Increasingly television has become a social experience and my frustrations with the Wii implementation of the BBC iplayer has left me thinking that companies will be forced to allow such an experience or lose out.

Today we can get easily get our fix through devices other then our standard television sets. Devices such as phones, computers, websites and consoles all compete for a slice of the viewing figures and more importantly the cash that comes with it. So how do these devices get and keep our attention and why won’t we just stick with our standard sets?

It seems companies such as Microsoft and Sony who have their consoles sitting under our sets think that they can get a slice of the action by delivering content through their console and in turn through their social networking software.

Microsoft know that Sky is a much more fun experience when friends who lives 1000s of miles away can decide to watch the football with you over xbox live, chatting away and then replaying the match on Fifa 10 afterwards. Similarly Sony offer you the chance to watch iPlayer or use your console as a DVR (via playTV ) while plugged into their PSN network. Sony even hope you might pull out your PSP in the pub to watch last nights neighbours you’ve recorded (which it is pulling from your PS3 at home via the pubs wifi).

Console manufacturers aren’t the only ones who know that a social experience is vital to keep viewers tuned in. The popular video site Youtube not only allows users to create profiles, leave comments and discuss content but also allows users to upload their own content Doesn’t it make your regular television set look rather outdated?

So the water cooler is dead. Watching is only half the experience. We shouldn’t have to wait until tomorrow to share.