Many have a feature-rich large TV in the bedroom, coming with an OLED screen. But many are also looking for a smaller option for the living room or even as a second TV. Redmi has a fantastic budget-friendly option. And it looks better than other TVs in its price range, no matter the content.
Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K 43-inch is the perfect combination of size and picture quality. Some months ago when Redmi Smart Fire TV 32 launched, the thought that many potential users had was why not a bigger size and why not 4K? Redmi has got it right with this TV which I have been using for a few weeks.
You get quite a few things with the TV. First, the Amazon Fire TV experience, Alexa, Apple AirPlay support… these are big things. Some prefer Android TV OS over Fire TV but it boils down to personal preference.
The first aspect to address is the retail packaging on which Redmi has F series written in big lettering. Of course, ‘F’ here stands for Fire TV. There is nothing unusual about the packaging and the size is perfect for getting it installed without help. All you need is a screwdriver and 10 minutes of patience. A quibble: On the box are two large metal stapler pins on each side. It’s tough to take it out and can be a hazard if the user is not careful. In case you are getting help from the service centre, then it’s not an issue.
The TV runs on Fire TV OS, which is snappy
Inside the box are two decent plastic stands with glossy finish. These need to be screwed on to the TV. Also included are two AAA batteries and, of course, a power cable. The remote is well-designed and has a few extra buttons over a usual Redmi TV remote. There is the Alexa button on the top and a mute button. Plus, you get volume up-down buttons, shortcut keys for Prime videos, for Netflix, for Amazon music and apps. It’s a compact arrangement.
Good build and design
For the price, Redmi has done well in the design department. The bezels are thin and the frame is made of metal, giving the TV a premium look. The length between the two stands is 35 inches, which makes it perfect for almost any table in the house.
The back panel is well built and designed. Most of the ports are on the side while some are below. On the left is the power input port. In the way of ports, there is USB-A, headphone jack, three HDMI ports and a second USB-A while at the bottom are ethernet, optical AV composite and antenna. The AV composite port will help those who have old setup boxes that lack HDMI output. All the HDMI ports on this TV are HDMI 2.1 and HDMI 2 supports Arc, so you can connect it to your home theatre system or soundbar for digital audio output.
The bezels are thin and look premium
Powering the TV is quad-core Cortex A55 while the panel you get offers a resolution of 3,840x2,160. There is 8GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. In terms of Bluetooth support, it’s version 5.0 while sound output is 24W with Dolby support and DTS Virtual: X.
Smooth operator
In case you haven’t used Fire TV before, the interface is snappy and you won’t have to wait long for any of the apps to load. It’s very interactive and there is support for all the apps, including Apple TV+, besides Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar. Having used Fire TV Stick for many years, I have never faced any issues even when it comes to updates. There are several games available for download but I rarely play them because these are too simple.
There is also the option to setup user profiles. That way you can separate the app layout according to personal preferences. It also helps when there is a kid at home and you can set up an account with parental guidance.
The question is whether 8GB of storage is too little. For many users, it’s enough but if you are the kind of person who has subscribed to a large number of services, well, you have to be careful about downloads. Even though it’s a Redmi TV, you don’t get the Patchwall experience on it because this TV is meant to showoff everything that’s cool about Fire TV OS.
There are enough ports to keep all users happy
It’s a 4K TV and supports HDR while images look bright and vivid. It’s a 60Hz panel and streams full 4K 60fps without any lag. I like the level of blacks. Even though it’s not the best, I don’t mind watching content on this Redmi offering. There are several picture modes — Standard, Movie, Dynamic, Sport and Eco. My favourite is Movie mode because of the picture depth and I tweaked the backlight level a bit to make it fit the lighting conditions in my room. There is motion smoothening, which gives moving objects a fluid effect, and it’s well-balanced. Also, when viewed from an angle, pictures remain crisp and colour accurate. One of the benefits of the Fire TV OS is how well it presents Amazon Prime.
Should you buy it?
Having support for Alexa means you can make the TV play from a well-stocked music library. The speakers are loud and crisp with dialogues coming through clearly. You may wonder who this TV is for. I can use it as a second television. The main TV in my house is bigger and it’s meant for watching sports or films during weekends. But I don’t mind having a second TV, maybe in the kitchen or in my home office. For gaming, there is low latency mode but it’s not a feature I tried out. As a plug-and-play option, things can’t get simpler than this. The TV’s clean design and highly accessible OS make it win brownie points. If budget is constrained, this is a fantastic option that delivers top-notch audio-visual treatment.
The remote is compact with all the popular buttons
At a glance
Device: Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K 43
Price: Rs 25,499
High notes
Plug-and-play TV
4K delivery at a great price
Excellent interface
Good quality speaker
Muffled note
Packaging box design could be better
