Screen Sizes and viewing distances

[admin_exported]

If I had to choose between a 40in and a 46in then I would naturally go for the larger picture thinking that it would be more cinematic. BUT are there any recommendations about minimum viewing distances, e.g. if you will be sitting 6 feet away then go for a 40in as a 46in would be too 'in your face' and feel uncomfortable.

Experience and opinions please...

Thanks

 

[timwileman]

6ft away from a 40in screen....are you mad? thats a bit close mate....

i sit 3.3meters away from a 37in screen and its fine, it could maybe push to a 42in but any bigger and it would so dominate the room,

i think there is guide on this site somewhere or its in the mag

 

[Anonymous]

2.5 times your screen size is the rule I stick by...

 

[Alsone]

Depends on your source, with SD forget it from 6ft!

I have a Pioneer 428XD Kuro (42"), WhatHiFi's finest rated tv but from 10 feet SD tv looks soft.

Digital improves it considerably (although note digital quality is drop approx 33% in 2009 to make way for 4 HD channels on Freeview so this improvement over analogue may disappear).

DVD varies according to the disc. House of Flying Daggers is fantastic and could be watched from quite a close distance. Other DVD's which are of average quality, can look sub par and slightly soft at 10ft.

The only way you're going to comfortably view a screen of the size you're proposing from 6ft is with a High Definition Source such as Blu Ray.

In my opinion, 10-12 feet is the minimum for Analogue SD tv on a 42" and expect softness. The further away you are, the more it sharpens up. Digital SD will make for a better picture at 10ft on 42".

Add more distance in both instances for a 46".

Closer and you either need a HD source or a smaller screen. I love 50" as a screen size from 10 ft but could I live with the picture's softness with broadcast pictures? Not on your life, it looks cr*p! It would have to be a tv I used for good DVD's and Blu Ray only, ie a dedicated cinema only screen, to be usuable for me. I couldn't bear normal tv on it.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't forget though it's not just about the quality of the image, it's getting enough distance so your brain can process all of the image without having to shift your head. Especially with HD.

 

[Anonymous]

HELP I am looking to buy a Panasonic plasma, the question is which size 37PX80" or 42". We will mostly be watching freeview, normal viewing distance 3.3m from chair, but it can be more. If it is the 42" then which should we get 42PX80 or 42PZ80. Is it worth paying an extra £80 for 1080p or will this cause more problems than it is worth?

 

[Dave_]

for viewing distances see here

 

[Sorreltiger]

I must say I agonized over this for weeks when I was trying to decide which TV to buy. ÿDistance/size is very difficult to gauge in a shop - the 26" LCD we used to watch happily in the living room looked miniscule alongside all those alluring big screens! ÿI did finally overcome shyness and carry around my retractable tape measure and risked further ridicule by sometimes adopting a pretend sitting position. ÿWho watches TV standing up - how else can you achieve the right angle?!!

ÿI'm now extremely happy with my 42" HD Ready Plasma (Pioneer PDP-4280XD) at 3m. ÿA little further away (standing behind the sofa) is fine, but my surrounds can't go back, so 3m it has to be. ÿOn the other hand, even HD doesn't look as good any closer.

As many people have posted previously, it has to be a personal decision and you have to try things out yourself (preferably BEFORE making an expensive mistake!) ÿPersonally, an unhurried demo of the Kuro at HiSpek, sitting in a comfy chair set at my viewing distance made all the difference and gave me the confidence to get out the credit card. ÿReally think about what you want to watch - HD TV, SD TV, upscaled DVD, Blu-Ray....... ÿAsk the salesperson to show you each one. ÿIf he/she wants your business, it won't be too much trouble.

 

[Anonymous]

timwileman:6ft away from a 40in screen....are you mad? thats a bit close mate.... i sit 3.3meters away from a 37in screen and its fine, it could maybe push to a 42in but any bigger and it would so dominate the room, i think there is guide on this site somewhere or its in the mag

Sorry, but I can't agree with this.I have a chair which is 5 feet away from my 46PZ80 and the majority of channels from my SkyHD box are great.My main viewing distance is 9 feet and I feel that a good 50" panel would have been ideal IF I could have fitted it in.

My previous TV was a 37PX60 and from 9 feet it started to look like a portable after a few days.

I have never heard anyone complain that their TV was too big but you hear of many people wishing they had bough bigger.

To finish, I would say that from 6 feet the Somy 40" would be absoloutely fine.

 

[Anonymous]

To add one more thing, much depends on what you are mostly watching.

If you are only going to be watching Freeview through a TV tuner (which I find to be quite poor on the majority of panels) and no HD at all, then from 6 feet 40" would just about be OK.

If you were going to be watching a great amount of HD material then I would look at 42" at least.

 

[Anonymous]

I've got the panasonic 42pz85b plasma and sit 2.5m away image is very good whether watching blu rays, sky hd or the inbuilt freeview. I'd pretty much decided on the 46" before i even got in the shop to be honest but i'd measured the viewing distance and auditioned both the 42 and the 46" versions of the tv at said distance and for my eyes the 42" just looked better all round.