‘Tis the season for holiday reruns. Oh, the horror!

It’s easy to become a slave to what’s on that channel lineup. Of course, many of you have amassed a pretty rockin’ Blu-ray and/or DVD collection. Still, watching a movie marathon can get real old real fast. What’s a short-attention span to do?

Thankfully, today’s HDTVs come equipped with additional entertainment, via a web connection. For quite some time, we’ve been touting the benefits of networking that big screen. However, this year, we saw an insane amount of entertainment being added to HDTVs—no thanks to those cable and satellite providers.

Smart TV or connected TV comprises a series of apps. Select apps come standard on new HDTVs, for additional entertainment right out of the box. Other programs can be loaded through an on-screen interface. However, HDTVs and smartphones aren’t the only devices that can be enhanced through apps. Many Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, and even stand-alone set-top boxes also have app add-ons.

We took a quick peek at what each manufacturer is offering and narrowed down 12 of our favorite HDTV apps. These are apps that are available through home theater products; not tabletops or portables (although some are available on those too). Click through and see how you could be getting more from your HDTV!

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.