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Review of Android box Xiaomi Mi Box S. Review of Xiaomi Mi Box S - TV box and media player TV box xiaomi mi box

There are a great many set-top boxes with Android inside, among them there is a whole line Mi Box from Xiaomi... With one of its representatives, the company enters the Western market, choosing Google as a partner and changing the proprietary system to Android TV. It is the interest in this platform that was the main reason for writing this review.

Design, connectors and packaging features.

Technically and visually, the international version does not differ from the Chinese one. This is the same exact black box made of black rough plastic with an embossed Mi logo on top. There are no other superfluous elements on the console, but it looks quite nice due to the bends of the case.

There is an activity indicator on the front, thankfully not very bright and not annoying at all. There are only four connectors on the back: power, full-format USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0 and a dual port (SPDIF + mini-jack) for connecting a separate audio system. There is no Ethernet in the set-top box, which for some may seem a serious disadvantage. The USB port is designed for connecting external media, and its bandwidth is enough for playing a 4K movie from a USB flash drive. Wired controllers, mice and keyboards are also stuck there, which Mi Box recognizes without problems.

The set-top box comes with a compact Bluetooth-remote made of the same rough plastic with an extremely ascetic set of elements that is sufficient for controlling. In addition to the power button, there is a cross made in the form of a circle with a confirmation key in the middle. Just below the navigation elements (back to the home screen, calling the voice assistant) and the paired volume control. On the upper end of the remote control there is a microphone hole, through which you have to communicate with Google Assistant... There is no QWERTY-keyboard or digital block here, the stake is placed on voice commands and simplicity of the system interface.

Xiaomi has included a power supply unit and an HDMI cable with the console, but this is not enough for a carefree use of the device - the kit lacks two AAA batteries ("little fingers"), so you will have to take care of their purchase separately.

Filling

In this version, it is built on the basis of the Amlogic S905X platform, equipped with four Cortex ‑ A53 cores with a frequency of up to 2 GHz and a five-core Mali ‑ 450MP accelerator. It is strange to expect super-high performance from such a solution, it is a multimedia chip with support for hardware decoding of 4K-video, including the increasingly popular H.265 and even VP9 Profile-2. It works with all popular video containers and audio formats, including Lossless. There is also support for DTS (digital multichannel sound), which is natural for a multimedia device.

The Xiaomi prefix also received 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and 8 GB of storage, of which slightly more than 5 are available to the user. Those who like to download 4K movies from torrents will have to get an additional external USB-drive or get used to the frequent reconnection of "flash drives".

The modem integrated into the set-top box supports Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac, it can work in both 2.4 ‑ GHz and 5 ‑ GHz bands. The bandwidth is more than enough for a seamless 4K streaming experience. Through Bluetooth, in addition to the complete remote control, controllers, mice and keyboards are connected to the Mi Box.

System

The main feature of the international version of Xiaomi Mi Box is Android TV inside, which has replaced the company's own shell. At the time of writing the review, an assembly based on Android 6.0 was installed in the set-top box. There is no information about the update to Nougat yet, its appearance depends on the release of drivers by Amlogic.

Shell control and most applications are controlled with the above remote, but compatible game controllers can also be used. The search engine abandoned icons on the television platform, moving to familiar to users SmartTV picture tiles.

Russification is almost complete, although there are items in English in the settings, and for some reason the called keyboard is only in English. There is a suspicion that the problem is inherent in a specific device, and not in the system as a whole. Something was broken in Xiaomi.

The initial setup of the Mi Box requires the user to connect to a Wi-Fi network and a Google account, which is typical for the platform. The easiest way is to run it through your Android smartphone, it will require just a couple of clicks, you don't even have to enter your home network password manually. By the way, this process will prompt and install the Android TV remote control app. There is also a manual initial setting, which I even had to use once, since the smartphone did not want to see the set-top box. It is also simple and well explained right on the TV screen.

The entire Android TV interface is divided into several zones. At the top is the multimedia content selected especially for you by Google in all installed applications, be it YouTube, Google Music or other programs and services. You can take away this opportunity from any program, for which you have to climb into the menu.

