Makes an older TV smart. The popular Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen is cheaper again after a price increase

Rising memory prices are affecting the prices of phones and notebooks this year, and cheap TV boxes are no exception. The popular Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen gradually climbed from 1,599 CZK to 1,990 CZK, but now it’s cheaper again. With code ALZADNY10, you can buy it on Alza for 1,791 CZK instead of 1,990 CZK and get Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ in 4K on your older TV or projector.

Quick summary:
✅ It’s worth it if you want to enable streaming services in 4K with HDR on an older TV or projector and control them via Google TV.
⚠️ Keep in mind that the box only has 2 GB RAM, a USB 2.0 port, and lacks Ethernet.
💡 For 1,791 CZK, you get a box that we rated 85% in our review, and Alza customers gave 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Back under 1,800 CZK after price increase

The box previously sold for 1,599 CZK, but its price gradually rose to 1,990 CZK. The price increase is likely due to expensive memory chips, which are causing rising prices across the entire electronics market this year. Now, with code ALZADNY10, it costs 1,791 CZK, which is 199 CZK less than before the promotion. While it’s still 192 CZK short of the original 1,599 CZK, you no longer have to overpay the full price. Alza has the box in stock.

Last autumn, we thoroughly tested the Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen in a review and named it the best cheap streaming box under two thousand crowns. The box did not exceed this limit even after the price increase, and with the code, it has now moved further away from it.

What can the box do with picture and sound?

You connect the box to HDMI, and your TV gets the Google TV system with apps like Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Apple TV, or Prime Video. The box plays 4K at 60 frames per second with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and if you have a soundbar or receiver, it sends audio in Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. You can cast video from your phone via Google Cast and search for movies by voice using Google Assistant on the remote.

Inside, a 6nm quad-core processor with a clock speed of up to 2.5 GHz operates, which, according to Xiaomi, is 25% more powerful than in the second generation, and the graphics are even 130% more powerful. The storage is 32 GB, and in our test, after deducting the system, about 25 GB remained for applications. Connectivity is provided by Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, the box measures 97 × 97 × 17 mm and easily disappears behind the TV.

Snappy for Netflix, weaker for a large movie library

The box is sufficient for streaming from services, but in our review, we also encountered its limitations. The 2 GB of RAM is borderline, and when switching between multiple applications or in players like Kodi and Plex, the box can occasionally freeze. With very demanding 4K files with high bitrates, we also experienced stuttering in Kodi.

An Ethernet port is also missing; you can only connect a cable via a USB 2.0 adapter, and the speed then stays around 300–350 Mb/s. This is sufficient for 4K streaming, but less so for copying large files from home storage. It’s also important to note that the box may go to sleep with the TV due to HDMI CEC, preventing you from casting video from your phone to it. And Xiaomi has historically not excelled at fast updates.

Nine out of ten customers recommend it on Alza

Buyers on Alza give it 4.6 out of 5 stars from 268 ratings, and 90% of them recommend the box. Over 10,000 units have been sold, there are 86 written reviews, and the return rate remains low at 0.5%, which is pleasing for affordable electronics.

When to opt for something else?

If you have a newer smart TV that handles streaming apps itself, the box probably won’t offer much, unless its system is slow or lacks the apps you use. Anyone who runs a home storage full of 4K movies and an expensive sound system will encounter memory and connectivity limits and would be better off with a more powerful box.

Who will benefit from the box for 1,791 CZK?

The Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen will be especially appreciated by those who want to revitalize an older TV, projector, or a second screen in the bedroom and watch streaming services in 4K without buying new equipment. For 1,791 CZK with code ALZADNY10, it’s a reasonable offer again after the previous price increase, even if it hasn’t reached the earlier 1,599 CZK. If your main concern is Netflix, YouTube, and similar services, we believe you’d be hard-pressed to find a better box for similar money.

Do you watch series via a separate box, or is the TV’s built-in system enough for you?