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This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2021, our list of ideas, by topic, by recipient and by price, to help you discover the perfect gift.
Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K was released earlier this year, but it’s already seeing some massive discounts ahead of the upcoming Black Friday deals. Right now, Amazon has the 4K streaming stick on sale for just $29. Normally, this retails for $50, making today’s discount a savings of $21 from what you’d normally have to pay. This happens to be the lowest we’ve seen for this hardware, and it’s just one of many Roku Black Friday deals available right now.
Roku says it boasts better Wi-Fi, a faster processor and Dolby Vision HDR compatibility not found in its predecessor. Like all Roku models, it delivers a full panoply of streaming channels like Disney Plus, HBO Max and Netflix. And since it plugs directly into your TV’s HDMI port, it means fewer cables and wires than the Roku Express 4K Plus (currently $40, but often on sale for $29).
Before you decide to buy this streaming stick, there’s one big caveat: Google and Roku are currently in contract negotiations that threaten to see Google’s YouTube and YouTube TV pulled from Roku’s hardware if an agreement isn’t reached by Dec. 9. Customers who download the apps ahead of that date will be able to keep them active, however.Â