What is the ratio of screen size to seating area? (1 Viewer)

[Josh Wolfman]

My brother is buying a RPTV and is only about 9 feet away from the screen- how big should he go? Which one should he go with and why???? Thx

 

[Hugo]

Hi Josh,
I read in an article in "Sound & Vision" that you should be away approx. 1.5 times the diagonal length of your screen. But of course, it also depends on how you like to view your TV. Hope that helps.

Hugo

 

[Kevin C Brown]

I heard a slightly different recommendation but probably similar: 2 to 2.5 times the *vertical* size of the TV to your seating area.

 

[Chris_HD]

You didn't say whether he is getting a 4:3 set or a 16:9 set, and it does make a difference here. However if I assume he wants a 16:9 set, at nine feet out I would recommend something in the 46"-50" range. The 55"-56" sets are too big for that viewing distance IMO. The problem with getting a set too wide for your viewing distance is that the far reaches of the image area extend past your normal ocular range and into your peripheral vision. This can cause your eyes to dart back and forth (pan and scan? ) across the viewing area, which after a while gets tiring and distracting. My 56" is 11 feet out, and I can watch HD on it all day long. A ratio of 2.5:1 is about right.
Chris

 

[Sean M]

Well, if you're going to talk about how big for a given seating distance as a function of how much of your field of view will be taken up by the set, then a thirty degree subtended angle is what's necessary to percieve a screen as being truly large (give or take a few degrees). This is a great site for determining the proper seating distance for a given screen size: http://www.myhometheater.homestead.c...alculator.html
At nine feet, you could concievably use a 65" 16x9 tv without a problem. Of course, it really boils down to personal preference and the quality of the tv in question. There are a lot of RPTV's that just don't look good up close. Brightness uniformity in particular becomes a problem when sitting at closer viewing distances.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Also, you need to consider the quality of your source content. 1080i content may look great at 1.5x screen diagonal, but even the best DVD may start to look too soft and grainy at that distance. And forget about SDTV content like typical cable and sat.

I bought a 53" Panny for ~8ft eyes-to-screen distance, and I do find plenty of DVDs looking softer and grainier than I prefer. The best DVDs look very good. But even they can sometimes exhibit noticeable MPEG artifacts and such at that size and distance. It's a PQ compromise for the immersive screen size/angle. I probably would've been just as happy w/ the 47" Panny.

_Man_

 

[Ryan N]

Man-

Just curious as to what DVD Player you are running?

Ryan

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Ryan,
At the moment, I'm still just using my old Toshiba non-progressive player. I might get the Philips 963sa soon to replace it although I'd like to wait for some reviews/comments on the US version before taking the plunge. I expect the Philips player to yield noticeably better image quality than my old Toshiba using the Panny's linedoubler, but I don't expect a miracle, except maybe for the bunch of non-16x9 DVDs I own.
_Man_

 

[Ryan N]

I have been using a Toshiba myself for the last two years, although its a 6200 Progressive. I am also in the process of doing some upgrading and it's been very difficult! The only real problem with the 6200 is the chroma bug, and it's really only noticable to me. I'm highly interested in the new Samsung HD player- especially since I will be getting a new display soon with DVI input. But with all this new technology, I feel I should wait a few months before taking the plunge into anything new.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Are you getting a fixed-pixel display or FP system? If not, there might not be much point in waiting until late summer to get feedback on the new Samsung "HD" player. It's expected mid-summer and can still easily disappoint.
_Man_