Roku Raises Prices of Streaming Devices By Up To 60% (thedesk.net) 13
Roku has raised prices on several streaming devices, blaming memory and component shortages tied to the AI data-center boom. The Roku Ultra jumped from $100 to $150 and the basic Streaming Stick rose from $30 to $40. The Desk reports: In a phone call with The Desk on Friday, a Roku executive said the company made the tough decision to raise prices on its streaming hardware to address shortages in computer memory and other components caused by the artificial intelligence rush. [...] Still, the executive who spoke with The Desk on Friday said the company believes its hardware is still competitive against other streaming TV hardware because Roku devices are still priced aggressively compared to the Apple TV and other expensive streaming hardware, and the company remains focused on looking at ways to add value to its Roku platform before and after it enters a customer's home. "We are doing our best to have great deals like what we have going on right now," the executive said. "Roku is even upping the price for a bundle that includes a Streaming Stick Plus and a one-month subscription to Fox One," notes Ars Technica in a separate report.
"As recently as July 20, Roku listed the bundle at $60 with a sale price of $25, according to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Now, the bundle carries an $80 MSRP and $45 sale price."
"As recently as July 20, Roku listed the bundle at $60 with a sale price of $25, according to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Now, the bundle carries an $80 MSRP and $45 sale price."
Meh... (Score:2)
Those things weren't exactly flying off the shelves at the old price and were frequently discounted. I don't know what Fox was thinking, but I guess there's some M&A lawyers out there that thought it was somehow going to be an addition to their earnings. I guess we'll soon find out.
Cost of Information Data Point (Score:2)
"Assume the declining cost of information (COI) has driven economic activity for fifty years. Then the stagnation or increase of COI could be disasterous for the economy. The preceding graph shows an inflection point in Internet user growth, implying that Internet growth is slowing and will soon stagnate."
https://www.scry.llc/2025/09/1... [scry.llc]
"We could build a COI monitor by creating a weighted market basket of information-related costs and prices. Cost of microchip inputs versus their price. Cost of telecom inp
Re: (Score:2)
I read that these streaming sticks only last for maybe 3 years or so, before the hardware is too weak to run the updated versions of popular streaming aps. And also that the construction makes user modification pretty much impossible.
Can anyone confirm or deny this from personal experience?
Re: (Score:2)
pay more for ads (Score:2)
Let me run out and pay up for an Ad stick for my TV! No doubt that it tracks and reports on everything you watch, to show you better ads of course.
And if you're legal and tech savvy (Score:3)
Why would you use a Roku with its predispute arbitration clause, and ads shoved down your throat when you can use a thin client with Linux, Firefox, Ublock origin, and Sponsor block installed and never logged into Youtube using a login, just using it anonymously.
Oh, I suppose it is convenience then? Well you're paying for that convenience by being filed, indexed, numbered, and tracked.
What really sticks in my craw is how these big corporations want to control your interaction and experience right down to minutia level detail and you're given no option to control it for yourself unless you operate outside of it.
Wha? (Score:3)
I've owned a few Rokus, and the whole reason you get them (or fire sticks) instead of Apple TV or just getting a new TV is because it costs about the same as a Big Mac Meal. For $150, what's the point?
Roku has jumped the shark (Score:2)
I have been a longtime customer and in recent years I have decided I will move on when my current Rokus reach EOL. Ads, poor hardware, and terrible support, already made up my mind. Ridiculous pricing is the cherry on top.
My life as a Roku user (Score:3)
One thing Roku has done well is make it easy and relatively cheap to get the device going as a streamer. As I went from real cable to streaming including YouTube TV, their devices were easiest to use especially on TVs that weren't "smart" (another topic altogether). In my case they are also good when helping elderly parents downsize and use more basic streaming for TV.
I have had a stick die. Those things get so hot. The streaming speakers are pretty good. Our guest room has the branded TV. For the price, I think $140 for a 40", it's been great, but yeah the prices are going up.
I did go Apple TV streaming device on the family room setup and it's really different and better quality.
At the new price increases, I probably would go quality on Apple next go around.
Fox buys Roku; raises prices to pay for acquisitn (Score:2)
https://newsroom.roku.com/news... [roku.com]
Just like vulture capitalists: buy a company, extrude the value, sell it for parts.
I just wish they'd reverse their latest "update" (Score:2)
Roku is mostly paywalled content last time I tried (Score:2)