
Xiaomi launches 49-inch 4K TV for $640 - stats_lly
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmitv&edit-text=
======
polshaw
NB the linked page is currently for the MiTV 1 (1080p, 47"), but the topic is
about V2;[1]

On the SOC side, it's 4x cortex A9 @ 1.45Ghz with Mali 450 MP4 GPU-- h265
decode at 4K/30fps, 2GB RAM

supports miracast, airplay, dlna, widi, SMB, dual band ac wifi, USB3, micro
SD, bluetooth 4 (BT LE remote with finder). 15.5mm thick and 6.2mm bezel. It
has everything, except the HDMI version is conspicuous in its absence-- so I'm
guessing it's not 2.0, which is required for 60fps at 4K. Also not completely
clear if it could actually play back 4K 3D-- perhaps this would work with
h264, but for h265 it states 30fps. Released on the 27th in China, no mention
of elsewhere.

1\.
[http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&p...](http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmitv)

~~~
rsync
"On the SOC side, it's 4x cortex A9 @ 1.45Ghz with Mali 450 MP4 GPU-- h265
decode at 4K/30fps, 2GB RAM"

Is this because it is a "smart" TV, or should I expect all computer monitors
to have this degree of complexity these days ?

I'd like my monitor to be as dumb as possible, thanks.

~~~
wmf
It's definitely a TV not a monitor.

~~~
pekk
The difference is more marginal than ever.

------
royjacobs
Xiaomi is a really interesting company. This TV announcement is just one in a
long line of recent products that promise high quality devices for low prices
(recently announced Mi Pad, Wi-Fi Router, etc).

I own a Xiaomi MI2s phone which cost me about 200 euros to get shipped from a
Chinese webshop and it's been working perfectly. They even update their phone
OS (MIUI, based on Android) with weekly builds that are installed OTA.

Lei Jun (their CEO) really wants Xiaomi to become the Chinese Apple. Not sure
if wearing black turtlenecks and hiring Hugo Barra will get them there, but
I'm curious to see what they'll do next.

~~~
MCRed
I find the "Chinese Apple" to be a curious desire. Which characteristics do we
choose from the two? "high quality devices for low prices", is very chinese,
but Apple is known for high quality prices based on innovative technology.

If he wants to build a company that makes high quality products based on
innovative technology at low prices, then he could find great success.

Alas, in my experience, no companies besides Apple are actually interested in
consistently producing innovative products.

This "Mi" site is full of derivative devices using off the shelf technology
(android, for instance) in moderately nicely designed plastic cases.

~~~
szatkus
I think he meant scale. Competing with Apple in Apple's niche isn't good idea.

------
willholloway
I use a Seiki 50" 4K display for coding and it was a revelation. I love all
the bezel-free screen real estate and I would never go back.

For watching full screen video, I just drop the resolution down to 1920x1080
to overcome the 30hz limitation the display currently has.

More competition in the ~50" 4K space is welcome news.

~~~
xur17
I use a 39" 4k Seiki, and I've been very happy with it too. Paid $420 about a
month ago (it's $500 from Amazon right now), and it's a pretty amazing amount
of real estate without a bezel. 30hz is a little annoying for some tasks, but
for coding and other static applications, it really doesn't bother me.

~~~
xhrpost
I've recently done the same. Still trying to get my work environment set up
decently. We need some sort of user group for people doing 4k programming to
exchange ideas, tools, methods, etc.

~~~
alex_c
Seems like a good idea:

[http://www.reddit.com/r/4kmonitors/](http://www.reddit.com/r/4kmonitors/)

------
madaxe_again
Where does this say that it's 4k? Everything on the linked page says it's
1080p, which is _NOT_ the same thing as 4k.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution)

Edit: Yeah, Ok, I just scrolled down, and realised the actual link for the TV
in question is
[https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&...](https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmitv&edit-
text=)

~~~
reedlaw
It's clear from the Chinese version of the site that it's 4K:
[http://www.mi.com/mitv](http://www.mi.com/mitv)

~~~
MCRed
That's a different display. Look on the tech specs page for the chinese one:
[http://www.mi.com/mitv#params](http://www.mi.com/mitv#params) and compare it
to the OP:
[http://www.mi.com/en/mitv#fullspecs](http://www.mi.com/en/mitv#fullspecs)

For example, the CPUs are different, one's a snapdragon 1.7GHz, the other is a
Cortex A9, 1.4GHz. (Different GPUs too.)

Not to mention one explicitly says it's 1920x1080, while the other is "4K".

~~~
reedlaw
You're right. There's a number "2" after the name of the TV in Chinese. Maybe
the Chinese site is the second generation Mi TV.

