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Xiaomi's Mi Box 4 and Mi Box 4c use artificial intelligence for movie suggestions
- Xiaomi unveiled its Mi Box 4 and Mi Box 4c set-top boxes earlier today.
- Using MIUI TV on top of Android Marshmallow, the devices use AI to make movie suggestions.
- They will be available starting February 1 in China for less than the full price video game.
Set-top boxes might not make as many waves as they did a few years back, but Xiaomi is giving the market another crack with the Mi Box 4 and Mi Box 4c.
Both devices are powered by an Amlogic S905L quad-core processor and Mali-450 GPU clocked at 750 MHz. Thanks to the processor choice, the Mi Box 4 and Mi Box 4c support 4K HDR output at 30 and 60 frames per second. The two devices also deliver DTS-HD audio decoder output, though the Mi Box includes Dolby Audio for that extra kick.
The Mi Box 4 differs from its cheaper cousin by featuring more RAM (2 GB versus 1 GB) and Bluetooth 4.1 LE. The Mi Box 4c makes do with infrared, so you’ll need to make sure there is a clear line of sight between the device and the remote.
Speaking of navigation, both set-top boxes use Xiaomi’s PathWall AI-based user interface. The software lets you use the included remote’s microphone for voice search, though it also learns your viewing habits and makes suggestions based on the content you watch.
Not everything is rosy with the Mi Box 4 and Mi Box 4c, however, as their AI-enhanced software only works in China. Also, both devices sport a paltry 8 GB of internal storage. There is a regular USB port for external storage, though there is no microSD card slot.
The hits continue, as the Mi Box 4 and Mi Box 4c run Android 6.0 Marshmallow under MIUI TV out of the box. Did no one let Xiaomi know that Nougat and Oreo are also available?
Finally, Android Police points out that both devices do not include hardware decoding support for VP9. That is the royalty-free codec primarily used by YouTube.
The Mi Box 4 and Mi Box 4c will go for 349 Yuan and 249 Yuan (~$55 and ~$39), respectively, when they go on sale February 1. Xiaomi did not say whether there will be international versions, though the Mi Box 4 does not depart too much from the Mi Box you can buy in Walmart.