Topic: screen size and viewing distance

[-sniper-]

good day peeps!

just want to ask if viewing distance is relevant for a flat panel choice.

if it is, would a 32incher be a good enough choice for a viewing distance of between 3 and 8 feet? it will be used for cable and standard dvd viewing.

thanks in advance.

[fakuryu]

That would be just fine, pero sana 9-12 feet ang distance pero masasanay ka din.

[oReOsHaKe]

Here's a Viewing Distance Calculator:

http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

[iiinas]

here are the smpte and thx recos.  

[av_phile1]

Appreciating HD on your LCD/Plamsa means seating closer. the graph above confirms what is often the best viewing distance of a 32" TV as being about 4-5ft.    I prefer to seat closer at 3 ft to get a wider viewing angle.

Forget about what you've heard are the recommended viewing distances on a CRT TVs that suffer eye-straining flicker especially at close distances.  They no longer apply when watching flicker free LCD TVs.  

[Arnel E.]

Forget about what you've heard are the recommended viewing distance on a CRT TVs that suffer eye-straining flicker especially at close distances.  They no longer apply when watching flicker free LCD TVs. 

+1 on this.  The closer the bigger the image, and the bigger the image the better the cinematic experience.  Just take it easy on the contrast settings.  In my bedroom, my 32" LCD is viewed from around 4 feet max.  I even feel that a 42" would still be comfortable in that setup, but it's my pocket that's not comfortable with buying a 42" Full HD.

[CeeV]

  I also agree with the pocket theory + the actual dimension limitation where it would be installed. The bigger the better tlaga...

[-sniper-]

thanks a lot! i guess 42inch is the way to go. but, as sirs arnel enero and ceev put it, pocket problems make it hard for me to immediately buy a 42inch panel. perhaps, i would need a lot more patience to finally get a 42inch panel. for now i only have a budget for a 32incher.

[dips15]

thanks a lot! i guess 42inch is the way to go. but, as sirs arnel enero and ceev put it, pocket problems make it hard for me to immediately buy a 42inch panel. perhaps, i would need a lot more patience to finally get a 42inch panel. for now i only have a budget for a 32incher.

Don't take the chart literally.  Between 3-8 feet, a 32 inch should do nicely.  I used to have a 32" from a distance of around 9-10 feet for a few years before upgrading to a 42 incher.  Both looked quite nicely.  Of course once you get used to the 42", the 32" just looks so small.  

[-sniper-]

Don't take the chart literally.  Between 3-8 feet, a 32 inch should do nicely.  I used to have a 32" from a distance of around 9-10 feet for a few years before upgrading to a 42 incher.  Both looked quite nicely.  Of course once you get used to the 42", the 32" just looks so small.  

thanks. as much as possible, i would not want to hear myself saying "i should have gotten a 42incher instead". a jump from a 21"CRT to a 32" flat panel is a big leap already. but i'm still in the process of weighing "the bigger, the better" on the one hand and "this is what my budget permits right now" on the other. i really want a 42" but for now, i only have enough for a 32". and for me to obtain the price difference is not that easy. thus, i'm still trying to convince myself to go ahead with a 32incher. but something always tells me not to.

[Arnel E.]

thanks. as much as possible, i would not want to hear myself saying "i should have gotten a 42incher instead". a jump from a 21"CRT to a 32" flat panel is a big leap already. but i'm still in the process of weighing "the bigger, the better" on the one hand and "this is what my budget permits right now" on the other. i really want a 42" but for now, i only have enough for a 32". and for me to obtain the price difference is not that easy. thus, i'm still trying to convince myself to go ahead with a 32incher. but something always tells me not to.

Well we can all theorize about this and that being the optimal viewing distance for this or that screen size, but the fact of the matter is, at the end of the day we all have budgets to live with.  For me, since you have some money to spare right now, go buy the best that your money can afford, and don't wait for the next bigger thing to be within your budget (unless your budget is expected to grow soon).  I'd rather have a perfectly nice 32" LCD right now, than stick with my old, small TV hoping I can afford a much-bigger 42" screen soon.  I would just imagine how much movies and TV shows I would've enjoyed instead, on the shiny new 32" screen, during that waiting period.