~~~
MCRed
The price on the Chinese page is 3999 yuan, which translates into $641,
indicating this is the model the OP meant. So it looks like the OP linked to
the wrong page by mistake and got version 1 instead of version 2.

------
bhauer
Does this display offer a 60 Hz refresh rate at 4K via either modern
DisplayPort or HDMI 2? As I mentioned in "4K is for Programmers" [1] and its
follow-up [2], the 30 Hz refresh offered by the current generation of 4K
televisions is the principle deficiency when using them as monitors.

30 Hz is of course workable, which is precisely why 4K is for programmers,
after all. :) But all of us would take a 60 Hz option in a heartbeat if it
were available.

That said, I prefer the 39" form factor offered by Seiki for 4K. Around 50
inches, a computer's display should be 8K+.

[1] [http://tiamat.tsotech.com/4k-is-for-
programmers](http://tiamat.tsotech.com/4k-is-for-programmers)

[2] [http://tiamat.tsotech.com/4k-is-for-programmers-
redux](http://tiamat.tsotech.com/4k-is-for-programmers-redux)

~~~
boobsbr
"This site does not support Internet Explorer 8 or older."

Au contraire, IE does not support your site. Actually, I can't even test if at
least it renders the page in text mode because you blocked it, end of
conversation.

I'm at work and our desktops were migrated from XP this year and we're stuck
with IE 8, beucase it's "compliant" (with what, I wonder). I can't even load
the cached page from Google...

This is very annoying, the site is just a blog, not a complex webapp that must
ensure correct rendering and JS execution.

~~~
bhauer
Sorry about that. I'll make it a point to remove that too-forceful block soon.
In the meantime for what it's worth, you can read the ramblings via the RSS
feed:
[http://tiamat.tsotech.com/tiamat.rss](http://tiamat.tsotech.com/tiamat.rss)

------
drzaiusapelord
Do I want Android TV? Yet another clunky interface, yet another clunky remote,
etc?

I recent got a Chromecast and now manage my TV via my tablet or laptop. I get
a better experience with my tablet and would love to see TV's shipping with
Chromecast built-in. I retired my Boxxee and I no longer think about buying a
Roku or AppleTV.

------
mwill
I see a few people in this thread saying you would need an amount of luck to
actually get one of these, can anyone shed some light on why?

And possibly what someone might do to actually get one shipped out to
Australia?

~~~
akfanta
Whenever they release a new gadget, they make the announcement and then make
you to wait. Their online shop has this queuing system which is super hard to
get in whenever they make a new release. And it usually get "sold out" in a
matter of minutes or even seconds. The majority of the consumers won't get
hand on it months after its initial release. And interestingly, when this
happens, usually the component price has dropped quite a lot where the
price/cost ration is far less impressive. However, they still get to keep the
reputation that they sell "quality" stuff at an insanely low price.

The whole process sounds like a shady business to me, but apparently they grow
super fast with this kind of strategy. So yeah, I guess what do I know.

------
riobard
As for all the too-good-to-be-true Xiaomi products, you have to enter a
lottery draw before you can actually buy one. The chance of winning is pretty
slim.

~~~
adouzzy
You can easily find a all new resale with 10% more on Taobao. It is still a
reasonable price. You can consider Xiaomi outsources retails.

------
DoubleMalt
I'd love this as my primary monitor for work. Finally the perfect Monitor for
a tiling window manager.

------
bryanlarsen
49" is fairly small for a 4K TV; you have to sit quite close to be able to
perceive the resolution difference and get the IMAX fill your peripheral
vision effect.

[1] gives an ideal distance of 1 to 2 meters.

Gamers often do sit that close, so it would be interesting to see how well it
does as a monitor replacement, like the 39" Seiki's that some are using. 49"
UHD is the same as 4 24.5" 1920x1080 panels so would not need any sort of
scaling in legacy operating systems.

1:
[http://referencehometheater.com/2013/commentary/4k-calculato...](http://referencehometheater.com/2013/commentary/4k-calculator/)

~~~
TheSpiceIsLife
Amusing experiment: have people hold their two index fingers in front of them
aligned with the sides of their TV, with their elbows bent an 90 degrees. I
find people tend to sit progressively further away from a screen the larger it
is, so the screen size proportional to their field of vision remains the same.

------
MCRed
Article link should be to here:
[http://www.mi.com/mitv](http://www.mi.com/mitv)

This article is linking to a 2K tv:

From main page: "Mi TV is virtually frameless. We use one of the best panels
from Samsung and LG to create a 47” 1920x1080 Full HD television with a super
slim profile and an 8.4mm frame"

From specs page: "Size47" Resolution1920×1080(1080P)"

Maybe $640 is a great deal for an android TV with all these features? I don't
really know, but it's a very different thing from a $640 4k TV, like the
Seiki.

------
rasz_pl
It isnt 4K!

    
    
      Samsung and LG to create a 47” 1920x1080 Full HD

~~~
sjaaktrekhaak
It is, check the Chinese site:
[https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&...](https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmitv&edit-
text=)

~~~
MCRed
Different display completely than the one linked here.

------
nardi
Is this actually possible? Can they really make a 49-inch 4k screen with a
Snapdragon processor, etc., for $640?

