Doesn't work well with usb-ethernet adaptors. They disconnect.
Netflix Issues
No HBO Now
No Amazon
No customer support
If any of the above is important to you than you need to go Shield TV. Screw Fire TVs. They don't have Google apps like YouTube. :p
Some of the flaws of the Mi Box have been pointed out already.
For me it simply stands as an example for an unnecessary compromise at a specific pricepoint that wouldn't exist, if android TV had more attention.
It has flaws (like 24hz support) that can be perfectly ironed out but because there is no competition at the price and we basically only have 2 boxes to choose from (1 expensive and 1 cheaper) you will have to deal with stuff that other manufacturers would've fixed already at the same price point.
It sucks hard. I am an "enthusiast" since the early days, actually owning google TV and then buying the Shield TV and think it's pretty much the best home entertainment plattform bar none since it is so open and flexible but even I recognize that there should be a box without the issues the Mi Box has at sub 100 bucks. Maybe not 4k, I understand that it has something to do with raw power but everything else is fixable even with cheaper hardware.
I love how people hook a $70 device to thier multi thousand dollar av setup and expect it to work great if you can afford a 4k hdr tv you can afford a shield
I hope we see Android TV get some needed attention at Google I/O.
The biggest reason for me not buying the Mi Box is the lack of 24p support. It cannot output a correct 24p(23.976Hz) signal to the TV, it can only output a 24Hz signal which is wrong and gives a noticeable stutter every 42 seconds~. If you display the 24p at 60Hz it introduces judder instead.
The Nvidia shield can correctly display 24p and can change the refreshrate automatically between sources.
This makes the Mi Box not worth the money for me, but that is my opinion.
I have a MiBox, and I agree it's excellent. I don't have the bandwidth nor eyeball resolution for 4K.
The MiBox is significantly more reliable than the Nexus Player ever was, but I guess this forum is a bit Stockholm-syndromed from being locked into so few choices.
Got one as a gift and it works pretty fine for a family living room unit, but for myself I wish there was an option between this and the shield..
Because the hype wore off 7 months ago..? Contrary to popular belief, Xaiomi is supporting this box & the Beta is a reaffirming sign of what's to come. Love it on both of mine.
PLEX doesn't work at all.
meanwhile shield everything works except the remotes which never work, if only mi box could do remotes for nvidia.
When people ask me which android box to get, my response is either the Nvidia shield or this one. There is really no other option as far as I know.
How is its performance compared to the Nexus Player? I am starting to have a lot of trouble with mine and specifically PS Vue laggy as hell which is really frustrating. Thinking of maybe getting a new one but was worried it would have the same issue.
I don't know if it isn't selling well. It's not sold outside the US unless through online and it's a Walmart exclusive, so it makes sense it isn't as known, but it sells out a lot and Walmart is the largest retailer in the US.
Dont get me wrong, I'm sure its not the #1 selling streaming box (Roku, Amazon and Apple are probably ahead of any stock Android TV device). But I think the Mi Box isn't doing poorly in sales either.
This sub gives a bit warped perspective on the Mi Box (and any box that isn't the Shield), so you can't go by the info here. Shield is a pretty hardcore sell here so it's best to stick with what is best for you and take this subreddit with a grain of salt.
Where are you guys buying this? i can't seem to find anything official or not sketchy? links would be great!
I read some of the bad comments about the Mi Box and I think some of those comments came from people that do not own the Mi Box and read somewhere else old reviews or comments about this box, just to clarify the Netflix app and HBO Now work perfectly on the Mi Box, if they had issues that is a thing of the past, it is true that Amazon Prime Video is not available, don't know why but I'm guessing that there is a license or something that xioami have to arrange first with Amazon since there app is available for the Nvidia Shield.
I'm not sure but my Mibox despite having to connect the remote once in awhile after being not used for afew days, I really like the device and never had any issues that everyone seems to have. Must be lucky but havent had one problem hooking up a Bluetooth controller to using Netflix. It has been flawless for me. My shield is also great as well. Zero issues. But every electronic device has had flaws in one way or another. But both of the Android TV Devices I have haven't failed me yet and pleased with both.
I still can't get Netflix to work in my Walmart miBox. Getting error tvq-pm-100(5.2.5). Other then that Kodi 17.1 runs great.
