Black Friday typically brings blockbuster pricing on popular streaming TV devices — but shoppers don’t have to wait until after Thanksgiving to score deep discounts on gadgets this year.
This week, several Roku models went on sale at places like Best Buy, Amazon and other stores, with shoppers scoring up to half off popular streaming TV devices. The discounts make it a great time to pick up a new Roku for the living room or a secondary device for a bedroom, kid’s room, home office or just to pack in the suitcase for the occasional get-away.
Here’s a look at the Roku devices that are currently on sale for this year’s Black Friday shopping season, ranked from cheapest to most-expensive… (Tip: Roku will never ask you to pay for activation; if you come across a website that demands payment for activation, it is a scam.)
Jump to: Roku Express | Streaming Stick | Roku Ultra | Streambar | Other Roku Deals
Roku Express
Normal Price: $30
Early Black Friday Price: $18
Top Resolution: HD (1080p/i)
Compact: Yes
TV Power/Volume Buttons: No
Get It: Best Buy | Amazon | Walmart
The Roku Express is best for people who just want the basics — a great streaming device, powered by Roku’s platform, that offers access to popular streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Peacock, HBO Max, YouTube, YouTube TV, Sling TV and more. The Roku Channel brings thousands of TV episodes and movies as well as hundreds of live-streaming channels like news, sports and entertainment to your Roku Express for free.
The Roku Express sits nicely on a TV stand, or mount it to the top or underside of your TV for a clean finish. The included remote control includes shortcut buttons to popular apps, including Netflix. Have an iPhone, iPad or Mac? Like all Roku models, the Roku Express works with Apple Airplay 2, so you can stream content from your phone, tablet or Mac right to your big-screen TV.
The Roku Express is perfect for TV sets that don’t have a built-in streaming platform, or whose smart TV platform is no longer supported (like some older-model Samsung, LG and Vizio sets). The Roku Express even includes a high-speed HDMI cable — just hook it up to the TV, pop the included AAA batteries into the remote, and start streaming. It couldn’t be simpler.
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Normal Price: $50
Early Black Friday Price: $25
Top Resolution: 4K (UHD)
Compact: Yes
TV Power/Volume Buttons: Yes
Get It: Best Buy | Amazon | Walmart
Don’t let this little stick fool you: This is one of Roku’s best-selling streaming players, and for a very good reason. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K packs a powerful punch in a compact form that hides nicely behind your TV set.
No HDMI cable? No problem — the Roku Streaming Stick 4K plugs right into the port with its included HDMI connector. Then, simply plug the Roku Streaming Stick 4K into your TV’s USB port, or right into a power socket with the included USB extension cable and AC adapter.
Like all Roku models, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K offers access to popular streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and more, as well as free streaming apps like the Roku Channel, Tubi, YouTube, Pluto TV and Xumo. Have a TV with a 4K screen? You’ll love the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, with its ability to pump out a brilliant, ultra-high definition picture. It also supports HDR 10 and Doby Vision, so you can watch movies and TV shows the way the creators meant for them to be seen.
The included Roku Voice Remote allows streamers to search for content and navigate around apps with just their voice. Shortcut buttons offer quick access to Netflix and other popular apps. Pair the remote with your TV set, and you can control the volume and power from a single controller.
Roku Ultra
Normal Price: $100
Early Black Friday Price: $70
Top Resolution: 4K (UHD)
Headphone Jack: Yes
Rechargeable Remote: Yes
Get It: Best Buy | Amazon | Walmart
The Roku Ultra is the top-of-the-line streaming device, packed with features for movie and sports lovers who want it all.
The Roku Ultra has all the power of the Roku Streaming Stick 4K: Access to popular apps like Netflix, Hulu Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and Peacock; free streaming content from the Roku Channel, Tubi, YouTube Pluto TV and Xumo; the ability to pump out an ultra-high definition (4K) picture with HDR 10 and Dolby Vision support; and a powerful voice remote that includes shortcut buttons and a microphone for navigating content with speech.
