Post to prevent archive, please ignore.
FAQ - How Large an HDTV to Buy.
Updated 2010.02.08. 9,258 Previous views.
Here are some guidelines for TV size.
1. It's rare that anyone buys a set that's "too large" to watch, however....
2. The set has to fit into its surroundings. A spouse may not be very happy if you come home with a 65" TV to replace the 27" you had in the corner.
3. If you put a large TV in a corner, it can be much deeper (to the corner itself) than the old TV. The front of the screen could be 5' from the corner, instead of a couple of feet for a 27" TV.
4. You should sit roughly 2.0 to 2.5 times the screen size away from the TV, for the best results (a movie-like experience). For a 50" TV, you should sit about 9-10' away from the screen. You can sit closer for DVD or HD material, however standard definition material will be hard on the eyes any closer than this.
Where do you sit when you go to the cinema, if you sit roughly in the middle, then the above advice will be good, if you sit further back, or near the front, then the above is simple to modify.
5. Don't forget about the speakers and audio equipment. For many people, the audio experience is just as important as the visual experience. The Dolby Website had good information on this topic - speaker layout, etc.
6. If you are going to have a home theatre with surround sound, your chairs or sofa/couch/chesterfield should not be against the back wall. They should be perhaps 2/3 of the distance between the TV and the back wall for the proper surround effect. This goes against some old furniture positioning ideas, but there is nothing wrong with placing furniture towards the center of the room instead of cowering against the walls.
7. Here's a recent thread/poll on the subject of how far people sit from their TVs.
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=46708 (Click on the poll to see the results).
8. Some people have been wondering how close you need to sit to see the difference between 720P (768P) and 1080P. Here's a link to a chart from a Sound & Vision article.
http://www.soundandvision.com/content/maxing-out-resolution
Article: http://www.soundandvision.com/content/you-dont-need-1080p
9. In addition to size, the placement of the TV is important. It should not be placed too high on the wall, otherwise it'll be a literal pain in the neck (like over a fireplace). Usually it's best to have the middle of the screen where your eyes naturally fall when sitting down to watch TV - this is usually the middle of the screen around eye height, but could be higher if you use a recliner. You can experiment by putting a piece of cardboard on the wall and looking at for a while from your seating.
Please PM 57 if you have any comments or suggestions for this post.
Here are some guidelines for TV size.
1. It's rare that anyone buys a set that's "too large" to watch, however....
2. The set has to fit into its surroundings. A spouse may not be very happy if you come home with a 65" TV to replace the 27" you had in the corner.
3. If you put a large TV in a corner, it can be much deeper (to the corner itself) than the old TV. The front of the screen could be 5' from the corner, instead of a couple of feet for a 27" TV.
4. You should sit roughly 2.0 to 2.5 times the screen size away from the TV, for the best results (a movie-like experience). For a 50" TV, you should sit about 9-10' away from the screen. You can sit closer for DVD or HD material, however standard definition material will be hard on the eyes any closer than this.
Where do you sit when you go to the cinema, if you sit roughly in the middle, then the above advice will be good, if you sit further back, or near the front, then the above is simple to modify.
5. Don't forget about the speakers and audio equipment. For many people, the audio experience is just as important as the visual experience. The Dolby Website had good information on this topic - speaker layout, etc.
6. If you are going to have a home theatre with surround sound, your chairs or sofa/couch/chesterfield should not be against the back wall. They should be perhaps 2/3 of the distance between the TV and the back wall for the proper surround effect. This goes against some old furniture positioning ideas, but there is nothing wrong with placing furniture towards the center of the room instead of cowering against the walls.
7. Here's a recent thread/poll on the subject of how far people sit from their TVs.
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=46708 (Click on the poll to see the results).
8. Some people have been wondering how close you need to sit to see the difference between 720P (768P) and 1080P. Here's a link to a chart from a Sound & Vision article.
http://www.soundandvision.com/content/maxing-out-resolution
Article: http://www.soundandvision.com/content/you-dont-need-1080p
9. In addition to size, the placement of the TV is important. It should not be placed too high on the wall, otherwise it'll be a literal pain in the neck (like over a fireplace). Usually it's best to have the middle of the screen where your eyes naturally fall when sitting down to watch TV - this is usually the middle of the screen around eye height, but could be higher if you use a recliner. You can experiment by putting a piece of cardboard on the wall and looking at for a while from your seating.
Please PM 57 if you have any comments or suggestions for this post.
1 - 2 of 2 Posts
1 - 2 of 2 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums
A forum community dedicated to Canadian TV, computing and home theatre owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about home audio/video, displays, troubleshooting, styles, projects, DIY’s, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Top Contributors this Month
View All
Dr.Dave
162 Replies
ExDilbert
132 Replies
bigoranget
43 Replies
