Firestick 4K vs MiBox S

by histopath

So I used to have the previous firestick, I just sold it once amazon announced the new version “mostly cause I hated the old remote since it can’t control the volume” Overall I liked it, it was a good value for money though I felt it was kinda laggy to be honest. But anyway, now that the new mibox is coming out at the same exact date as the new 4K stick, I’m not sure which one I should get, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the mi box on this subreddit but it didn’t help much. I’m gonna be using it for streaming Netflix, kodi and Iptv. No gaming whatsoever.

histopath

Looks like we have a winner 😅 Stick it is, thanks everyone

cingcacing

No Google support on fire stick keeps holding me back, while buggy firmware on mi box haunted me all night.

dekomote

Ok. Here are my two cents. I got a 4k smart TV and a DD/DTS:X soundbar. I have no need for Netflix nor Amazon prime as it's covered by the tv and it works great. What I do need an android box is for Kodi and occasional Nvidia game stream/ steamlink.

I have the mibox and the fire stick (old one). Kodi on my setup with xiaomi box is broken as it can't play anything smooth with dd/dts passthrough. Only stereo videos play okay and even then, there's some judder. Netflix and prime both work better on the stick and as for the game streams, stick has a 12ms decode per frame while the xiaomi box has 56ms decode per frame. Mind you, the xiaomi has a better CPU/GPU. The stick hasn't shown any issues so far, even tho I power it thru the TV USB.

The only issue I had with the stick and why I got a mi box was 4k. And I'm a sucker for doing that. Never again. Get the stick, it's superior in every possible way.

PalebloodSky

I'd go with the Mi Box S any day over a Firestick.

pakatsuu

As long as you don't have a 5.1+ audio setup you'll be fine with the mi box. I use mine for Kodi/Netflix daily and no issues so far.

BiggussDikkuss

Pretty simple, if you need guaranteed working, Prime Video streaming, better App availability and Apps support and Firmware updates from a major company that might actually test something before release get the 2018 Stick.

The Stick will very likely have working Kodi auto refresh switching (Frame Rate Matching), like the Fire TV 4K pendant already has implemented. The Mi Box, no chance of that.

The Amazon FireTV's have always implemented Dolby Audio properly too for DD+ streaming services like Netflix to be able to support 5.1 DD only audio receivers. Android TV hardware like the Mi Box - that Dolby Audio support has never worked properly.

If you need USB HDD connectivity, Google Play for a direct install of Kodi and a rock n roll Firmware support adventure get the Mi Box S, even then the new Jetstream 4K is a better device with better connectivity.

Personally I would trust Amazon, who have a vested interest in making sure Firmware works correctly to be compatible with their very own Prime Video streaming service & others vs Xiaomi who just basically sell cheap media players.

BringerOfRainX1

Two things it depends on really. Auto refresh rate and surround sound. You get those with the new Firestick 4k and they work properly unlike with the mi box. If they don't matter then the mi box s is a good buy but it is still an underpowered device with a very high chance of bugs and problems going into 2019.

shaniqua1990

firestick 4k = amazon's first born mibox s = xiaomi's adopted redhead child

BiggussDikkuss

And one other thing, I can guarantee the Amazon branded Ethernet adapters you can get for FireTV sticks will actually work properly vs major issues after the Mi Box wakes from sleep, even if you use a quality Ethernet adapter.

BiggussDikkuss

2018 FireTV stick initial impressions:

https://www.avsforum.com/forum/39-networking-media-servers-content-streaming/3006368-official-2018-new-firetv-stick-4k-dolby-vision-hdr10-dolby-atmos-3.html#post57038208

jasswolf

It'll come down to your use cases. With the MiBox, you're getting the full ATV ecosystem, which is clearly ramping up. You'll also get the ability to do 4k30 x264 content at a reasonable bitrate.

The Mediatek chip in the Firestick 4k is impressive for what it is, but it's inferior in regards to x264 content, and only supports up to 35 MBit HEVC/AV1/VP9/etc content. That's fine for streaming, especially with the updated WiFi chip, but it's a consideration.

Personally I'd go with the cheapest of the two you can find (don't rule out the regular Mi Box on clearance because the only real difference is the remote), with a mind to getting an updated device on 10 or 7nm in the coming 18 months, preferably one that supports at least 4k 120 FPS HDR video.

It's nice that we're seeing a device aside from Apple's suite of products come in from 28nm silicon, as it shows what you can do at the same price points due to reduced costs.