Go get that 32" now, especially now that this screen size is currently the near-saturation point in terms of inches-to-peso ratio. 

[Clondalkin]

Personal guideline ko sa maximum size:  As long as I can carry or move it alone, then it's fine.    which means the biggest I can get is a 50V.    Big is really nice - as long as the budget permits.  

32V can be pretty huge if you sit close enough - and since you're upgrading from a 21 inch TV, it would feel like a huge leap especially during the 1st few days.

Problema lang na once you get used to 32V, you'd dream of 42V or bigger soon enough.  Ganon talaga yon.  Tapos you might be tempted to get another panel tech instead of what you got.   If you think you can possibly save more to afford a 42V within 1.5 years, I would strongly suggest that you wait.

...and speaking of plasma, the way Panasonic is hurriedly trying to sell out their current models, it appears to me that the next models coming out soon would be significantly better. 

[-sniper-]

I'd rather have a perfectly nice 32" LCD right now, than stick with my old, small TV hoping I can afford a much-bigger 42" screen soon.  I would just imagine how much movies and TV shows I would've enjoyed instead, on the shiny new 32" screen, during that waiting period.

this is what i've been telling myself lately.

Problema lang na once you get used to 32V, you'd dream of 42V or bigger soon enough.

and this is what stops me. 

...and speaking of plasma, the way Panasonic is hurriedly trying to sell out their current models, it appears to me that the next models coming out soon would be significantly better. 

and, perhaps, cheaper. if i observed correctly, the introductory price of the new panasonic plasmas has been cheaper than the previous ones ("PV" series to the "C" Series). i'm hoping that the introductory price of the new model/series the panasonic will release this year would also be cheaper than that of the "C" series.

 

[barrister]

- and since you're upgrading from a 21 inch TV, it would feel like a huge leap especially during the 1st few days. ...

Totoo yan. 

Pag bago ang TV mo, feeling mo parang ang laki.  Unfortunately, good for 1 week lang ang feeling na yan ...   

[-sniper-]

Totoo yan. 

Pag bago ang TV mo, feeling mo parang ang laki.  Unfortunately, good for 1 week lang ang feeling na yan ...   

that's what i'm afraid of. then you'll say: ang liit pala. 

[blackie]

Totoo yan. 

Pag bago ang TV mo, feeling mo parang ang laki.  Unfortunately, good for 1 week lang ang feeling na yan ...   

"I gotta feeling......"

[Arnel E.]

Totoo yan. 

Pag bago ang TV mo, feeling mo parang ang laki.  Unfortunately, good for 1 week lang ang feeling na yan ...   

I'm 3 weeks past this 1 week limit, and fortunately I still feel that my 32" screen is big enough for my bedroom setup.  I will probably stay that way for a long time. 

[ayosbathere]

Totoo yan. 

Pag bago ang TV mo, feeling mo parang ang laki.  Unfortunately, good for 1 week lang ang feeling na yan ...   

+1 .. after watching movies 2x in my 52 (9feet away) feeling ko lumiit na sya

[-sniper-]

+1 .. after watching movies 2x in my 52 (9feet away) feeling ko lumiit na sya

nakupo!!!!!  mapapalaki gastos ko nito. 

[ayosbathere]

nakupo!!!!!  mapapalaki gastos ko nito. 

then get 60up

[pchin]

Problema lang na once you get used to 32V, you'd dream of 42V or bigger soon enough.  Ganon talaga yon.  Tapos you might be tempted to get another panel tech instead of what you got.   If you think you can possibly save more to afford a 42V within 1.5 years, I would strongly suggest that you wait.

Very true....initially viewing at my 42" it seems really big from my usual 29". Now I'm dreaming of 52" na. 

32" should be good enough...don't forget to give your display a proper calibration. Your surround system is critical too as to maximize your movie enjoyment. Maybe your future HDTV target can be a 3D 42" LCD na....

