• Mi TV range in India has been expanded with four new models launched at Xiaomi's Smart Living 2020 event in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The new range includes the Mi TV 4X 65-inch (its biggest yet in India), Mi TV 4X 43-inch, Mi TV 4X 50-inch, and the Mi TV 4A 40-inch. Xiaomi has also upgraded its PatchWall with Netflix support and launched the Black variant of the Mi Soundbar. The Beijing-based company claimed that 34.2 percent of its Mi TV models are so far being sold offline in India. Also, more than 80 percent of the Mi TV models available are touted to have made locally in the country.

Mi TV 4X 65-inch

• The biggest TV offering from Xiaomi, the new Mi TV 4X 65-inch is said to offer over 40 percent more surface area when compared to the 55-inch model. It features a premium metal finish and slim 0.43-inch bezels. It features a 4K UHD (3840x2160 pixels) 10-bit display with support for HDR10. The company claims that the ‘Ultra Bright’ panel on the TV is brightest they’ve ever shipped on a Mi TV. On the inside there is a quad-core Cortex A55 SoC. The TV comes with Xiaomi's proprietary Vivid Picture Engine (VPE) and offers a wide colour gamut that is 88 percent of the NTSC colour space.
• The TV also offers s four-driver speaker system that can produce 20W audio along with support for DTS-HD and Dolby Audio. Apart from your standard HDMI and USB ports, you also get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. The TV runs on PatchWall 2.0 based on Android 9.0 with the option of switching to Android TV interface and you finally get Amazon Prime Video and Netflix out of the box. The new PatchWall update now offers a Light Theme and a carousel view along with Live News integration.
• The new Mi TV 4X 65-inch is launched at an introductory price of Rs 54,999 and will be available via Mi.com and Flipkart starting from September 29.

Mi TV 4X 43-inch, Mi TV 4X 50-inch

• Xiaomi also brought two new models under the Mi TV 4X series. Both the Mi TV 4X 43-inch and Mi TV 4X 50-inch models come with 4K HDR 10-bit displays. You also get similar 20W speakers, Dolby Audio and DTS-HD support, PatchWall 2.0 and Android TV 9.0. These are excellent options for someone looking for an affordable 4K television. The Mi TV 4X 43-inch is priced at Rs 24,999 while the Mi TV 4X 50-inch is priced at Rs 29,999.

• There is also an affordable option as Xiaomi has launched the Mi TV 4A 40-inch model which features a full-HD display panel and similar audio capabilities as the other models, so you get the 20W speakers and support for DTS-HD and the new PatchWall update with Android TV interface. This one is priced at just Rs 17,999 and will be available starting September 29.
• Alongside the new TV range, Xiaomi also announced a new black colour option on the Mi Soundbar which was launched last year. Also, the new update on the new and existing Mi TVs will enable users to finally control volume using the TV remote when connected using the S/PDIF interface.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mi TV 4X 65-inch has been launched with an introductory price of Rs 54,999.
• The three new Mi TVs will go on sale in India on September 29 midnight.
• The new Mi TVs will come with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video out of the box.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4X 65: Price in India and Availability

• The Mi TV 4X 65-inch is a big upgrade over the 55-inch Mi TV 4X Pro currently available in India. The new 65-inch 4K UHD Smart TV is priced at Rs 54,999 in India. The TV is priced competitively against the launch of Motorola’s first Smart TVs in the country. Xiaomi notes that it is an introductory price and will go on sale from September 29. Motorola launched its 65-inch UHD TV alongside five other models at Rs 64,999 in India. The Mi TV 4X 65-inch will be available via Mi.com and Flipkart.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4X 65: Specifications and Features

• The Mi TV 65-inch comes with a 4K HDR panel supporting a 10-bit display and wide color gamut. Like Motorola‘s offering, Xiaomi has also added MEMC (Motion Estimation/Motion Compensation) called Reality Flow with the help of a dedicated chip. The TV has a sound output of 20W and supports Dolby + DTS-HD audio output. The Mi TV 4X series also includes Vivid Picture Engine, an in-house image processing technology to produce better contrasts and punchier colors.
• Like other Mi TVs, the 65-inch Mi TV 4X also runs Android TV with PatchWall 2.0 UI. The big change coming with these TVs is the native support for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Xiaomi is also claiming 7,00,000+ hours of content as part of this interface. In terms of specifications, there is a quad-core processor coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. It comes with three HDMI ports, one AV port, two USB ports, one Ethernet and S/PDIF port.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4X specifications

• The Mi TV 4X series feature 4K HDR10 enabled panel for a cinematic experience, according to the company. The high-end 65-inch model has a built-in Vivid Picture Engine that is rated to deliver deep contrasts, punchier colours, and significant depth to the picture quality. The TV also features Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) and Reality Flow, which is backed by MEMC technology to ensure smooth refresh rates. Notably, the 65-inch model runs Android 9.0 out of the box.
• The Mi TV 4X 65-inch, Mi TV 4X 50-inch, and Mi TV 4X 43-inch, all flaunt 3,840 x 2,160p resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, and 178-degree viewing angle. TVs are powered by 1.5GHz Cortex A-55 quad-core chipset paired with 2GB of RAM and 8GB storage built-in, except for the 43-inch option, which packs 1GB RAM + 8GB storage. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3x HDMI (including one ARC), AV, analog signal DTMB, 2x USB ports, and ethernet. The Mi TV 4X supports almost all the apps available on the Google Play store, including Hotstar, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

Mi TV 4A (40-inch) specifications, price, and availability

• The brand has also launched Mi TV 4A (40-inch) at the event. This model also ships with 20W speakers and runs PatchWall 2.0 UI. The Mi TV 4A (40-inch) features a full-HD panel. This TV also features Vivid Picture Engine and the brand claims that it has been launched with the aim to fill in the gap between the 32-inch and 43-inch models. Notably, there is also a data saver mode included, which allows for 3x more videos on mobile data, as per the brand’s claims. This TV has been priced at Rs 17,999. It will be also made available alongside the other TV models as well.

