Why You Can Trust CNET Roku Express 4K Plus drops to $24, a new all-time low
The best Roku value just keeps getting better.
- Self-taught tinkerer, informal IT and gadget consultant to friends and family (with several self-built gaming PCs under his belt)
This season, the battle for "best Roku value" has been seesawing between the Roku Express 4K Plus and the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, both of which typically hover around $30. Both are 2021 models that offer full 4K streaming, as well as remotes that can control the power and volume of the TVs to which they're connected. The feature lists are nearly identical, although the Stick handles Dolby Vision in addition to the other HDR standards. But if that's not important to you, the price on the Express 4K Plus continues to inch downward, and has now reached a new all-time low of $24 at Amazon and elsewhere.
The Roku Express 4K Plus is an enthusiastic CNET Editors' Choice winner because it's a nearly universal recommendation. The tiny box adds nearly every streaming channel to any HDMI-equipped TV -- from Netflix to Disney Plus to Peacock to HBO Max, and everything in between -- at full 4K resolution with HDR support, for optimal color reproduction on compatible TVs. (And luckily, Roku and Google have reached an agreement to ensure that YouTube and YouTube TV will remain available.) If your TV isn't 4K, no problem: This model will work just fine, too. Oh, and unlike the even cheaper Roku SE ($15) and Roku Express ($23), the remote on this unit controls your TV's power and volume as well. In short, there's very little not to like here. Read our Roku Express 4K Plus review.
To be clear, if you already have a recent Roku, Fire TV or smart TV with a built-in set of apps, there's nothing new here. But if you have an older TV -- one where the manufacturer stopped adding new streaming options to the menu long ago -- this $24 investment will get you the full panoply of streaming options, including a ton of totally free content on services like the Roku Channel, Tubi, Pluto TV and more.
Read more: Best Roku to buy in 2022
