TV Viewing Distance
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New member Username: Nh77Post Number: 4 Registered: Dec-08 | I just purchased a Panasonic 1080p Plasma TV and I am viewing it from 12.5 feet away but this distance seems too close. Screenshots going from one shot to another quickly seem to be too much for my eyes to take in at this distance but if I move another five feet back they're not so bad but I can't move my viewing furniture five feet back. I am considering returning it for a 50 inch model. I have researched the topic online and many sources say that 7 to 12 feet is optimal for this screen size. I think that these sources are actually people who have a stake in selling and making money off of TV's though and they are underestimating the best viewing distances because they know that people want big TV's but don't have very large rooms. What do you guys think. I'd appreciate any input on viewing disatances and these viewing distance charts I've seen online. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4009 Registered: Jul-04 | You don't say what size TV it is. I started with a 42" Panasonic plasma at about 11', at first it was big, almost too big going up from a 34" to a 42". That didn't last long, within a few months it was too small and I bought a 50" plasma. That too seemed huge at first, now it seems about right for the distance. I've had the 50" for about six months now, I no longer think about getting a bigger TV. So, the lesson here? The TV won't seem so big once you get used to watching it. If you get a smaller one, once you get used to it you may wish you'd kept the larger one. I wish I had back the $850+ I spent on the 42" that I gave to another family member. Oh well, it made a pretty killer birthday present. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 2426 Registered: Feb-04 | I've read that a good rule of thumb is that viewing distance should be about 2.5 times the diagonal screen measurement. In my little HT, I'm viewing a 50" at just over 10 feet. That conforms to the formula, but I still regret not buying a 60". I definitely don't feel 10+ feet distance for a 60 is too close, particularly when you're talking about a 1080 display. I agree with David, Dana. I think you should live with the TV a little longer and get used to it. I don't feel 12 feet is too close to a 57" to 60" display. Four years ago my 50 looked huge, but it ain't so now. |
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Platinum Member Username: Basshead86FTW Post Number: 10256 Registered: Aug-05 | i read something online that said for your eyes to pick up the extra detail in the newer 1080p sets that you have to sit closer than allllll these companies and people tell you to sit. something about your eyes can only process so much detail as so far of a distance. any truth to this? wish i could find the link |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4010 Registered: Jul-04 | Recommended viewing distance for 1080p is less than 720p. For a 50" TV, about 6.5' for 1080p and about 10' for 720p is what most places say. The closer for 1080p is to see the detail that's lost at 720p viewing distance. It really comes down to personal preference though. There's no way I'd ever sit 6' from a 50" TV, way too close for me. |
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New member Username: Nh77Post Number: 5 Registered: Dec-08 | I'm sorry. It was a 58 inch. I thought I added that in. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12178 Registered: Dec-03 | haha thanks Dana, I gues I'm in trouble then. I'm buying Panasonic's TH58PZ800U myself (58") and it'll be about 7 feet away, for the time being due to room size constraints prior to moving to a new house this Summer. This is an upgrade from a 46" RPTV from which I sit about 6' now. By the way, 6' seems great for a 1080i RPTV (component video) although it would be nice to be able to sit farther back with the larger screen. When I move, I'd like to set up a dedicated HT room with that 58" TV about 10-12' away. Mind you I also have somewhat impaired eye sight due to some eye surgeries in the past, so I need a bigger, closer set than most I suppose. |
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New member Username: Nh77Post Number: 6 Registered: Dec-08 | That's the exact TV I bought glass. And I'm on the fence about keeping it. You guys keep saying that you can sit closer with a 1080p set but you forget that the only 1080p content out there right now is blu-ray. When you're watching cable or satellite you're either watching 480p or compressed 720p. It's going to be a long time before even 20% of what the average person watched is true uncompressed 1080p. Viewing preferrences are also very subjective and right now 12.5 feet away from my 58 panasonic watching mainly compressed comcast 720p so called hd channels and 480p dvd's and sd channels is not justifying the $$ I laid out. This combined with the fact that my wife and I are renting now and will be buying a home in the next two years that will most likely have a living room too small for a 58" makes me think I most likely will swap it out for a 50" I'm interested in your take on this TV after you buy it glasswolf. What content will you be feeding it? How does it look to you at 7 feet? For me even at 12.5 my eyes can't take in the movement properly. Please keep me posted. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4012 Registered: Jul-04 | If you are watching mostly SD material, a 720p TV might be better. At 12' you won't see the difference between 1080p and 720p on a 50" TV, you'd just be wasting money on a 1080p. 12.5' is pretty far away for a 50" TV. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12180 Registered: Dec-03 | I'll be using a 1080P Bluray panasonic BD55, a DirecTV HR22 HD DVR (says it does 1080P), and some SD material with a Toshiba W808 SVHS and Panasonic LX-H670 laserdisc player (old school stuff) all piped through an Onkyo TX-NR906 AV receiver that upconverts everything to 1080P so I can use a single HDMI cable to the TV. Mind if I ask what you paid for that TV? Best I've found it for to date is about $2800. I probably won't have the TV till March or April, honestly. I need to get the money together for it first. |
