In addition to flagship cellphones, Xiaomi is getting more serious in the premium television market on the market. The proof is the Xiaomi TV Q1E which was recently released in the country.
This is Xiaomi's second QLED TV brought to the market after last year. There is an important improvement brought by the Xiaomi TV Q1E, namely DVB-T2 support, thus enabling it to capture digital TV broadcasts that the government is currently promoting.
No less interesting, the Xiaomi TV Q1E is priced more friendly than the 55-inch QLED TV from other vendors. However, is this TV worth ogling? Here's a brief review.
What is QLED?
Maybe many are wondering what is QLED? How is it different from conventional LED TVs, and how is the picture quality displayed?
Answering that, we must first understand LED TV. LED itself stands for Light Emitting Diode, this is an electronic component that can emit monochromatic light when an electric current is given.
LED (Light Emitting Diode) which is small in shape has been widely used as a lamp in LCD TVs instead of tube lamps. Conventional LED TVs use LED lights through color filters to display in color on the screen
But the color that has been filtered is still not very pure. Because the spectral glow of the white light may be mixed so that the colors displayed are not as real as they should be.
QLED technology uses Quantum Dot technology with nanometer particle sizes. where each particle size exhibits a different fixed color when exposed to light Makes the appearance of colors as they pass through light purer, the resulting image is more colorful. and brighter than conventional LED screens.
Design
The Xiaomi TV Q1E has a very similar appearance to its predecessor, the Mi TV 55 Bezel Less 4K. But this does not necessarily become a drawback, because the design presented is still eye-catching.
Thin bezels on the right, left and top, combined with a silver metal frame make it look premium. The same material is also used in the dual stand so it feels even more solid. At the bottom of the screen there is an On/Off button and an indicator light.
To setup the Xiaomi QiE is very easy, even though the size is 55 inches, you can do it yourself. After the unit is removed from the box, we only need to install the 'legs' on the left and right. Weighing only 14 kg, lifting it on the table is not so heavy.
Xiaomi provides quite a lot of ports. There are three HDMI 2.1 ports with eARC support. In addition there are also two USB 2.0 ports, an ethernet port, and 3.5 mm audio, optical, and AV ports.
Just a little complaint about the position, Xiaomi puts all the ports in the middle. This is a bit difficult when the user attaches the Q1E to the wall using a bracket.
Regarding connection, this television has WiFi that can capture the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. In addition there is Bluetooth 5.0 and IR receiver.
Digital TV
Xiaomi TV Q1E has a DVB-T2 feature which means it can capture digital TV broadcasts. we tried it too.
To ensure that the area is covered by digital TV broadcasts, we check using the digital TV signal application which can be downloaded on the Play Store. Because it is in the red area which means the signal is strong, we decided to install an indoor antenna equipped with a booster.
Setting up digital TV on the Q1E is a breeze. Once the antenna is connected, it's just a matter of scanning. Make sure to select the DTV option so that only digital tv signals are scanned.
The scanning process is not so long, less than 5 minutes.
The majority present HD resolution broadcasts so that the image is so clear and sharp. Amazingly, the Xiaomi TV Q1E can upscale so that broadcasts still look good on a 4K resolution screen even though it's in SD format.
A little note, when switching between channels there is a lag of a few seconds for the device to load the image.
Image Quality
From testing through four major streaming applications, YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and Apple TV, the 55-inch Xiaomi TV Q1E offers an eye-catching picture. This TV has a billion colors, ultra-wide color spectrum that reaches the NTSC standard of 103%, DCI-P3 color gamut 97%, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support.
When trying to stream 4K HDR Dolby Vision video from the Netflix, Apple TV, and Disney+ Hotstar apps, the picture is brighter and more vibrant. At the same time, the colors are richer, especially in bright scenes.
This is especially noticeable in scenes with reflections in the eye or on glasses. In addition, this TV is able to present natural human skin tones, black levels are also shown to be darker than 4K LED TVs.
With all these capabilities, the 55-inch Xiaomi TV Q1E can meet the needs of watching streaming movies and series. Sports or racing fans will be satisfied with the 60Hz MEMC feature, because moving images are displayed so smoothly.
Audio Quality
The Xiaomi TV Q1E includes 30W stereo speakers consisting of twin tweeters and dual woofers, and is supported by Dolby Audio technology and DTS-HD support.
When turned on in Movie mode, the sound is so loud in the ears. In fact we can find a booming bass, although not so kicking.
This is quite understandable because there are rarely TVs in the Q1E class that have powerful bass. If you want the maximum, it's a good idea to install an external soundbar.
If you want to watch alone with blaring sound, try connecting the Xiaomi TV Q1E with Bluetooth headphones. You can set the maximum sound without disturbing the house or neighbors.
Performance
Armed with the MediaTek MT9611 chipset with 2 GB of RAM, the operation of the Xiaomi Q1E is smooth. The transition of the application is not a problem.
It is a tradition for Xiaomi TVs to provide two user interfaces. There are two Android TV and Patch Wall.
Even though it's simple, to be honest, the Android TV display is boring. Hopefully Xiaomi will soon adopt Google TV like some brands.
Regarding Patch Wall, this user interface made by Xiaomi provides many viewing recommendations on the main screen. That's quite helpful for those who are often confused about what content to watch on streaming services.
The Xiaomi TV Q1E is equipped with a minimal button remote. There is a button to select Patch Wall and Android TV.
In addition, there are Netflix and Prime Video quick access buttons. Hopefully in the future Xiaomi will provide a YouTube quick access button considering this is a streaming service that users often access.
Xiaomi also provides the Google Assistant button. We just have to press the button while saying voice commands, starting to search for content to controlling IoT devices.
The Q1E TV is also equipped with Chromecast Build-in, allowing users to view content via their mobile phone, be it Android or iOS.
Our opinion
The 55-inch Xiaomi TV Q1E is suitable for those who like to watch movies without having to drain their pockets. The picture quality is pleasing to the eye thanks to Quantum Dot (QLED) technology combined with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ at a more friendly price in its class.
Another advantage, Xiaomi TV Q1E supports DVB-T2. This feature makes this TV able to capture digital broadcasts. The speaker is also quite loud even though it lacks Dolby Atmos support.