- Equipment
- Appearance
- Remote control
- Performance
- Available ports
- Characteristics
- Conclusion
The line of Mi Box TV set-top boxes from Xiaomi has been replenished with another model, called Xiaomi Mi Box S 4K HDR.
This is an improved version of the fourth generation device, which has deservedly become one of the most popular in 2022. We present to your attention a review of the new Xiaomi Mi Box, which the company plans to sell at similar prices as the younger modification.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4: Unboxing
Xiaomi Mi Box 4 comes in a beautiful box. On the front of the box you can see an image of a TV set-top box and Chinese inscriptions. By the way, now Mi Box 4 is only available in the Chinese version, so the packaging and even the user interface on the TV are in Chinese. This is the main problem of this TV set-top box, but we will talk about this later.
The back of the box shows the TV with the user interface and the device's specifications. All the inscriptions are in Chinese, so this information is useless to me, and I think to most of you.
Inside the package you will find the TV box itself, a remote control, an HDMI cable, a power adapter and a user manual in Chinese. This is all! Now let's take a closer look at the Xiaomi Mi Box 4.
Technical connectors
The Xiaomi TV set-top box boasts a wide selection of technical outputs, so the user can easily connect any equipment.
In particular, on the rear panel there are:
- USB 2.0 port;
- HDMI 2.0A connector;
- audio output;
- power interface.
There are also wireless communication modules - Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi, capable of operating in two frequencies 2.4/5 GHz.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4: Design
Xiaomi Mi Box 4 has almost the same size as the previous generation. Its dimensions are 9.5 by 9.5 and 1.6 cm. It also weighs only 140 grams. As you can see, this is a fairly compact and lightweight device. However, the main feature of Mi Box 4 is its white color. The device looks very good, but I'm not sure that this color will suit any living room or room in general. The black color will blend in well with most TVs, while a white device will be very noticeable. I don't know if this is good or bad, see for yourself.
On the front panel of Xiaomi Mi Box 4 there is the MI logo. There are only plastic feet at the bottom. All ports and connectors are located on one side. The device offers a power port, an HDMI port, a USB port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is all! Yes, the design is indeed very minimalist.
The remote control is the same as that of other TV set-top boxes or TVs from Xiaomi. It comes in white color and has several buttons such as power, voice control, control circle, home, back, menu and volume up/down. The remote control is powered by two batteries. Plus, it works via Bluetooth, so you don't have to point it directly at your TV box.
Features of the remote control
Each model is equipped with a remote control whose weight is 65 grams. Its length is about 15 cm. Its autonomy is ensured by two AAA batteries. There is a hole at the bottom through which you can thread a cord.
The device is turned on using the button located in the upper left corner. Just below is a circular joystick, the central part of which functions as the “OK” key. Navigation buttons are arranged in a circle. Even lower you will find three buttons, the first of which is responsible for the “Back” function, the second for “Home”, and the third for “Voice input”. At the bottom there is a volume rocker with “+” and “-” signs.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4: User Interface
As I said, I have the Chinese version of Xiaomi Mi Box 4, while the international version is not on sale yet. The user interface and launcher are entirely in Chinese. Mi Box 4 runs on Android 5.0 with its own user interface. By the way, most TV set-top boxes and TVs from Xiaomi use this user interface. To be honest, it is not very convenient for European countries, including Russia. There are a huge number of Chinese applications, stores, advertising and other services installed here.
Right now, you cannot install a stock version of Android or any other Android launcher. However, I know one way to change Xiaomi Mi Box 4 to English. Although apps and Chinese services will not be removed, at least the settings menu will be in English.
SDR to HDR
Like the latest Mi TV lineup, the Mi Box 4K has SDR to HDR functionality . You can toggle this setting to upscale standard dynamic range (SDR) content to high dynamic range (HDR) content.
Typically this feature works with any TV that supports any of the HDR formats such as HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Digital, HLG or Technicolor Advanced HDR. Built-in HDR support on your TV is a must, otherwise the feature may not show noticeable results even when enabled.
