This Chinese RGB LED TV Is Super Affordable, But You Won't Find One Anytime Soon

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The Chinese company Xiaomi has made waves across the globe in recent months. The manufacturer built its reputation on its line of Redmi phones (budget smartphones that generally stand toe-to-toe with Apple and Samsung) before branching out to other devices. One of the company's latest products is a budget TV that, like the Redmi phones, punches above its price point, but currently it's limited to the company's home country.

Much like how Xiaomi recently started selling EVs, the company is now manufacturing smart TVs. Xiaomi's latest mass-produced monitor, an RGB LED known as the Redmi TV X Mini LED, went on sale earlier this week, but only in China. The televisions come in 55, 65, 75, and 85 inches. Prices, meanwhile, start at 2,705 Chinese Yuan (404.20) for the 55-inch model and go up to 5,293 Yuan ($790.93) for the 85-inch version. Just keep in mind that exchange rates can fluctuate wildly and rapidly.

The title says the Redmi TV X Mini LED is super affordable, but how affordable is super? Let's look at several potential rivals. For starters, a 55" Hisense U6 Pro Series model normally costs $599.99 through Amazon. And then there's the Samsung 55" Class R85H, Micro RGB, which costs $1,099.99 through Best Buy. The price difference widens exponentially at larger sizes — an 85" Amazon Ember Mini LED currently costs $2,099.99. However, Insignia TVs give the Redmi TV a run for its money, as Best Buy sells the 55" Class F50 Series LED TV for $349.99 and the 85" Class QF Series QLED TV for $659.99.

In the spirit of fairness, the Redmi TV X Mini LED isn't Xiaomi's first foray into the smart TV rodeo. The company also makes the tautologically named Xiaomi TVs, which are more premium than the Redmi line. You also can't buy Xiaomi TVs stateside; they are currently restricted to China. But we could still use the Redmi over here.

Even though the Redmi TV uses only RGB LED technology, it still boasts impressive features. These include 4K resolution and a 180 Hz refresh rate that can jump to 360 Hz in dedicated gaming mode (TVs like the Samsung R85H cap out at 144 Hz). However, this gaming mode drops resolution to 1080p, which isn't a dealbreaker since many modern game consoles have quality modes that sacrifice resolution for framerates. Redmi TVs also have a few hundred dimming zones (sections of backlight that brighten and dim independently to improve contrast), starting at 432 in the 55-inch model and going up to 864 for the 85-inch one. Comparatively, the 85" Amazon Ember Mini LED only has 512 dimming zones.

Redmi TV features don't stop at just pure visual specs. Each model supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and while buyers should invest in soundbars or surround sound, the Redmi TV gets owners started with four Harman Karman speakers. If Xiaomi ever sells the Redmi TV outside China, we can add it to our list of the best budget smart TVs you can buy today.