Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV – the best models of 2022

Xiaomi Mi TV

Few people imagine “lazy” evenings without a good movie filled with atmosphere and emotions that remain with us long after viewing. A good TV will not only faithfully reflect the artistic vision and artistry of the creator of the work being viewed, but also allow you to fully immerse yourself in it. Thanks to this, each film will be that special, and each scene will gain the power to fully immerse yourself in the presented virtual world. In today’s article, we present a series of Xiaomi 55 inch TVs that will meet the above criteria.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022

Xiaomi Mi TV 4S (4A): prices and specifications

The Xiaomi Mi TV 4S and 4A series is available in three popular screen sizes, but only two of them are currently available in Russia. These are options with 43 ″ and 55 ″ screens, prices for the first model start at 48,000 rubles, and for the second from 56,000. Looking at Xiaomi’s Russian prices, one might get the impression that the Chinese manufacturer’s offer is well in line with the slogan “for any budget”. However, in fact, these are not the cheapest “branded” TVs in Russia, there are not only offers from other little-known companies, but also basic TVs from Samsung, Philips or LG.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022So why are consumers increasingly choosing the “young” brand that is Xiaomi in the TV market? Let’s talk about it in our article. 4S Series Specifications:

  • Screen: 3840×2160, 50/60 Hz, Direct LED;
  • Technologies: HDR 10, Dolby Audio, Smart TV;
  • Speakers: 2x8W;
  • Connectors and ports: 3xHDMI (version 2.0), 3x USB (version 2.0), 1xoptical, 1xEthernet, 1xCI, WLAN, DVB-T2/C/S tuner

Construction and sound

The 4S and 4A have a modern yet traditional body, mounted on two widely spaced legs made entirely of metal. The distance between the legs is not adjustable. The matte metal bezel around the screen gives the TV a good look, while the mirrored Mi logo placed in the center of the bottom bezel reinforces the positive impression of a product that strives to stand out in its class. The back wall of the case is made of solid sheet metal, but the center cover and speaker cover are made of plastic. In general, the quality of the materials is good, and the TV (especially from the front) gives the impression of a much more expensive product.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022There are two speakers – each with a power of 8 watts. How do they work? Low tones are very difficult to distinguish, but this is not surprising, almost all TVs in this price category do not reproduce low frequencies. On the other hand, the sound in the treble and midrange is disappointing – it seems slightly distorted, and therefore “tinny” and flat.

System and management

The manufacturer added its own overlay called PatchWall to Android 9. It can be turned on with a special button on the remote control or from the main menu. But for our market it is not available.

Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022
The PatchWall launcher is installed on all modern Xiaomi TVs [/ caption] Unlike competing TCL, which also use Android TV, Xiaomi did not save on the processor and memory. Thanks to this, the TV software works much better than, for example, the TCL EP717 or even the more expensive EC728. However, “better” does not mean “perfect”. The system likes to slow down from time to time – whether at the level of menu navigation (less often) or inside streaming applications (more often). Patience is especially recommended in the latter case, because “unfreezing” the application can take up to several tens of seconds, and sometimes you have to clear the cache of the problematic application. A nice addition is a large and convenient remote control. This is a well-made device that uses a wireless connection via Bluetooth, therefore, it does not require constant “pointing” at the IR receiver. For this, Xiaomi deserves a big plus.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022