To be honest, I didn’t like the “smart” mechanism of Google, for some reason he is sure that if I live in Russia, then I am interested in funny videos in my native language. But the system has data about my subscriptions and watched videos on YouTube. Over time, Mi Box adjusted the content in the “recommended” block to suit me, but the starting algorithm is frankly bad.

The recommended area is influenced by collections from all smartphones and tablets connected to the set-top box, on which the same applications are installed, and especially the content that was launched on it. So the sudden appearance there of a selection of the best songs of the group "Combination" is not worth it. This is all about Google applications, but third-party programs sometimes behave strangely. For example, even after authorization, Twitch shows videos in this area from the general world Top, and not letplays of those to whom I subscribed.

In the same zone, tiles of background active applications are also displayed, for example, the cover of a track played in Play Music with a name. Unfortunately, so far there are very few programs working with this area.

The second section from the top, titled “ Mi Box Recommends"Is practically useless for a Russian-speaking owner. It contains only unremovable Netflix and RedBull tiles that are sent to the Play Store to install applications. Next is the section with games, which appears if at least one is installed, and the last one is an application. This is where the Play Store is located.

There are two icons at the very bottom of the shell. The first opens the system settings, again made in the form of tiles, albeit smaller in size, and the second is responsible for connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

Overall home screen experience Android TV positive, but the flaw on the part of Google is felt. The search engine should have made more stringent requirements for interaction with the shell, at least for large services that launch their clients on the platform.

Applications

The basic Google applications, including YouTube, Play Music, Play Movies and Play Games, are installed straight out of the box in the Xiaomi Mi Box for the international market. Their interface has been redesigned for TVs, which is primarily expressed in moving the list of sections to the left and some repainting. Most of the third-party programs for Android TV have the same design, generally easy to control from the remote control.

However, some discomfort is sometimes felt due to the need to make many clicks on the “back” element to move from one section to another, which is especially noticeable in Play Music. This problem of interaction with the interface can be solved by highlighting a separate button on the remote control to call the side menu, but for now it is as it is.

There are very few applications for Android TV in the Play Store now, and some of the existing ones are not rewritten for TVs. However, a certain basic set is still available in the store, the eminent MX Player, the popular Plex media server, gaming Twitch, customers of domestic and foreign streaming services, and even a couple of Russian channels are available. Of the mobile operators, only Beeline has been concerned about launching its own application for viewing channels on the platform.

Notably, there are no Chrome or other web browsers for Android TV. Google probably doesn't believe in watching pages on TV.

Games

Surprisingly, the selection of games for Android TV is larger than the usual programs. The store has platformers from Disney, hits from OrangePixel, Despicable Me from Gameloft, several decent games once exclusive to the OUYA console, and even a number of classic Final Fantasy editions. True, for the purchase of many of the titles presented, you will have to pay a tidy sum, sometimes exceeding 300 rubles. There are also races, including Asphalt, but only an old Airborne. But because of the not too rich filling, the Mi Box runs only at medium settings.

Some of the available games can be controlled directly from the remote control, while others require a gamepad to be connected to the Xiaomi Mi Box, as warned in the description. I regret to add that not all games with original touch controls are well ported, in the "Despicable Me" runner, for example, sometimes you have to scroll through the lists of results to start the next race. However, this is due only to Gameloft's disregard for the platform, since other developers have managed to resolve this issue.

By the way, even if an application or a game is not in the store on the console itself, it is often quite officially possible to install them from the Play Store from a computer. Android TV also supports downloading third-party APKs, just like any other Android device. Although not all applications installed in this way will function normally on the Mi Box. For example, the button that starts testing in the AnTuTu benchmark does not work.

Chromecast (Google Cast)

As with all devices with Android TV, the Xiaomi Mi Box has a full-fledged software Google Cast, named there Chromecast... It works in the same way as with a separate "dongle" for TV - press the broadcast icon in a compatible application on your smartphone or tablet and the stream starts broadcasting on the TV. There is also a mode of full mirroring of the display of a mobile device, launched in the Google Home program. Judging by some indirect signs, the Google Cast layer seems to be parallel to Android TV, that is, there are essentially two OSes in the device.

