The Xiaomi TV A2 is the latest budget television from the Chinese brand. It's very similar to last year's P1, with mostly the same TV viewing experience, and a slightly larger 58-inch screen option. The A2 is also launching at a similar S$799 price. But seeing as Xiaomi has marked down the P1 to S$649, there's a case for the older model if you want to save a bit more.
Quick specs
- 4K resolution with HLG, HDR10, and Dolby Vision
- 2x HDMI ports, 1x HDMI eARC port
- Comes in 32″ (HD resolution), 43″, and 58″ (tested) sizes
- Android TV platform with Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in
The A2 looks similar to the P1, from the TV feet to the near bezel-less design. Except that the A2 is a bit larger at 58 inches, up from 55 inches for the P1. Xiaomi says the A2 comes with a metal frame with an unibody design. The latter is basically a single piece of plastic covering the back. You'll get the usual (for this price range) three HDMI ports, one of which is an eARC port for your soundbar. I definitely recommend getting a cheapish one because the stereo built-in speakers are, as you'd expect, severely lacking in bass, and sound hollow and thin. Overall, the build quality is decent.
Out of the box, the A2 looks too saturated (with the Movie preset) for my liking. The greens and reds are too vivid, especially when watching football. You should play around with the picture modes (Standard, Vivid, Sport, and Movie), and tweak the picture settings accordingly. HDR10 and Dolby Vision content look pretty decent for a S$800 TV. But the A2 isn't bright enough to give HDR content that visual impact — the colours do look more accurate here. As you'd expect from an LED TV like the A2, the blacks are more greyish. However, there's almost no blooming from the subtitles, and other bright light sources. I also didn't notice too much banding or dirty screen effect. Colours, though, look more washed out if you view the TV from the sides. Despite the TV's 60Hz refresh rate, I don't recommend using its unnatural-looking motion smoothing feature.
From what I can tell, the A2 uses the same processor as the P1. Navigating its Android TV interface was mostly smooth. Apps opened promptly enough, and didn't crash. Overall, it was a more pleasant experience than the sluggish Xiaomi TV Q1E. I did encounter some stutter while playing HDR content on a couple of occasions, but that was resolved by restarting the TV. Xiaomi's PatchWall feature, which offers custom, personalised content recommendations, isn't available in Singapore. You do get Xiaomi TV+, which offers free streaming content from the likes of Rakuten Viki, and YG TV. The Google Assistant also worked well with the included Bluetooth remote control, which supports voice input. And of course, you'll find plenty of apps in the Google Play Store.
At S$799 for the 58-inch model, the Xiaomi TV A2 is firmly in the budget TV camp. I would say, out of the box, the picture settings for the A2 need a bit of tweaking, but HDR content, while lacking brightness, looks good for the price you're paying here. The user experience here is very similar to the P1, which is a good thing since the Xiaomi TV Q1E was disappointing. It's not the best TV for gaming, given its 60Hz refresh rate, and lack of a game mode. But for everything else, the A2 is a good option if you're looking for a budget TV. Get it now from Shopee and Lazada.
Note: Review unit provided by Xiaomi.
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