How to watch movies on Xiaomi TV: all the ways to watch movies USB streamingly

Xiaomi TVs with Android operating system TV Google TV offer dozens of ways to watch movies - from the classic USB drive to streaming in 4K HDR But not all users know how to make the most of their Mi. TV, Especially when it comes to models without built-in Google Play Store (for example, Mi). TV 4A for the Chinese market or for codec problems DTS.

In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to watch movies on Xiaomi TV, from the simplest to the most advanced, including bypassing regional restrictions and optimizing picture quality. MIUI TV, which are not available on TVs of other brands: for example, the built-in player with support for Dolby Vision on Mi models TV Q2 You'll also learn how to avoid common mistakes like "File is not supported" or "No sound when playingΒ».

1. Viewing films from USB-flash drive or external hard disk

The most reliable way is to connect the drive to the port USB 2.0/3.0 Xiaomi supports the file system FAT32, exFAT and NTFS (firmware MIUI TV 3.0+). But there are nuances:

  • πŸ“ File format:.mp4,.mkv,.avi,.mov (see the full list in the table below).
  • πŸ”Š Codecs: H.264, H.265 (HEVC), VP9. Problems arise with DTS β€” sound may be absent.
  • πŸ“ Permission: up to 4K@60fps Mi models TV Q1E and higher. 1080p on the budget Mi TV 4S.
  • ⚑ Nutrition: external HDD require additional supply of food (USB-powerhouse).

To open the file:

  1. Connect the flash drive to the port USB back-screen.
  2. Open the File Manager app in the Xiaomi menu.
  3. Click on the file and the built-in Mi Video Player will start.

The flash drive is formatted in exFAT or NTFS (file-wise >4GB)|

Film not in.iso or.img format (not supported)|

Connected. HDD ce USB-powered by a powerhouse (if the capacity is >1TB)|

File resolution (not exceeding TV capability)

-->

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi TVs with firmware for the Chinese market (CN ROM) built-in player can block the playback of files with subtitles in.srt format. The solution is to install a third-party player (for example, VLC) through APK.

2. streaming Wi-Fi movies from a computer or laptop

If you have a movie on a PC, you can stream it to a TV without wires.

  • πŸ–₯️ DLNA/UPnP β€” built-in function in Windows (via "Multimedia StreamingΒ»).

Instructions for DLNA:

  1. On PC, enable streaming: Control Panel β†’ Network and Internet β†’ Multimedia streaming.
  2. Add a folder of movies to the Windows Media Player library.
  3. On the TV, open the Media app (or Mi Media Center).
  4. Select your computer from the list of devices and find the desired file.

For Plex:

  1. Install Plex Media Server on your PC.
  2. Add the movie folders to the library.
  3. On your TV, install the Plex app from Google Play (or via Google Play). APK Chinese models).
  4. Sign in and select the movie to watch.

DLNA (Windows-based)|

Plex or Emby|

Kodi with extensions|

Application side (LocalCast, BubbleUPnP)|

I don't stream.-->

⚠️ Note: When reproducing through DLNA Xiaomi TVs can β€œhang” on files with a bitrate above 50 Mbit / s. The solution is to reduce the quality in the server settings or use Plex with transcoding.

3. View from a smartphone to a Xiaomi TV

If you download a movie on a phone (Xiaomi, iPhone or something else), you can quickly transfer it to the big screen.

MethodRequired.Max. Quality.Delay.
Miracast (Screen Mirroring)Wi-Fi, Miracast support on your phone1080p@30fps200-500 ms.
Google Cast (Chromecast)App with support for Cast (YouTube, VLC)4K@60fps50-200 ms.
Xiaomi Share (Mi Share)Xiaomi smartphone with MIUI 12+1080p100-300 ms.
HTTP-server (e.g., Servers Ultimate)App on the phone + browserOriginalDepends on the network.

