ReadWriteWeb

Web-only, original programming. If there's one trend in TV this year that has the potential to shake things up moving forward, this is it.

In the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, a fairly significant supporting character dies. Even if you hadn’t seen it, simply watching the stream of tweets that flowed on Sunday night could easily have revealed this fact, like it or not.

This is the reality in which we now live. When just about any popular television show airs, there's a social media-fueled conversation to go along with it in real-time. In some cases, the chatter can include spoilers. Either way, this is the new water cooler.

The Internet was supposed to change everything. Television would be turned on its head, and big cable would be screwed - finally. 

TV is different now, to be sure, and those changes will continue for some time. But the Web-destroys-cable narrative many hoped to see isn't quite playing out that way. Recent moves by content providers, cable companies and ISPs aim to ensure that that storyline never comes to fruition.

What is television? Historically, its definition was more or less set in stone. A television set was a very particular type of device, which served as the hub of audio-visual entertainment in a given household. To take Wikipedia's description, it's "a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome (black-and-white) or colored, with or without accompanying sound."

Over time, the models, sizes and features evolved, but the basic meaning of the word "television" remained unchanged. That is, until recently. 

Snatch up all the set-top boxes, smart HDTVs and second screen apps you want. The future of television will still, at its core, be about one thing: content.

All of the stakeholders realize this, from legacy players such as networks and cable operators to new entrants including streaming services and search companies.

As the tablet and smartphone markets grow, so too does the tendency for people to use these devices while watching TV. The trend has given rise to a crop of second screen apps that enable users to supplement the TV-watching experience with content from the Web and social media chatter.

The vast majority of tablet and smartphone owners use them while watching TV, according to the latest research. But who are these people? And how are they using their devices to enhance television?

When people talk about the future of TV and entertainment, brands like Samsung, Apple, Comcast and Boxee tend to come to mind. Apple-watchers in particular expect that company to turn its longtime hobby into a game-changer by releasing their own HDTV set later this year.

Whatever happens, the living room of the future will look very different from what even the most cutting-edge gadgetry offers today. But how will it look? The latest vision comes from a very unlikely source.

Here on ReadWriteWeb, we've been taking a close look at some of the best "second screen" apps designed to supplement the TV-watching process. Last week, we reviewed i.TV, which is an excellent way to find information related to a given show. Which is the best app for enhancing the social experience? We looked at quite a few of them and selected our favorite below.

The cross section between television and social media is undeniably a huge deal. As services like Twitter and Facebook continue to grow, more and more people are inclined to use them to discuss TV shows. Whether it's during an initial broadcast or after the fact, people take to their respective digital networks to comment on programs in real time.

People love to use their tablets while watching TV. With so many different "second-screen" mobile apps out there, it's not always easy to know which are the best. Here's a look at our favorite app for finding related content while you're watching a show.

When the iPad first launched, I was skeptical. I had a MacBook and an iPhone. Why would I need this thing? Over time, I developed an interest in owning one, in part because I didn't have an e-reader of any kind and in part because I had the chance to play with the iPad a few times. I was hooked.

The Internet is awesome. Whether for its uncanny knack for revolutionizing aspects of our day-to-day lives and upending industries to way it has redefined how and when we get amused, you've got to love this globe-spanning network of information we increasingly call home.

One area many expected the Web to have more dramatically revolutionized by now is television. And, to be sure, the way we consume and talk about TV content is quite different now than it was a decade ago, and that's worth noting. But anybody who expected the Internet to dislodge legacy business models in TV as quickly as it did in say, the print media industry, still has some thumb-twiddling left to do.