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New member Username: Nh77Post Number: 7 Registered: Dec-08 | I got it for $2630 on Amazon Glasswolf. As far as I know neither Directv, Comcast or any other cable company nor FIOS TV offers 1080p. What's more, they compress the bejeebus out of the 720p stuff we pay for. The ONLY source of true HD at the moment is Blu-Ray but that problem with that is they only release the idiotic popular blockbuster movies on Blu-ray. I'd rather watch an older or an independent movie that is actually a good film than garbage like the day after tomorrow or the sisterhood of the travelling pants part 5. GRRRRRRRRR!!! Seriously though Glass. If you're going to be watching a fair amount of TV you should go to a retailer and have them put some SD stuff on and stand 7 feet away. I think you will find it is too close. It's not just me but several of my friends and family that agree you need a considerable viewing distance to make a 58" look good. |
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New member Username: Nh77Post Number: 8 Registered: Dec-08 | The more I read the TV viewing charts and the articles about TV viewing distances that are on or linked to webpages involved in actually selling TV's for profit the more I am convinced that it's just another marketing tactic, like telling people Monster Cables are better. People want the biggest TV they can afford even when the room they are going to put it in is small. So the so called A/V experts who stand to make bigger profits off of the bigger units tell the consumer what they want to hear. I don't want to piss anyone off but it makes me wonder when people say they sit 7 feet away from a 60 inch set and it looks great. Are they just deluding themselves to justify the money they spent so they can say they have a 60 inch set and feel like it's a great viewing experience? Below are two articles discussing viewing practices written by optometrists rather than the AV industry. |
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New member Username: Blackelite88Clayton, North carolina Usa Post Number: 7 Registered: Sep-08 | I work with HHgregg appliances. on there website gives u the complete breakdown between the viewing distnace on analog and hdtv that i found to be true with playing with 42" in my home. here goes the listing http://www.hhgregg.com/dynamic.asp?SID=...&did=991 |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12181 Registered: Dec-03 | yeah I knew satellite was compresed, I just meant that with an HDMI cable and HD package, it does have a 1080P output. I didn't mean to imply that the signal itself was as good as bluray which is uncompressed 1080P. I guess it boils down to carrier vs source. I have a 46" widescreen RPTV now that I sit about 6' away from and it works well for me, again due to the impaired eye sight, it helps for reading text and seeing detail on screen. I find I do a lot of reading with DirecTV, getting through the channel guide and such, and the bigger and sharper that text is, the better for me. That said, I was looking at the 58" because, while it is far too big for my current location, which will be about 7-8' from me (farther back due to not being 3' deep like my RP set) it will only be a short term problem in a 16x16' room. I'll be moving to a new house this Spring or Summer, and will most likely be building a dedicated HT room in the new house, where the TV will be ideal, with a 12-15' viewing distance, and in-wall 7.1 I will try to take a look at the sets though, but living out in the boonies, there are no big electronics retailers here, aside from walmart. The joys of rural Michigan haha Anyway I will try to keep you posted on how things go with the TV. Right now I'm watching all my content in 1080i (old RP set, no HDMI) but the new receiver I'm going with (onkyo NR906) upconverts everything to 1080P anyway, so we'll see if that does anything for the SD content, too. The upconversion chipset is supposed to be a good one from what I've read. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4014 Registered: Jul-04 | All newer HDTVs upconvert to their native resolution. The receiver will only do what the TV does already. If the TV is old it may not upconvert though. If you've got an old TV, chances are it won't accept a 1080p signal. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12183 Registered: Dec-03 | The receiver also allows me to switch all of my sources and inputs via one device while upconverting the video and handling the multi-channel audio, too. On top of that as I'd mentioned, my current television is a 1080i RPTV that does not upconvert anything. My current receiver is the same way. No upconversion, and component video only. I'm well aware of how the televisions and receivers work though, thanks. I've worked professionally in the AV field for twenty years.  I think you also meant that all LCD, OLED, CED, and Plasma televisions upconvert to native resolution, as most RPTVs don't actually have a "native" resolution, thus excluding CRT and DLP sets. Also, while the TV and Receiver may both upconvert, the respective chipsets they use to do that function and their implementation by the manufacturers can vary widely, making one of the two devices the better choice to handle the job. |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 517 Registered: Dec-04 | I have a 52" and i sit about 6.67 feet away from it, I pretty much only watch 1080P items, Blu-Ray or PS3 games. and regular dvd's which are up converted to 1080P. granted it's not actual 1080P but it does look really good, unless the dvd has really bad quality..there's a few movies i watched where even the up conversion did not help it at all. as was stated earlier, cable, sattelite, etc looks really nasty, i don't believe it matter's how far you sit unless it's from across the street, in my old apartment we sat about 8-9 feet back from the tv, the couch was in the center of the room, i would walk to the back wall, roughly 18 feet from the tv, and it still looked as bad as it did from 8-9 feet. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12189 Registered: Dec-03 | out of curiosity, have you tried any HD satellite content via HDMI? Also, as they say in regards to the SD sources.. you can't polish a t*rd. |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 519 Registered: Dec-04 | If your asking me, yes...some HD looks really good...not Blu-Ray quality obviously, but it still looks really good, but's like 10% of the HD programs they have on, everything else looks nasty, even some of the newer movies they played in HD. "you can't polish a t*rd." that's great. at the same time though, even some Blu-Rays arent that great, like Hancock, it just came out, and it wasnt that great looking, it had the quality of an up converted dvd |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12192 Registered: Dec-03 | yeah, sadly that again goes back to an old issue of how much the companies want to spend on remastering for release, and how much they just want to shove it out the door and onto shelves to make money. The good ones spend the time and money for a quality release. The bad ones.. well.. Look at audio CDs. Perfect example. You have absolute sh** like, for example, the original 2liveCrew CD (one of the worst masterings on earth. sounds like it was recorded on a Mister Microphone) and you have truly mind blowing mastering jobs, like Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's "Original Master Gold Recording" CDs of albums like Dark Side of the Moon, that will leave you breathless and understanding exactly what Philips and Sony dreamed of when they created the CD format. |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 521 Registered: Dec-04 | wow...I'm going to have to buy that CD...Dark Side of the Moon...not the Mister Microphone one. haha Well then hopefully the reason it's taking them so long to bring out the Original Indiana Jones and Star Wars, is because they are putting alot of time into it, but then the third Indiana Jones has always looked amazing, I'm not sure about the VHS, havent seen that copy in forever, but it looked amazing on Laser disc, and it looked amazing on DVD, that's a good example of a movie they put time and effort into. as for Blu Ray, I think Pirates of the Caribbean has the most amazing picture....of the none animated movies. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4015 Registered: Jul-04 | Almost, if not all, CRT HDTVs have a native resolution which they upconvert to. It would be far too expensive to make a TV that could display all resolutions. Like I already stated older TVs don't necessarily upconvert, newer ones do. There hasn't been a CRT RPTV made for years so they definitely don't qualify as "newer". There's been no mention of DLP in this thread so it doesn't really apply but even they have a native resolution. I have worked in video for 20 years too. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12193 Registered: Dec-03 | a CRT's 'native' resolution would be the number of scan lines, yes, but number of phosphors and number of transistors in a TFT display is a bit different. In, say, an LCD display, it only looks good in native res. Everything else is fuzzy due to number of pixels and number of transisistors not evening out. A CRT looks proper in nearly any resolution up to the max it's guns and controller can display at a given frequency. apples and oranges. Ex, if you want to find that CD, it's no longer in print, but it can be found on eBay by searching on "MFSL Gold CD DSotM" or replace DSotM with "dark side floyd" Copies tend to sell for between $35-250 each |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12195 Registered: Dec-03 | PS, CRT RPTVs are still made and sold, in case you were unaware. |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 523 Registered: Dec-04 | I'm sorry, you've lost me on the LCD CRT, what do you mean the LCD looks good in it's native resolution, but everything else is fuzzy... do you mean, say a LCD and CRT are 1080i, the LCD will only accept 480i, 480P, 720P, and 1080i, whereas the CRT would display anything as long as it doesn't exceed 1080i? or are you talking about something else entirely different? and if that is what you are saying then I have this question, is that why when I hook up my laptop to my tv, it wont display anything on my tv, unless it's 480, 720, or 1080? i think there was one other resolution it accepted, but i dont remember, i think it was 12 something |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 524 Registered: Dec-04 | are they sold online only, or do you have to go to those high end audio video stores to get them? i dont see them at circuit city or best buy anymore...not that those are exactly the greatest stores, but it's all this small town has...i hate this town....haha |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4016 Registered: Jul-04 | I don't know what you've been smoking. CRT RPTVs are gone. With basically two companies still manufactering RPTVs, Samsuck and Mitsubishi, they will probably all be gone by the end of the year or shortly after. They are bulky, high maintence TVs that just don't sell with flat panel prices dropping fast. |
