Helpful chart for choosing TV size/resolution

[Beta Man]

This shows size, resolution, and seating distance. This helps if you're one of the people who want to take advantage on a big 720P at a steal of a price. Let me know what you think.

If your screen-size/distance is more (farther away) than the recommended distance, your eyes will be saturated with detail as you've reachwd the resolution limit of an image in that format. Which mean a TV can produce more detail than you can actually make out at that distance, and you have to move closer to see more details.


For DVD (480) source (red line), recommended farthest sitting distance to see full resolution for each screen size is..

20 inch TV= 7 feet
26 inch TV= 9 feet
30 inch TV= 10.5 feet
34 inch TV= 12 feet
40 inch TV= 14 feet
50 inch TV= 17.5 feet
60 inch TV= 21 feet.

For 720 HD sources (dark green line), recommended farthest sitting distance to see full resolution for each screen size is..

20 inch TV= 4 feet
26 inch TV= 5 feet
30 inch TV= 6 feet
34 inch TV= 6.7 feet
40 inch TV= 8 feet
50 inch TV= 10 feet
60 inch TV= 12 feet

For 1080 HD sources (lite green line), the recommended farthest sitting distance to see full resolution for each screen size is..

20 inch TV= 2.8 feet
26 inch TV= 3.5 feet
30 inch TV= 4 feet
34 inch TV= 4.5 feet
40 inch TV= 5.3 feet
50 inch TV= 6.5 feet
60 inch TV= 8 feet

[CptGreedle]

nice chart. Thanks for the heads up. I remember seeing another website that can calculate out how far the TV should be based on resolution and size as well, but this is nice and easy.

Looks like my 46" HDTV should be about 6 feet away from me. give or take.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

If your [combination of screen size and] seating distance is less than the recommended distance, you're sitting too close. That is, a TV of that format and size can't provide all the detail your eye is capable of seeing at that distance, and the picture will look "softer".

The recommended distances in all these charts mean that if you sit farther away you probably won't see all the detail. Also those distances lead to small fields of view that are similar to sitting at the last row of the theater, so I would use those as the farthest you should sit. On the other hand if you sit closer, you'll still see all the detail and the picture will be larger, giving you that cinematic telepresence. I sit closer than the distance recommended. I don't think I sit too close

[U4K61]

Originally Posted by emacs

view distance is a matter of personal preference. using a chart to gauge how far one should be from a display doesn't make sense. i suggest you begin viewing from a distance that's twice the diagonal length of your display and then adjust from there.

Originally Posted by moviefan

"White man build big fire, sit far away ... Red man build small fire, sit close"

Many watching high def material are sitting so far back they can't see the difference between 480p, 720p and 1080p. They are suprised to learn how close you need to sit to the screen, how in your face HD really is. Unfortunately the decor usually puts the TV in a less optmial spot and we end up looking at a small set from far away.

In my beadroom I have a 32'' set that I can sit 3 feet from to enjoy 1080p. Good PQ depends in part on the relationship of Screen Size/Distance/Resolution as determined by the Inverse Square Law for point sources.

A useful tool on proper viewing distance:
Viewing Distance Calculator
Viewing Distance Post

[emacs]

view distance is a matter of personal preference. using a chart to gauge how far one should be from a display doesn't make sense. i suggest you begin viewing from a distance that's twice the diagonal length of your display and then adjust from there.

[york weir]

I read one guide and it says for the 15' I am from my TV it should be around a 40" screen size. This is claiming I need over a 100" screen.

The 51" seems sufficient for my needs but would like something slightly larger.

[geekboy2000]

I'm currently probably about 8 feet away from my 46". Sure with a 1080p Blu-ray disc, I'd probably benefit from being closer as the chart recommends, but when watching some alleged HD "stretch-o-vision" broadcast, I'd be more disgusted at the appearance. I don't want to move my seat back and forth.

[moviefan]

Originally Posted by emacs

view distance is a matter of personal preference. using a chart to gauge how far one should be from a display doesn't make sense. i suggest you begin viewing from a distance that's twice the diagonal length of your display and then adjust from there.

Reminds me of the Native American adage:
"White man build big fire, sit far away ... Red man build small fire, sit close"

[Clark Kent]

The infamous Amir of Microsoft said that his compressionists would look for compression problems at 1' to 2' away on calibrated 50" displays.

[Goofball Jones]

So if I'm in a 4K cinema with a 100" screen (8.3 feet) I should only sit 6 feet away?

[ZMan]

I thought for sure that there was another thread previously stating that the optimum viewing distance for any HD is 2.5 times the size of your HDTV?

[All things blu]

So your telling me that i'm only to sit 5.3ft away from my 42 inch 1080i hdtv?Thanks
for the info dude.

[ManUtd]

Something very similar, this chart is normally what I refer people to when resolution/tv size/viewing distance discussions come up.

[ixlegitballinxl]

nifty charts, thanks

[Rock6922]

a friend of mine argued with me about how big a tv to get. He ended up getting a 61 in and sits about 6 feet away. it's terrible... the top of the tv is dull and weird looking...

[pmforester]

So if all this viewing distance stuff is true then why upgrade to 1080 if your viewing distance is greater than the recommended distance?

I have a 46" DLP @ 720p. My seating ranges from 9-13 feet. This is the biggest TV I can fit in the hole I have without major reconstruction of cabinetry! According to the chart I would need a much bigger viewing screen. So therefore I conclude 720 is better than 1080 in my situation.

Somebody enlighten me on this dilemma.

[U4K61]

Originally Posted by pmforester

So if all this viewing distance stuff is true then why upgrade to 1080 if your viewing distance is greater than the recommended distance?

It's quite likely after you or your spouse has decorated a room with the apropriate color scheme, lighting, window treatment; and carefully selected and positioned furniture, you may not be able to move your TV and/or get a larger one. You might not even be able to move your chair. Perhaps there is still a way enjoy full 1080p. I have one of thoes folding quad chairs for special up-close TV and internet viewing. It goes away when not in use. I get great PQ and diden't wreck the decore.

At any rate, check out the Vewing Distance Post

[crackinhedz]

good chart to use.

[PS3-Playb3yond]

I've seen this chart somewhere before. Good chart!

[laddie]

Excellent Chart.

Excuse my ignorance I am a rookie at this. I have seen the posting of America video and did check out a Gizillion postings before jumping on this one.

Qn ....If all bluray disks are, or will be filmed in 1080p, is their a huge risk in buying the lower resolution TV screen 720p??

And is 1080i equivalent to 720p ??