What size TV?

[Droff]

I'm building a HT room, not dedicated to only HT, but I was wondering if there is a guide to determine recommended TV size based on room size. The room is 14'x20' (WxL). I'm figuring on an LCD at the moment, but a Plasma or projector isn't out of the question.
Any suggestions on size?
Thanks.

 

[markw]

How far do you expect to be sitting from the front of the TV?

That's more important than the room size here.

 

[Droff]

The farthest seating would be at around 18' and the closest would be around 6-8' as a guess. I'm planning on building some tiered seating at the back of the room. Overall, in the 10'-15' range I'd say.

 

[RanjeetRain]

Your viewing distance / 3 = TV screen's height

A general guideline about viewing distance is

= TV screen's height x 3 = Your viewing distance

Now you do the math. Draw a plan on a pice of paper, laying out your sofa/couch and measuring the actual distance between the viewer's eye and the screen. In brief anything between 60 inches and 100 incehs should be okay for you, depending on how you lay them out.

 

[MDS]

There are 'recommended' sizes but naturally you are free to violate them according to your own preferences.

The rule for HD TVs is supposed to be seating at 1.5 to 2 times the width of the TV. In the manual for the Sony LCDs they recommend 1.5 times. A 60" would therefore be recommended if you sit anywhere from 90 inches to 120 inches away. At the farthest seat of 18', the 60" may be too small unless you are like me and don't care to be right on top of the TV (like the first row in the movie theater).

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Just be careful not to go "too big." Those that are sitting 6-8 feet from the set may not be able to enjoy a 60" screen as those seated further back. For now, we've got a small 37" in our family room, and I'm usually sitting 12' back. It's plenty big for me, but may not be for others. Most of your local shops will have setups with couches or chairs you can try out. I love those giant DLP's, but every couch I've been in was way too close for my taste. I felt like I was sitting in the front row of a movie theater.

My uncle built a theater room in a dedicated portion of his basement. His projector and screen take up the entire wall - probably 10'. Even though I'm 15' back, the pic was way too big to enjoy football. I felt like I was turning my head the entire game watching a tennis match.

In your size room, I'd say you'd be ok with a 42" LCD. Any larger, and I'd go 50" Panny plasma if price is an issue. Stick to flat panel if you can.

 

[Droff]

Right now I have a 32" and we sit roughly 10' or so away. Seems okay to me now, but a bigger picture would be nicer for movies. I'm trying to plan on enclosure dimensions for a TV while getting things roughed in and I'm thinking around a 47" TV at this point.
Thanks for the input.

 

[markw]

Is that 32" 4:3 SD measurment or a 16:9 HDTV measurment?

HD is longer but doesn't have the height of a SD picture. Just trying to keep it from being an apples to oranges comparson.

 

[Droff]

4:3 SD?
The 32" I have now is roughly 15 years old. I framed my cabinet for a 50" flat panel so it's roughly 5' wide by 40' high, which should leave a little bit of room all the way around.
Thanks for the input, it's appreciated.

 

[markw]

SD = "Standard Definition" as opposed to HD, "High Definition".

HD tends to be longer and lower across the screen. If you've ever watched a letterboxed (wide screen) movie on your current TV, you'll see the difference with the black bars on the top and bottom.

 

[Jacksmyname]

I currently have a Sony 40" LCD that I bought last December. Right now the sofa is against the back wall, about 15'. I find the 40", at that distance, to be pretty good.
I'm building a new house, and the "great room" is 16x20. It's an open style floor plan, so the front of the sofa will still be about 12-13ft from the wall where the tv will be. I'm planning on a new set when we get into the house; probably a 46".
I know a lot of people will say that's too small for that distance, but it's based on *my* preferences.
It's my feeling that a lot of people are sitting way too close to their displays.
Eye strain can become a problem, but it's really the long term effects that should really be considered.