• The Q900R is Samsung’s first consumer 8K TV to be launched in the UK and introduces a host of new scaling technologies and an Ultra Black Elite Moth Eye filter on the screen. It is available in three screen sizes and starts with this 65-inch QE65Q900R at £4999, a 75-inch QE75Q900R that retails for £6999 and a monster 85-inch model (QE85Q900R) that will set you back £14,999. We are looking at the 65-inch and have it in our own testing rooms for review.
• Samsung UK has provided this sample and we are the first review publication to have the 65-inch in our possession for testing. All other UK reviews published so far (up to November 2018) were held at Samsung and the reviewers were given time with the 75 or 85-inch sets. This was because of logistical issues sending such large screens out for review, but at AVForums we have a policy with our display reviews that we have to test them in our own surroundings, with our own procedures. We also don’t review pre-production samples of a product; it has to be the finished retail unit. As such, we have had to wait a little while to get our hands on this eagerly awaited review sample, which is a retail unit provided in retail packaging from Samsung.
• So, the first question most people will be bound to ask is, why? We are only just starting to see 4K take off with 4K Blu-rays starting to become common and the first signs of 4K broadcasting taking roots, so why do we need 8K? It’s a good question and one we will try to look at and answer within the course of our time spent with the QE65Q900R.

• It’s clear to see that with the Q900R Samsung has put some real effort into the design aspect of the screen. It continues to use the now standard One Connect box used with all higher end Samsung LED LCD TVs, that Samsung calls QLED in their marketing. This box allows the TV to have just one connector at the rear and a thin fibre optic cable then runs from the TV to the One Connect box. The use of such a thin cable taking all the signals and power to the TV is a masterstroke in our opinion and allows real flexibility in set up and location of the TV with no unsightly cables trailing from the back of the set. It’s a clean and clever design, which also makes it possible for Samsung to just replace the box when HDMI 2.1 becomes a reality. After all, it will need this to be able to send native 8K content via HDMI to the Q900R. We understand that owners will get the upgrade option once it is available, but this will be at the owner's request and Samsung won’t automatically swap them over.

• Another neat design aspect of the Q900R is the feet it sits on. All too often recent TV designs have seen the feet placed at each end of the panel, which has meant a long TV unit was required to manage to fit the TV. This is especially a problem with larger screens and the Q900R range starts at 65-inch and goes up from there. Samsung has given you two options for the feet placement, with a central position and one at either end of the panel. The other neat trick is that the feet are hidden inside a recessed area on the back of the panel and can be left there if wall mounting, or removed by unclipping them and then attaching to the bottom of the panel. These feet are L-shaped and screw easily to the centre or outside points and while feeling slightly flimsy on first handling; they are strong enough to support the panel with ease. 
• The panel is sleek and minimalist with a 5mm metal strip around the sides and top, and 15mm on the bottom. The bottom is split between a 10mm strip of brushed metal and the metal strip that follows the rest of the screen. Between this strip and the image is a 5mm black border within the panel screen. While this might look and feel larger than the latest OLED designs, it doesn’t mean that the Q900R is chunky in any way, just the proportions have to be larger due to using an LED LCD panel. The strip around the panel side is also 30mm deep and the back of the panel has a lovely textured finish with the One Connect port centrally positioned within a recess. There are also recessed vents at the top of the rear panel and some others further down, but these are part of the design language and don’t look out of place. We also have the recessed area where the feet can be stored.
• Overall, the design and materials used are high quality and the fit and finish are also to a high standard and worthy of the price point of the Q900R.
• The connections for the Q900R are all on the One Connect box, which is identical to the one supplied with the Q9FN. It is larger than previous year models as it now provides all the connections and power via one cable to the TV panel. This means that it will get quite hot during operation, which has added to the size of the box and the cooling is now via vents, so it is quieter. It now measures 390 x 130 x 70mm (WxDxH), that makes it roughly double the size of previous models, but it now has all the connections in one place. 

Build

• If you’re expecting the UK’s first 8K TVs to boast a revolutionary design, you might be disappointed. The Q900R doesn’t do a great deal to distinguish itself from Samsung’s existing flagship 4K models.
• Along both sides and the top of the screen are thin, squared bezels, while the bottom has a slightly thicker lip, with the small Samsung logo moved from the centre to the right. 
• The 65in Q900R is marginally thinner than the 65in Q9FN, but looks thicker thanks to a completely flat back and straight, untapered edges. It gives the Q900R the look of a large picture frame when wall-mounted, particularly if you use Samsung’s own No Gap Wall Mount.
• The two feet lack the elegance of the Q9FN’s pedestal stand, but they can be positioned at either the extremes of the bottom edge or closer to the centre. They can also be stored in dedicated slots in the rear panel for safekeeping should you choose to wall-mount at a later date.
• The general neatness of the design is enhanced by the inclusion of Samsung’s OneConnect concept, which sees all inputs moved from the rear panel to an external box, with the two connected by a thin, semi-transparent cable. This cable even carries power, so the TV itself doesn’t need to be connected directly to a power socket.
• Unlike the extra large version of the OneConnect box found on the 85in version, the unit is identical in size (and connection layout) to that of the QE65Q9FN. Samsung says that it will swap this OneConnect box for one with 2.1-specification HDMIs when available – if requested.