[fakuryu]

Get the 32 now. Sooner or later, baba na rin yung mga 42 and up. Sa panahon na yun, you can still have the 32 as the 2nd TV and the 42 or up as the primary. Mapapalitan din naman yung crt nyo kung meron

[dips15]

I think its more accurate to say that after a week, the TV won't seem as big as you first thought.  But I don't think you would feel that its small.  The 32" is a pretty good investment.  Mukha lang kasi maliit yung 32 kapag tinabi sa 42 but if the 32 is standing alone in your room, you won't mind the difference. 

Might be wrong with this but another thing to consider is that since 32 inch LCD's are getting pretty cheap (Cheaper than 29" CRTs 3-4 years ago), if you decide to sell the unit a year or 2 from now to upgrade to a 42", you'd probably just loose up to 5-10k only in resale value.  Compare this to when 32" TVs were still a luxury around 3 years ago when they cost around 50-60k for the most basic models.  Those TV's have trash resale value considering that they are no better than the newer TV's costing 1/3 of their price.

So my advice is to get that 32" TV and enjoy it.  Consider that 5-10k loss in resale value as the price you are paying to finally enjoy watching movies in a proper size with a wide screen format.     

[Arnel E.]

I think its more accurate to say that after a week, the TV won't seem as big as you first thought.  But I don't think you would feel that its small.  The 32" is a pretty good investment.  Mukha lang kasi maliit yung 32 kapag tinabi sa 42 but if the 32 is standing alone in your room, you won't mind the difference. 

Might be wrong with this but another thing to consider is that since 32 inch LCD's are getting pretty cheap (Cheaper than 29" CRTs 3-4 years ago), if you decide to sell the unit a year or 2 from now to upgrade to a 42", you'd probably just loose up to 5-10k only in resale value.  Compare this to when 32" TVs were still a luxury around 3 years ago when they cost around 50-60k for the most basic models.  Those TV's have trash resale value considering that they are no better than the newer TV's costing 1/3 of their price.

So my advice is to get that 32" TV and enjoy it.  Consider that 5-10k loss in resale value as the price you are paying to finally enjoy watching movies in a proper size with a wide screen format.     

+1 on this one. 

Saka isa pang solusyon dyan... mag-projector ka na lang... if you feel it's too small later on, then just move it back further, or move to a bigger room, then the image gets even bigger (even wall-to-wall kung gusto mo)... all this with no extra spending for upgrade costs.  Yun nga lang kailangan mo laging madilim ang room... saka syempre mas mahal ang projector. 

[-sniper-]

I think its more accurate to say that after a week, the TV won't seem as big as you first thought. 

i'd have to agree with this. let's just say siguro na nakapag-adjust na ung mata mo sa size ng monitor after watching for a certain period of time.

[Clondalkin]

Madali lang palakihin ang TV ulit.  Nood ka sandali sa 21 inch (14 inch would be even better).   Very effective indeed.   

[av_phile1]

Shorten your viewing distance, and it will look big.   Go farther out and your 42" will soon look like an iPod Touch held one foot away.   

[-sniper-]

Maybe your future HDTV target can be a 3D 42" LCD na....

Saka isa pang solusyon dyan... mag-projector ka na lang...
Yun nga lang kailangan mo laging madilim ang room... saka syempre mas mahal ang projector. 

isa-isang gastos lang mga sirs. hehe...

Get the 32 now. Sooner or later, baba na rin yung mga 42 and up. Sa panahon na yun, you can still have the 32 as the 2nd TV and the 42 or up as the primary. Mapapalitan din naman yung crt nyo kung meron

this is one thing i consider. get one now and buy another later. or sell the 32 for additional budget for a 42 or bigger.

[-sniper-]

Madali lang palakihin ang TV ulit.  Nood ka sandali sa 21 inch (14 inch would be even better).   Very effective indeed.   

 

at no extra cost pa!

Shorten your viewing distance, and it will look big.   

8 feet is the shortest i can go. medyo bulky kasi ung furnitures eh.

replacing my furnitures with slimmer ones has crossed my mind, to shorten the viewing distance. 

[Clondalkin]

this is one thing i consider. get one now and buy another later. or sell the 32 for additional budget for a 42 or bigger.

Hmmmm.  Sometimes you really have to spend money to save money.   No good ang resale value ng 32V - take note.