A 42" would fit just right in my room, but I am worried it is going to be too small when watching movies. I will be about 9' away, will a 42" seem small? Does anyone watch movies on a 42"?

Yes, I still watch movies on 27" CRT.
Get 50" 1080p and you are all set.

Yes, I still watch movies on 27" CRT.
Get 50" 1080p and you are all set.
+1

I've always said my first flat panel won't be smaller than 50".

My approximate viewing distance is also on average 9ft. I considered a 50" but the wall mount I wanted would not support a set that large. The installers said the 42" is perfect for the room. About a year later I would say 42" for my room at that distance is fine.

sorry for the long post but I have just kinda convinced my brother to get his wife a 50" for her birthday instead of 42" so i thought I'd share a little bit of what I talked over with him about...
If you don't have any space limitations that would prevent you from getting a physically larger unit then I (as well as many others) would possibly agree that 42" can be a bit small for that immersive feel you need with home cinema systems, so a 50+ inch screen would fit nicely. Just FYI, I recently got in a new 50" panel (after a bit of a rough road- long story) and I sit roughly between 6.5 to around 9 feet in my viewing area and i will tell you that it fits the bill just fine- I probably could get away with a 58" panasonic pro panel (10uk series) if they had one in 1080p(they just have the consumer one with 1080p). The only issue i have noticed with 50+ inch screens in smaller rooms is that depending on a specific model TV the bezel/frame size may overpower the room abit- for example the pioneer and panasonic pro displays (i think samsung too) have slimmer overall bezels(frames); therefore the display will have more screen area vs. overall physical size- and that space management issue/appearance can be a deal-breaker for some because that was for me; the 50" does look nice and vast to a certain point but it definitely doesn't overpower the overall room that i use.

Other than that, I think 50 inches is fine and the 1080p option is negligible and up to the individuals ability to discern that level of detail beyond a given distance (like 6+ feet on a 50" would be negligible to some based on visual acuity) - all I will say on that is the fact that numerous people that i work with and know fairly well (a lot of film/video/photography professionals) have a variety of panels; some in 1080p and some not- those who have 1080p say that the difference is not cut and dry or night and day mostly but it has its purpose... A display with better contrast and such will usually just look better, 1080p comes in handy with the bigger 58" and 65"+ screens; and we [summing up the words of the informally surveyed people mentioned above] mostly can't register a difference beyond the 5-6 foot viewing range in most material (w/ 1080p panel using a smaller 50" or less panel). Just be sure to get a good quality 720/768p panel and feed it with the highest quality sources available to you so if the budget or WAF doesn't allow for a 1080p and things should be fine. Also one other tidbit is that a 1080p monitor does have great uses when it comes to usage as a computer monitor- the extra desktop space comes in handy.

In closing and back onto topic; 42" will be cool for normal viewing but 50" is a 33% increase that will definitely make a worthwhile impact on your viewing experience- so if movies matter and you'd like to beef up that home cinema experience then my vote is 50".

If it’s not too late I’d definitely go with the 50”. I debated on a 50” or 58” and I thank god everyday I went with the 58”. It is not overwhelming and it looks awesome. I wanted to make it the focal point of the room and it’s sweet. You will be much happier down the road after you’ve had the 50” rather than looking back and saying I shoulda…..

^^Agreed aim for at least a 50 inch so you wont be disappointed a year from now thinking you should have got a larger tv.

I'd also vote for 50" or larger from that distance.

I would go for the 50"
Another consideration: the image will be smaller with 4:3 and 2.35:1 material vs 1.78:1 or 1.85:1. There is a huge amount of movies in 21:9 and standard signals in 4:3 out there.. so at 9 feet distance that kind of source won't have quiet that immersive feeling.

Best of luck.

Room size is *critical* when choosing a TV (any TV), and nowhere has this become more critical then when choosing a larger-screen (any TV 37" and larger) TV (every plasma has fallen into this category). Unless you're looking to put it in a bedroom (in most cases, even 42" is too large for a bedroom TV; I *barely* managed to fit my Philips 42PF7320A in mine), I would consider 50" (or even 62") for a plasma (surprisingly, I have issues with 56" screens; however, that is mostly due to their scalers having issues getting the picture-dimensions right).

Room size is *critical* when choosing a TV (any TV), and nowhere has this become more critical then when choosing a larger-screen (any TV 37" and larger) TV (every plasma has fallen into this category). Unless you're looking to put it in a bedroom (in most cases, even 42" is too large for a bedroom TV; I *barely* managed to fit my Philips 42PF7320A in mine), I would consider 50" (or even 62") for a plasma (surprisingly, I have issues with 56" screens; however, that is mostly due to their scalers having issues getting the picture-dimensions right).

A bedroom system, one would thing a 42" would be big enough. I am debating this as well, staying with the Pioneer Kuro 42" or going with a 50" 1080p set, I have the wall space, but I don't want the TV to take over the room.. I might be able to sneak a 46" LCD past the wife but a 50" is going to be a tougher call. ;)

I just helped a friend set up his 42" plasma. It's probably in a 12' x 12' room with around a 9' viewing distance. It definitely looked bigger than his 27" CRT, but it also definitely looked too small. Please do yourself a favor and get a 50" especially if you'll be watching a lot of movies on it. I recommend going to the store and looking at some 768p 50" TVs from your exact viewing distance to be sure that you don't see SDE. Very few people will see SDE on a 50" from 9' away, but if you're one of them, it would better to find out before making the purchase. FWIW, I plan on getting a 60" with an 8-9 foot viewing distance.

