Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks and Roku’s popular streaming devices remain dominant in the market, enabling numerous households to stream movies, live sports, and TV shows. A new contender has emerged in the UK, providing stiff competition with a valuable boost. Xiaomi, a Chinese tech brand, has unveiled its latest offering, the TV Stick HD (2nd Gen), providing an affordable solution to enhance any TV setup.
The Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen) features a compact design reminiscent of Amazon’s Fire TV and Roku Sticks, equipped with a built-in HDMI connector for a hassle-free setup directly into the TV. Like its competitors, it comes with a dedicated remote control featuring shortcut buttons for popular streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube, allowing users quick access to their favorite content.
Priced at £39.99, the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen) is competitively priced alongside its rivals, but its key differentiator lies in its operating system. Instead of using Amazon’s Fire OS or Roku’s software, this new streamer runs on Google TV, offering users access to Google’s smart interface, integrated Google Assistant, and a vast array of apps from the Google Play Store.
The device boasts a dedicated voice button on the remote for easy searching through voice commands, with over 10,000 available apps including games, and numerous free channels for entertainment without additional subscriptions. Android users can also utilize the built-in Google Cast feature to wirelessly stream content from their smartphones or tablets to the TV.
Internally, Xiaomi has outfitted the streaming stick with a high-speed processor, dual-band Wi-Fi for seamless playback, and support for HDR10+, Dolby Audio, and DTS for enhanced picture and sound quality. However, the main drawback is its limitation to HD resolution, lacking support for 4K Ultra HD content.
For users seeking an affordable Google TV-powered streaming device, the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen) is now available in the UK for £39.99.