Image Quality, HDR and Game Mode

Image quality is not much different from what competitors offer in this price range. The color gamut for the DCI P3 palette is just over 64% (by comparison, the 55-inch TCL EP717 with a VA panel reaches over 66%), and the image itself is rich enough to please less demanding users. Interestingly, the viewing angles are not as wide as it might seem from the characteristics of the panel used. However, this is due not only to the parameters of the matrix itself, but also to the relatively low value of the backlight of the screen and the coating used – the combination of these three factors means that in normal, daylight, the quality of the visible image at an angle differs from users’ expectations. Since we are talking about backlighting, its value in the upper part reaches about 260 cd / m ^ 2, with an acceptable, the top 9% of brightness unevenness, which is largely due to Direct LED backlight technology. It is worth noting that only selected picture modes use the full value of the backlight (for example, “Bright” mode) – with most settings (for example, “Standard”, “Games” or “Movie”), the brightness level does not exceed 200 cd / m ^ 2, but of course its value can be increased manually. In HDR mode (which Xiaomi Mi TV 4S theoretically supports) is no better. At its peak, the screen can only reach 280 cd / m ^ 2, which is not enough for the HDR effect to be really noticeable, but more on this technology a bit later. The situation is not improved by the fact that the TV only supports the “basic” HDR10 standard, which in the case of “dark” screens gives practically nothing. At the end of this paragraph, it only remains to add that the system does not support HDR on YouTube.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022The Xiaomi Mi TV 4S screen runs at a native resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, and the refresh rate is the standard 60 Hz. There are also options for improving image quality and parameters in dynamic scenes. In this way, you can try to “twist” the smoothness of the image, but you should take into account the fact that it will then look a little unnatural – getting the quality of even the cheapest TV with a frequency of 120 Hz is out of the question. The value of Game Mode comes down to a few predefined settings that adjust the contrast and color saturation. On the side of correcting the input delay value, the gain is small, since the delay value is 73 ms (about 90 ms in other modes).

Xiaomi Q1E: image quality and display

The Q1E TV model is equipped with a 4K Quantum Dot Display (QLED). It displays 97% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is one of the best results in its class. The color spectrum reaches 103% of the NTSC color gamut. The display complies with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards. https://youtu.be/fd16uNf3g78

Construction and sound

The Q1E has a bezel-less modern design that will brighten up any interior. With a 30-watt stereo sound system (2×15 W), consisting of dual speakers and quad subwoofers, as well as support for Dolby Audio and DTS-HD standards, the device can act as a home theater.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022

Smart TV features

Xiaomi is working with Google Android TV 10. This means access to an almost endless library of content – movies, music, apps. Built-in Chromecast technology allows you to cast directly from your phone, tablet or laptop. Interestingly, users can now give voice commands to connected AloT devices such as lights, air conditioners, and smart vacuum cleaners.

TVs Mi TV P1

Construction and design

The model has a frameless screen and a modern minimalistic design. The modern LCD display has a very wide viewing angle of 178 degrees. Thanks to this, each user will see the image on the screen, no matter where he sits.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022

Image quality

TVs have a resolution of 4K UHD and support Dolby Vision. The 55-inch model further enhances picture quality with an expanded HDR10+ color gamut that makes images more vivid and lifelike. The device offers MEMC technology to improve traffic flow and reduce delays.

Smart TV features

All models are equipped with Android TV and have popular apps such as Netflix and YouTube preinstalled. With built-in Google Assistant 2, Mi TV P1 is ideal for voice control in smart homes. The 55-inch versions have a built-in microphone, allowing users to give voice commands to the TV and connected devices.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022

Xiaomi technologies in all 55 inch TVs

HDR support, what is it?

HDR (High Dynamic Range) actually translates as “high dynamic range”, which on the one hand corresponds to the idea of ​​the technique discussed here, and on the other, of course, limits it. [caption id="attachment_2877" align="aligncenter" width="787"]
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022Is HDR worth the money in comparison, for example, with SDR can be assessed by picture quality and technology description

The most important in this context is the tonal area of ​​the image . An HDR TV allows you to view various types of content with a quality that allows for greater “flexibility” between the brightest and darkest points. As a result, colors are brighter, more defined, and details are sharper. This is especially true for scenes that are dark in themselves but have bright spots.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022The purpose of HDR technology is to increase the realism of the seen image. Combined with solutions such as 4K resolution and a wide range of colors, HDR will provide a modern, much higher quality of the seen image. It should be remembered that the result of HDR is highly dependent on the TV itself. The same HDR video products can look completely different. It depends on several parameters. One of them is screen brightness. Denoted in “nit” (a unit of light concentration) or, alternatively, in fractions of cd/m^2. A traditional TV without HDR technology “shines” in the region from 100 to 300 nits. An HDR TV should have a brightness of at least 350 nits, and the higher this setting, the better HDR will be visible.