The most common option is Google Cast:

  1. Connect your phone and TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Open the movie in the app that supports Cast (for example, VLC or MX Player).

For Miracast:

  1. On your smartphone: turn on Screen Mirroring (in Xiaomi: Settings) β†’ Connection and sharing β†’ Wireless display).

πŸ’‘

If artifacts appear when broadcasting through Miracast, reduce the resolution of the smartphone screen to 720p in the developer settings (Settings) β†’ The phone. β†’ Version. MIUI β€” tap 7 times).

4.Use of cloud services and streaming platforms

Xiaomi TVs on Android TV Supports most popular services:

  • 🎬 Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video – Dolby Vision and Atmos support (on Mi models) TV Q2 75" and newer).
  • πŸŽ₯ YouTube, Twitch - Up to resolution 4K.
  • ☁️ Google Drive, Yandex Drive – to view personal files.
  • 🌍 IVI**, Okko, Kion – Russian services with local content.

How to install the application:

  1. Open the Google Play Store on your TV.
  2. Find the right app (like Netflix).
  3. Click "Install" and wait until it is completed.
  4. Launch the application and log in.

If Google Play is not available (Chinese firmware):

  1. Download. APK-application file on a flash drive (for example, from the APKPure website).
  2. Connect the flash drive to the TV.
  3. Open the Files** and install it. APK, Allow installation from unknown sources in security settings.
How to get around the regional restrictions on Xiaomi TV?
On Xiaomi TVs with Chinese firmware (CN ROM) Many services (Netflix, Disney)+) Solutions: 1. Change region on Google Play: Create a new Google account with VPN (For example, USA) and log in to TV. 2. VPN-Program: for example, Windscribe or ProtonVPN via APK. 3.Use Smart DNS: In the settings of the TV network, write DNS Unlocator or SmartDNS. ⚠️ Risk: Some methods may violate the rules of the services (for example, Netflix blocks the use of the services). VPN).

5. Viewing movies from your hard drive through network storage (NAS)

If you have NAS (for example, Synology or QNAP), It can be connected to a Xiaomi TV to access the media library:

  • πŸ“¦ Centralized storage of movies without connecting flash drives.
  • πŸ”„ Automatic library updates.
  • 🎡 Metadata support (covers, descriptions).

Configure via Kodi:

  1. Install Kodi on your TV (available on Google Play).
  2. Go to Settings β†’ File Manager β†’ Add source.
  3. Show the way to NAS: smb://IP_yours_NAS/film-file.
  4. Enter the login/password from NAS (if required).
  5. Add the source to the video library.

For Plex:

  1. Configure Plex Media Server on the NAS.
  2. Install Plex on the TV.
  3. Sign in to one account – your library will be available on TV.

πŸ’‘

Use of the NAS Xiaomi TV allows you not only to watch movies, but also to organize a full-fledged media library with sorting by genres, actors and years - like Netflix, but with your content.

6. Solving problems with reproduction

Frequent errors and their correction:

Problem.Reason.Decision
"File is not supported"Inappropriate codec (e.g, DTS-HD MA)Install. VLC or MX Player with support for all codecs
No sound.A film with a soundtrack DTS or TrueHDRecode the sound into AAC or AC3 via HandBrake
Reproduction jerksLow speed. USB 2.0 or a weak TV processorUse it. USB 3.0 or reduce the bitrate of the file
"Not enough memory."The file weighs >4GB FAT32Format the flash drive in exFAT or NTFS
Application not installedChinese firmware without Google PlayInstall. APK File Commander or Send Files to TV

If the TV can't see the flash drive:

  1. Check the file system format (should be) exFAT/NTFS file-wise >4GB).
  2. Connect the flash drive to another port USB.
  3. Restart the TV: Settings β†’ Device β†’ Reboot.
  4. Update the firmware: Settings β†’ On TV. β†’ Updating the system.
How to check supported codecs on your Xiaomi TV?
1. Install the app AIDA64 from Google Play. 2. Go to Multimedia β†’ Codecs. 3. See lists of supported videos (H.264, VP9) audio (AC3, E-AC3) 4. if your film uses an unsupported codec (e.g., codec, DTS-X), Recode it through HandBrake or use an external player like VLC.

