Xiaomi's Mi Box is a 4K ultra HD (UHD) TV set top-box coming to the United States that streams 4K video to displays via Android TV. This streaming media player featuring the search giant's smart TV platform also supports Google Cast and Google Voice Search. The Mi Box unveiled on October 3, Monday is now available on Mi.com and Walmart brick-and-mortar stores, and will get a rollout to Walmart.com early this month.
Mi Box has built-in Android TV technology. It gives owners of the Chinese company's video streaming box access to thousands of movies and TV shows from streaming apps such as HBO, Netflix, Showtime, and Vudu, as well as live TV channels including CNN, ESPN, and Disney via Sling TV.
Xiaomi's set top box also provides movies, TV shows, and games from Google Play.
The unit's built-in Google Cast tech allows users to share movies, TV shows, music, and games from mobile devices' small screens with big screens. It only requires one tap.
Mi Box's features include a quad-core ARM Cortex CPU, Mali 450 GPU, 2GB of memory, and 8GB of flash storage, according to eWeek. A USB port allows people to add extra storage.
Xiaomi's streaming media player is available in Black, weighs 6.22 ounces, and runs on Android TV 6.0. It also includes one HDMI 2.0a port, one USB 2.0 port, and 3.5mm audio output.
The media player also provides a theater-like experience. That is due to Dolby Digital Plus and Dedicated to Sound (DTS) Surround Sound.
Xiaomi's Mi Box supports 4K super HD video playback at 60 frames per second for sharp images and smooth playback. It also supports the newest high dynamic range (HDR) 10 standard that Android Nougat will support for compatible TVs.
Hugo Barra is vice president of Xiaomi Global. He said in a statement that the company is pleased to team up with Google to bring Mi Box to the US, and the media player exemplifies high quality Xiaomi products.
In related news, Roku's new streaming media players support 4K resolution and HDR video, according to The Verge.
The California-based company's Roku Express is replacing the larger Roku 1 model. This $30 box streams HD and includes twice the processing power.
Next, the company's $80 Premiere will replace Roku 2. Another mid-range product is the $100 Premiere+ unit that will replace Roku 3.
Lastly, Roku Ultra replaces Roku 4. The $130 media player streams 4K/HDR video and includes a USB port.
Here's Roku's new streaming boxes: