Xiaomi’s played a critical role in democratizing the Indian smart TV segment since its first TVs launched back in 2018, and the brand is back to doing what it knows best – bringing hitherto inaccessible TV tech to the masses. With the X Pro QLED series, Xiaomi’s brought QLED TVs to a competitive price point, but is there a catch, and how does the TV hold up in everyday use?
Sporting an aluminum body, a thin metallic strip below the panel and a thin near-bezel-less design, the X Pro QLED inherits the good looks from Xiaomi’s previous (and more premium) QLED models, and the effect is rather sleek and premium even as the price point for the 55-inch model dips below the fifty-thousand mark. There’s a 43-inch and a 65-inch variant as well.
In terms of connectivity, the TV offers a good range of options, including three HDMI ports (one of which supports eARC) for HD set top boxes and gaming consoles, two USB ports, an Ethernet and an AV port, a headphone jack, and a legacy antenna port. The remote too follows the minimalist theme of the TV, skipping a dedicated mute button, though it adds quick-access buttons for Sony Liv and Apps in addition to the Netflix/Prime/Hotstar and YouTube buttons.
Once the TV is setup, you get a choice of using the Xiaomi PatchWall interface or the Google TV platform, and both work smoothly. The new feature on offer is the Xiaomi TV+ feature which allows you free access to 200 free live TV channels. For those hunting for content across platforms, the Universal Search feature makes short work of searching the right OTT services to watch what you’re looking for. Performance wise, the 4K QLED panel ups the display ante when compared to competing LED models, and it packs in Dolby Vision and HDR10 support for good measure. Colors are punchy, picture quality is excellent with crisp and clear visuals, and even darker scenes are handled well. Both in terms of brightness and contrast levels, it’s a serious step up from the previous LED X Series and some of the peers in this price segment. Even the audio was surprisingly good, with the 30W dual speakers pushing out clear, distortion-free audio. In all, the X Pro QLED series delivers a solid home theater experience for the price and is an easy product to recommend.
Rating: 8/10
Price: Rs. 49,999 (55-inch)