Mi TV Box S still good in 2022?

by [deleted]

I found a used unit for 40€ and I want to know how good of a deal that is.

My current setup is an old chromecast and a cheap HDMI audio extractor pluged to my amp and speakers through analog connections. Sadly, Jellyfin's (personal media server) Chromecast functionality is not working and I don't know if it will be ever working again. Android TV app on the other hand is quite good.

I understand the Mi box has its own analog (and digital) audio outputs, right?

Also it has built-in Chromecast for things like YouTube and Spotify?

Do you thing it's a good bet? Should I wait, save some more, and buy something better?

(My TV is not 4k, but I would like a box that can handle it. Better for upgraddes latter on)

bozodev

I still use the original Mi Box and it works quite well.

Sarah_Ng

its still good but its so old and you could get a new mecool device with modern soc for about the same price so its really hard to recommend.

Interesting_Tooth663

Xiaomi has released a new box called Mi Box 4S Max some months ago, but it's not available outside of China yet. I own a Mi Box s and it's ok, kinda slow but it gets the job done. It has built-in chromecast although I rarely use it.

It is compatible with most apps, and this is something that cannot be overstated (I might create a thread about it): there are better options hardware-wise, such as Mecool KM6 Deluxe, but the Mecool box, although being Google Certified, doesn't work properly with most apps (Disney+, HBO Max don't work well, Netflix doesn't even exist and you have to sideload the app, it only goes up to 1080p).

So be careful.

hanston209911

just buy the walmart ONN. Android tv ....Best in 25$

pulpfxn

It has a combo 3.5mm and mini Toslink (optical) output. Chromecast works well. Not sure if it correctly changes frame rate.

Dre_drizzy

1st my experience - I "jailbreak" and sell android boxes and have been doing so for around 18 months. I've had the opportunity to test several boxes on the market.

The mi Box S is SLOW. It has one of the laggiest responses I've encountered to the point of being cumbersome. For $66 (USD), I was not impressed. A $20 walmart Onn box has better performance than the Mi box (not taking into account the known issues of this budget device).

Imo - it's something I would never purchase for myself. There are better options out there... In the budget range the 4k firestick is one of the snappiest devices out there, and if it hasn't updated to the most recent Amazon software, then installing a custom launcher to get rid of all the Amazon bloatware is pretty easy. These are often on sale through Amazon or available on online sale groups (fb marketplace in my area).

Personally I would either move to a better performing cheaper device or raise my budget a bit for a more premium option (nvidia shield).

Hope this helps

I_will_be_wealthy

there isn't just one mi box s, they have a few versions and they update them. the current one is mibox4.

It's fine for streaming for me, not gaming.