Also, from what most people have posted on this forum, shrinkage will almost definitely occur. If a 42" will look "just right" the day you get it home, it will most likely look too small 3-6 months (or less) from now. If a 50" will look too big the day you get it home, then it will probably look "just right" once you get used to it.

I too am debating between a 42" or a 50". In my case, I watch a lot of NBA and NFL, but I also watch a lot of TV shows shot in SD, not HD. My fear is that SD in a 50" TV will look crap compared to that in a 42". Because of this, I'm thinking of just getting the 42". I know that sports will look real small but half the time, I watch SD shows. Anybody have thoughts on this? BTW, my viewing distance is around 9 ft.

I just helped a friend set up his 42" plasma. It's probably in a 12' x 12' room with around a 9' viewing distance. It definitely looked bigger than his 27" CRT, but it also definitely looked too small. Please do yourself a favor and get a 50" especially if you'll be watching a lot of movies on it. I recommend going to the store and looking at some 768p 50" TVs from your exact viewing distance to be sure that you don't see SDE. Very few people will see SDE on a 50" from 9' away, but if you're one of them, it would better to find out before making the purchase. FWIW, I plan on getting a 60" with an 8-9 foot viewing distance.

Also, from what most people have posted on this forum, shrinkage will almost definitely occur. If a 42" will look "just right" the day you get it home, it will most likely look too small 3-6 months (or less) from now. If a 50" will look too big the day you get it home, then it will probably look "just right" once you get used to it.

You bring up a good point, I been looking at the Kuro models and the 5080 sure would be sweet. Also the 50" 700U Panasonic 1080p sure would look nice, I have some time yet because they haven't started dry walling the room yet. Plus I also had a 27", a XBR Sony so a 42" will be a huge improvement.

celticudude69: good points as well...

I too am debating between a 42" or a 50". In my case, I also watch a lot of NBA and NFL, but I also watch a lot of TV shows shot in SD, not HD. My fear is that SD in a 50" TV will look crap compared to that in a 42". Because of this, I'm thinking of just getting the 42". I know that sports will look real small but half the time, I watch SD shows. Anybody have thoughts on this? BTW, my viewing distance is around 9 ft.

yes. i'd rather have my sports look good and my sd look crappy rather than the other way around.

I just got my new 42" panny plasma a month ago and slapped it in my room and it looks a lot bigger than it did in the store :D

I usually watch from about 5 feet while on my computer but even back at around 10 feet from my bed it is still plenty big...then again I am coming from a 24" CRT :p

I just got my new 42" panny plasma a month ago and slapped it in my room and it looks a lot bigger than it did in the store :D

I usually watch from about 5 feet while on my computer but even back at around 10 feet from my bed it is still plenty big...then again I am coming from a 24" CRT :p

I am in the same boat, I will be back about 10-12 feet, and I had a 27" XBR in a cabinet before.. If prices come down even more before Christmas I might bite on a 50" or I might even look at the XBR 46" depending on pricing of course. But we will most likely put the 42" on a swivel mount that comes out from the wall 9"-19" so we will be able to bring it close to us if needed plus it won't be centered in the room so this is a must.

I just got my new 42" panny plasma a month ago and slapped it in my room and it looks a lot bigger than it did in the store :D

I usually watch from about 5 feet while on my computer but even back at around 10 feet from my bed it is still plenty big...then again I am coming from a 24" CRT :p

and I'll be coming from a 20" CRT :D

I sit 4-5" from a 42" TV. When people see it they thinks it's obscenely large for the room, but I can't imagine going much smaller. If you can see the whole screen without having to turn your head, it's not too big.

That's not considering aesthetics, of course. If you think it's tacky to have a big TV, then that's different.

I sit 4-5" from a 42" TV. When people see it they thinks it's obscenely large for the room, but I can't imagine going much smaller. If you can see the whole screen without having to turn your head, it's not too big.

That's not considering aesthetics, of course. If you think it's tacky to have a big TV, then that's different.

Well if you have a huge bedroom I can see using a 50-60" ours will be decent size but, I can't get away with a 60", I already have one of these in our living room, a XBR2 and I have a 92" projection system in the basement. Unless prices drop, I think I will stick with the 42".......

I also went from a 27" CRT to a 42" Plasma about 3 years ago. Initially I was very pleased with the upgrade and thought 42" was plenty big. Within months I was still in love with the PDP but I began wishing it were bigger. I still feel that way. I'm a huge hockey fan, and sitting ~10 feet from the screen the players just look too small. I end up moving to a less optimal angle just so I can get 5 or 6 feet away. I'm not sure a 50" would even be big enough to satisfy me now, but I know that's the absolute smallest TV I would shop for.

