With amazing display and visual quality, tablets such as the ASUS Transformer TF300 tablet PC or the new iPad from Apple can certainly be used for watching video. But, will tablets ever replace an installed television screen as the best way to sit and watch TV and movies in the comfort of your living room?

Maybe not anytime soon, but a recent nationwide survey from Viacom suggests that the medium is quickly gaining popularity for viewing video. The study, entitled "Tapping into Tabletomics," had more than 2,500 participants, and discovered that in the past few years, tablets have replaced computers as the second-choice preferential medium for watching full-length TV. And while the majority prefer to view longer programs on their TVs, participants still reported that 15 percent of the shows they watched, they watched on their tablets.

In addition to the high-quality image that many tablets produce, they are also popular because they often allow consumers to purchase and download videos directly - as well as perform additional functions on other apps simultaneously.

"Our audiences are some of the most deeply engaged and active across social platforms," Colleen Fahey Rush, Viacom's executive vice president and chief research officer, said in a statement. "Co-viewing apps create more meaningful ways to reach them and represent an entirely new level of engagement for fans of our content."   

At the same time, the size of the screen remained one of the primary reasons why a TV is nearly always preferred for long-term viewing over tablets. While tablets allow for more interaction and dynamic viewing, carrying a massive tablet just to watch the new episode of "Mad Men" on the train ride to work isn't exactly practical. But, for those days that you missed last night's episode, watching it on the iPad 3 works just fine.