Xiaomi Mi Box, the latest streaming box that runs official Android TV, is expected to be officially released on October 10th. The device began unexpectedly appearing on Walmart shelves last week ahead of its official release date, which has not been announced yet. An AFTVnews reader has informed me that Walmart’s checkout registers have been updated to not allow the device to be purchased until October 10th, so it seems that may be the official release date.
At just $69, the Mi Box is primed to give the Fire TV a run for its money, especially if Amazon decides not to release a Fire TV 3 this year. Google is holding a press event tomorrow where they’re expected to talk a lot about hardware. Hopefully they at least acknowledge Android TV’s existence during the event, because it has been mostly neglected this year. I’ll be covering all the TV related news, including new Chromecast news, coming out of tomorrow’s event, so stay tuned. At the request of many of you, I plan to cover Android TV more thoroughly in the future, starting with the Mi Box which I plan to buy, so let me know in the comments what you’d like to see from me in regards to Android TV and the Mi Box.
Update
Looks the the Mi Box just became available on Xiaomi’s website and the Oct. 10 date may be the release for 3rd-party retailers.
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The 10th? Bummer. When I had tried to buy one from Walmart about a week ago, they had told me the 4th or 5th.
It’s a no brainer if it cash play amazon video
It cannot play Amazon Video.
If you don’t have Amazon Prime, its a no brainer to buy, imo.
It does all the steaming the Shield does at, what, one third the price?
It does everything the Fire does (remember, we’re talking about non-Prime users) for less money, AND it doesn’t have Amazon’s mandatory banner ad interface AND it doesn’t imperiously deactivate legal applications the user puts on it, AND it has optical audio??
No brainer indeed, please shut up and take my money.
Look, I can get Prime on my TV or a stick if I _have_ to have Amazon content. And if Amazon insists on playing intellectual-property hardball by strategically _refusing_ to offer support on certain platforms, they shouldn’t be surprised when potential customers that would otherwise be happy to give them money also play hardball with “alternative” methods of viewing the content they want.
Like I’ve said, Amazon could have been catering to the power user market that wants a reasonably equipped box that isn’t controlled by the vendor. Amazon not only disregarded that market, they actively worked against it by blacklisting Firestarter, refusing to offer Kodi or SPMC in the app store, and refusing to support Amazon Prime on the Shield.
That’s fine, I understand the arguments for this course of action. I do. But please don’t act surprised when “alternative” methods of viewing desired content are employed by people that would otherwise be happy to give Amazon their money. And don’t act surprised when other vendors see a disregarded market and show up with a product that is not only as capable, but also cheaper.
Does Android TV have all the apps that a FireTV has?
WatchESPN, HGTV, Travel Channel, PBS, RedBull TV, CBS, Fox, FX, HBO, etc?
Amazon video apk can be side loaded. There is an apk for Sony TV’s that side loads and works. Tested and posted on several sites and I believe in xda.
See, that’s just _one_ example of the alternatives power users that would otherwise be happy to use Amazon Prime would employ if they wanted Prime content, but were prevented by Amazon refusing to support a Shield, or whatever other platform they refuse to support.
I don’t know who Amazon thinks they’re coercing here. If you even know what an NVidia Shield is and you want Amazon content, you’re probably _more_ than capable of getting the content through other means if you couldn’t get it through a supported Prime app. Amazon is just leaving money on the table by refusing to support a Shield app.
Its paradoxical, Amazon is a new world company gambling on things still working in old world rules in which the corporation controls the consumer.
It doesn’t work that way any more. For a number of reasons, including China (which in one word is several paragraphs in itself) it never will again.
Amazon can either keep up with how the world is, or it can ask Blockbuster how absolute market dominance can evaporate overnight.
Blockbuster was once the new world company that everyone worried was going use it market dominance to take
Well that was an ugly finish. Sorry, don’t know what happened there.
Blockbuster was the company that everyone worried was going to take absolute control of home media. Its hold on its consumers was considered by many to be distressingly unbeatable.
Dear Amazon, when’s the last time you were in a Blockbuster?
Someone like myself who has a huge ultraviolet library has no use unfortunately for a Fire TV. However if Amazon just got off their high horse and joined the UV digital locker, I could justify spending money on what amounts to a Kodi box.
Sound reasoning, but Blockbuster had a virtual monopoly on ONE service.
I drive by a new amazon warehouse on my way to work and am in awe of its size! And when I think…that monstrosity could crumble to the ground right now and amazon wouldn’t even feel it! Thats how huge &powerful it is!
If you go to tech sites a lot, it gives you a very narrow view of what consumers really want. Most of them are told what they want and itd never occur to them to try & change that.Theyre very much still in the old cable tv mindset in which the provider (in this case amazon) controls their choices.
Blockbuster went out of business when netflix made it easier and (this is also a big one)–they PERCEIVE that theyre saving money. Often times its not the case. When u went to Blockbuster back in the day, you could easily walk out without leaving $ if they didn’t have your movie. Netflix took away that choice, in a sense.
Matt Thanks for this information !
Could you or anyone please post the link to download this Amazon-Video apk, that works and can be side loaded on other android devices?