This is also confirmed by the fact that Mi Box uses the same images as a screensaver as in individual Chromecast devices. They can be configured in the same way from Google Home, for example, by telling the prefix to display the user's own pictures from the Google cloud.

Google Assistant and voice input

An important part of Android TV at the current stage of its development has become the built-in Google voice assistant, launched by a button with a microphone on the remote control. He recognizes requests well and gives answers, but he does not know how to conduct a dialogue in Russian, which makes it less interesting. However, you can find out the weather forecast or the growth of Mikhail Boyarsky from the assistant.
To a greater extent, voice input is interesting for searching multimedia content within applications, for example, in Youtube... It ideally replaces the much less comfortable virtual keyboard.

Summary

From a purely technical point of view, the Xiaomi Mi Box is nothing more than another set-top box with support for 4K and a large number of formats that the processor provides. The built-in Android TV left a mixed impression. On the one hand, it does not require additional gestures to set up and even has its own store, and on the other hand, there is not enough compatible content on the Play Store. You can also feel some dampness of the interface and the logic of working with it, yet you don't expect such childhood sores from a Google product.

However, choosing between an expensive TV with a built-in SmartTV shell and a simpler one in conjunction with the Xiaomi Mi Box, I settled on the second option. Despite Google's love of killing projects, I believe in the viability of Android TV, and its capabilities are much higher - which only costs support for Android applications and games.

Since recently, the set-top box can be bought in Russia from an official partner who asks for 7,990 rubles for it. The price of Xiaomi Mi Box in Chinese stores is constantly floating around $ 80 (4,750 rubles). Analogues with an identical set of "hardware" (processor, RAM and media) start somewhere at $ 45 (2,670 rubles) - the difference is more than serious. Whether the shell and design of the device itself, which looks good on a large screen, outweighs it, as well as really working voice input, everyone decides for himself.

I needed a set-top box, not an Android computer, so the choice fell on this variant of the Mi Box. The most important factor was full support for Google Cast, the whole family is very used to Chromecast. Those who like to dig deeper and read the forums should pay attention to the alternatives, which will cost less.

Buy Xiaomi Mi Box TV Box is most profitable in the GearBest store, with a discount coupon: TOPCN2 its price will be only $ 66.99.

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

Models and their application

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, the console is purchased to play Android games, displaying them on the big screen. To do this, you need to order the Gamepad from Xiaomi separately.

Models of the Xiaomi Mi Box 3:

Xiaomi Mi Box RD
Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced Edition

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

Equipment

Together with the prefix Xiaomi Mi Box 3, the box contains:

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

The remote has a microphone and is powered by Bluetooth, so there is no need to keep the console in sight at all times. There is a 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 / 2.1 A

The body is made of black plastic. There is room for a strap, although there are no straps themselves. There are also no additional sensors. Finger-type batteries (not included) are inserted into the usual connectors inside the case.

Design

The top attachment is square and small. Height about 2cm, side length 10cm 1mm. It weighs 178 g. The heavy weight is due to the presence of a large iron ring installed to cool the internal filling of the device through thermal substrates.

Technical specifications

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

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

The review shows that the set-top box is fast, 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 buyers complain that updates are not coming. The boxing menu is set in Russian, but sometimes Chinese characters are found. Android TV Launcher is 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. Choose free or paid games on Google Play.

Users indicate that some of the full applications are not available to the owners of the stripped-down version. Only those programs are installed there that can be controlled using the remote control. There are also those that require a gamepad to use. It is bought separately and connected to the set-top box.

Other programs and applications can be installed through a PC browser or an archived APK file. But in this case, you need to connect a mouse to control the device. Additional keyboard layouts cannot be selected in Android TV settings. You can install the Android TV remote control program on your smartphone.

