| In the store it's small next to big screens. | In
your home it's huge ! |
 |
 |
Guide To Viewing Distances--What size TV?
You don't always have to get the biggest one. (But your man may want it!)
In the store it's
small next to big screens.
In
your home it's huge !
Note: There is a formula to decide viewing distance which often results in TVs that are a bit too big for smaller rooms. I don't blame the numbers...A bigger TV costs more. I give you the following viewing distances based on my years of installation experience in normal viewing situations. You can find the actual numbers on most retailer websites.
What's with the crossed out text?
I've been installing TVs and setting up home theaters with big screen TVs for
many years. And I've had the experience of sitting
too close to many a 55 inch or larger screen.
But that was before quality 55 inch plasma screens and 1080 progressive scan
TVs. I've been living with a 55 inch Hitachi Plasma
and I feel like I'm at the theater!
With a quality TV, a screen
of 55 inches or 60 inches can turn your room into a real theater.
A good HDTV
picture and it sucks you right in. Lower quality TVs with other than HDTV channels
will be fuzzy and you'll
want to sit further away if you are watching a lot
of standard TV.
Still, a 55 inch screen in a room that is under 15 feet wide will overpower
a room and become the focal point, so from a design
consideration, you may want to consider size.
These measurements are the MINIMUM distance for ANALOG signal. A good HD signal allows you to sit much closer, but the picture may be overpowering to some.
27 inch -- 3 feet away
32 to 36 inch --5 feet away
40 to 50 inch -- 7 to 10 feet away
55 to 60 inch -- 12 to 18 feet away
60 to 72 inch -- 18 feet away
above 72 inch --25 feet or beyond