When it comes to streaming media players, there are really only three brands that are at the top of most people’s lists. One is the Apple TV, but it’s pretty overpriced, so it’s only good if you absolutely love Apple products. The other two are Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks and Roku players. When it comes to the latter, now is the perfect time to see why people love them so much. That’s because my three favorite Roku player models were all just made even more attractive than they normally are.
Competitive pricing is one thing that makes Roku so popular, and that’s especially true right now because there’s a big sale happening. Prices start at just $19 for the Roku Express, which is the company’s cheapest streaming media player. If you want support for 4K resolution and other upgraded features, you can get the Roku Express 4K+ for $29 or the best-selling Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $34. There are also several smart TVs on sale this week with Roku TV software built right in.
Personally, I use Apple TV boxes in my house. Honestly, though, I don’t often recommend them when people ask me which streaming media player they should buy.
I do like my Apple TVs a lot, and I’m not sad that I bought them. I’m deep in Apple’s ecosystem with my iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac, among other things. I like having the same UI on my TVs, and I find that Apple’s TV apps are a bit more refined than they are on other platforms. Plus, it’s great to be able to use the same accounts across devices.
Is all that worth paying $129-$149 while other streaming media players cost a fraction of that price? For most people, it’s probably not. And that’s especially true right now while there’s a big Roku sale happening on some of my favorite Roku player models.
The Roku Express is the cheapest model that Roku makes, and it’s 37% off right now at $19. The Express is great for streaming and for getting access to everything Roku offers for as little money as possible.
That being said, there are a few things that people tend to complain about on the Roku Express. First, it maxes out at 1080p Full HD resolution. And second, it has a traditional box form factor instead of the dongle form factor that most people prefer.
If you want to solve both of those problems, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is on sale for $34 instead of its regular $50 price.
As the name suggests, it’s a streaming stick instead of a box, so you can tuck it away behind your TV. It also supports 4K resolution. Check out BGR’s Roku Streaming Stick 4K review for more on this popular model.
Or, if you only want 4K and you don’t care about the form factor, you can save $5 and get the Roku Express 4K+ while it’s on sale for $29. I do like this model a lot, but to be honest, I would recommend getting the Roku Streaming Stick 4K instead since the prices are so close right now.
As I mentioned earlier, several TVs with Roku’s software are also on sale.
Devices like the Roku Express and Roku Streaming Stick 4K are great because they can transform any TV into a Roku TV. If you’re shopping for a new television anyway, however, why not cut out the middle man and get a smart TV with built-in access to everything Roku offers?
Roku deals on TVs start at only $169.99 for a TCL 40-inch smart Roku TV. You can also upgrade to a Westinghouse 42-inch model for $199.99, down from the old MSRP of $230. And if you’re in the market for something larger, the Hisense R6 65-inch Roku TV is on sale for $399.99, down from $440 (which, by the way, is a new MSRP that was reduced from $800).
