Andy and WHFteam - confused about your viewing distance recommendations.

[admin_exported]

Hi Team,

I'm a little confused about what the recommended screen size to viewing distances are. I've read Andy's article here http://whathifi.com/blogs/television/archive/2007/10/16/how-to-choose-the-right-size-of-tv.aspx which seems to suggest that at around 3.5m a 37" would be ideal. But on your "how to get the best from your tv" vidcast http://whathifi.com/HowTo/Get-the-best-from-your-TV/Vidcasts/ it recommends a screen size of 50-52" if you are sat about 3.3m from the screen and watching both SD & HD. Quite different info!

I sit about 11ft/3.3m from the TV, and am a bit confused about what size of set would be best. Had thought a 37" would be good having read Andy's article, but now somewhat confused having seen your vidcast. Would a 37" bee too small at this distance?

thanks,
Pete

 

[professorhat]

TV size at different viewing positions is a very personal matter and the WHF guides are as they say, just guides. If I were you, I'd find out the size of a 37" screen (which will be roughly 32" wide and 18" high) and cut out a piece of card to this size. You can then put this against the wall and sit at the viewing distance and see if you think the size is too big or too small. Personally, I wouldn't go any less than 42" at that distance, maybe even 46".

 

[Anonymous]

professorhat: If I were you, I'd find out the size of a 37" screen (which will be roughly 32" wide and 18" high) and cut out a piece of card to this size. You can then put this against the wall and sit at the viewing distance and see if you think the size is too big or too small.

Prof...simplicity is genius! What a great idea.
g

 

[Andy Clough]

I posted the original article back in October I think, and in truth it was based largely on viewing distances originally set for standard-definition material, rather than high-def which is more commonplace now.

Obviously high-def material on a large screen will bare scrutiny at closer viewing distances than SD material, which (particularly on some Freeview channels) can look decidedly ropey if you sit too close.

I chose a 40in Sony Bravia for home viewing as I sit about 3m from the screen - any closer and you see too many of the flaws in SD broadcasts. Of course, with HD material it's a different matter and I believe Ms Editor-in-Chief Clare sits a similar distance from an 80in screen when watching Blu-ray discs on her projector. To some degree it's a matter of personal preference.

So would a 37in screen be too small at a viewing distance of 3.3m? Not necessarily. I considered a 37in screen myself, but in the end couldn't resist an extra three inches! I think a 42in screen would be ideal in your case, but of course it all comes down to personal preference, how much HD/Blu-ray material you intend to watch and what you find most comfortable to view.

As Professorhat says, these are guidelines only. Hope that helps.

 

[professorhat]

Gary Mardell:professorhat: If I were you, I'd find out the size of a 37" screen (which will be roughly 32" wide and 18" high) and cut out a piece of card to this size. You can then put this against the wall and sit at the viewing distance and see if you think the size is too big or too small.

Prof...simplicity is genius! What a great idea.
g
Thanks! Unfortunately I can't take the credit, I read someone else doing it on the forums a few months ago and thought the same as you!

 

[Clare Newsome]

I can see the revised How To video now; Dom and Simon doing a Blue Peter style 'here's one we made eariler' with their cardboard cut-outs. Nice one

 

[Andrew Everard]

And either use these round-ended scissors or get Mummy to help you cut it out

 

[Andy Clough]

And lots of sticky-backed plastic.

 

[professorhat]

I think they should grow mullets and wear big winged collared shirts and flares for the occasion...

 

[Andy Clough]

professorhat:I think they should grow mullets and wear big winged collared shirts and flares for the occasion...

You obviously haven't seen Simon and Dom out on the town of a Saturday night.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for all your helpful and nostalgic comments! it'll be mainly SD for moi, so think i may plump for the 37px80 - will be quite a jump up from me from the 21" currently...

 

[Anonymous]

You'd think so wouldn't you ? I've got same parameters and same tv and I'm suffering from shrinking telly syndrome.Seems to be shrinking to the point where a 42 or 46 Sony may be needed for the cinematic experience to rekindle.

I bought the 37 as an interim measure but wish I'd got the 42 and its only 50 quid or so more.

Heaven knows how I managed with the 28'' Panny CRT ??

 

[Anonymous]

andyb190: I bought the 37 as an interim measure but wish I'd got the 42 and its only 50 quid or so more.

Heaven knows how I managed with the 28'' Panny CRT ?? Likewise, except I came from a 24" CRT.

If in doubt, get the bigger one

 

[SpiceWeasel]

I went from a 32" to a 42" and it seemed HUGE in comparison. After a week or so you soon get used to it. I sit about 10-12ft away and the 42" is perfect. SD looks good from that distance and HD is unbelievable. Deffinately has the cinematic effect for films without being OTT.

I sometimes wonder if I should of got a 46", but it would deffinately of been to big for SD viewing.

A friend at work just bought a 37" lcd and when he 1st got it he wanted to send it back and get a 32", but a week or 2 later he's now glad he didn't as it's perfect for his viewing distance.

 

[Anonymous]

IMO, at 3.3m, a 42 inch or 46 inch would be ideal. I have a 42 inch and sit about 2.5m away and have no problems whatsoever with SD. I think a 37 inch would be way too small for 3.3m. In fact, I even think that a 50 inch is "doable" at that distance and the Ultimate Guide to TVs provide those guidelines as well.

 

[Anonymous]

To put it simply - if all you watch is HD - the bigger the better - period. You won't see much artifacts on even a 65" screen from 3 meters away if your watching HD. The future is for bigger and bigger screens as the world makes the full transition to HD. My preference would be to go for the biggest you can afford under the assumption that prevelance of HD material will grow exponentially - i.e a more future proofed a less short sighted approach. However, the sad reality is that most of the stuff you watch today is still bad quality SD stuff (particularly in the UK verses the US).

The easiest way to find out is go to a retailer and ask for them to show how the tv looks with SD material and see how far away you have to be before you are comfortable with the picture quality. This is where picture processing comes into play. You can go with a bigger TV given the distance if it handles SD better. For example, there is a BIG difference between how a Pioneer Plamsa or Sony LCD processes SD and say an LG or Sharp handles it.

So the long winded answer to a simple question is - find out given your distance to the tv, the screen size that is most comfortable for SD viewing and get something slightly bigger because in the long term, you will probably get more joy out of watching HD when it becomes more readily available.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes agreed. Just be careful not to get something that is too huge, i.e. make sure that you can still see the entire screen comfortably so that you don't strain your eyes. This is subjective as everyone's field of vision is different.

 

[FuzzyinLondon]

I was dead set on getting a Pioneer 508XD back before Xmas. I was moving into a new flat and wanted to wallmount and have it be the 'wow' showpiece for my living room. I went into my local dealer to get some info and have a last look at the Pioneer before I ordered it. The dealer had some special Pioneer posters there. They were special fold out full-scale versions of the tv sets. The dealer suggested that I take one which showed the sizes of the 42 and 50 inch sets and stick it to the wall with blu tack to make sure the size was OK.

A little while later, I found out that the wall wouldn't be safe to mount a plasma on and that I'd have to buy a stand. This would mean that the tv would be 1-2ft away from the wall. All of a sudden, from my viewing distance, the 50inch looked a whole lot bigger - too big for me. I decided it would be much more sensible, not to mention cheaper, to get a 42 inch instead. Of course, sometimes I do dream of having the 50inch tv, especially when watching letterbox movies. But overall I'm very happy with the 4280XD I ended up with. The moral of the story being that an accurate cutout can be an absolute lifesaver.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, well. WHS&V forum is recommending cardboard cutouts and Tesco pan rests ! What is the world coming to ?