Please take look at this video that I just uploaded https://youtu.be/PHXdQKCLzDo
4K and WiFi don't really mix well, and they left off the Ethernet port.
I'm a big AndroidTV fan and love my SHIELD, but at the MiBox's price point I'm more likely to recommend a Roku Premiere+ instead, for the Ethernet support. The MiBox to my mind is not compelling competition for that product.
It's not out in Canada
Never had any problems with mine,
I ended up taking this out of my home entertainment lineup due to some of the problems with it.
It was a decent device when I had a hard drive plugged into it, but it was unreliable otherwise. I intend on getting rid of my AndroidTVs because the product line is dying. I had a Google TV back in the day and I should've known better than supporting their next iteration. They hit paydirt with the Chromecast and that's what I'm sticking with. BTW, the Chromebook Ultra wired is fantastic.
With how many Android mobile devices there are out there I'm amazed at how few stand alone Android TV devices there are. There's just two right? Mi Box and the shield?
I use pia on my shield and get full speeds. I just got the mi box and it gets great speeds but as soon I connect to vpn I lose 90 percent of speed. Anybody else have this issue
There is no easy way of getting this in the UK!
I think google wants 'android tv' to die. Android as an operating system obviously they want to keep going.
I'm in Australia and I have a nVidia Shield TV and 2 Mi Boxes. The Shield cost me about AU$250 shipped, whilst the Mi Boxes were less than AU$80 shipped.
Obviously the Shield is great and what I have on my main TV, but the Mi compared to other devices (I have an Android KIII, and some Rockchip thing) is great value.
Basically the Mi would be / is my go to device for any secondary TV from here on in, or to recommend to friends & family (who wouldn't splash the cash on a Shield).
I'm having some issues with mine as well. Simple setup, connected via HDMI to my Sharp TV, and the audio is messed up. If it tries to play 5.1, the audio is super high pitched and sped up. If I have the option to switch to stereo, there's no problem. But not every app offers that, and the system settings on the box offer no setting for it.
Did you side loaded the app or installed it from the google play store?
I've had two of them, returned both, loved them except for the fact they:
Don't properly support DTS/AC3 pass-through over HDMI (an especially huge issue with plex)
WiFi Speed is about 20mbps slower than the Google Nexus Player on N networks (this is an issue for high bitrate 1080p and more so for 4K)
I waited over 6 months for a software update to fix issues, then decided my time was better spent elsewhere
I really liked the Mi Box and wanted to keep it. I was able to get it to pass through DTS-HD and TrueHD via Kodi which I think only the Shield can do outside of a PC. In the end though, I had a very irritating issue where it would not display video after "sleeping" until I physically rebooted it. This was in my dedicated home theater hooked plugged into my Onkyo 818 receiver with the HDMI out going to my Epson projector. I could hear interface sounds but got no video signal until unplugging it and plugging it back in. I'm back to using a PC for now because I refuse to pay Shield prices for an area of the house that I use maybe once every couple weeks with my schedule.
Could not agree more, the robust functionality far surpasses, Firesticks ROKU or Apple TV. I have used and sold all of the above and was using a PC to stream, so glad I found this Mi Box. Definitely worth checking out!
Pros: Very responsive remote Low power consumption Wifi USB slot
Cons: 1 USB ($2 ebay USB expansion fixes this) No ethernet (buy USB adapter if wanted that badly)
Got one and it was choppy out of the box. Super choppy UI compared to the older nexus player. Plex audio would fall out of sync within 10 minutes. Instant deal breaker.
Because it still doesn't have Android 7. And it has the same weak specs as the 2 year older Nexus player
The last update this box even gets is Nougat, and there's no idea when that's even coming.
Because it's friggin buggy. Now frig off!
Android TV as a platform gets minimal attention from Google and zero marketing
The only "easy" place to buy this for a typical consumer in the US is Walmart. No Amazon or Best Buy. You can walk into most electronics stores and just buy a Roku or Apple TV.
If you want to buy from sources other than Amazon, you need to be aware of the fact that there are actually different Mi Boxes that look identical and need to look at the specific product ID. This is may too much work for the typical consumer
It is still kinda buggy compared to a Roku or Fire TV.
4K works... mostly... kinda...
It sounds like I'm bitching a lot about the Mi Box, but I actually really like it also. I just think that no one has put any effort into letting consumers know that it exists and it is too hard for regular consumers to stumble upon and buy.