With the SDR to HDR option enabled, dynamic range is expanded across the entire user interface; Simply put, the bright parts of the display become brighter and the light parts become lighter.
Parts of the interface where this change is reflected include the Android TV launcher, Play Store and all apps. But this HDR effect appears static, meaning the contrast does not change with each new frame and does not change throughout.
How to change the language on Xiaomi Mi Box 4?
So, first of all, you need to download the StartSettings. Then you should transfer the APK file to the TV set-top box, for example, via a USB flash drive, and install the application using the file manager. Then open the new Settings app and you'll see the stock Android menu. Here you have to go to the Languages and Input section and change the language to English. This is all!
As you can see, the Xiaomi Mi Box 4 settings menu is now in English. Of course, this is not a complete translation, but it is still better than the completely Chinese version.
Plug-n-Play functionality
Mi Box 4K comes with the same hardware (no screen) as some of the new entries in the Mi TV lineup. But the main advantage here is mobility.
This portability can be used in many applications: you can take your media player with you and go to a friend's house for a movie marathon or house party, or you can simply take it with you on vacation so that you are not limited by poor satellite TV or, worse, pay TV programs in hotel, and you won't need to reconnect your subscriptions to an unknown set-top box.
You can even connect Mi Box to a projector via HDMI or even VGA using a converter. This versatility makes the Mi Box 4K a practical and worthwhile product.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4: Performance Tests
Now I want to check the performance of Xiaomi Mi Box 4. Firstly, the TV box offers a special application for optimization. It's called TV manager, and it helps optimize the system, clear memory, uninstall applications and many other interesting features such as Internet speed and installing applications via USB.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4 does not have any Google services such as YouTube, Search, Play Store, so I recommend you to install APK Pure. This is a store with the most popular Android applications, such as YouTube, AnTuTu, GeekBench 4, Asphalt 8 and others.
So let's run the AnTuTu benchmark test. This application will allow you to compare the performance of this TV set-top box with other devices. By the way, Xiaomi Mi Box 4 runs on Amlogic S905L processor with 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory. AnTuTu shows about 25 thousand points. This is a rather low result even for a TV set-top box. For example, Xiaomi Mi Box 3 with an international version and a pure Android TV operating system has about 70 thousand points in AnTuTu.
I also want to check the speed of my Wi-Fi connection. SpeedTest shows about 60 Mbps. I have a 70 Mbps Internet connection, and Xiaomi Mi Box 4 shows almost maximum Wi-Fi speed.
Okay, we've checked the benchmark tests, but what about real-world performance? I installed the smart-YouTube app and am ready to play videos in different resolutions. Here we see a maximum resolution of 1080p. The set-top box works very well, but the manufacturer claims that Xiaomi Mi Box 4 supports 4K resolution. I'll try to play 4K video from a flash drive. As you can see, the TV box does support 4K video.
Don't forget that Mi Box 4 runs on the Android operating system, so you can play Android games. Of course, it is better to use a Bluetooth gaming controller, but you can connect a USB keyboard and mouse. Let's try to play Asphalt 8. It's a pity, but Mi Box 4 does not run this game. The hardware is too weak to run the latest games on Android.
However, you can try playing simpler games like Clash of Clans or other puzzle games, arcade games, etc.
What to choose?
You need to choose between modifications based on exactly how you plan to use the gadget. If you need a high-performance device that can handle heavy games, then it is better to opt for the Enhanced Edition.
A more budget option would be 3C, the amount of RAM and internal memory is two times lower than that of the similar 3S model. But they attract attention due to the presence of the PatchWall intelligent system, which can self-learn and offer you content, analyzing your earlier preferences.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4 Video review
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Work scenarios
Using the device provides access to a significant media library, which contains over 44 thousand hours of various videos. The user can view video content in several ways:
- Online, which is provided using various streaming services;
- Upload files to cloud storage or external drives, and then play them on the TV screen;
- Save data to the device. However, due to limited internal memory, this option is only suitable for small files.
