This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide on everything you need to know and how to make sure you get the best deal.
The timing is now official: Amazon Prime Day 2020 will run all day Tuesday, Oct. 13 and Wednesday, Oct. 14, starting just after midnight PT. Amazon has already started some Prime Day countdown deals, too. If you’re looking for deals on streaming gadgets and TVs, that’s what we’re highlighting here. We’ll keep this story updated with the latest Prime Day deals in this category as they become available.
Prime Day deal tips on TVs and streaming devices
- Amazon just announced two new Fire TV streamers: The new Fire TV Stick Lite ($30 list price) and Fire TV Stick ($40 list) were just announced last week. The first offers 1080p streaming with HDR support, the latter adds a remote that controls TV power and volume. They join the existing Fire TV Stick 4K, which stays in the line at $50. Last year, the 1080p model dropped to $15 and the 4K model was $25.
- Roku unveiled two new streamers, too: Roku goes head-to-head with Amazon’s in-house Fire TV line with its own strong house of streamers starting at $30. Unlike the Fire TV platform, Roku now streams NBC’s Peacock service but HBO Max is still a no-show on both. At the high end, its new $100 Roku Ultra and $130 Roku Streambar (a mini soundbar) both deliver 4K HDR streaming. But the sweet spot remains the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, which includes a remote that also controls your TV’s volume and power: With a $49 list price, the Streaming Stick Plus is frequently discounted to $39, and dropped as low as $30 last Black Friday. Hold out for at least the $39 or lower on Prime Day.
- Look for discounts on TVs, too: Nearly all new TVs have their own streaming apps on board, and we expect plenty of Prime Day discounts on these models, too. Last Prime Day, we saw 32-inch smart TVs hit $100, and 50-inchers at $280. But Amazon already has a pre-Prime Day deal on a 50-incher at $250 (see below), so we’re hopeful to see even better options on Prime Day. (Check out the current list pricing on 2020 Roku TVs for a benchmark of current prices.)
Best TV and streaming Prime Day deals so far
As mentioned above, Amazon already has some nice price drops on TVs with integrated Fire TV streaming, as well as a return to the best price ever on the Fire TV Recast, its DVR targeted at over-the-air antenna TV viewers.
Update, Friday, Oct. 2: Sale prices are still in effect, and will remain so (according to the Lightning Deal countdown timer) through the weekend.
Toshiba
We didn’t love the 2019 version of this TV, having found the picture quality and app offerings to be less than what you’d get from an equivalent Roku TV. But it vaults back into contention for your dollar because this is a newer model, and the price cut now has it coming in at $50 less than the 43-inch Roku model.
Amazon
The smart home makes for strange bedfellows, but I suppose Amazon selling Best Buy’s in-house Insignia brand is no stranger than Best Buy selling Amazon’s Echo speakers. But you’re the winner here, with Amazon selling this 50-inch 4K model for $100 less than Best Buy’s current price. As with the Toshiba above, I’d normally steer you to the Roku model instead, but at this price, the Insignia now undercuts it by $30.
Ben Fox Rubin/CNET
Yes, Amazon makes a DVR for recording free over-the-air antenna TV. The content can be beamed to mobile phones, other Fire TV products and even Echo Show displays. And unlike many of the competitors, there’s no monthly fee. The new sale knocks $100 off both the two-tuner 500GB model ($130 total) and the four-tuner 1TB model ($180). That meets the lowest price ever recorded, and one that may not be exceeded on Prime Day.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Recast review.
Watch this:
Amazon Prime Day 2020: Everything you need to know
2:20