42" or 50"

[mike c]

how do i decide what size 3lcd sony tv i would get?
room is 4 meters (13 feet) wall to wall front to back.

after deducting the distance of the tv and couch, im afraid id be too close to the tv and see the digitized pixels

how close is too close?

 

[Sheep]

Try what I do.


The distance between you and your TV should be 2 and a half times the diagonal of the TV. I use this (not right now, but when I get my new sub). I've found its the perfect distance for my 27inch tv, and it will always have the same affect with all tv's.


Find you where your eyes sit (length from tv), and measure the distance, and divide by 2.5


that should work.

sheep

 

[mike c]

thanks for the rule of thumb sheep

my eyes are approximately 110" away from the tv screen (110/2.5= 44")
so its still pretty much a tossup (even though closer to 42) why? because a 50" has better bragging rights but of course, i dont want to sacrifice picture quality

 

[CaliHwyPatrol]

Get the 50.

Why?

Because.

No more questions.

~Chuck

 

[BMXTRIX]

Viewing distance is most definitely a personal preference. In home theater with HD viewing and DVD as the primary source, THX standards are used which is about 1.5x the screen WIDTH. So, at 12 feet, you will very often find a 100" wide screen on the wall. This is using industry standards and requires a top notch source.

But, the resolution of the display is 1280x720 which is likely what the Sony will be. Screen door/pixelization disappears usually around 1x screen width. So, that should not be the concern really...

Except, regular TV will look poor. No matter what, regular TV just doesn't hold a candle to DVD or HDTV. So, you have to really ask about how much regular TV viewing you will be doing, and how important that image quality is to you.

Some people watch 50% or more of regular TV... BUT - They have decided that they want the bigger image because they don't care that much about regular TV and want the biggest possible image for their highest quality sources. They simply live with, and accept, the poor image quality while watching regular TV.

Personal decision? You better believe it! But, I would not hesitate for a second to recommend the 50" display, or perhaps something even larger. 42" may be enough for you, but I don't think you will be able to get the full impact of HDTV or DVD with such a small size. Bigger isn't always better, but you have a lot bigger you can go before it becomes a huge issue.

Very much personal preference though.

 

[Pyrrho]

how do i decide what size 3lcd sony tv i would get?
room is 4 meters (13 feet) wall to wall front to back.

after deducting the distance of the tv and couch, im afraid id be too close to the tv and see the digitized pixels

how close is too close?

Go to a store and look at them. Take a measuring tape with you. Measure how far away you are when you are close enough to see the pixels. Watch both High Definition and a standard definition source on the TV and see if this makes a difference for how far away you need to be to have a decent viewing experience. Use that information to find out if you will be far enough away with the different sets.

 

[mike c]

thats why i suddenly asked this ...
ive been seeing both tv's in HD all the time (so there's no difference between them), except last sunday where they were playing an ordinary DVD for the 50 ... the 42 wasnt available at the time

 

[BMXTRIX]

A nifty test you can do if you have a camcorder is to record some regular television broadcast that you watch a lot of. Just something right off the analog channels of your cable box. Then, go to the stores with your camcorder in hand and plug it into the front inputs on the TV and see how it looks from the distance you will be viewing from. DV does a great job just recording, so it should not be almost any difference between watching it live vs. watching the DV recording of the show.

That is - if you have a camcorder.

 

[Khellandros66]

If you haven't already made a purchase check out the Sharp LC-45GX6U I saw one today at Best Buy while it was playing INHD and man it was beautiful even from 3-4 feet away is was crystal clear.

~Bob

 

[BMXTRIX]

Well, one he isn't looking at a LCD flat panel display, but rear projection lcd.

Next, there is a long line of people who will be happy to tell of their trials and turbulations with Sharp and their 45" lcd that manages to not produce excellent images consistently.

I think we are more in the couple thousand budget, not the $5K+ range.

