Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition: TV with technological power

This Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition is gorgeous. When you have it in front of you it is much more attractive than in the photographs, but it is not just a pretty face. At least not for Xiaomi. The Chinese company unveiled it in the middle of the summer of last year to celebrate its first decade of existence, and its managers have never hidden that for them this television is a palpable demonstration of its technological capacity.

And it is that this is a premium TV in every rule. It is because of its OLED panel and its finish, but, above all, because of its spectacular design. And also for its price, which is much higher than that of the other 55-inch televisions of this brand (it costs 49,999 yuan, which if we make the direct conversion approximately $7600).

The price of Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition is 49,999 yuan which is equivalent to $7619.

Although Xiaomi is not going to officially put it on sale in Europe whoever wants to get one can get it without too much difficulty on the internet. Of course, it will not be cheap because at its high price you will have to add shipping and import taxes. If you want to find out whether or not it is worth it, and, above all, what makes it special, you just have to read a little more.

Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition: technical specifications

This Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition is spectacularly beautiful and is very well finished

We cannot offer you an in-depth analysis because we have not been able to test it either for the time necessary to prepare it or in the ideal space, but we trust that this article will help you to form a precise idea about what this television really offers us. Although we have not been able to confirm it, we are reasonably sure that the OLED panel of this television has a transparency index of approximately 38%

As you can see in the following image, its OLED panel is not completely transparent, although it is possible to see through it without any difficulty. LG presented in mid-2019 an OLED panel with a transparency index of 38%, so, although we have not been able to confirm it, we are reasonably sure that the matrix of this Xiaomi TV has a very similar transparency.

As you can see in the following photograph, the frames that protect the margins of the panel are thin and are machined from aluminium. I think Xiaomi was right choosing this finish for the frame because it fits beautifully with the semi-transparency of the panel.

The lower frame is noticeably bulkier, but it does not detract from the careful aesthetics of this television. And, in addition, it makes sense that this frame is wider because it offers the necessary rigidity so that the panel is anchored in a robust way to the central base. We will delve into it a little later.

The following detail photograph clearly reflects that we are unequivocally before an OLED television. If this were not the case, the panel could not be so thin because it would have to work side by side with an LED backlighting system.

This very small thickness and the transparency of the panel are largely responsible for the imposing aesthetic presence of this television. Of course, its slenderness has a price: to handle it safely it is advisable to grasp it by the base because if we exert pressure on the panel we could damage it.

The central base is solid and bulky enough to guarantee the stability of the panel even if we accidentally hit it a little. Its top cover is finished in a very well machined aluminium sheet. However, this base is not only responsible for ensuring the stability of the panel; Inside it resides the electronics of the television, and, in addition, it also incorporates the speakers and class D amplification transistors.

In the following detail photo we can see how Xiaomi has solved the connectivity of this Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition. These connectors reside on the back of the stand, and, curiously, like other Chinese televisions, it only offers us three HDMI sockets, and not four, which is usual for a 55-inch or larger television.

Of course, one of them, the one labeled ‘HDMI 3’, is capable of carrying 2160p signals with a cadence of 120 Hz, so it implements the HDMI 2.1 standard, although we have not been able to confirm if its support is complete, and therefore, it also enables VRR and ALLM technologies.

The quality of its panel is high, but its transparency entails weak points

To put this TV to the test, we do not hesitate to take our already essential Xbox Series X to the Xiaomi offices. And alongside it, some of our reference 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc movies, and also some games for the Microsoft console.

The following photos are intentionally a little dark because we want them to reflect the quality of the panel as accurately as possible, even if this means that the room appears somewhat dark.

This television reproduces color in a very convincing way (according to Xiaomi it offers us a coverage of 93% of the DCI-P3 color space), and has a saturation level similar to that proposed by LG’s OLED televisions. In addition, the calibration that the factory proposes to us is very careful, although if I had had more time to test it I would have tried to get more out of it (it will be again).

Interestingly, Xiaomi’s movement processing has a good level. It doesn’t match the performance of high-end TVs from Sony and Panasonic, which in my opinion are the best resolution of shake, but it’s not bad at all.

And when it comes to response time and viewing angles, it’s a true-to-life OLED TV. Its 1 ms response helps you keep motion blur under control in all circumstances, and color perception does not degrade even when looking at the panel from a very heeled angle.

Its overall image quality seems remarkable to me, which shows that the image processing that Xiaomi engineers have set up is very solvent. However, in my opinion, this television has two weak points that make it ill-advised for moviegoers who seek greater immersion in audiovisual content, and also for those who are not willing to give up an outstanding image.

You can see both defects in most of the photographs that illustrate this article, and they are largely caused by the transparency of the panel. The first of these is that it is very sensitive to reflections, which are present even when ambient light is scarce.

And the second is that the panel allows you to see dimly through it even when it is restoring images. This effect in my opinion distracts and reduces the subjective level of detail, so the immersion in the content we are playing is negatively affected. It is the price to pay for having such an attractive panel.

It feels comfortable with the games and it does not sound but that nothing bad

My feelings during the minutes that I was able to use this television with games were satisfactory. I can’t give you a precise latency figure, but I’m pretty sure it’s somewhat slower than some of its competitors’ televisions ( the best in this area flirt with latency that hovers in the orbit of 15ms, or, even less). Still, its latency is low enough not to be a problem.

OLED TVs have in their favor with games their very low response time, which moves in all of them in the orbit of 1 ms, so the motion blur is negligible. The game you can see in the following photo is ‘Ori and the Will of the Wisps’, a small wonder that worth trying if you have an Xbox One, or better yet an Xbox X or S Series.

When it comes to sound, this TV delivers. Its audio quality is not exciting because the bass does not have a remarkable punch and its dynamic capacity is limited, but it manages to reach a significant sound pressure level without distortion getting out of hand. Another point in its favour is that the sound scene generated by its four speakers is wide. Even so, I would accompany it with a good soundbar, or, better still, with a dedicated multichannel audio equipment.

It is beautiful, yes, but it is not a television for all audiences

If we stick to its design, this television is irresistible. As I mentioned in the first lines of the article, when you have it in front of you you realize that it is much more beautiful than in the photos. And this is a very clear point in its favour. Furthermore, as we have seen, it is impeccably finished, and its overall image quality is high. Even its sound is reasonably convincing, although it is a good idea to improve it with a soundbar or dedicated multi-channel equipment.

Its clearest weaknesses are the two that I mentioned a few paragraphs above: reflections and their semi-transparency when we reproduce content. If we weigh what it gives us and what it takes away from us, I think the most reasonable conclusion we can reach is that this TV is an interesting option for those who place great importance on design and sophistication, but I would not recommend it. who, above all, prioritizes image quality and content immersion.

Of course, what we cannot deny Xiaomi is the merit it has to risk as it has done with this TV in a market that traditionally suffers from excessive conservatism.