I'm in the process of buying a flat screen TV (LED). My home theater is rather small. The distance from the TV to the couch is only about 8.5 feet away. The room is 10 feet x 15 feet. My friend said buy the biggest TV you can afford but I don't believe that. I could just buy a 60" TV but it will be too big and looks too close for my room. And I believe the size of the tv is affected by the viewing distance. I'm buying a 1080 HD TV anyway. I have a bluray player and I do not need a 4K TV. suggestions? feedbacks?

 

Some people like a huge screen to give the "immersive" feeling of sitting up front in a public movie theater. In the old days, there was a formula for screen size versus viewing distance (about 1 to 8) so the limited resolution of the screen would not look too grainy.

Nowadays it is personal preference.

Make up a cardboard panel (perhaps cut from old corrugated boxes) about the shape and size of the screen you are thinking of. Hang it on the wall or prop it on a small stool in the viewing position. (A modern TV screen is slightly less than twice as wide as it is high.) Sit down on the couch. Add more cardboard or cut away cardboard until you find a comfortable size that does not have you swinging your view from side to side too uncomfortably. Now you can figure out the size best for you.

 

That 8 to 1 rule is still pretty good. But most people want bigger. The problem with bigger is that it can get pixalated or jagged looking if your eye is too close. And as you get older, the eyes become less sensitive to detail. Bigger can become a bit of a waste of money. But TV's now days don't cost as much and don't last as long.

 

The wife wanted a 60" Bravia, I thought it would be too big. I've had it for awhile now and got used to it pretty quick.

I could go either way, like 5" smaller, but there's nothing bad about the picture as is.

 

the 8 to 1 rule, it means I need a 40" TV for 8 feet viewing distance? well now I have a 42" TV and I think it's too small and that's why I'm buying a new one.

The problem with a TV that is too big and too close, your eyes are moving if the object on the screen is moving all the time. Pixelated image is not such a big problem anymore since the HD resolution TV came out.

 

It sounds like the size of the TV itself in the room is not your issue but rather the viewing of the content. I know it sounds dumb but how about standing 8 feet from the TV in the showroom. It is probably hard to find a single TV to focus on in a showroom but that might be a starting point for picking the size.

- Peter

 

no it did not sound dumb because I have done it twice. I visited an electronic store nearby and just standing there for at least a minute. But i do not know if they have a trick of selling TVs, they are all look big, even a 42" TV. Maybe the placement on the shelf makes them all big and sharp (the image).

The got a home theater demo room and they put a 4K 60" TV with a sofa about 7 feet away. But I cannot afford a 60" TV at this time (priced above 2K USD).

 

I just bought two 65" 4K TVs last fall for less than $1000 each. I think you need to shop around a little more.

 

Don't know if you have Costco in your area, but they have a very lenient return policy (even on electronics), so if you buy a set and are not happy with the size after viewing it for a while, you can return or exchange it. I have a buddy who is really into the home entertainment stuff and he is always buying some model and then exchanging it for a different model after using it a while. Nothing will beat trying it in your actual space.

This wasn't part of your question, and I don't know if you are of a certain age, but I mounted my set quite a bit higher than the usual recommendation. Generally they recommend installing the center of the screen about eye level so your neck isn't always tilted back. I mounted it higher because my wife and I both wear progressive bifocals and the distance vision part of the lens is at the top. If I had mounted the set lower, we would have both been tilting our heads down to get best focus. This is also affected by the type of chairs you will have (recliner or not, etc...)

Enjoy your new TV!

 

The new curved TV seem to look good in store. A little pricey.

 

yes the price depends on the brand.

 

We looked at these when we recently bought our new TV. Did not like it. Hard to see if viewed from an angle. A good test before buying a TV is to look head on then move to the side until you're almost looking at the screen from the edge. Can you still see a picture or is it all dark? If you can see a picture at about a 30 degree angle from head on then it's a good picture.

 

Crutchfield recommends a 60" 1080p TV for viewing distances of 7.5' - 12.5'.

TV Buying Guide

That being said, that seems a bit overkill for me, since I have a 12' viewing distance in my living room, and I recently bought a 48" TV and it's plenty big for me. It also depends on whether you want your TV to be the focal point in your living room or just another accessory. I didn't want my TV to overpower my living room. As for brand, I'd recommend staying with one of the top three brands: Samsung, LG, and Sony. Stay away from no-name brands and brands that were formerly associated with American manufacturers (Magnavox, RCA, Westinghouse). Even with well-known Japanese brands, few companies are actually manufacturing their own TV's nowadays.

 

We have a 50" Samsung and a 50" Vizio. Plenty big. Consider a Vizio. Good ratings and made in USA. Good TV and less money. I usually buy from Bestbuy when they're having a sale, and they're always having sales.

 

I also have two VIZIO's. One 32" and one 20" that I use as my computer monitor. Very satisfied with both. I would include SHARP as another reliable brand.

 

I have a home theater and it's not my living room. I watch NBA, NFL a bit and a lot of bluray movies. Now I have decided I'll go between 50" to 55" TV. And I will buy the one with the price that meets my budget (under 1K).