But that’s not all: The Roku Ultra comes with an upgraded remote that includes a rechargeable battery — no more hunting for AA or AAA batteries in the middle of a movie or show. The remote’s headphone jack makes it easy to listen to shows, sports and movies without disturbing others. And the Roku Ultra device itself includes a remote finder button — no more losing the flipper. The Roku Ultra also includes an Ethernet port, for people who want stable 4K streaming or whose WiFi might be a little iffy in places.
Roku Streambar
Normal Price: $130
Early Black Friday Price: $80
Top Resolution: 4K (UHD)
Speaker Output: 32 watts total
Voice Remote: Yes
Get It: Best Buy | Amazon | Walmart
These days, finding a TV with decent built-in sound is tough — TV manufacturers have largely cut corners in order to make TVs thinner and lighter than ever. That means speakers are also thinner, lighter and smaller, which results in poor overall audio quality across most TV sets, especially budget-line models.
The Roku Streambar solves this problem in a really innovative way: It couples a great stereo soundbar with a total output of 32 watts with Roku’s streaming platform built right into the device. Just plug the Roku Streambar into your TV’s HDMI eARC port, and that’s basically it — whatever you play on the TV will have audio playing through the soundbar. Switch to the HDMI eARC input on your TV, and you’ve got Roku’s powerful streaming platform right at your fingertips, including access to popular streaming apps (Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, HBO Max, Peacock), live TV apps (Philo, Sling TV, Vidgo, Fubo TV) and free streaming content (the Roku Channel, YouTube, Tubi, Plex, Pluto TV, Xumo). The Roku Streambar also supports HDR and Dolby Vision.
The included Roku Voice Remote allows streamers to navigate content using speech. Included buttons for TV volume and power allows streamers to ditch their other remotes, and use the Roku Voice Remote exclusively for most tasks.
Other Devices to Consider:
Every year, Walmart sells an exclusive Roku device for the holiday season — and this year is no different. Starting Monday, November 21, Walmart shoppers can pick up an exclusive version of the Roku Premiere 4K streaming device for just $19. The Roku Premiere 4K comes in a beautiful snow-colored case and is bundled with a basic infrared remote that offers streaming shortcut buttons, but no voice or TV controls. Still, for users who want a 4K-capable streaming device, the Roku Premiere 4K is a great score at an incredible price.
This year, Walmart will also sell a second exclusive device — and shoppers don’t have to wait to grab one. The Roku Ultra LT is priced at just $30 and offers the same features as the higher-priced Roku Ultra, except for the rechargeable remote (it includes the standard Roku Voice remote with headphone jack) and doesn’t have a remote finder button. Still, for streamers who prefer to swap batteries instead of charging them, it’s the best Roku device for half the sale price of the regular Roku Ultra streamer. The Roku Ultra LT also includes a $5 Redbox digital movie store code.
Need a new TV, or prefer an all-in-one solution? There are some great prices on Roku-powered smart TV sets, too, including:
- 32″ Westinghouse HDTV: $100 at Best Buy (normally $170)
- 32″ Onn Walmart HDTV: $108 at Walmart.com (normally $145)
- 32″ TCL 3-Series HDTV: $118 at Walmart.com (normally $148)
- 43″ Hisense Class R6 4K TV: $200 at Amazon.com (normally $270)
- 43″ Hisense Class R6 4K TV: $200 at Best Buy (normally $270)
- 50″ Hisense Class R6 4K TV: $230 at Amazon.com (normally $280)
- 50″ TCL 4-Series 4K TV: $240 at Best Buy (normally $340)
- 55″ TCL 4-Serkes 4K TV: $298 at Amazon.com (normally $319)
- 58″ Hisense Class R6 4K TV: $300 at Walmart.com (normally $340)
- 65″ Hisense Class R6 4K TV: $350 at Best Buy (normally $410)
- 75″ Onn Walmart 4K TV: $580 at Walmart.com (normally $680)
- 75″ TCL 4-Class 4K TV: $630 at Best Buy (normally $680)
Roku’s streaming devices and smart TV sets offer access to popular streaming services and apps, including premium movie and TV services (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Showtime, Starz, Paramount Plus, Peacock), free streaming services (Tubi, Pluto TV, Xumo TV, the Roku Channel, STIRR, YouTube) and live-streaming TV (YouTube TV, Philo, Sling TV, Vidgo, Fubo TV, DirecTV Stream).
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