If you want anything in 4k, get the SHIELD. Otherwise the MiBox will probably be fine.

Personally I sold my Mi Box to buy a second Nexus.

If the Shield fits in your budget, go with that. It may seem like overkill, but it's the one and only device where I never hear anybody complaining about performance.

If you're not going to host your Plex server on it, there's no reason to get the Pro. The base model goes for $170 without the game controller, and can be had on sale as low as $150. I've seen refurbed units go for $130 from time to time.

Mi Box for 1080p, no gaming

Shield for 4k, gaming

I've just got a Mi Box for Kodi and IPTV and works super well, cheap and good, i like it and recommend it

Best Kodi implementation:

LibreELEC Kodi Krypton on the MINIX U9-H (AMLogic S912) because Kodi will be highly optimised and bug busted, all Kodi's features (inc. auto SDR / 4K HDR) will work properly in a hassle free manner (vs Android Kodi) and the device will not overheat due to proper thermal cooling compared to other S912's.

Best for IPTV, especially once you move outside of the USA, where there is better International Apps support:

Apple TV 4K because it actually has auto proper frame rate matching support across the entire OS for all Apps. 25 fps / 50Hz frame rate matching support is needed for International usage in the UK, Europe, Australia, NZ & more. Results in smooth video playback in all instances no mater what content you are viewing or which App you are using.

Best for mixed 1080p SDR / 4K HDR usage:

Again the Apple TV 4K because of the auto OS dynamic range matching function. You actually end up with correct color outputs when viewing video.

Google's Android Nougat currently does not implement a colorspace switching/matching function at all.

You only get frame rate matching (TV refresh switching) with SPMC, Plex and Kodi Apps on the NVIDIA Shield. Other Apps cannot be bother implementing such functionality.

Best Android box for speed, flexibility and 4K use (if you can put up with manually fiddling with settings):

The Shield of course.

I love android tv, but you do not even need an android tv for this. Ppl complain about the mi box and the shield is overkill for you, so Try considering a well supported generic android box too, but don't expect any help about it in this sub ;)

I have both. As mentioned, for 1080p, non-gaming box go with the Mi. It's fine. I even use "unofficial" Amazon Video and DirecTV Now on mine. The interface is fast and responsive. Don't be tempted by generic android boxes. You'll regret it if you want a simple TV experience.

I went with the Shield during a sale when it was $150. I'm a 1080p user and use it for my basic streaming needs. I also use the power of it to offtenly play games and certain taxing emulator on it. (A combination of a few other things but those are the two main reasons.) I'm very satisfied.

For /me/ it was worth the price. For a lot of other people and for good reason the MiBox should be fine. :)

I own one Nvidia shield pro, one regular Nvdia shield, and I also have one mi box. Of course I love the shield way more because it's a power house compared to the Mi Box (my IPTV is much smoother and even loads faster). But then you gotta factor in the price difference.

Since you said $400 dollars I'm going to assume you're buying this on Amazon.ca? If you don't plan on playing any games on it or plan to build a plex library then all you would need is the regular version of the shield TV. Which on Amazon.ca goes for $270 CAD. Which of course might still be a little too pricey considering you can get the Mi Box for $130 on Amazon.ca (if you're by the USA border you can get it for $70 USD at walmart) which would be more of a steal!

Once again, it just all comes down to how much you want to pay.. The Nvidia shield is going to last a lot longer that the Mi box in the big picture. Also the regular Nvidia shield goes on sale sometime on Amazon and they sometimes offer the media remote only version (I got it for $200 in December but it was regular $229).

Hope this helps and good luck!

The Mi Box is a good streaming box , it's fast fluid and perfect for your needs.

Mi Box with Kodi.

Just buy the 16GB Shield. If you end up needing more space you can attach a USB drive easily to expand. Unless you are installing a lot of games or keeping media content on the device itself (not streaming) 16GB is plenty.

Mi box has that stuttering bug, I have doubts it will get a proper upgrade to android 7.0. But its $70. Has a normal USB 2.0 port for an Ethernet adapter (which I find makes the stuttering issue worse). Remote control has volume buttons!

Nexus player has the Bluetooth remote bug (might get fixed soon?) but its running android 8.0. $50-60 off eBay. Needs an USB OTG adapter to connect an Ethernet adapter. No volume buttons on the remote.

Either of these will work for IPTV plex or kodi. But each has their pros and cons.

After using my Mi Box for a few months, I've reverted to just using my Smart TV's apps. And it has built in Chromecast (for YouTube at least).

The Mi Box was another controller, and another layer of volume that confused things for my wife (the speakers have a volume knob, TV remote has volume, and Mi remote had volume).

I also had audio and video stuttering issues with the Mi Box that didn't exist with my TV's in-built apps. Plus, the TV's Netflix app doesn't have that annoying auto-play "feature". And Mi Box didn't have an app for Amazon Prime, but TV did (boo on Amazon for that one).

It's too bad there isn't an Android TV box that sits between the two price points. If you can swing it, go for the Shield, or settle for Smart TV apps.

it seems like your new to Android tv boxes so I would suggest the Mi box

Nobody gets fired going for Nvidia Shield. It can handle anything you throw at it. I use one for the main TV and mi boxes for the bedrooms.

It's still a bit freaky now that I can talk to the Nvidia shield (Google Assistant) without need to use a remote.

If you go with the Mi Box, PM me. I have one I'm not using.

unless the mi box is head and shoulders above my nexus, get the shield.

i have a shield and and a nexus. i don't play games either, but if you're going to be using it regularly, frustration has added up with the slow/remote issues as well as having native amazon (yes, it's supposedly coming to all androidtv)

not sure where you live but the shield w/o gamepad is ~$150 in the US.

Don't buy the shield Pro. Not worth it. Regular shield is just fine if you run a nas for your movie files.

Watch some editions of the mi box have issues with Netflix (like mine :( )

Get the 16GB shield. Even if your TV is not 4k, you are future proofing. I don't game either, but it works great with kodi and plex