Dolby Audio

Dolby Digital is a multi-channel audio codec from Dolby Labs. It provides cinematic surround sound and is commonly referred to as the “industry standard”. The versatility of the Digital Plus system is expressed primarily in the many possibilities for playing and listening to sound:

  1. Monophony is a method of recording sounds in which they are played back simultaneously through two speakers. Due to the fact that the tracks are not divided into dynamics, the effect loses its realism, spatiality and three-dimensionality.
  2. Support for 2 channels – in this option, the sound comes from two speakers, each of them is directed to different tracks. Thus, one sound is shared. Speaker “A” can, for example, play a recorded voice (voiceover, singer), and speaker “B” can play any background (music, actors, nature).
  3. Support for 4 channels – using four speakers. Two are placed in the front, and the other two are in the back. The sound is separated again, and each speaker can be responsible for its own separate element (for example: “A” – the recorded voice, “B” – foreground instruments, “C” – background instruments, “D” – all background sounds).
  4. Support for 5.1-channel audio – the sound is divided between five different speakers and an optional subwoofer.
  5. 6.1 channel audio support – Sound is split into six speakers (left, right, center front, left surround, right surround, center back) with optional subwoofer.
  6. 7.1 channel system support – currently the most advanced system using up to seven speakers (front left, front right, front center, surround left, surround right, surround back left, surround back right, subwoofer). It guarantees the highest precision and realism of sound. With this distribution of channels, the user feels as if he is in a cinema, at a concert or in a stadium when he watches a movie, listens to music or plays.

Xiaomi Mi TV P1 55 (2021) vs Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 55 (2019): the best of the “Chinese” – https://youtu.be/cxzO9Hexqtc

Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision is a licensed technology that allows you to display cinema images using 12-bit color depth. This means that TVs with the Dolby Vision logo allow you to watch movies and series in very good quality. In addition to the most advantageous 12-bit image technology, there are devices on the market with a basic HDR10 tool (10-bit) or a slightly improved version of HDR10+.
Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022

Is it worth buying a Xiaomi TV – pros and cons

The Xiaomi Mi TV 4S is a cheap and well-made TV that has the undoubted advantage of running one of the best operating systems on the market, but it’s still an average TV in almost every way – and this may be its biggest drawback before face of competing offers. The Chinese manufacturer has repeatedly proved that it wins the price fight against competitors in the segment of mobile or household appliances without any problems. However, the Russian TV market is so specific that there is no shortage of branded products for relatively little money. Pros:

  • bright, contrasting, attractive image with saturated colors (for this price category),
  • dark black and high contrast,
  • very good rendering of details in the shadows,
  • good color reproduction in SDR mode,
  • noticeably expanded color palette,
  • accepts 4K/4:2:2/10bit and even 4K/4:2:2/12bit,
  • full bandwidth HDMI 2.0b port,
  • surprisingly fast and smooth operation for Android TV,
  • good support for files from USB,
  • metal frame and legs
  • good workmanship and fit,
  • convenient remote control,
  • good value for money.

Choosing a 55-inch Xiaomi TV - the best models of 2022Minuses:

  • very high input lag,
  • factory settings are far from optimal,
  • low sharpness of moving images,
  • low brightness and unsuitable tonal characteristics in HDR mode,
  • lack of basic calibration options (gamma, white balance, etc.),
  • no DLNA support,
  • no mute button on the remote control,
  • YouTube without HDR10/HLG support.

Features and problems of Xiaomi

The main feature of Xiaomi TVs is their low price. Prices for the 55-inch model start at 56,000 rubles! Also for this price, the manufacturer offers many smart TV features and excellent image quality. Of its shortcomings, we can say that all the TVs of this company lack brightness, which means that they are not suitable for installation in a well-lit room. Another negative is the problem with viewing angles and reflex processing, due to which users who sit on the side of the screen may not see some image details.

Rate author
Digital television
Add a comment