There are several devices that allow us to turn any screen into a smart TV. Google’s Chromecast or Amazon’s Fire TV Stick are some of the most popular options, although of course there are many others based on Android TV on the market. Today we want to tell you about one of the most anticipated options by users. We tell you our experience and everything you need to know about the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick .
What can you do with the Mi TV Stick?
This Xiaomi device has been, as we told you, one of the most anticipated by many users who want to give their old TV a second life. How? Well, thanks to all those functionalities that computers with Android TV as the operating system have. But before we start talking about these, let’s see what is included in its box.
- Packaging : it is interesting to talk about the packaging in this device since, as you may be realizing, it is very similar to that of the Amazon Fire TV Stick. And this is not the only similarity that both accessories have, although we will leave the comparisons for another article.
- Instructions : the typical “booklets” of options and features that every electronic device includes.
- Power cord and connector – The power source that will power the computer to run. Something curious is that in this case no HDMI extension cable is included for users who have little space between the TV and the wall. Something that is not too serious but that you should take into account.
- Remote control: a controller very similar to other Android TV-based equipment. It has the typical crosshead to move through the system interface, the volume control buttons, two dedicated to quickly access Netflix or Prime Video and one to interact with the assistant from the command itself.
- My TV Stick : This is a small stick with half the body in matte black and the other half in black with a glossy finish. It has the HDMI connector to place it on the TV and a microUSB port that will only serve to power it.
As we have already told you from the beginning of the analysis, the functions that this accessory has are the same as those of any other device with the Android TV operating system. A gadget that when we connect it to the screen, we turn any television into a Smart TV . Therefore, among many other functions, we will be able to:
- Move through the systems and menus.
- Share the screen of your devices.
- Send multimedia content from the main streaming platforms such as Netflix, HBO or Prime Video.
- Operate the TV using voice commands.
- Turn the TV on and off remotely.
- Play games on the TV.
Although there are certain limitations that you should take into account in this last section of the games in this Xiaomi accessory.
My TV Stick, a solvent team but with limitations
Although the number of functions and uses that we can give to this Xiaomi accessory are high, there are different details that limit them to a certain extent and that, of course, you should know before purchasing it:
- Full HD : the maximum resolution when playing content from this is 1080p. It may not be a problem as long as we have an old TV and you want to give it a second life, for example.
- Power : the performance of this equipment is correct when navigating through the system interface or playing content, but when we require a little more of it, the experience is not as satisfactory. Regarding the hardware, it has 8 GB of storage and 1 GB of RAM and a not excessively powerful processor. Therefore, the gaming section is somewhat burdened in this team.
As we have already mentioned before, from the application store we will be able to install games in the internal memory. We have simpler titles like PACMAN, or some more demanding like Asphalt 8.
With games with a lot of graphic load , we find the experience to be not very satisfactory. In the first place because we have to handle it with the crosshead of the remote control itself, which is not exactly too comfortable. It is true that through the settings you can connect Bluetooth devices such as gamepads and that can improve the handling a bit, but that single gig of RAM does not seem enough to get a smooth experience in this case.
With less demanding titles that feeling of loss of frames improves and they are more playable but, even so, at certain times there are still those slowdowns that leave us feeling less fluid than we would like.
But don’t worry, all is not “lost” in the “gaming” section because if you like the classics, you will be able to emulate any old console and play Mario Bross, Aladdin and a long etcetera without problems . And in these they do work without problems and incredibly well. If you are curious about this section, we recommend that you pay attention to the web and our YouTube channel because we will soon explain how you can install these emulators on the Xiaomi stick.
Should you buy the Mi TV Stick?
At the moment when it has just been released, this Stick with Android TV is available for a price of € 39.99 . Although we believe that soon this Mi Stick we will begin to see it in offers for € 29.90 and that, in our opinion, will be the smartest time to acquire it.
So, do we recommend buying a Mi Stick from Xiaomi? Well, if you intend to use it to watch series or movies on an old television, it can undoubtedly be an interesting option to consider if you find it on sale.
But, if what you are looking for is something more powerful and that also allows you to play, you can take a look at the Mi Box S : another device also from Xiaomi that has twice the RAM, a more powerful processor, reaches 4K resolution and In addition, it has USB ports with which you can perform many more functions.