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Platinum Member Username: Basshead86FTW Post Number: 10267 Registered: Aug-05 | you must not like Samsung....lol |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 528 Registered: Dec-04 | what a shame since they make such beautiful tv's |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4017 Registered: Jul-04 | Almost everything they make is problem prone, always has been. Most of what they make also performs poorly. |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 530 Registered: Dec-04 | i havent had a problem yet. and it has one of the best pictures ive seen |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 12196 Registered: Dec-03 | Ex, what I meant with resolution is, for example, look at an LCD computer monitor. Set the resolution to anything less than it's max (native) res (usually 1280x1024 or similar or 1920x1200 for a WS model) and notice now all of the text and sharp images on the screen are suddenly blurry and unfocused. This is due to the native resolution of an LCD being that where one pixel is equal to one LCD transistor (1:1 ratio) so no dithering is required. When you have to dither an image or interpolate an image on an LCD display, it doesn't look nearly as sharp. a CRT display like an old computer monitor doesn't suffer this failing. It looks fine at 1280x1024 jus as it does at 800x600 and similar. HDTVs (LCD and plasma) have a native resolution of 1920x1080. In regards to this Massey guy, his argument just became retardedly moot as he contradicted himself in a single statement, and not only that, he was still inaccurate and wrong. KDS is another maker of CRT RP televisions, just to shoot holes in his misguided theory. Yes, RP has become far less common now, and isn't made in nearly the volumes it once was, and most likely it will be completely replaced in time by newer technologies, but it IS still being made, and, really, and this is particularly true for projectors, it is still the best image quality technology on the market that is widely available and affordable. Masey, if you're going to inject yourself into a conversation with erroneous posts just to nitpick at people to try to appear intelligent, then first you should learn to use Google, and research your facts. It'll help you to avoid looking foolish in future endeavors. Best of luck. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfRaccoon City, MI USA Post Number: 12198 Registered: Dec-03 | sorry, I get a bit grumpy at times. I don't mean to take things personally or snap at people. In part it's due to some medications I take for organ transplant. Steroids can have an adverse effect on my moods. I'll try to be nicer. |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 531 Registered: Dec-04 | oh i see, well thank you again for that enlightening information, apparently i was way off. haha |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4018 Registered: Jul-04 | Give a link to this new CRT RPTV. Did I say only two? No, I said basically two. Who's ever heard of this KDS crap? You are the one who is clueless here. Just because you post something doesn't make it true. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfRaccoon City, MI USA Post Number: 12215 Registered: Dec-03 | You're not worth my time. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4019 Registered: Jul-04 | In other words, there is no such thing as a new CRT RPTV, there hasn't been for a few years. If you're refering to the SXRDs, they are LCD, not CRT. I hate to burst your bubble but they are NOT being manufactered anymore. Any of them you see are old stock. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfRaccoon City, MI USA Post Number: 12222 Registered: Dec-03 | Dana, do you use the THX setting on your plasma set for the video settings? If so, what do you think of it? |
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Platinum Member Username: Basshead86FTW Post Number: 10272 Registered: Aug-05 | chill out Massey. Glasswolf hepled God create the idea of electronics to put into man's head. arguing with him just denotes ignorance towards the recognition of the religion that is GW's knowledge. LMAO, i got creative there^^^^^ |
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Platinum Member Username: Basshead86FTW Post Number: 10273 Registered: Aug-05 | i haven't ever had a problem with Samsungs TVs. their HT and DVD players are another story. but they do a lot better job than some other companies out there. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 4020 Registered: Jul-04 | So it's OK for someone who doesn't know what they are talking about to attack me for not knowing anything, even though they are the one that's wrong? And I can't expose them for the clueless person they are? Go climb back in bed with GW and kiss his rear. I'm outta here. Stick to a subject you know something about next time instead of putting the people who do know what they are talking about down. Obviously GW's knowledge doesn't lie here. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfRaccoon City, MI USA Post Number: 12226 Registered: Dec-03 | ignoring the BAWWWWing here, I've heard a lot of mixed things about samsung.. sadly, because they do make a lot of products in the market. |
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Platinum Member Username: Basshead86FTW Post Number: 10277 Registered: Aug-05 | chill out Massey, i was merely kidding around...i meant no offense and was simply trying to lighten the mood. i apologize for what its worth to you, but you shouldnt get so offended. i havent known anyone who has owned a Samsung tv to have problems. i read online about the random shutting off but noone i know has experienced it, nor with any tv for that matter. |
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Silver Member Username: Monkey_man_jackSanta Maria, California United States Post Number: 536 Registered: Dec-04 | Massey, technically the SXRD isn't a LCD it uses some of the same technology, but it isn't technically an LCD. and I two have heard of KDS, so GW isn't making it up. Here's a link. http://www.crutchfield.com/learn/reviews/20051115/sxrd.html |
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