The problem with getting a box in that price range, it will likely turn your wife off of the idea completely. I went through 3 sub $50 boxes, a $150 MyGica from Best buy, and ended up on a Shield 2017. Could have saved myself over $200 and A LOT of headaches if I got the Shield from the start.

You’d have to buy a used Mi Box on eBay. I found one last year for $30 at walmart for a holiday sale, otherwise no “official” android TV box runs in that range.

Considering the wife factor it would always be the Shield for me. Save yourself some pain and ear ache and get a Shield if your budget will stretch to it.

Firestick 4k.

A Chromecast might be a good option here. While it does not provide a user interface and a remote like an Android TV box, it can be controlled via your phone and definitely fits the budget.

The problem with the cheap boxes is they will technically do what you are asking:

connects via HDMI, does 1080p and I can play movies from either USB or a network drive

...but the minute you look to use an app that has DRM (I.e. Prime Video, NetFlix, Disney+, etc. etc. -- basically any subscription app) you won't be able to get an HD feed from the boxes since they aren't official Android TV boxes. On top of that the "Leanback UI" on most of these boxes leaves a lot to be desired and reminds me of Windows 8 .

The official Android Boxes are few and far between. The Mi Box S and nVidia SHIELD TV are the only two I would consider. I have both of them and for just streaming to a 1080p TV it does a fine job. I wouldn't try to stream a full Blu-ray rip over WiFi with it as the WiFi while "5GHz" isn't that fast. I can't get mine past about 40-50Mbps and Blu-ray rips can exceed 60 or 70 depending on the title.

The SHIELD TV is the best deal, especially when you hardwire it as it has a gigabit Ethernet adapter.

Do you actually need Android? Will a Raspberry PI and Kodi not suffice?

For WAF the only thing I would recommend is the stable Apple TV 4K because it’s the only one that also does iTunes and AppleTV+ streaming, if you want to cover all App bases. The Android TV ecoSystem does not get that App

Sure you can get a 2019 Shield but with the number of Firmware bugs that thing is currently packing I would stay well clear. Android nerds only.
Happy Wife = happy Life.

PS. females absoultely love the Infuse App on Apple TV’s:

https://firecore.com/infuse

You can get a slighty used Shield TV in the low 100 range online these days. If you are a power user of Android TV or you need for it to work buttery smooth for the wife and kids, you have to. I set up a MiBox at my family's and people still complain about occasional slowness and stuff, even in official apps. Disney+, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and YouTube run flawless on my shield box in my living. Only problem now is most of the content on Disney+ isn't 4k or the HD is upscaled and not native. First world problems...lol

Buy a used shield. I managed to find one on Reddit for $25.

Just bought a Xiaomi Mi Box S for $60 from Walmart with free next day shipping. Easy to setup and use. Running at 4k 60hz and content looks great. Google assistant and voice integration is a nice touch as well. Really impressed and I can't see why I'd want anything higher unless I was playing a lot of games on it.

Try the T95 max, great box!! Very quick but nothing beats the Shield!! Fastest box I have ever worked on, hands down.