Do you watch television with a tablet on your lap or a
smartphone in your hand? If so, you're not alone - and it's drastically
changing the balance of power in the world of entertainment.
The past decade saw the breakthrough of affordable
big-screen televisions, so it's ironic that, for many of us, live television is
becoming a background noise to the real business of online shopping, YouTube or
Weibo, on a smartphone or tablet.
Broadcasters call this phenomenon the "second
screen", and are starting to see it as an opportunity rather than a
threat. The trend is at its height in the US and Europe, where many broadcasters
provide apps that allow "TV everywhere", instant replay of live TV,
and even play-along apps for quiz shows, and voting on reality TV.