TV size and distances

[nugget2014]

I've had my sony kdl46-w905a for about 5 weeks now and i love it, couldnt fit a bigger tv in flat even if i wanted to, but i read some tv buying guides and they all say the same thing. from my current seating position (3.6m or 12ft from tv) i would need a 65" tv or bigger yet i have a 46".

does sitting so far away from a tv this size make the viewing not as good as it could be meaning i would have a better time sitting closer (about 6ft away) from tv?

i could move one chair to the middle of the room and try it out i dont have trouble looking at the tv unless i'm playing games and then i have to sit a bit closer (tried it with tomb raider) then again maybe because its a dark game in general that's why. opinions?

 

[bigboss]

Forget what's advised on the magazines and websites. You have the TV in front of you. Why don't you experiment and ascertain the best seating position?

 

[chebby]

Twelve feet away is a vast gulf, you should be considering 80 inch or more (or projectors).

We don't have the hawk like vision of older generations who could actually see perfectly their 576 lines, 24" 4:3 CRTs from across large rooms and still enjoy the content.

It's all about 'immersive' nowadays, so if you can still detect any of your living-room in your peripheral vision then your TV is too small or you are sitting too far away.

 

[relocated]

If you are comfortable with the way it is then disregard what you have read. You already move position for certain viewing so you can identify what is best for you without arbitrary distances.

I have always felt that distances are only important when they are the minimum distance you should be for a given screen size and resolution, to avoid eye strain. Beyond that it's personal taste, not everyone wants to be immersed in their screen and as you've said, you couldn't fit a bigger screen if you had the money or desire to do it.

 

[nugget2014]

i'll try moving quite a bit closer then, maybe 5-6 feet away and see how big the difference is and if its worth putting a seat in the middle of the room.

 

[Glacialpath]

Hey Nugget2014. I have a 50" TV and sit 8 feet away. I could easily be sitting 6feet away and would still get the best from my TV. However my wife wouldn't want us sat any closer so 8 feet it is. Yu should be fine at 6 feet with a 46" TV. Then when you get your surroundsound and subwoofer you set it up for that listening/viewing position and you're sorted.

Enjoy having a play around.

 

[nugget2014]

Hey Nugget2014. I have a 50" TV and sit 8 feet away. I could easily be sitting 6feet away and would still get the best from my TV. However my wife wouldn't want us sat any closer so 8 feet it is. Yu should be fine at 6 feet with a 46" TV. Then when you get your surroundsound and subwoofer you set it up for that listening/viewing position and you're sorted.

Enjoy having a play around.

every time i go to the cinema and watch a film in imax or equivalent i wish i had bought a projector! just seen dawn of the planet of the apes at showcase with dolby atmos, superb! will try out a film tomorrow sat closer. although it's not very guest friendly as if they sit at back still their vision would be blocked by me in middle of room. unless i move my whole sofa to the middle of the room but then it might look odd? if i did that though i could have surrounds on a shelf behind me maybe instead of wall mounted.

 

[Glacialpath]

Glad you enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It's best not to compare the cinema especially IMAX to your home cinema.

Projectors can't give as deep blaks as TV currently can and this is very importent. You don't really notice how grey the blacks are in the cinema. My TV gives be a much better picture than the cinema used to. Only now with 4K presentation on IMAX has the picture qualitybettered that of my TV. Of course I only have a 50" screen so the cinema always wins in that respect.

Move you whole sofa to the middle of the room. You can put a book case or something on the back wall or a floor cabinet if you think it looks odd. Check out my lounge set up.

http://s102.photobucket.com/user/Glacialpath/story/28523

From the back of my couch to the wall is only 4ft. You can see the corner of a bookshelf that is on the back wall, there is a coffee table next to that and a tall bookshelf (full of BDs) the other side of the coffee table.

My SRBs ar on stands infront of the book shelves. Not ideal to look at but it works better for my set up than to have themon the wall.

I wish I could pop round and help you get the best out of your set up, maybe find a better place for it so you use the room better. Could you post a picture for the doorway into the roomand from where your TV currently is out into the room?

Where do you live?

 

[nugget2014]

Glad you enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It's best not to compare the cinema especially IMAX to your home cinema.

Projectors can't give as deep blaks as TV currently can and this is very importent. You don't really notice how grey the blacks are in the cinema. My TV gives be a much better picture than the cinema used to. Only now with 4K presentation on IMAX has the picture qualitybettered that of my TV. Of course I only have a 50" screen so the cinema always wins in that respect.

Move you whole sofa to the middle of the room. You can put a book case or something on the back wall or a floor cabinet if you think it looks odd. Check out my lounge set up.

http://s102.photobucket.com/user/Glacialpath/story/28523

From the back of my couch to the wall is only 4ft. You can see the corner of a bookshelf that is on the back wall, there is a coffee table next to that and a tall bookshelf (full of BDs) the other side of the coffee table.

My SRBs ar on stands infront of the book shelves. Not ideal to look at but it works better for my set up than to have themon the wall.

I wish I could pop round and help you get the best out of your set up, maybe find a better place for it so you use the room better. Could you post a picture for the doorway into the roomand from where your TV currently is out into the room?

Where do you live?

i live in nottingham

 

[Glacialpath]

i live in nottingham

Ah I'm not likely to up that way anytime soon. I do have a friend there but rarely vist. Maybe someone else on here is near you and could pop in and have a liik if they are willing. Though I charge fuel and my time when I work on anybodies set up I'm not going to push that on you. Otherwise I would be happy to drive up special to have a look at what can be done with your kit.

You can read what I have done for others on my The Cable Madman page on facebook if you like and contat me throug there if you are interested.