Talkwit.TV Launches in Beta, a Crowd-Sourced TV Guide

Don't watch TV alone, the makers of Talkwit.TV seem to say, when you can watch your favorite shows with thousands of virtual friends.

While there have been social TV sites and apps before, Talkwit.TV goes farther in creating a real-time, crowd-sourced TV guide. Visit the Talkwit.TV homepage and you'll see that show are ranked automatically by their social popularity. Users can also view a traditional schedule grid to see what programs are on, then read comments from others watching that show.

(Glenn Beck is currently the number one show, followed by Everybody Hates Chris. Clearly, Talkwit.TV appeals to a range of users.)

Talkwit.TV helps viewers find something to watch and discover new shows by aggregating comments from Twiter and Facebook. Viewers can connect with other people currently watching the same show, without bothering with a check-in system.

The site creates an interesting set of data for broadcasters, since they can see which programs create the most online interest and get people talking. The company recently completed a successful test with HBO and signed a content partnership with Tribune Media.

The site has also gone mobile with its own iPhone app. The app is free to download, and makes the TalkWit.TV experience portable.