7. Optimization of image and sound quality

To make the movie look and sound better:

  • πŸ”Š Sound mode: turn on Dolby Audio or DTS Virtual:X (available on Mi) TV Q2 newer).

How to enable Dolby Vision (for supported models):

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Display and Sound β†’ Image Mode.
  2. Select Dolby Vision (available for the HDR10+ content).
  3. Make sure that the source (such as Netflix) also supports Dolby Vision.

To improve sound without a subwoofer:

  1. Open the settings β†’ Sound β†’ Equator.
  2. Select Preset "Cinema"** or manually adjust (increase low frequencies on the +3 dB).
  3. Turn it on. DTS Virtual:X for surround sound.

πŸ’‘

On Xiaomi TVs with AMLOGIC processor (e.g., Mi) TV P1) The built-in player automatically optimizes the color gamut for HDR-content, but for the full effect of Dolby Vision requires a source with metadata (for example, movies from Disney)+ Apple TV+).

FAQ: Frequent questions

Can I watch movies in the 4K Xiaomi TV through USB?
Yes, but with reservations: Model Mi TV Q1E, Q2, P1 support 4K@60fps through USB 3.0. Budgetary models (Mi) TV 4A, 4S) limited 1080p. The file must be encoded in H.265 (HEVC) or VP9. If the video is β€œslowing”, try: Connect the flash drive to the port USB 3.0 (Transcode the file to HandBrake with bitrate 20–30 Mbit/s.
Why Xiaomi? TV no sound when playing MKV?
Reason: 90% Incidentally, a soundtrack in format DTS or TrueHD, which is not supported by the built-in player. VLC or MX Player from Google Play (they support Google Play) DTS). Recode the sound into AAC or AC3 via FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c:v copy -c:a aac -b:a 320k output.mkv If you use Kodi, install the codec DTS It's in the player settings. TV Q2 The new built-in player supports DTS, but may require firmware updates.
How to watch movies from torrents on Xiaomi TV?
Direct viewing of torrents on TV is possible through: 🌐 WebTorrent (for example, FrostWire for Android) TV). πŸ–₯️ Transmission + Plex: Download torrents to NAS Or PC, and then stream on TV. ☁️ Cloud Torrent: Some cloud services (such as Put.io) allow you to download torrents to a remote server and watch through a browser on TV. ⚠️ Note: Installation of torrent clients through APK On Chinese models, Xiaomi may block access to Google Play due to security policy. VPN anonymously.
What are Xiaomi models? TV Supports Dolby Vision and Atmos?
Full support (Dolby Vision + Dolby Atmos): Mi TV Q2 55"/65"/75" (2021–2023). Mi TV P1 55"/65" (2021). Mi TV Q1E 55"/65" (2022). Xiaomi TV A Pro 55"/65" (2023). Partial support (Dolby Audio only, no Vision): Mi TV 4S 55" (2020). Mi TV 4A 43" (without HDR). Check support on your model: Open Settings β†’ On TV. β†’ Specifications. Look for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
How to update firmware on Xiaomi TV support for new formats?
Updating the firmware can add support for new codecs (for example, AV1 model 2023 Instruction: Automatically: Settings β†’ On TV. β†’ Updating the system β†’ Manual: Download the firmware for your model from Xiaomi's official website. Place the file update.zip The root of the flash drive (formatted in FAT32). Connect the flash drive to the TV and select Settings β†’ On TV. β†’ Updating the system β†’ Local Update. ⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the update process - this can lead to a "brick" of the TV. If the TV does not turn on after the update, try resetting via Reset (button on the back panel).