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Roku Will Offer $25 Special Edition Set-Top Box on Black Friday

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Shoppers looking for set-top box deals should have their credit cards ready the day after Thanksgiving, as Black Friday could see the lowest STB prices of the year. Roku will sell a $25 special edition of its player at Best Buy and Kohl's. Best Buy currently carries an online listing for the Roku SE with a price of $49.99. It's unavailable now, but will sell for $25 on Black Friday.

Looking at the product's specs, the Roku SE is certainly the Roku 1 under a different name. The SE includes both HDMI and composite ports, so it works with newer or older TVs. The Roku 1 is the model that supports composite. Plus, the SE's list of features doesn't include any of the advanced features found in the Roku 2, 3, or 4, such as quick start for Netflix and YouTube; Ethernet, USB, and microSD card ports; or voice search. Rebranding the Roku 1 as the SE might be a move to avoid cannibalizing sales through other channels.

At least one outlet isn't enjoying the discount. DealNews, which surveys online shopping deals, says the move is confusing, and argues that the $25 price can't be considered a discount since the SE never sold for $49 to begin with.

Roku hints that it may offer promotions on other models during Black Friday weekend.

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