I used the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K to make my 27-inch monitor a smart TV

Incidentally, this is also the first Mi TV stick with access to Xiaomi’s PatchWall interface that offers content from over 25 OTT apps and over 190 live channels. Xiaomi has been increasing its offering in Patchwall over the past few years.

Plugging it into the monitor was simple. The home screen offers users a glimpse of all the OTT applications, games, channels, etc. Navigating through the options is fairly simple. The real magic happened when I opened OTTs to stream content. Apart from OTT platforms and apps, one can also access PlayStore to download apps and games of their choice.

How does it stream movies and shows?

From Chainsaw Man to Monster, streaming Anime never felt so good. Shows that are high on visuals such as the dark comedy The White Lotus, that hits the viewers with its deluge of charming shots of a plush resort in the backdrop of stunning ocean waves, or a high-octane chase through the cobbled alleyways of Ramallah in Fauda – streaming via the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K was a unique audio-visual experience, indeed a good one.

Let’s not forget that the monitor is an FHD panel with no 2K or 4K specs. The TV stick effortlessly rendered the most crisp images that almost made me forget the technical shortcomings of the panel. While there was a mild concern if my monitor will do justice to the stick’s 4K HDR capabilities, watching a few more shows especially the 4K and 8K travel videos on YouTube alleviated my woes. Almost all OTT platforms can be streamed with buttery smoothness.

The Xiaomi TV Stick 4K comes with support for Patchwall 4.1. Users also get access to a section dedicated to IMDB. This is convenient, as I often check for ratings of a movie or a show before diving in. Other options include, shows, music, sports, live, kids, etc.

The home screen offers users a glimpse of all the OTT applications, games, channels, etc. Navigating through the options is fairly simple.

In terms of child safety measures, the kids section can be locked using a password. Also, the MiTV+ offers access to live TV with content ranging from music, movies, news to stock updates. As of now, the MiTV+ seems free. Users can also cast their smartphone on the smart TV using apps such as Miracast for Android smartphones and AirScreen for iOS devices. I attempted to cast my iPhone – it worked seamlessly, albeit some minor lags which I presume was mostly due to the wavering WiFi network.

The 2GB RAM also lets users enjoy a slew of racing games such as Asphalt with relative ease. Some of these games would likely be best if you played using an external Bluetooth gamepad. Some basic games can be enjoyed using the Mi remote. When it comes to connectivity, the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K comes with dual-band WiFi Support and Bluetooth 5.0. I paired the smart TV with my Echo Studio via Bluetooth and it simply heightened the audio output of the smart TV.

My take: Most Chromecast now come with the Android 13 OS and smart TVs have moved over to Android TV 12, which makes the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K with its Android TV 11 a bit odd. Regardless of the outdated OS, the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K delivers some excellent features. It is ideal for anyone who wants to endlessly binge on their favourite shows. At Rs, 4,999 it is a decent smart TV stick.

Specs sheet: The Xiaomi TV Stick 4K comes with an Android TV OS which is based on Android Version 11. The listed specs include support for 4K resolution, Quad Core – A35 CPU, Mali-G31 MP2 GPU, 2GB RAM and 8G internal storage, Dolby Vision + Atmos, Dual Band WiFi Support and Bluetooth V5.0.