Need opions on RPTV size (1 Viewer)

[Robert_James]

Hi folks -
I'm thinking of buying an RPTV and am having a little trouble deciding on the appropriate size.
I pasted together a couple pics showing a 43" and 50" 'screen' mounted on my existing entertainment center (which will be replaced). The screen sizes and mounting heights are pretty close to what they'd be like in real life. I sit about 9'± from the screen.
Any opinions on which size would be more appropriate for the room/viewing position? There's a continuous wall on the left that can be partially seen and a archway on the right that can't.
The pics can be found here.
Personally, I think the 50" is maybe slightly too big. Keep in mind that the new entertainment center will be built around the tv something like shown here.
Any and all suggestions, criticisms, etc. welcome. TIA.
[This was cross-posted at the Home Theater Spot. Hopefully that's not some HT faux pas.]
[Edit: "opions?" Good grief. :frowning:]

 

[Steve Schaffer]

From the standpoint of room esthetics the 43 would fit better, but with a viewing distance of 9 feet the picture just isn't going to be big enough. I'd definitely go with the 50 inch, or even a 53 or 57 if you can possibley shoehorn it into the space available.

 

[Robert_James]

Thanks Steve. I agree somewhat, I'm just really afraid a 50" will be overpowering.
Flippin' verizon....
Here are working (hopefully) links to the relevant pictures:
43-in.
50-in.
Entctr.

 

[Gordon Groff]

HI!
I've been trying to figure a similar thing out. I plan on placing our seating 11' from the display. From what I've read here, a 65" RPTV would be fine for that and a 90+" FPTV would do well too.

At 9', I would think you could easily go 50", but the doorway beside your viewing area may shrink that for esthetic resons. If you can relocate the bookcase on the left and center the unit on the open wall space, it might look pretty cool! Your photo w/50" paper did not look too big to me, especially considering the unit will actually have a dark screen when not on. The white paper makes it appear larger in your room than a dark screen will, I think.

Whatta I know? I'm a newbie here too!

Gordon

 

[Robert_James]

62 views and one relevant reply? C'mon people, do a guy a small favor. It's not like I'm asking about special relativity here.
[Edit: of course as soon as I type this, Gordon replies...
Good points about the white standing out, Gordon. Unfortunately there are no other locations for the bookshelves. Interestingly enough, the longer I look at the 50" piece of paper, the less big it looks. Maybe the initial 'shock' of seeing how big it was compared to the old 27" is wearing off. No complaints there. Thanks for you input.]

 

[WayneG]

I did the same thing the other night. It's so hard to tell without a moving picture on it. I sit just shy of 8 feet and I'm debating between 43 or 51. Squatting in the store showroom from that distance the 51 looked fine. No grain, and a big screen experience for a movie. Price and weight are considerations though. I still haven't decided.

 

[DavidAM]

Go for the bigger one. I sit 7' away from my 56" widescreen and after 2 days, it didn't seem so close anymore. Right when you get it home its like "this thing is huge" but its definately a better experience with the bigger screen.

 

[Jan Strnad]

50" doesn't look too large to me. If you're watching DVDs or high def, I don't think you'd have a problem. Regular cable or satellite might be too soft if you stretch the picture, but if you watch with gray bars on the sides (in OAR) it'll look better.

I'm a Toshiba owner and I appreciate the shallower depth of the Tosh compared with other brands, which saves you about 6". I'd do more measuring and see how far from the wall the TV will extend, see what that does to your esthetics, and see how far you'll be sitting from the screen.

I'm in the minority around here, but I don't consider "psychological shrinkage" to be much of an issue. If you get a 43", you'll want a 50". If you get a 50", you'll want 65". If you get 65", you'll want a 100" front projector. And so it goes.

So, 50" at 9' doesn't sound too big to me, and 43" doesn't sound too small. Maybe it's a budget or SAF matter.

Good luck!

Jan

 

[Robert_James]

Thanks for all the replies.
Well, after doing some more reading, visiting the local Sears, and taking your folks' comments into account, I'd convinced myself the 50" would be the way to go. However....
I started looking at the stairway it had to go up and then began wondering if it'd fit around the 90° turn. I did a rough 3D model of a 50" Toshiba and the stairway in Autocad and while it appears it'll work, frankly the clearances are minimal at best. Also, workable in Autocad is far removed from a bunch of guys lifting a 200-lb. mass around a corner, so I'm not really sure. I may have to mock up the tv using cardboard or something.... :frowning:
[Edit: can these things be disassembled at all? Particularly a Toshiba 50H82?]

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Robert,

Some of the bigger sets do split, but I don't know of any in the 50" range.

I think Mitsubishi makes a 48" table top set which not only would be easier to get up the stairs but would allow for placement of your dvd player, receiver, etc. on shelves under the set. You would not have to place an equipment rack next to the set and this would also solve a lot of the space restriction problems.

 

[Robert_James]

Steve -

It looks like th '02-03 Mitsu tabletop model is a 42" and last year's is a 46". The 46" could be a compromise solution but I'm not sure how much trouble I'd have finding one to look at. If I get a chance I'll call around on Mon.

Then again, who knows, maybe a 60" plasma will float down from the sky and come to rest on my doorstep. :p)