I just purchased one of these boxes and it actually can play Amazon Video. It also plays Kodi really well. Seems to have a real snappy UI and enough power to play some decent games. It also switches to Ethernet when connecting a USB Ethernet adapter to it. It’s a great box so far especially for $69
The game controller, remote and the box, all for $69?! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
I think the controller might cost extra…streamer and remote are $69.
Nice! Plenty of choices at different price points!:
$40 Firetv2,
$69 Chromecast2 (this should be less if they want to stay competitive)
$69 mi box , and (maybe these will come on sale too)
$85(when commonly on sale)FireTV2 box
$150+ Shieldtv
oops, I meant firetv stick2 for $40
The game controller is extra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wxTy_QW52U
I’m sticking with my FireTV1 box.
It’s already available through the Xiaomi store (US Only) http://www.mi.com/en/mibox/
Priced at $69.
Edit, it’s priced but not yet available for purchase.
It seems to be letting me go through the checkout. There are a number of articles saying “Mi Box will be available on Mi.com starting today at 12 p.m. ET, and in Walmart stores as well as Walmart.com in early October. “
I just ordered one off the website. Saves tax vs Walmart, and the Walmart by me an not fun to go to. Anyway, I’ll see what happens. They use Paypal to process the payment. Hopefully they have a stash locally, and it is not shipping from China.
Yep, it seems that their site was broken and it wasn’t allowing some people to order it. They’ve fixed it now……so ignore the “EDIT”. ;)
Ordered one via their store also today.
Hugo Barra tweeted a while back officially confirming it.
~
Gopichand Pai
I would like to know if Mi box has mouse support. One thing that I don’t like about Fire TV is they have removed the support for AirMouse.
I heard from numerous sources it officially launched today
http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/10/03/mi-box-officially-launching-today-69/
It’s tempting due to the price, but I’ll probably hold out for Shield TV 2. It seems to me that the extra power is worth paying for. However, I’m happy to see adoptive storage is available on the Mi Box. That’s something I’d like to come to the Fire TV. I’m also hoping for a Fire TV 3 before long with more onboard storage.
Hi Elias,
This might be beyond the scope of your testing with the Mi Box, but one of the things that I don’t like about the Fire TV 2 (and from what I have heard the Roku’s as well), is the black crush I notice when adjusting picture settings on my TV. It’s difficult to adjust black levels on the Fire TV 2 and it results in shadow details being almost non-existent. Many people on the internet reviews I have read mention the same issue. Do you test for that sort of thing? After all, a streaming box’s picture quality should be one of the main features, especially for cord cutters like myself. Thanks in advance.
Does anyone know if this is coming to the UK?
The Walmart sku is 556116843, but it is not a “live” sku as of today. Look’s like the 10th.
I just ordered mine. I’ve been holding out for the Shield but I’m gonna take my gamble on this one first. Shipping said 4-8 business days. http://www.mi.com/en/mibox/
one of my favorite you tubbers already has a review up for it check out,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wxTy_QW52U
I posted this link early on in the discussion. ;)
I’ve read Walmart is the exclusive retailer. Also, that orders from the Mi website will not ship until 10/6, so that they arrive on or around 10/10.
Maybe I’m old school, but I preferably Ethernet port as opposed to wireless… :/
Does anyone know if these boxes will work in Canada???
Elias, Once you have purchased the Mi Box, can you please do the benchmark tests and comparison of the Mi Box to all the Fire TV/Stick devices?
It would be a bummer if this device is exclusive to Walmart, was hoping to use my $30 BestBuy rewards towards purchasing it.
Hey Joe
this guy did benchmark on it and also on Fire TV.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0CVCfC_3iuHqmyClu59Uw
unfortunately this device is using old chip set and the performance is around 50% of FireTV 2nd. This is very cheap low end box you can get with better I/O port from China for 30$.
the only added value in this box is the voice active remote.
Thanks!
To anyone wanting to buy one of these, I would suggest buying from Walmart. Xiaomi seems to be shipping them from China, and it is going slowwwwww. If I had known they didn’t have a stash in the USA, I would have just waited to buy from Walmart. As of now, I am guessing I will not see mine until long after 10/10.
AFTV:
Thank you for taking an interest in Android TV, I think the best thing you can do is compare the pros/cons as to using Amazon Alexa on the Fire TV and using Google’s Home Voice on this Android TV device.
For example I believe you can search the TuneIn app with Google voice search on an android tv, I believe you can also tell the device to play certain stations while Alexa definitely has that ability but what about for the other major streaming music apps?
I believe you can connect a dongle to get ethernet on this Mi Box but can you send audio to an AV wire connected stereo?
At this point I believe if the Google voice search functions can operate close to or match the Amazon alexa in terms of searching and playing stations, it makes it easier to pull the trigger on this device.
Thanks for the site and your time.
You can connect a USB ethernet adapter to it. It automatically switches to Ethernet when you connect it. I have one connected.
Available now at Walmart. The clerk said it was not available and I asked him to scan it. It rang up at $69.00. Mi Box 019099700001