Viewing distance and other questions

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

1 I sit 3 metres away from the screen my wife sits about 2 metres away we mainly watch ordinary sky, and dvds through a panasonic dvd recorder, so my first question is would a 37" or a 42" screen be best.

2 From the above info which in your opinion would be the best Tv to go for, I have narrowed my choice down to the Panasonic TH42PX70 / TH37PX70, or the Samsung PS42Q96HDX. Thanks for any help.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'd go for the Panasonic 42.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you Andrew for your quick reply, Panasonic 42" it is.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Be brave and go for a 50""

 

[Andrew Everard]

Well, yes, that would be even better, but he did ask for a choice between the three he was considering!

 

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't 50" be a little bit overpowering at a viewing distance of 2 metres.

 

[Andrew Everard]

It'd certainly be cinematic.

Depends how often you watch The Weakest Link - having Anne Robinson looming that large in your field of vision could cause you to wake up in the wee small hours screaming.

BTW respect to the Telegraph sub who came up with the headline here.

 

[stevee1966]

I've got similar viewing distances in my room (between 2.5 and .5 metres). I'm getting a Panasonic TH42PX70 delivered this Saturday so will let you know.

I was a little worried about the distance, and originally i was going to go for the 37", but having looked in tv showrooms, the 42" at that distance isn't too imposing (admittedly i didn't sit in the shop for 4 hours), plus the price difference between the 2 is only £100 so the 42" is on it's way.

 

[Anonymous]

Were you getting it from stevee1966, and how much did you pay. I can get it for £749

 

[stevee1966]

Dixons web will do it for £724 with free delivery. I've paid £919 as i'm getting it with the floor stand as well.

Dixons web site has the following prices (add the promo codes at the checkout page to get extra £25 or £50 off) :-

TV only - £749 (£724 with code SAVE25)
TV and wall mount - £815 (£790 with code SAVE25)
TV with table top stand - £829 (£804 with code SAVE25)
TV with floor stand - £969 (£919 with code SAVE50)

On my original message my viewing distance meant to be 2.5 to 3.5 metres (not .5 as i typed)

I'm also amused by the vision of you and your wife with a 1 metre restriction zone between yourselves !!!!

 

[D.J.KRIME]

I sit 3m away from my 50"" and in no way is it too big.

 

[Anonymous]

The WHFS&V June issue's letter page gave the advice (in "A matter of projection") that if you are just watching films, "a big screen projector experience wins every time". This seems to contradict the normal advice you give on ideal screen size/viewing distances as a factor in deciding which TV to buy. Is there any point in having a projector unless you also have a huge room for viewing the images in?

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="gonesy"]Is there any point in having a projector unless you also have a huge room for viewing the images in?[/quote]

Yes, plenty of point. You can get a short-throw projector - ie one with a wider angle/shorter focel length lens - able to give a large picture even in a small room.

And while out advice on screen size/distance holds true fo general TV viewing - although as I have said many times, it's only guidance - if you watch a lot of movies you can't beat the sheer impact a projector brings.

Just to make the point I've made many times before, we use a 50in screen here at home, and sit around 3m from it.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="chezzy1955"]

Hi all,

1 I sit 3 metres away from the screen my wife sits about 2 metres away we mainly watch ordinary sky, and dvds through a panasonic dvd recorder, so my first question is would a 37" or a 42" screen be best.

[/quote]42".

You sit with the wife to watch HD material, and she sits with you to watch SD.

 

[Anonymous]

It's not just a question of image size or resolution: the light output of the screen is a key factor too. A direct-view image (ie a picture generated by a TV set) is of higher brightness than one from a projector, unless the projector in question is hugely powerful. That's why you can, if you choose, watch a larger projected image from the same viewing distance as a smaller TV.

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="gonesy"]
The WHFS&V June issue's letter page gave the advice (in "A matter of projection") that if you are just watching films, "a big screen projector experience wins every time". This seems to contradict the normal advice you give on ideal screen size/viewing distances as a factor in deciding which TV to buy. Is there any point in having a projector unless you also have a huge room for viewing the images in?
[/quote]

I live in a flat, yet use a projector (with 80in screen; which i sit 11.5ft from - yes, I know i'm breaking all the rules).

 

[Anonymous]

Quite so - and Clare's projector/screen combo suits her room perfectly, because it doesn't put out the same brightness as a direct-view 80in TV (assuming you could find such a thing in the UK) would deliver.

 

[Andrew Everard]

He's so supposed to be on holiday...

 

[Anonymous]

OK, OK, I'm going. You be good now

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="Andy Kerr"]OK, OK, I'm going. You be good now[/quote]

Will try, Have a good one and will try to have a Conti GTC waiting on your return!

 

[Anonymous]

Obviously high job satisfaction working in the Hi-Fi industry (or is it just an unhealthy obsession?!) Thanks for all the advice people

 

[Anonymous]

Just one thing I have learnt when it comes to screen size.I hear many people wishing they had bought a bigger TV (including myself.....twice) but I have never heard of anyone moaning that their TV is too big.

I have a 37PX60 at the moment but will upgrade to a 46PZ80 later this year.My viewing distance is around 9/10 feet.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"][quote user="gonesy"]

[/quote] I live in a flat, yet use a projector (with 80in screen; which i sit 11.5ft from - yes, I know i'm breaking all the rules).[/quote]

I'd like to know if you use this for normal TV viewing as well!

 

[Clare Newsome]

Yep - haven't had a TV for four years (when I got fed up with the size of my big 'ole CRT but wasn't happy with flatscreen quality).

I have Sky HD, and tend to watch a lot of HD sport and drama, plus any SD content I do watch is upscaled to 1080p via my AV receiver - which upscales far better than the Sky box and slightly better than my Full HD projector.

But yes, i don't just switch it on to catch the news headlines or to browse - i'm far more likely to browse BBC Online and the iPlayer via my laptop for that.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm! I'm being convinced!