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Google Android TV comes to new 4K HDR Xiaomi Mi Box S for $60

Google's TV operating system tries to take on Roku, Amazon and Apple with a little help from Xiaomi -- again.

Headshot of David Katzmaier
Headshot of David Katzmaier
David Katzmaier Editor in Chief
David leads the editorial team at CNET. We create expert reviews, articles and video on every aspect of technology, from AI to Zoox. We are thoroughly, proudly human.
Expertise A 25-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. He created CNET's methodology for testing TVs, streaming services and AI tools. Prior to CNET he wrote for Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
2 min read
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Xiaomi

Android TV is taking another stab at the living room.

Unlike the $35 Google Chromecast, Google's big-screen Android TV operating system appears only on relatively expensive devices, namely the $200 Nvidia Shield and Sony TVs, for example. 

Today Google aims to close the price gap a bit by building Android TV into a new device. The Xiaomi Mi Box S costs $60 and will be available Oct. 19, with preorders starting today.

Google Pixel 2018 event

The Mi Box S delivers 4K and HDR video (HDR10, not Dolby Vision) from compatible services. It uses the latest version of Android TV, 8.1, with a new interface allowing more customization. It has Google Assistant built in, allowing voice commands with the included Bluetooth remote. There's a quad-core CPU, and like other Android TV devices it has Chromecast built in too.

Watch this: See Google Assistant on Android TV in action

Android TV has plenty of apps -- more than 3,000 total -- and the Mi Box S includes Netflix, Vudu, YouTube and SlingTV, for example. On the other hand the Mi Box S doesn't have Amazon Prime Video, which is available on all of its competitors as well as the Nvidia Shield.

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Xiaomi

The Mi Box S succeeds the original Mi Box in the US, which launched in 2016 for $70. The new, less expensive S faces tough competition once again from 4K HDR streamers like the $50 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and $50 Roku Premiere+, but could find a following with Google fans who can't swing the premium for a Shield.

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