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

Network and information formats

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

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

Read in the review which Android TV Mi Box you should buy. The fact is that there are many modifications, they differ in the name by only one or two letters. But the characteristics are very different. And we categorically do not recommend most of them for purchase!

Why buying Xiaomi Mi Box is a controversial choice

Xiaomi TV boxes are ambivalent. On the one hand, they look good and the build quality is excellent. On the other hand, the Android TV operating system installed on most, instead of a simple Android, spoils the impression. It seems that Xiaomi and Google engineers mistake their users for idiots. And that is why we installed Android TV on Mi Box - a stripped-down and “optimized” version of Android for TVs with a minimum of settings and a bunch of inconveniences.

Plus the confusion with the names. All these Mi Box S, 4, 4c, 3, 3S, 3C are like spy secret codes.

This is not to mention the lack of an Ethernet port, a slot for a microSD card. And it's not worth talking about the fact that you won't find many applications on Google Play for Android TV. Only those that are 100% adapted for TV are shown there.

There are, of course, advantages too. For example, in the form of integrated voice search, which searches the content of applications out of the box. You just need to press the microphone button on the remote control and say what you are looking for. Maybe that's why the price of any Xiaomi Mi Box will be higher than the market average for Android TV boxes?

And yet, if you are a fan of Android TV and a fan of the Chinese brand Xiaomi, then read which media player from this company is worth buying.

TV Box Xiaomi Mi Box S (MDZ-22-AB)

The Xiaomi Mi Box S prefix is, in fact, the international version of the Android TV box Mi Box 4, and that, in turn, is not far from the Mi Box 3 (this is such a Chinese sandwich 🤯).

It has the operating system Android TV 8.1. This is a novelty, and came out quite recently.

Characteristics:

System (OS): Android TV 8.1,
Permanent memory (ROM): 8GB,
MicroSD card slot: no,
Wireless: 2.4-5G WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2,
Ethernet: no,
Voice control: yes,
Support for HDMI CEC is.

For a considerable price, you get a new OS in Xiaomi Mi Box S, smooth operation, convenient voice search, excellent 4K support. Of the minuses - an inconvenient, not all applications in, a tightly wired Android TV launcher, which is not a fact that everyone will like it.

The performance of the console is average. In AnTuTu, she scores approximately 34,000 points.

If you are not a fan of digging into the settings and you have stable Wi-FI at home, then you can safely buy the Xiaomi Mi Box S.

The lack of an Ethernet port spoils the experience a lot. After all, providers often provide the cheapest routers, even without an antenna. And the signal quality suffers.

Xiaomi Mi Box 4 and MI Box 4C - Chinese dances with a tambourine guaranteed

The Android TV box Xiaomi Mi Box 4 was presented in January 2018. It is still on sale on Aliexpress and other Chinese online stores. We don't even know why you would like to buy one. It is produced for the Chinese market. No Russian language support.

System (OS): Android 5,
Processor (CPU): Amlogic S905L, 4 cores,
Graphics processing unit (GPU) Mali 450,
Random access memory (RAM): 2GB DDR3,
Permanent memory (ROM): 8GB,
MicroSD card slot: no,
Wireless: 2.4GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1,
Ethernet: no,
Voice control: yes,
Support for HDMI CEC is.

The prefix is externally distinguished by white color. Inside it, as you may have noticed, the Android operating system is installed (Attention, not Android TV!) With the proprietary AI PatchWal and other Chinese features. For example, there is no Google Play.

It is impossible to install the Russian language completely, but English can be done using the startsetting.apk application. It cannot be found in the Google Play Market. Search in the open spaces of the Internet.

The performance of Xiaomi Mi Box 4 is at the level of budget Android TV boxes - only 24,101 points in AntTuTu. In general, read about her and okay. Do not buy under any circumstances!

Well, the Xiaomi MI TV Box 4C model is even simpler, since it has only 1GB of RAM on board and all the same drawbacks as the older version.

