Xiaomi Mi Box S
Let me show you the device I will be discussing here...
^ from: banggood.com (best I could find) - The Xiaomi Mi Box S delivers an Android TV home entertainment experience and a gaming experience from a solid set-top box.
The Xiaomi Mi Box S is another attempt at Google providing a quality Android TV experience. It is a set-top box able to handle the duties of providing media consumption and even gaming. The Mi Box S runs on Android 8.1 "Oreo." The device has a sleek profile, though not as sleek as its previous iteration. It has a better Wi-Fi performance than its predecessor, and it is powered by a 2 GHz processor. The device comes with 8 GB of storage. It has Dolby and DTS sound quality. It utilizes Bluetooth 4.2 for your various Bluetooth devices. Most of all, it has a USB port that can be put in for other USB devices or even a USB hub. Just note that the Mi Box S has a 2.0 USB hub, so don't even think about putting in your USB 3.0 devices into it. The Mi Box S supports both wired and Wi-Fi connections. However, you may need to get a USB-powered dongle if you want to connect this device with an Ethernet cable. You can use Google Chromecast with it. If you have a Google Home device as well, you can use that in conjunction with the Mi Box S and its Google Assistant feature. Most importantly, you have access to all Google services and be part of the full Google/Android ecosystem.
Included in the package are the Xiaomi Mi Box S, an AC adapter, an HDMI cable, and a remote control. The remote control for the Mi Box S has a power button, a Google Speaking microphone, a four-way control with the enter button, an app button, back button, Home button, Netflix button, Live Channels button, and volume controls. You can speak into the remote control for voice searches or other voice features. The device also comes with a 3.5 mm audio jack. You can use the audio jack for private listening, but I haven't been successful using it for private listening unless I mute the TV. The headphone jack is not like one of the better Roku devices that have a remote control that you can hook in your headphones to.
The Mi Box S costs roughly $60 USD. Wal-Mart has a deal going on where you can pick up the Mi Box S along with Google Home Mini all in one bundle. This deal bundle costs about $80 USD.
My Story and Thoughts.
For me personally, this continues sort of a long story. I have used the Google Nexus Player for years before it was discontinued. I was looking at other options and came across the Xiaomi Mi Box. I ordered one online earlier this year, only to find it with crumpled up paperwork and worst of all- the actual Mi Box and its accessories missing! I got my money back after such poor packaging of the old Mi Box. Then when I learned of Xiaomi [quietly] unveiling the Mi Box S this past September, I went ahead and pre-ordered my Mi Box S from Wal-Mart online. Once I finally got my Mi Box S, I was ready to move on from my aging, yet still effective Google Nexus Player.Most of my wanting to get a newer and better set top box was because of what the Mi Box had to offer apart from the ASUS-made Google Nexus Player. The Nexus Player didn't believe at all in external storage or other features without the need for an OTG cable. So to have the USB functionality built into the Mi Box S was a welcome sight. The Mi Box S just has so much that I wished the Nexus Player had. Its Bluetooth remote is a lot more responsive and snappy than the Nexus Player's remote. I liked that I could adjust the volume of the Mi Box S, unlike not being able to with the Nexus Player.
If you want a premium Android gaming experience, get the nVidia Shield. Otherwise, the Mi Box S still does a noble job of gaming for the most part. I haven't done too much gaming on the Mi Box S to question whether it is good for gaming or not. A problem I couldn't seem to get around was that I was unable to get my Mi Box S to pair with the ASUS game controller I had from my Nexus Player. I am not sure of this, but I think Xiaomi has its own dedicated Bluetooth game pad you can buy separately.
One last thing... this is my first-ever Xiaomi product I have used.
Now on to my Final Thoughts regarding this device.
Xiaomi Mi Box S: Final Thoughts
If you ask me, I am very pleased purchasing the Xiaomi Mi Box S. I am probably disappointed that I didn't get a Mi Box in proper packaging before learning of the Mi Box S. It does so much more than the Google Nexus Player I originally have used and enjoyed. You can not really go wrong in any such way by getting yourself the Mi Box S. Have you a Google Home Mini, you can have control of not only your media but also other connected devices in your house. Needless to say, you can't do much wrong by picking up a Mi Box S for your media consumption and even your gaming.
The Xiaomi Mi Box S is not a bad way to spend about $60 USD for a solid Android TV experience. If you get a Google Home Mini or some other Google device along with the Mi Box S, your set-top Android TV box can also serve as your fancy home network. Ease of use and not totally expensive- the Mi Box S is a winner in my book! It may not be the flashiest or most in-your-face Android TV experience, but it is certainly a worthy device to be in the Google ecosystem. Especially if you have used the Google Nexus Player before, think of the Mi Box S as a much improved Nexus Player. Don't let the fact this is exclusively sold through Wal-Mart deter you from thinking this is a great product. I say it's worth it to get one of these.
For More Information...
If you want to learn more about the Xiaomi Mi Box S, please visit the US Xiaomi Mi Box S page for more information. Or from Android's website, there is this page on the Mi Box S: Xiaomi Mi Box S on android.com.The post has concluded. That concludes this look at the Xiaomi Mi Box S. I hope I have spurred your interest some if you are interested in getting a Xiaomi Mi Box S. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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