Lighting -Please Help (1 Viewer)

[Sri]

Hello,
I read in an article recently that we need a light behind the TV to reduce eye strain. I guess, my question is what kind of light should I put behind the screen and what wattage and yellow or white. I have a 58" Elite 610. Also, what's the best way to control i.e., x-10 or lutron. Don't want to spend too much money. Thank You all for your help.

 

[Ed O'Neill]

What do you mean eye strain.

I never heard of this, and besides when you go to a theater you never see a light behind the screen.

I have always understood that you should have the room as dark as possible.

If you go to x10 site you will see that they made/make lutron products. Also x-10 is definitley cheaper. If you buy their remote you can control all you devices from 1 where as the lutron on does the lights. One remote for me is the solution.

Just my 2 cents
Ed O'Neill

 

[MikeWh]

Sri,

Yes, you are right... There have been discussions on this topic here and elsewhere in the past. I did a quick google search
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...ight+behind+TV

and found this, as an example.
http://www.technofile.com/articles/ideal_lume.html

You could easily find more info in that google search.

The issue is related to field-of-view (FOV) and the total amount of light received within that FOV. I was highly skeptical when I first heard this about 2 years ago.

Here's my experience-- In my current HT setup, I have a 50" RPTV mounted on a stage about 12" higher than the floor. Seating is about 15' away (head-to-screen). I experience some eye strain in a totally dark room, and I'm now pretty much convinced it's due to this effect (and no back-lighting). The effect is sort of like looking down a long pipe.... a hazy darkness everywhere around a central bright spot.

My TV is almost 15 years old, and it's brightness has already begun to subside. If I moved the seating closer, the TV would appear higher, and then I'd have neck strain!! I haven't tried backlighting, because my TV is imbedded in a wall. I'm moving to FPTV anyways, so watching a movie with a little ambient light and the brightness a little higher than it should be is tolerable for now. Other less picky guests don't seem to notice it...

In FPTV set-ups (and to Ed's point about movie theaters), this is not a problem, because the FOV is usually VERY wide-- the screen is 80-100" (for FPTV) and pretty much fills the entire FOV.

Likewise, for newer RPTVs, with bigger and brighter pictures (and proper seating distances!!), this effect is probably less noticeable.

I'd be interested to hear from RPTV people who use backlighting.

 

[BlakeN]

Tap lights work really well for this. Make sure to get the ones that plugs into the wall not the ones that uses batteries. In short a tv doesn't take up your whole field of vision so your eyes are constantly readjusting in a theater the screen takes up enough of your FOV so there is no eye strain.

 

[Sri]

Thanks guys for the responses! Another silly question: What's a tap light?