 

[sts9fan]

So what do people think of DLP vs 3LCD? Say Samsug vs Sony

 

[Snap]

Response to 2 Post.

42 inch vs 50 inch Sony
I have even smaller distance than you. I have 11 feet from my TV to my sofa. I have the RP LCD 55 inch. So to answer your question get neither. Get the 55 inch Sony. You will LOVE it!

DLP vs RP LCD
Matter of Taste/Personal Pref:

1. RP LCD has LESS moving parts so to me that means less chance of something breaking.

2. Samsung has 1080P sets that are priced well. Sony's that are 1080P are LOTS of money.

3. Some people see rainbows in DLP sets.
4. DLP seems (TO ME) to be a more clear picture than the RP LCD. (Compairing the 1080P Samsung to the New Sony RP LCD)

And last but not least...Money. The New Sony's are several hundred bucks cheaper than the Samsung of the same size. (well 55 inch vs 56 inch close enough)

Keep in mind that is just my personal opinon.

Blessed,
Snap

 

[mike c]

snap, there's a 60" available but im really really really intimidated by the sheer size of it so ive put it out of the equation

its just that i already have the money for the 50" so money is of no consequence (i love saying that) its just a matter of getting the right size for the room

anyway, i have a max. of 8 ft distance from tv screen to my eyeballs

 

[mike c]

bmxtrix, actually, the 50" converted to USD costs 4089 (yes, its a b*tch)

technology here is pretty expensive (except for taiwan items)

 

[Snap]

Well either way you go, 50 inch or 55 you will like the New Sony RP LCD. They are great sets. I actually want a bigger TV, and my wife thinks that the 55 is perfect.

That price for the TV is crazy.

 

[BMXTRIX]

bmxtrix, actually, the 50" converted to USD costs 4089 (yes, its a b*tch)

technology here is pretty expensive (except for taiwan items)

Then I would expect the Sharp 45" LCD to be in the $8K+ range... Either way, not the same budget and not the right product.

I keep looking at the Sony LCD RPTVs and loving them. They just look really good. I'm not into the DLP/LCD thing, I am into what looks good and would rather not know if it is DLP or LCD, just that it looks good and what the life expectancy and replacement cost of the bulb is.

If Yugo made a reliable, great looking RPTV I would buy it. It is not about brand name and should never be. 8 feet? Really, just get the 50" model and love it for a while until you decide to go bigger.

 

[mike c]

exactly bmx, whatever other technologies will be a lot more expensive. this is the cheapest large screen available here. same price with the 50" rplcd is the 42" plasma

although, when it comes to TV ... its been sony all the way for me (past 25 years with at least 30 units of tv, all sony)

laser products is another matter ... sony is dumbest *%&*8 crappiest laser products maker. i've had tons of sony LD, CD, DVD, Stereos die on me already (pretty much 100% mortality rate in a short span of time)

so 8 feet is fine for 50"

 

[westcott]

I would reconsider

If you want a larger screen and better picture quality, I would not buy a rear projection system.

You would get a lot more for your money (i.e. better picture quality) with a front projector and a much better and larger picture from a wider viewing area.

 

[mike c]

thanks westcott, but im already overwhelmed with the 50"

is there a projector that can display 55" width? assuming there is, which is clearer these DLP projectors or the RPLCD (same size comparison)

 

[mak15]

Dear all: I have simular problem, but I finally pick Sharp 37" LCD flat panel TV over some DLP RPTV, coz quality is more important to me than size. I don't wanted to buy Plasma, coz I heard that they don't last long. I know there are two kinds of Plasma, the newer version can last longer. when I ask the shop staffs, they said every plasma is new version, they all last long. That's one of the reason I pick LCD flat panel TV. Can anyone tell me how is sharp LCD flat panel TV or there are some better and in the $ range? Are they last long? Appreciated for any advice. By the way, the distance between my tv and sofa is 60inches/2.5=24, but I still go for 37", coz I can't accept any less than 37" in the living room.