The new OLED Vision TV 55 isn’t really Xiaomi’s first rodeo into the premium league of smart televisions, but certainly one of the most notable. The OLED TV segment is an area which is dominated by LG, but thanks to its sticker price of Rs 90k, Xiaomi’s offering is the most affordable one yet. Let’s take a closer gander.
In case you didn’t know, OLED TVs use self-illuminating pixels instead of the backlit ones used by LED and QLED TVs. This basically means you can get absolute blacks and generally better contrast levels on OLED displays, since the pixels are capable of switching off completely. The OLED Vision TV from Xiaomi is the brand’s first OLED offering in the country, and as of now, is only available in the 55-inch display size.
Design-wise, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV bears sedate and minimalistic looks, at least when viewed from a slight distance. Come close and you can appreciate the slim bezels that surround the display. Xiaomi branding is visible in the centre, below the screen. At 4.6mm, the TV panel is extremely slim too, and the metal frame accentuates the premium feel. Xiaomi includes metal legs inside the box, but you do have the option of mounting it on the wall if you wish… with the requisite mount available separately.
While you get dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 for wireless connectivity, Xiaomi has provided the usual selection of ports for wired connections as well. Three HDMI (one with eARC support), two USB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack are placed on the side, while an Ethernet port, optical, AV and antenna ports are located towards the rear.
The 55-inch display, of course, is the headlining aspect of this smart TV. Bearing 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) resolution, the OLED panel boasts Dolby Vision IQ which adjusts screen brightness based on ambient light. Apart from Dolby Vision, there’s support for HDR 10+ and HLG as well. Xiaomi hasn’t supplied peak brightness levels, but this is a 10-bit panel that covers 98.5 percent of the DCI-P3 colour space. What does come as a bit of a bummer is that there’s no variable refresh rate support, and this is a 60Hz panel you get. That might not really be a deal-breaker unless you’re a gamer though. The device Xiaomi does include certifications from TUV Rheinland for blue light emissions and IMAX Enhanced for an immersive viewing experience though.
And sure enough, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV does offer nice and crisp visuals that pop and make your telly-viewing experience immersive and a whole lot of fun. The difference in image quality as compared to a regular LED TV is immense… the colours here are vivid and the blacks are really black. You can fine-tune the display via the device settings and tweak various aspects to suit your preferences. Xiaomi even provides a panel refresh option to prevent OLED burn-in. Not just that, the OLED Vision TV offers 30w sound from its 8 speakers, which support Dolby Atmos and churn out loud, rich sound. Suffice it to say that for most intents and purposes, you won’t need to hook up a soundbar to this TV, and the overall experience of watching your fave movies and TV shows on it is quite nice. Other features include an auto low latency mode that kicks in when a gaming console is connected, far-field mics for ‘ok Google’ voice detection, and motion smoothing.
Powered by a quad-core A73 chip which comes along with 3 gigs of RAM and 32GB storage, the overall usage is smooth and free of lag. Software-wise, you get Android 11, and just like all Xiaomi TVs, you get the option of using Android TV or the brand’s own PatchWall. The remote has dedicated keys for both of these. PatchWall offers access to a ton of curated content, a bunch of features that make content discovery simpler, features like universal search and other goodies that make it a great interface for a smart TV. Of special mention is the ability to search content across different streaming platforms by genre, actor, formats like 4K and Dolby Vision, and even IMDB ratings.
The remote is a standard Xiaomi affair, with keys to access Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar. It’s compact and quite intuitive to use, except that Xiaomi hasn’t included a mute button. You can double press the volume down key to mute the TV, but that isn’t as intuitive or convenient as having a dedicated mute key.
Verdict
First things first. If you’re on the fence about making the leap to OLED, let me tell you that it does seem worth it… judging by my experience with the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV. Carrying a sticker price of Rs 89,999, the Xiaomi OLED Vision 55-inch can actually be had for as low as Rs 83,999 after applying bank offers. This makes it the most affordable 55-inch OLED TV in the country. While that doesn’t automatically make it a worthy choice, the fact is that in typical Xiaomi fashion, the TV does bring a lot to the table (or the wall, as the case may be). While a higher refresh rate panel would have been preferable and helped make it a more compelling choice, especially for gamers, the TV scores high in most other aspects. And if you’re ready to make the jump to OLED, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV should work out to be a reasonable choice.
Editor’s rating: 4 / 5
Pros:
- Slim bezels
- Good picture and audio quality
- Smooth performance
- Decent pricing
Cons:
- Only 60Hz refresh rate
- Remote lacks mute key
