Find out in our review.
The Mi TV Stick is compact and plugs directly into an HDMI port on your television.
Who is the Mi TV Stick intended for?
The most basic use case for the Mi TV Stick is if you have an old non-smart television with an HDMI port. You might want access to streaming content, and a device like the Mi TV Stick offers just that for a reasonable price. Even the HDMI port is not strictly necessary and you can even connect the Mi TV Stick to an old CRT television if you have the right adapter for it.
Also, another good reason to buy Mi TV Stick is if your smart TV doesn’t look so smart anymore. This could be due to broken software updates, a slow experience, or apps you want not supported on the platform, as is often the case with custom firmware on older smart TVs.
This is a problem many TVs face, like the MarQ by Flipkart 43SAFHD that I used to test the Mi TV Stick. This TV’s smart UI is now sluggish and doesn’t support major apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to begin with. However, I can continue to use the screen, which is still reliable, by delegating smart functionality to the Mi TV Stick.
The Mi TV Stick runs on Android TV 9 Pie and supports the 5,000+ apps currently available for the platform through the Google Play Store for Android TV. All major streaming services available on Android TV are supported including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar as well as major Indian streaming services such as Zee5, Hungama Play, Voot and more. You can also download various games, social media services and other apps to use on your TV.
How does the Mi TV Stick work?
Like the Mi Box 4K, the Mi TV Stick is a standalone media streaming device that simply needs a monitor for output. Through HDMI connectivity, the Mi TV Stick can output up to full-HD (1920×1080 pixels) at 60Hz. It has a Cortex-A53 based quad-core CPU, 8GB of storage for apps and app data, and 1GB of RAM. Android TV 9 Pie can be controlled using the included remote. Android TV gives you access to many standalone apps, but if you’re comfortable with casting, the Mi TV Stick also has Google Chromecast built-in.
The remote is identical to what you’d get with the Mi Box 4K and is powered by two AAA batteries (not included); it’s basic and lacks a mute button, but it does give you enough control over the Mi TV Stick for UI navigation, volume controls, and Google Assistant activation. You can also quickly launch Netflix and Amazon Prime Video via hotkeys. There’s HDMI CEC, which lets you control your television and Mi TV Stick with a single remote, although it doesn’t always work properly, like on the Mi Box 4K.
You get Android TV 9 Pie on the Mi TV Stick, with access to the Google Play Store for apps and games
The device connects to your Wi-Fi, supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. You can also connect to a mobile hotspot, and Android TV now has a data saver feature for more efficient use of mobile data. There is also Bluetooth 4.2 which is used for remote control as well as connecting external audio devices. Dolby Audio and DTS Digital sound formats are also supported on Mi TV Stick.
While the Mi TV Stick connects to your TV using the HDMI plug, you will need to power it separately. For this, a Micro-USB cable and a wall adapter are also included in the box. While it’s recommended that you power the Mi TV Stick using the wall adapter, I was able to plug it directly into my TV’s USB port for power and it worked fine that way.
Setting up the Mi TV Stick is pretty easy; just plug it in, connect it to your WiFi by following the on-screen steps, and sign in to your Google account. Once that’s done, you can download apps and games and start streaming. Usefully, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube come pre-installed on the Mi TV Stick.
The Mi TV Stick streams at a maximum resolution of full-HD
What can you do with Mi TV Stick?
Think of the Mi TV Stick as everything an Android TV-powered smart TV offers, minus the screen and ports. Once connected to a screen, you can use the Mi TV Stick to stream video from many popular services, including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+Hotstar, among others. Android TV also gives you access to various games, and connecting a wireless game controller also allows you to play them properly.
The maximum streaming resolution is full-HD, so you’ll be able to access a huge list of content available on streaming services in their original resolution. Of course, you can also watch content in 4K, but streaming will max out in Full HD even if you’re watching it on a 4K TV. Naturally, this means that the Mi TV Stick is best used with a 32- or 43-inch full-HD television, and if you have a 4K HDR TV, consider the Mi Box 4K.
As with Mi Box 4K and other Android TV devices, there is Google Assistant, with a microphone on the remote control for voice commands. You can use this for pretty much anything you’d use Google Assistant for, including searching for content and information, setting alarms and timers, controlling smart devices in your home, and more, and it’s worked well for me.
There’s only 1GB of RAM on the Mi TV Stick compared to 2GB on the Mi Box 4K, and that made a difference in functionality for me. The device was a little sluggish when loading apps and even navigating the interface wasn’t very fast, but there were no problems once I started streaming content and the video played smoothly. Sound and picture quality depends entirely on the TV and other equipment you use, as well as the strength of your Internet connection.
Verdict
Xiaomi’s move into the streaming device ecosystem came a little late, with the Mi Box 4K only launching earlier this year. I loved the Mi Box 4K for its simplicity and the value it offers, and the Mi TV Stick is, in essence, the same type of device, simply meant for smaller non-4K TVs. It works almost as well and offers reliable access to streaming services in full-HD resolution, with the promise of firmware updates too.
Perhaps the only thing I don’t really like about the Mi TV Stick is the price. At Rs. 2,799, there is only one Rs. 700 price difference between this and the Mi Box 4K, which is a significantly better streaming device for many reasons. The newly launched Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite, priced at Rs. 2,999, it’s also worth checking out.
Even if you don’t already have a 4K TV, buying the Mi Box 4K is essentially future-proofing yourself for a very small premium. It also has 2GB of RAM and as a result performs slightly better than the Mi TV Stick. Get Mi TV Stick only if you have a firm budget of less than Rs. 3,000 and it doesn’t see itself upgrading to a 4K TV anytime soon.
Price (MRP): LOL. 2,799
pros
- Android TV 9 Pie with access to all major apps and games
- Easy to set up and use
- Google Assistant works well
cons
- Remote control is a bit basic
- Performance a little slow
- A bit expensive
Ratings (out of 5)
- Design and specifications: 4
- Features: 3.5
- Value for money: 3.5
- Overall: 3.5
Why do Indians love Xiaomi TVs so much? We discuss this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS, download the episode or simply hit the play button below.