The Tech-pert: Will the Streaming Stick Replace Roku LT as the Hot Holiday Gift of 2012?

Roku boxes are all the rage right now, especially the Roku LT which, for $50, crams an Internet's worth of media-streaming goodness into a cute purple box that's barely larger than a hockey puck.

Indeed, back in November I dubbed the LT the "hot holiday gift item of 2011."

Next November, Roku might earn that crown once again with the Streaming Stick, a new Roku box--without the box!

See, all current Roku models use a cable to connect to your TV. The Streaming Stick, which resembles an oversize flash drive, plugs directly into a special port. That eliminates the need for not only a standalone box and cable, but also a power supply and remote.

See, the Streaming Stick draws power from the TV and is operated by its remote. Clever, no?

Clever, yes. But it remains to be seen whether the Stick can banish the box forever. For one thing, it'll work only with TVs that have an Mobile High-Definition Link, or MHL, port--and at the moment, few TVs do.

That may change this year, as many manufacturers are expected to add the feature to new models. We'll find out more when the Consumer Electronics Show kicks off next week.

Ultimately, however, you may need a new TV if you want to take advantage of devices like the Streaming Stick. And you won't know if it's worth it until next fall, which is when Roku plans to start shipping the device.

What's more, Roku has yet to announce pricing, and I have a feeling the Stick will cost at least as much as the higher-end Roku boxes, if not more.

One other potential hitch: the Streaming Stick is Wi-Fi-only, so if your TV sits in a weak-signal area of the house, you won't have the option of running an Ethernet cable from your router. Advantage: box. (Well, some boxes; the Roku LT doesn't have an Ethernet port either.)

These issues aside, I can't help feeling like the Streaming Stick could be a game-changer. It just makes sense: an inexpensive plug-in dongle that requires no extra power and no special remote, but brings the best of streaming video and audio to your TV—without added monthly fees (except those you pay to services like Netflix, of course). Sign me up!

What do you think of the Roku Streaming Stick? Wave of the future, or flash-in-the-pan gizmo likely to be hobbled by the need for yet another non-standard port?

Self-proclaimed cheapskate Rick Broida has been a technology writer for over 20 years. He has authored over a dozen books, including, most recently, "How to Do Everything: Palm Pre." Currently he writes the Cheapskate blog.