There are several Xiaomi Mi Box models with the number 3

We'll cover everything:

Mi box 3,
Mi box 3 International,
Mi box 3S, Mi box 3C,
Mi box 3 Enhanced.

Xiaomi Mi box 3 (MDZ-16-AB)

But let's start with the basic Xiaomi Mi box 3. The performance of the set-top box is average - 36,000 points in AnTuTu. All this is "thanks" to the average characteristics:

System (OS): Android TV 6.0,
Processor (CPU): Amlogic S905X-H, 4 cores,
Graphics processing unit (GPU) Mali 450,
Random access memory (RAM): 2GB DDR3,
Permanent memory (ROM): 8GB,
MicroSD card slot: no,
Ethernet: no,
Voice control: yes,
Support for HDMI CEC is.

You may have noticed that the specifications are the same as the Xiaomi Mi Box S. That's right. This is the same prefix, but only in Chinese. You can't put Russian. Therefore, we are finishing consideration of it and moving on to the next one.

Don't buy this box! You are tormented with translation into English, but Russian will never be.

Her characteristics are the same as the previous one. Supports HDR10, DTS 2.0+, Dolby Digital Plus, plays 4K video at 60 frames per second.

System (OS): Android TV 6.0,
Processor (CPU): Amlogic S905X-H, 4 cores,
Graphics processing unit (GPU) Mali 450,
Random access memory (RAM): 2GB DDR3,
Permanent memory (ROM): 8GB,
MicroSD card slot: no,
Wireless: 2.4GHz - 5GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0,
Ethernet: no,
Voice control: yes,
Support for HDMI CEC is.

But the main difference is that you can install any language, including Russian. As always, Mi box 3 International has a limited set of applications on Google Play, and there is no Ethernet port either. So you won't connect it to the modem by cable. But the quality of Wi-FI reception is excellent.

Suitable for those who want to command the set-top box with their voice, do not like unnecessary settings and have an extra $ 20. It is exactly that much more expensive than competitors. Well, you have to pay for the Xiaomi brand too).

Xiaomi Mi Box 3S - if you like the Mi Box, but want a pure Android

But this is already an interesting TV BOX. With the same specs as the base 3 model, this media player runs on Android (not Android TV!). And here all the pluses are obvious:

A complete set of programs on Google Play,
Standard YouTube,
Standard settings

Characteristics:

System (OS): Android 6.0,
Processor (CPU): Amlogic S905X-H, 4 cores,
Graphics processing unit (GPU) Mali 450,
Random access memory (RAM): 2GB DDR3,
Permanent memory (ROM): 8GB,
MicroSD card slot: no,
Wireless: 2.4GHz - 5GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0,
Ethernet: no,
Voice control: no,
Support for HDMI CEC is.

The set-top box for Aliexpress itself is presented both with a global firmware, in which you can put the Russian language, and Chinese. Search only with the word Global in the title. As a launcher, there is a proprietary AI PatchWall. But it can be replaced with anything in the playmarket. But there is no voice control in this console.

Xiaomi Mi TV Box 3 Enhanced (MDZ-18-AA) - a dinosaur among consoles without Russian language support

This Android TV box was released back in 2016. You understand that the characteristics of the Mi TV Box 3 Enhanced (often Chinese sellers also write the name of the media player as follows: Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced Pro) are not the most impressive. But at the same time, they cannot be called completely outdated:

System (OS): Android 5.1 (MIUI TV),
Processor (CPU): Mediatek MT8693, 6 cores,
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): PowerVR GX6250,
Random access memory (RAM): 2GB DDR3,
Permanent memory (ROM): 8GB,
MicroSD card slot: no,
Wireless: 2.4GHz - 5GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1,
Ethernet: no,
Voice control: no,
Support for HDMI CEC is.

A distinctive feature of this media player is the presence of a ... fan inside. And that's not bad! Many cheap Android TV boxes suffer from overheating. Xiaomi Mi TV Box 3 Enhanced is not in danger!

However, the age makes itself felt, in this TM-box and its remote control there is no support for voice control. But this is a feature of the Xiaomi Mi Box, which Chinese competitors began to master only at the end of 2018 - early 2019.

