Xiaomi MI TV P1 55-inch Hands-on

The MI TV P1 55-inch is the latest offering of Xiaomi in the TV market. It looks and feels premium from the get-go but does it have enough inside of it to compete in the crowded TV market in the country? Let’s find out.

At first glance, the MI TV P1 55 just looks premium. There are barely any bezels to see from any angle. You wouldn’t even notice that there are any bezels at all when watching content, or even when the TV is turned off. The only obvious bezel is the bottom chin with the very small Mi logo, the only thing that stands out. The top and side bezels are recessed, it’s like they’re below the screen which lends to the bezel-less look of the TV. Below is the LED indicator that barely lights up except when you turn the TV on. The body is made mostly of plastic but doesn’t look cheap at all. The screen is very glossy and just looking at the entire package, you would think it is a high-end TV.

The overall design is perfect for someone looking to add a TV that doesn’t stand out too much. It’s not the thinnest TV in the market but it isn’t chunky at all either.

At the back, there are 3 HDMI ports (1 HDMI eARC 2.1 and 2 HDMI 2.0), 2 USB 2.0 slots, and an auxiliary port. There is also an ethernet port and a slot for an antenna.

Found underneath are 2 tweeters and 2 woofers with Dolby Audio and DTS-HD support. The speakers do get loud but lack definition when watching movies. Listening to music gives you clear mids but the bass output is barely even there. I suggest purchasing the MI TV P1 55 with a soundbar to take full advantage of the TV.

For accessories, the MI TV P1 55 keeps it simple, it just comes with a wedge-shaped remote. The remote connects via Bluetooth and has dedicated buttons for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Assistant. It also has a built-in microphone for voice commands.

Powering the TV is Android 10, and as with any Android-powered TV, setup is super easy and straightforward. It guides you to connect to your WiFi and Google account to set up the TV even faster. The TV comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage out of the box, which gives you a lot of memory for your streaming apps.

Apps are fast to open and switching between them isn’t a problem either. I even tried game-streaming through the TV and it handled the 4K stream from my PC without any problems. I was impressed at how this TV powered through all the tasks I gave it.

The quality of the TV really punches above its weight class. The MI TV P1 55 really shows off that 4K UHD screen. Colors really pop off the screen and viewing angles are very decent too, up to 178-degrees. The upscaling of content from 1080P is really good. I streamed a couple of shows on Netflix that are 1080p as well as content from my computer that are low-res and the TV kept all that media crisp and clear.

What stood out for me with this TV are the black levels of content. Pictures don’t do justice to how well this TV handles blacks and contrast. OLED TVs give you the darkest and truest blacks among any kind of panel out there but the MI TV P1 55 really gives a strong fight when it comes to this category. Dark scenes and blacks are truly represented well here and it gives off that look that the TV is priced way higher than it is. This was the one standout feature for me on this TV.

Motion is handled great also if you are the type that wants this on a TV. Being just 60Hz, a lot of people who are looking for a high-refresh-rate TV would be disappointed, but at this price point, you would be hard-pressed to find another TV that handles motion interpolation this well. It also features HDR 10+ as well as Dolby Vision, so you’re good to go when it comes to technology with this TV.

At PHP 24,990USD 426INR 36,101EUR 406CNY 3,101 for this 55-inch model, the Xiaomi MI TV P1 55 is a steal for the picture quality that it produces. With a promo happening from September 30 to October 1 that pulls the price down to PHP 23,990USD 409INR 34,656EUR 389CNY 2,977 with a free soundbar, you can’t go wrong with this TV at all. The TV also has smaller-sized models that are available, from 32 to 50 inches. They are priced between PHP 10,990USD 187INR 15,876EUR 178CNY 1,364 to PHP 22,990USD 392INR 33,211EUR 373CNY 2,853 and will also be on sale beginning September 30.

With a design that screams premium and understated, internals that makes the TV snappy, and a panel that just gives you such a great picture quality, the MI TV P1 55 is one TV you shouldn’t ignore. The price to performance ratio can’t be beaten in my opinion and you’d be hard-pressed to find a TV in this segment that offers this much in such a beautiful package.

The Xiaomi MI TV P1 55 is available at Lazada and Shopee.