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CNET’s Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.
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Look, media streamers are practically a dime a dozen these days. You can routinely find Google’s Chromecast for $20-$25, while Amazon’s Fire TV Stick offers great value at $39.99. So why buy a Roku 3 for $62.95?
I’ll get to that in a minute. In the meantime, Groupon has the refurbished Roku 3 streaming media player for $62.95 shipped. This is, of course, for a limited time, and while supplies last. That price includes a 6-foot HDMI cable — not a huge value-add, but certainly convenient in that you don’t have to hunt one down separately.
The Roku 3 is/was Roku’s top-tier streaming box. There’s a newer version available, one that incorporates voice search and various shortcut buttons, but the original still has its merits.
For one thing, it’s quick — much quicker than any older or lower-tier Roku you might be using. Menus are snappier, services load faster.
But the best feature by far, the one still not emulated by any other streamer? The headphone-friendly remote. Just pop in the included earbuds (or your favorite pair) for private listening. There’s a reason this is commonly referred to as a “marriage-saver.”
The Roku 3 also offers virtually unparalleled connectivity in the form of an Ethernet port (for Wi-Fi-challenged environments) and microSD slot (for added game/channel storage — though I’m hard-pressed to imagine ever needing that).
There are definitely streaming options for less. But I daresay that headphone jack alone is worth spending more. Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Game time! Google Play is having a sale on over 20 popular games, with prices cut by up to 90 percent. Telltale’s Game of Thrones: 60 cents. The dazzling Limbo: 99 cents. The equally dazzling Monument Valley: also 99 cents. Great chance to stock up on some premium titles for decidedly non-premium prices!
Bonus deal No. 2: Let’s give credit where credit is due: light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are singularly awesome. (In your face, Edison!) They’re tiny, bright and oh-so-versatile. To wit: Hisgadget has the OxyLED T-02 motion-sensing LED light strip for $9.99 (shipped free for Amazon Prime subscribers) when you apply coupon code T0216OFF at checkout. Want two, three or even 10 of them? Use coupon codes T02212OF, T02321OF and T021080F, respectively. (Prices drop even further as the quantity goes up.) These 10-LED bars run on four AAA batteries (not included) and can hang just about anywhere thanks to an included adhesive magnetic strip. Update: Fixed a couple of the codes (sorry, my bad), as well as the link, which for some reason started directing people to a different seller.
Bonus deal No. 3: If you like the idea of a Chromebook — a lightweight, inexpensive laptop that’s good for email, Web browsing and other basic stuff — but prefer the familiarity and versatility of Windows, head to Woot. Today only, and while supplies last, they’ve got the refurbished Asus EeeBook X205TA 11.6-inch laptop for $129.99, plus $5 for shipping.