Do you want a fly in the ointment in this far from a barrel of honey? Mi TV Box 3 Enhance only supports Chinese, no Russian. As always, you can also try to put English using the magic program startSettings.apk. But do you need it?

Our verdict: don't buy!

Xiaomi Mi 3C TV Box - “Th for ...”!

Looking at this TV Box I want to swear. Do you want to suffer with 1GB of RAM and only 4GB of ROM? Then feel free to buy Xiaomi Mi 3C TV BOX. Well, learn Chinese at the same time. The prefix is made only for residents of China. There is no Google Play, it does not support Russian. We will not even give its characteristics, out of harm's way.

Verdict - Don't Buy!

Conclusion - there are a lot of Mi TV Box models, but you can only buy a couple

The purpose of this review was not so much to compare all the models as to give you complete information about which Xiaomi TV boxes you can buy and which absolutely not. What do we have? And the fact that Russian-speaking users can only buy these models with Russian language support:

Xiaomi Mi Box S (MDZ-22-AB)

You already understood the pros and cons of these consoles. The first two are based on Android TV with all its advantages and disadvantages. There is a voice search. The latter is not the new Android. All set-top boxes lack an Ethernet port, but have good Wi-Fi reception. At the same time, all these consoles work smoothly, well balanced, even with a not very powerful processor on board. They do an excellent job with Full HD and decent with 4K.

Xiaomi produces and sells a huge number of gadgets, accessories for them, even household appliances for the home. But most of all, Xiaomi is known as a manufacturer of affordable smartphones. Yes, smartphones are the main direction, but far from the only one: computers, TVs, smart home products, accessories for various devices. And today we will talk about just such a device - the set-top box for the Xiaomi Mi TV Box 3.

This "accessory" for your TV will actually give it a second life. Mi Box 3 will turn an ordinary, old TV into a smart piece of hardware, which will have Internet access, access to popular multimedia portals, streaming video, music and even games! We have prepared for you the most complete review of Xiaomi Mi Box 3, in which we will tell you everything about this device. Stop delaying, it's time to move on to the review itself!

Appearance and equipment

The appearance of the attachment is very simple - a square with strongly rounded corners, the attachment becomes thinner to the side faces. The size of this square is 101x101x20 mm. Such a simple box was able to win several design awards.

At the bottom there is a round rubber stand, thanks to which the Xiaomi Mi Box 3 stands confidently and does not wobble, even if a large number of cables are connected. The weight of the console is only 176 grams.

The body of the set-top box is made of plastic, therefore, a large amount of prints and dust remains on the body - you will often need to remove dust. There are no questions about the assembly.

The set-top box comes with a very simple remote control made of the same materials as the set-top box. The dimensions of the remote control are 150x38x15 mm, the weight with the batteries installed is 65 grams.

From the control elements there is a shutdown button, a four-position round joystick for navigating through the menu, and in the center there is an "OK" button. Below there are three navigation buttons: back, home and a voice control button for the set-top box. Only the international version of Xiaomi Mi Box 3 has the last button. The last one is two volume buttons. There is a strap mount on the bottom of the remote control, and a microphone on the top.

The set-top box also comes with a high-quality HDMI cable, a power supply unit with a long cable, and a short instruction with a warranty card.

The set-top box has few connectors, but all the necessary set is available: a power connector, one USB, a full-fledged HDMI and a 3.5 mm audio output, which is combined with a digital audio output (Mini Toslink).

Iron prefix

The set-top box is based on SoC AMLogic S905X-H, which uses 4 Cortex-A53 cores operating at a frequency of 2 GHz, and a Mali 450 video chip. times less, only 4 GB. External memory can only be connected via a single USB output. Network interfaces include WiFi ac (2.4 / 5 GHz) and Bluetooth Low Energy. You cannot connect the Internet via a wire.

The characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi Box 3 are not impressive. The performance of the chipset for heavy 3D games will be small, but for playing media content, the performance is sufficient. In anttuu, the chipset is gaining only 25315 points. Agree, for games such a result is not enough, but if you really want to play, then you can play at the minimum graphics settings. There are not so many games on Android TV, but you can choose. In general, this console was not created for games.

Software

The operating system is Android TV from Google. It can be said that this is one of the few set-top boxes that runs on Android TV. The set-top box contains absolutely all services from Google: YouTube, Play Movies, Play Music. Third-party apps for Xiaomi Mi Box 3 are installed through the Google Play store. Other pre-installed apps include Netflix and Red Bull TV and cannot be uninstalled.

Since the set-top box runs on Android TV with built-in Google services, the initial setup of Mi Box will require a Google account. There are two options for setting up the STB:

Automatic when setup is done through the Google app on the phone.

Manual, where you yourself specify the WiFi network, the password for the network, and manually add the prefix to your Google account through a special site.

Tiles with installed applications are shown on the main screen of the STB. At the bottom there are shortcuts for settings and network connection. There are several main categories in the settings:

1) Device

2) Settings

3) Remote control and accessories

4) Personal data

Smart tv box knows how to install apps from the Google Play store, but only apps that are optimized for Android TV can be installed from there. The number of such applications is constantly increasing, but there are not so many of them. You can always install regular applications from a USB flash drive.

The xiaomi mi box 3 TV box supports video up to 4K 60 FPS (H264 / H265). Supports 10 bit HDR, Dolby Digital sound. Also, the device can work in Googlecast receiver mode, like the Chromecast does.

Conclusion

Summing up the review of the set-top box, I would like to say that the set-top box from Xiaomi turned out to be excellent. This gadget will turn your ordinary "stupid" TV into a full-fledged smart gadget. Mi Box 3 replaces several devices at once: a media player for playing movies from a hard drive or flash drive, and Chromecast for broadcasting video from the Internet. But that's not all, you can connect a gamepad to the console and use it as a game console. In general, this is a full-fledged multimedia center, starting at 4000 rubles. Do you need such a box? If you have a Smart TV, then probably not, but if you have a regular TV, then surely!

In today's review we are looking at the Xiaomi Mi Box 3s, a TV box based on Android OS. The device serves to expand the capabilities of a regular TV: it allows you to connect to streaming services Netflix, iVi and Google Play Movies, can work with YouTube and install applications from the Google Play store, and plays music and video files.

The Xiaomi Mi Box 3s has the following characteristics:

OS - Android TV 6.
The central processing unit is a quad-core Amlogic S905X-H with a clock frequency of 2 GHz.
Graphics Processing - ARM MALI-450
Device memory - 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of built-in flash memory.
Network Connections - Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Dual-band Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.0.
Dimensions and weight of the device - 100x100x20 mm, 175 grams.

Supported compression formats H.264 (AVC / MVC), H.265 HEVC, VP9 Profile-2 in resolution from 1080p to 4K and frame rates from 30 to 60. Also, the manufacturer claims support for HDR 10 and HLG HDR.

Package and filling

The set-top box comes with a Bluetooth remote control, an HDMI cable for connecting to a TV, monitor or projector, a power supply, instructions and a warranty card. Mi Box 3s is sealed in a bright orange box.

The box has been updated and is now finished in a bright orange color

In appearance, the device stands out with smoothed corners and a matte black color. Dust and hand marks are clearly visible on the material. The base is rubberized for greater stability, it is difficult to drop the set-top box even when connecting cables and large flash drives. The overall design is minimalist, no frills.

The front panel of the device is almost empty, there is only a receiver for the IR signal from the remote control and a status indicator. There are four connectors on the back: power, HDMI, USB 3.0, and 3.5mm audio jack.

The remote control is small: 15 centimeters long and weighs about 60 grams. Thanks to the shape and connection of the edges, it is comfortable and does not slip in the hand, it runs on two AAA batteries. On the remote you can find a circular joystick, volume control, function buttons "OK", "Home", "Back", "Voice input".

