Streaming hardware company Roku is looking to beat Chromecast at its own game this Black Friday, introducing the Roku SE set-top box for the holiday, which it will sell for just $25 — $10 cheaper than Google’s near-ubiquitous streaming device.
The new model will sell through Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Kohls, as well as through Roku’s own website. The company also says it will have special deals on the Roku 3 and Roku Streaming Stick for Black Friday, which currently sell for about $100 and $50 respectively.
“The popularity of streaming to the TV continues to grow, and streaming players are sure to be at the top of many holiday wish lists,” said Roku Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Anderson in a press release about the new product, “The
The Roku SE — for all we can tell, is essentially a repackaged version of the
The Roku 1 typically retails for $50, and the company has said that the special $25 price for the new SE device is simply a promotion, with the price set to raise to the
No word on whether the SE will join the full-time lineup of products from the streaming company, or if it’s simply a promotional device that will help Roku’s brand during the holiday. Given the fact that the Roku 1 and Streaming Stick already occupy the $50 slot in the lineup, it appears the
Either way, any streaming device that comes in $10 less than the uber-cheap Chromecast is worth considering — especially from a well-established brand that offers the most popular set-top boxes on the block.