After arriving at a decision to finally replace your old boob tube, the next step is to decide how large the display you’ll need for your viewing venue. It is a common misconception that the largest display will always deliver the best picture quality. It’s actually not because there are a number of factors you have to consider to optimize your viewing experience. Sitting the right distance from your TV is one. Another is finding the right display type for your viewing room. These will be discussed in detail in the following paragraphs.
Screen size and display types
CRT displays are available at screen sizes from 5 to 36 inches. Beyond that and up to 70 inches, LCD flat panel is the choice. If you want bigger screens, you can consider plasma, which is available up to 103 inches and then DLP if you require still bigger sizes. These different TV types have their own strengths and weaknesses that you can check in other articles discussing the different types of display.
Screen size and viewing venue
For bedrooms and guest rooms, screen sizes of 36 inches and smaller may suffice. CRT displays can be considered but it should be noted that they get deeper and bulkier as the screen size increases. You may have to find a good location in the room where the tube set doesn’t protrude awkwardly. For living rooms, you may need bigger screen sizes, probably from 40 to 70 inches for the whole family to enjoy. If the venue is a home theater, screen sizes bigger than 70 inches is a must. You must also always observe in any TV set installation, to leave no less than 2 inches on the rear and all sides so that the TV has enough ventilation.
Recommended viewing distances
For 4:3 TV displays, the de facto standard for viewing distance is from three to six times the width of the screen. But with HDTV, you can sit closer to the TV set because it offers more detail than analog TV. You can actually sit as close 1.5 times times the screen’s diagonal size and still not notice any noise or artifacts on the HD content. The recommended maximum viewing distance is 2.5 times the screen size. Sitting beyond this or too far away may render your HDTV display useless because you will miss the high-resolution details available from the display.
When you go to the store to make a purchase, look at a tentative screen size and do an actual trial and error viewing distance observation before you buy. You can check on the table below to know which screen size is best for your room size and viewing distance. These are suggested viewing ranges and not a hard rule that should be followed. If you are to watch true HD content, you can sit as close as possible to the screen (lower end of each range). If content is analog or SD, sit at the higher end of the range.
Screen Size (diagonal) | Viewing Distance Range (feet) |
30″ | 3.75-6.25 |
34″ | 4.25-7 |
40″ | 5-8.25 |
42″ | 5.25-8.75 |
46″ | 5.75-9.5 |
50″ | 6.25-10.5 |
56″ | 7-11.75 |
62″ | 7.75-13 |
65″ | 8-13.5 |
70″ | 8.75-14.75 |
There are so many articles on the web that recommend viewing distance charts. There are no right or wrong suggestions but there can be good or bad judgments. The actual placement will still depend on your personal preferences and can be adjusted as per result of each viewing experience. Aside from the size of the screen and the room, there are other things to consider like the lighting in the viewing venue. Both very bright and very dark rooms can cause unnecessary strain on the human eye. It may be best to watch television under normal daily lighting conditions. The last but not the least, after considering all of the things discussed above, you should go with the largest screen that your budget can accommodate.