The Mi tv box remote control is not cluttered with unnecessary buttons

About the hardware of the console itself, we can say that it is enough to use the main functionality. During the tests, no microlags or freezes were detected, Xiaomi Mi Box works like a clock. According to the Antutu benchmark, the filling of the device roughly corresponds to Xiaomi Redmi 3, so we do not recommend overloading the console with heavy applications. Most games will work, but on minimal settings.

Using the Xiaomi Mi Box TV Box

At the first start, you need to connect the remote control to the set-top box by turning on the device and bringing it closer to 20 centimeters. Once connected, the device is configured using a remote control or smartphone. You will be prompted to select a working language, drive in a password for the Wi-Fi connection and connect to your Google account. The home screen includes:

search from the same Google, with the ability to use the remote control as a microphone for voice input;
Google recommendations based on previously viewed content;
non-removable Netflix and Redbull TV tabs;
system settings at the bottom of the screen.

The functionality of the applications is the same as on a smartphone, except in a more simplified form for the remote control. Among the shortcomings, we can note the lack of native support by the set-top box for a number of games and applications on Google Play and the inability to minimize the application by launching it later from the same place. Xiaomi Mi Box does not save the state of the program when you exit to the main screen, so when you start Youtube you will again find yourself on the start page, and not on the last launched video.

Android TV interface

By default, the Android box Xiaomi Mi Box 3s does not have its own video player, so you will have to install it separately. Works great with all file formats, support for MKV, AVI, WMV, MOV, RM, RMVB is declared. There are also no complaints about the operation of the network, it perfectly catches both in the jam-packed 2.4 GHz, and in the more free 5 GHz.

In general, Mi Box, like the vast majority of such consoles, can be used as:

a media player with the ability to stream video from a PC or smartphone;
a device for surfing the Internet, showing presentations and video calls;
extension for the Smart TV function on any regular TV;
IPTV set-top box with a subscription to any content provider you are interested in.

If desired, the Mi Box can be flashed for use in other systems or for additional functions.

Features of Android TV and Mi Box 3 marked S

For those who use the Android prefix for the first time, it is important to understand that the system is different from what can be seen on smartphones. The interface is primarily made for the remote control and voice, and half of the applications from the Play Market will not work due to incompatibility. There is also a plus: in the store you can find special applications for Android TV, which are not available from a regular phone.

The interface cannot be changed by user means, unlike the smartphone OS Android. Also, you will have medium-serious problems when trying to get Root access to the system, you cannot do this using standard methods (although, of course, there are loopholes).

Xiaomi Mi Box 3S differs from the version without the letter S in the following upgrades:

redesigned graphical interface (GUI), now uses the system based on artificial intelligence Patchwall;
the updated model of the Amlogic S905X-H processor is used with hardware decoding of sound, which seriously increases the speed of processing sound files and reduces the load on the system;
the flash memory has been updated from eMMC 5.0 to eMMC 5.1, in connection with which the maximum read speed has been increased from 400 to 600 mb / s;
a touch-sensitive joystick has been added to the remote control.

In general, in online stores you can find a whole zoo of android prefixes from Xiaomi.

Xiaomi Mi Box International Version - the original device, developed in conjunction with Google, can be found by the words "international version" or "international version". Doesn't differ from 3S in practically nothing

Mi Box mini is a small set-top box based on Android 4.4.2 in Chinese and without support for Google services. Weak processor with 4 cores and 1.3 GHz frequency, 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of ROM, connects only via HDMI 1.4.

Xiaomi Mi Box 3c is also a model for the Chinese market with reduced memory (1 GB RAM, 4 GB ROM) and an old version of the processor. Chinese software and services, do not confuse.

Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced Edition is a top model with a bundle of 2- and 4-core Cortex processor, an improved GPU and a large number of sensors in the remote control (gyroscope, accelerometer) to bind gestures to the console control. Also known as Xiaomi Mi Box Pro in Europe.

For most systems, there are both official and unofficial Russian and European firmware. Xiaomi Mi Box 3s is officially localized in the CIS and fully supports the Russian language.