Tablets: The television's new best friend

For all the advancement in television in the last few years -- 3D technology, web TV, on-demand video and others -- perhaps one of the most intriguing is an incidental partner: the tablet.

The mobile devices have the capacity to complement television like no other technology has before. With the advent of internet-connected television, coupled with a multitude of applications available on the tablet, a user can perform the functions of a remote control, a guide, a programming calendar and more all on one device.

Though the screen size is minuscule compared to that of a television, the tablet can even occasionally act as a substitute for the TV. Some television manufacturers now offer apps that allow users to toggle between programs on both devices, meaning a show or movie can be viewed on the television, then instantly sent to a tablet over a WiFi network without dropping a beat.

According to an October 2011 study from research firm Nielsen, 40 percent of tablet owners use their devices when watching TV. Though neither of the technologies is likely to replace the other in the near future, using each to complement one another could enhance the experience of both.