South Africans love streaming media boxes of all shapes and sizes, but the Xiaomi Box S has long been a favourite of users all over the country. It has been some time in the making but the second generation of this compact little streamer has just landed in the country. If you were sitting on the fence over a purchase or are looking to upgrade, you’ve come to the right place.
Xiaomi also has its 2K TV Stick Media Player, which connects directly to a spare HDMI port, available for purchase. Perhaps you don’t like the idea of a box on the counter or are simply looking for basic upskilling of your dumb TV. Either way, this is the device to tuck away behind your TV panel.
Better than the Xiaomi Box S?
Xiaomi’s original Mi Box S was nigh on the perfect media player, offering users a range of apps and streaming options in its Android-based interface. How was it possible to improve upon it? Time doesn’t stand still, and technology time is even speedier. The second-generation device includes support for HDR10+, Dolby’s Vision, and Atmos technologies, and drops in support for Google TV, in addition to the Chromecast and Google Assistant support present in the OG unit.
That means that all the streaming apps you’re likely to use in South Africa – Showmax, Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, YouTube, and more – are all native to the 2nd-gen Xiaomi Box S. If that’s not enough, the Chrome browser should give you access to basically every other streaming service on the planet, right through your TV screen.
There is currently no better way to convert a standard TV – the sort that doesn’t include Wi-Fi – into something that would please even the most rabid technology fan. You can also use the Xiaomi Box S to replace a substandard smart TV operating system. You don’t have to be stuck with what you’ve got.
Google TV offers users access to the greatest number of apps and extra functions on television screens, and smart home support – including web searches and connected device manipulation – is also possible via voice control. Just pick up the remote and press the assistant button or say the magic words: “Hey Google”.
Stick it to the Man
Sometimes space is at a premium or you would prefer a stripped-back (but still substantial) set of features for a particular TV set. In that case, the Xiaomi 2K TV Stick Media Player is an excellent option. Dispatched with a similar remote control and optimised for TV panels that straddle the line between HD and 4K, this Android-powered stick plugs directly into an HDMI port and hides there, silently increasing the IQ of a less-intelligent TV. Power is supplied by a second connection to a spare USB port.
This offers users HDR support, streaming access, and app downloads from the Google Play Store. As with the upgraded Xiaomi Box 2, Chromecast and Google Assistant support is baked in. This means that you can use the 2K TV Stick Media Player as part of a smart home setup but it’s also portable enough that you can easily move it between locations to set up and smarten up TVs in minutes.
Streaming partners
The next-generation Xiaomi Box S (PFJ4151EU) is available from several retail partners in South Africa, priced at R1,199. So is the 2K TV Stick Media Player (PFJ4098EU), at a more affordable price point of R999. Tailor these device purchases to your technological needs or to your budget, whether you’re buying from Takealot, Incredible Connection, HiFi Corporation, or Makro. Get yours today.
