Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K review

The Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K is available only in 43-inch size, which makes much sense, considering the potential customers for this budget 4K smart TV. It has a three-side bezel-less display design with the screen set within a metal shell. At 6.95 kg, the TV is portable and easy to wall-mount and dismount for those deep cleaning days and the occasional shifting around. The plastic feet are well-rounded and sturdy. If we need to nit-pick, it would be the bottom frame that appeared a millimetre or so short of covering the screen at one side and presenting some sharp edges. The ports are arranged in an L shape with the HDMI and USB ports accessible from the side, and the permanent connections like coaxial antenna and Ethernet port facing down. Three HDMI and two USB ports ensure flexibility in connections with one of the HDMI ports supporting ARC. Other inputs include Earphone, AV, and Optical ports. The TV supports a 300 x 300 VESA mount.

Fire TV OS makes the experience much more personal compared to other platforms with support for multiple profiles. With profile lock enabled with pin and age restrictions, it is easier to implement parental lock or even ensure that you don’t need to put up with content recommendations meant for someone else. Many of these features need to be set within your Amazon Prime app or website. The app library is quite extensive and you get plenty of apps in various genres to choose from. This is a straightforward interface without too many confusing tabs. The TV supports Miracast and Apple Airplay.

Xiaomi doesn’t divulge the details of its panels, but The 60 Hz refresh rate is not really for gamers. However, it doesn’t disappoint with fast action films like Top Gun: Maverick. Audio and image adjustments are few, and the audio modes don’t really make any significant changes to the output. Image and audio fine-tuning have to be done blindly without a reference image or audio being played. The TV supports 4K HDR content and offers Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X audio enhancements. Xiaomi’s Vivid Picture Engine is understood to enhance colour reproduction. The supplied remote is similar to the Fire TV remote and offers four shortcut buttons for Prime Video, Amazon Music, Netflix and Apps. There is also an Alexa voice assist button.

This Redmi Fire TV, being a budget offering, delivers exceptional visuals by those standards along with loud and clear audio with two speakers churning out 24W of sound output. The TV hides an equaliser within the Advanced Settings menu in case you need to fine-tune the audio. The panel seemed to have trouble bringing out details in shadows. We observed a general lack of contrast, especially in upscaled content but this is certainly not a deal-breaker for this telly. Most of the live news channels are broadcast over OTT in SD quality, and the upscaled content appeared quite satisfactory at normal viewing distances. UHD movies were rendered with excellent sharpness without going overboard with sharpening or colour rendition.

The Redmi Smart TV 4K is one of the most affordable 4K LED smart TVs in the market, and it delivers on all fronts including video and audio, considering the price tag attached to it. Fire TV OS makes this one of the best family televisions at this price range with the option to set profile-based content suggestions, filtering and parental controls. Being connected to your Amazon profile makes it easier to control these accessibility features. Ample connectivity options sweeten the deal.