~~~
galuggus
No retailer good relationships with the factory bulk buying No marketing costs

------
chrisBob
Does this have a TV tuner? I thought a tuner was the difference between a TV
and a monitor.

------
dang
We changed the url from
[http://www.mi.com/en/mitv](http://www.mi.com/en/mitv), which as countless
users have pointed out in this thread, did not show the TV in question.

------
blueskin_
Anyone put its traffic through Wireshark to see what it's up to yet?

~~~
zo1
_Why?_ Are you implying that it's going to do something nefarious because it's
made by an Asian/Chinese company? How would you feel if people said that about
American products? Maybe I should be scared about getting irradiated from
American products because Americans have killed a metric ton of people using
nuclear weapons within the last century?

~~~
cincinnatus
Don't be an ass. [https://spideroak.com/privacypost/cloud-security/is-your-
sma...](https://spideroak.com/privacypost/cloud-security/is-your-smart-tv-
spying-on-you/)

~~~
zo1
You could have just linked to the article in question, rather than calling me
an "ass". But thanks.

~~~
RobotCaleb
Don't be intentionally obtuse, then. Ass is a bit ambiguous.

~~~
zo1
What on earth are you going on about?

What exactly was I obtuse about? And for that matter, what is ambiguous about
calling me an "ass"? Especially in the tone the OP used it, which was as some
sort of insult because he disagreed with my opinion.

------
highace
I would love a massive 40-50"\+ monitor with the standard PPI of 94. Loads of
space, with no worrying about scaling issues or ridiculously tiny
fonts/icons/etc.

~~~
lnanek2
Yeah, honestly, my favorite coding monitor is 37" 1080P cheapo Vizio TV placed
a like five feet away. The eyes are most relaxed at far distances.

4K to me sounds useless, but hey, maybe it will drive down prices and if I'm
stuck with one I can half the res. or scale I guess.

------
eculic17
Is it just me or are they advertising it can run popcorn time a the bottom of
the page?

------
alex_lx
Very chip, but you would need a little(I mean very much) luck to buy it.

~~~
TheCondor
Why is that?

~~~
alex_lx
In the early sale, there's not enough XiaoMi TV been produced, objectively or
subjectively. if you want to buy one, you would have to rush to buy it. it
needs some luck.

------
userbinator
_47 " 1920x1080 Full HD television_

Am I looking at the wrong link?

~~~
sjaaktrekhaak
Yeah, check
[https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&...](https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmitv&edit-
text=)

------
mimighost
This looks interesting. Will it come to US?

------
brianbreslin
Any idea if this would be sold in the US?

------
jbverschoor
And how would one order that?

~~~
bartkappenburg
[http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-fashion-Xiaomi-
TV-3D-andr...](http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-fashion-Xiaomi-
TV-3D-android-super-TV-root-HMID-47-IPSSnapdragon-600-MPQ8064-Quad-
Core/1640139661.html)

Although I wouldn't trust that completely...

~~~
sjaaktrekhaak
Thats the old version (v1).

~~~
bartkappenburg
you're right

------
RamunasM
Site says it's 47 inch?

~~~
linc01n
They just announced it 4 hours ago. MITV2
[http://www.mi.com/mitv](http://www.mi.com/mitv) is 49-inch. They haven't
updated their english site yet.

~~~
nrzuk
For the lazy people like me
[https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&...](https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mi.com%2Fmitv&edit-
text=)

------
vishaldpatel
I wonder how America's Apple will respond to this.

~~~
wmf
They won't because they don't make TVs and they don't respond to competition.

~~~
dublinben
I don't know. The hideous mock-up of a 4.7 inch iPhone 6 that's been floating
around certainly looks like a transparent response to the trend of larger
Android phones.

Apple themselves admit that growth is coming from phones they can't compete
with[0]. Their $600+ phones with 4 inch screens have been surpassed in both
resolution and price.

[0][http://9to5mac.com/2014/04/06/why-apple-has-to-make-
bigger-s...](http://9to5mac.com/2014/04/06/why-apple-has-to-make-bigger-
screen-iphones-in-its-own-confidential-internal-slides/)

------
BaconJuice
how do you get one of these?

------
hellbreakslose
whats the refresh rate on it, couldn't find where it says about it.

~~~
linc01n
"H.264、H.265支持到4K@30帧/秒". 4k@30fps

