The streaming wars rage on, with the Hulu / Disney / Max alliance announcing a new streaming bundle to grab even more eyeballs. As services grow and change, having a quick and easy way to access them is more important than ever. Many TVs come with smart platforms built in, but not all of them. That’s why stand-alone streaming devices are a great choice. Just enter in your passwords, plug in the dongle and watch your favorite shows and films wherever you have a screen and Wi-Fi. We’ve got great deals on Amazon, TiVo and Roku streaming sticks this month, with discounts up to 40% off.
Let’s lead off with a massive 40% price drop on Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K, which we gave an Editors’ Choice award to in our review. We said that it delivers “loads of integrated apps and services, Amazon Alexa voice support with faster replies, and excellent performance overall,” thanks to a processor upgrade and Wi-Fi 6 support. It’s a breeze to access the massive content library of Prime Video as well as all of the other streaming services, and setup is simple. The minimal Alexa voice remote works well and includes infrared for controlling your TV’s volume.
Roku Express 4K+
No-frills 4K media streaming for an incredible price
$29.00
at Amazon
$39.99
Save $10.99
It’s pretty incredible that you can get ultra high-definition video beamed through the air of just about any movie or TV show you desire, and if you picked up a 4K TV but don’t have smart features, this dongle is a user-friendly and affordable way to get all of your services on there. A small, efficient remote with voice control and search makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. In our review of the Roku Express 4K+, we said that it “stands as the company’s best sub-$50 4K media streamer, especially with its AirPlay 2 support.” Being able to carve 27% off the list price makes it even more attractive.
Roku Express
Don’t need 4K? This will do the job for cheap
$24.99
at Best Buy
$29.99
Save $5.00
If you don’t have an ultra-modern TV with maximum pixel power, you’re just wasting bandwidth by streaming 4K video to it. The Roku Express does everything the Express 4K does, just at 1080p instead. In our review, we said that it “offers more functionality than the Google Chromecast” at an extremely low price. It’s not the most glamorous or high-powered streaming stick, but it does the job just fine at an unbeatable price.
TiVo Stream 4K
Low-priced no-frills streaming powered by Android
$24.65
at Amazon
$39.99
Save $15.34
The TiVo Stream 4K isn’t the newest device on the market, but it still delivers reputable performance at a nice price, especially with a 38% discount. In our review, we said that it’s an “excellent media streamer for TV lovers,” giving special attention to its user-friendly menu system, easy access to tons of streaming services and support for Google Cast to push media from a computer or other device. It even lets you tap into live television through Sling TV and Locast without buying a TiVo subscription.
Roku Ultra LT
Smooth wired or wireless streaming at a huge discount
$53.38
at Walmart
$79.00
Save $25.62
Roku’s user-friendly plug-in box is on sale at Walmart for a sizable $27 off the base retail price. The Ultra LT box gives you intuitive access to all the major streaming services, and it even comes with a pair of headphones if you want to watch shows without annoying the rest of your household. 802.11ac dual-band wireless means zippy performance.
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant has become an integral part of households all over the world, and this bundle really shows off its power. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the latest model of the company’s streaming dongle, with Wi-Fi 6 support. We reviewed it and praised its performance, saying that “video streams load rapidly and settle at native resolution (4K and HDR when available) almost as soon as they start playing.” The bundled Voice Remote Pro, which we also reviewed, gives you improved hardware, a voice finder function and the ability to interact with all your services just by talking.
Recommended by Our Editors
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*Deals are selected by our commerce team
FAQWhat are the main kinds of streaming media devices?Dedicated streaming devices are divided into two types. Stick-style streaming devices typically plug directly into a TV’s HDMI port without an extra cable. They’re smaller in form factor making them a good pick when space is at a premium. Plug-in boxes are larger, attach to the display with an additional cord, and often include additional ports like an Ethernet input for wired connection to your home network.What kind of Internet connection do you need for streaming media?The absolute minimum speed you need to have in your wireless or wired Internet network is 5MBps for streaming video. That’s sufficient for standard definition TV or movies, but you can expect buffering and interruptions if anything else is using bandwidth. Ideally, you’ll be able to tap at least 25MBps, which is what the FCC defines as “high-speed” broadband. That’s the minimum you’ll need for 4K or HDR video.Which streaming device is right for me?In general, most streaming devices are going to be pretty similar in terms of functionality, with access to the major and niche services available. Where they differentiate themselves is typically in their operating systems and added features. If you already have Amazon Echo devices, a Fire TV stick makes sense to tie into that ecosystem. Apple or Google smart home users have the same options. For even more details, read our in-depth media streaming buyer’s guide.
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