Black Friday is best known for dirt-cheap TV deals, but what if the TV you already own just needs a little help getting into the Internet age? Lucky for you, the companies that sell TV media streamers are also doing the Black Friday discount dance.
Updated: Deals and availability confirmed on Thursday, Nov. 22, 6:32 p.m. PT.
Streamers are little sticks, dongles and boxes that connect to your current TV and deliver the latest and greatest TV shows, movies and videos from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and thousands of other apps. They put most so-called smart TVs, especially ones more than a couple years old, to shame. All you need to supply is a Wi-Fi connection and maybe the monthly subscription fees.
For Black Friday 2018, streamers are cheaper than ever, starting at just $20. That’s less than three months of Netflix. And streamers from the biggest names in the business, including Roku, Chromecast and Fire TV, are on sale from more than one retailer.
Just keep in mind:
- The deals below are current as of Thursday Nov. 22, and include Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy and other major retailers.
- CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.
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Google Chromecast (2018), $25 (save $10)
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Google’s phone-centric streamer is perfect for the YouTube lover or Google Home speaker user, but the lack of a remote limits its appeal for everybody else.
Now available at many major retailers, except for Amazon.
Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote, $25 (save $15)
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It’s not quite as good as Roku in our book, but it’s better than Chromecast at the same price. if you’re a fan of Alexa or deep into Amazon’s ecosystem anyway, this price is almost too good to pass up.
This deal is available now at many major retailers, including Amazon.
Roku Streaming Stick, $30 (save $20)
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Here’s a big discount on our favorite non-4K streamer, complete with a voice remote that can control TV volume and power. It’s worth the extra few bucks over the others so far.
This deal is available now at many major retailers.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, $35 (save $15)
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If you have a 4K TV you’ll want a streamer that does 4K too. One of the cheapest is Amazon’s all-new stick, complete with Dolby Vision HDR and a remote that can control your TV and sound bar.
This deal is available now at many major retailers, including Amazon.
Watch this: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K review: Dolby Vision for cheap(er)
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Fire TV Stick 4K bundle + Echo Dot: $59 (save $40)
Want an Alexa-infused Dot to go with your 4K streamer? There’s an Amazon bundle for that.
This deal is available now at Amazon.
Fire TV Recast DVR bundle + Fire TV Stick 4K + HD antenna: $235 (save $65)
This bundle includes the 4K Stick and Amazon’s excellent, cord-cutter-friendly Recast, which records and streams live TV from an antenna.
This deal is available now at Amazon.
Chromecast + Google Home Mini + $15 Vudu credit: $45 (save $29)
CNET / Sarah Tew
If you want to get Google’s voice control paired with a TV, this bundle is the cheapest way to do it. Also known as the “Google Smart TV Kit,” it includes the newest Chromecast streaming dongle and a Home Mini speaker for a substantial savings. Walmart also throws in a $15 credit for Vudu, its movie and TV streaming service.
Google Chromecast Ultra, $50 (save $20)
Although it’s not as good as the 4K streamers from Amazon or Roku, the 4K-capable Chromecast plays better than either one with (you guessed it) YouTube, Google Home and your phone.
Roku Ultra, $50 (half price!)
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The highest-end Roku improves on our favorite 4K streamer, the Streaming Stick Plus, with a headphone jack on the remote, a remote finder and (new for 2018) JBL headphones, a $30 value.
Amazon Fire TV Cube, $60 (half price!)
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The Cube combines a 4K streamer, an Echo Dot and a universal remote control, allowing you to control all your gear with “Alexa” commands — and at this price it’s barely more than a standard 4K streamer alone.
This deal is available at Amazon now.
Nvidia Shield TV: $140 (save $40)
David Katzmaier / CNET
The powerful streaming/gaming geek machine is on-sale now for the lowest price yet. This version doesn’t include a game controller (that’s $60 extra) but does come with the Google Assistant-equipped voice remote.
This deal is available now at major retailers, including Walmart.
In-store only
Roku SE: $20
Roku
This product is exclusive to Walmart, but if you’re going on Black Friday anyway you might as well impulse-purchase it. Roku tells us the SE is basically identical to the “perfectly good enough” $35 Roku Express (see review link below), albeit with more of a focus on the Walmart-owned Vudu service. And it’s white.
Unfortunately the Roku SE is only available in-store at Walmart on Black Friday, Nov. 23, while supplies last.