I sit 4-5" from a 42" TV.

wow. and i thought i sat close to my set. :eek: ;)

wow. and i thought i sat close to my set. :eek: ;)

It's really not overwhelming and like I said before, now I can't imagine going smaller. Okay, I can imagine it but I don't see why I would.

I also went from a 27" CRT to a 42" Plasma about 3 years ago. Initially I was very pleased with the upgrade and thought 42" was plenty big. Within months I was still in love with the PDP but I began wishing it were bigger. I still feel that way. I'm a huge hockey fan, and sitting ~10 feet from the screen the players just look too small. I end up moving to a less optimal angle just so I can get 5 or 6 feet away. I'm not sure a 50" would even be big enough to satisfy me now, but I know that's the absolute smallest TV I would shop for.

Is this in a bedroom setup or a different room? If it is a huge bedroom then I would understand going bigger is better... ;)

Is this in a bedroom setup or a different room? If it is a huge bedroom then I would understand going bigger is better... ;)

It's my great room / family room setup. The main TV of the house.

I don't have a TV in the bedroom, but if I did I would stick to my 50"+ criteria. Then again, my bedroom is pretty big. It's got a 16' cathedral ceiling and is over 200 square feet. I could definitely fit a very large PDP on the wall opposite the bed.

42 is not big enough. Go with the 50 for sure. Although if you're gonna choose between a 42 Kuro and a 50 some other brand, I'd go with the 42 Kuro.

A 42" would fit just right in my room, but I am worried it is going to be too small when watching movies. I will be about 9' away, will a 42" seem small? Does anyone watch movies on a 42"?Son, viewing a 60" PDP from 9' away is too small. :p

I guess I'm getting old....for most of my life entire families would gather around a 25"-32" crt and nobody complained about it being "too small". Having said that...if you're worried about buyers remorse then go ahead and pay extra for a 50". I have a 42" plasma that suits me fine because of the way the furniture is arranged. (only 5ft viewing distance)

It's really not overwhelming and like I said before, now I can't imagine going smaller. Okay, I can imagine it but I don't see why I would.

lol... i was making a "funny" that you posted you sat 4-5 INCHES away from your set... :)

60", 8-9 feet here...

I guess I'm getting old....for most of my life entire families would gather around a 25"-32" crt and nobody complained about it being "too small".Back when you were small kids did not have PLAYSTATION®3 either, people's expectations have changed.

If you really are planning to watch lots of movies (on media, not cable or sat) then you definitely have to think of it in terms of screen size for 2.35 Widescreen. There are a lot of folks out there who evaluate displays in stores using only 16X9 HDTV feeds, and then find themselves underwelmed once the black bars come up.

As someone who just upgraded from a 42" to a 50" plasma at 9' view distance, I can tell you.... GO WITH 50"... I've been finding my 42" too small for months... 50" is perfect.

Back when you were small kids did not have PLAYSTATION®3 either, people's expectations have changed.

lol... to think that we played "pong" for hours and hours on end...

Def'ly go w/ a 50" 1080p, if you can swing it. I went thru the same decision process, and now I'm so very glad I went w/ the 50". My head is about 9' from the screen. As someone said earlier, after some time the tv won't seem so big anymore. A 42" would have been too small and ended up bothering me.

lol... to think that we played "pong" for hours and hours on end...I was eighteen & drinking legally in the bars when I played my first game of "pong."

We have a small living room (we're moving soon though), and our 50" totally overpowers it.

That said - WHO FREAKING CARES??? lol I LOVE my 50" TV, and I'm glad that I got it.

I started with a 27" CRT

Then got a 40" Bravia which I returned due to issues. Thought the size was big and good enough though.

Then got a 4665LNT which I returned due to issues, and loved the bigger screen.

Now I have a 50" 77U and it is smoking beautiful :) SD looks okay, some SD does look like crap. BUT the HD and sports in HD make it feel like you're at the game in the middle of the field.

Go big. Trust me...you won't regret it :-)

42" is watching TV.
50+ is an experience

Gotta go against the grain here... At that distance a 42" will actually appear sharper and clearer than a 50". I recently upgraded from 37" (don't think they make them anymore) to a 42", and can swear that the 37" looked sharper. I sit at least 9', maybe 10 - 12'. So, decide whether you value clearer viewing over impressing your friends...

Gotta go against the grain here... At that distance a 42" will actually appear sharper and clearer than a 50". I recently upgraded from 37" (don't think they make them anymore) to a 42", and can swear that the 37" looked sharper. I sit at least 9', maybe 10 - 12'. So, decide whether you value clearer viewing over impressing your friends...

What sources do you use? SD looking worse on a bigger TV is almost a given, but I can't imagine HD content, especially Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, looking worse on a 42" from 9' away. This is assuming that both of your TVs are of the same quality. Just the size increase shouldn't reduce the sharpness until you get to 60+ inches from 9' away.

I will agree with your last statement about the importance of getting the TV you want rather than what will impress your friends. If my friends thought it was ridiculous to have a 60" TV from an 8-9' viewing distance, then it wouldn't affect my decision one bit. Thankfully after months and months, I know what I want, and I know I won't regret my decision. Unfortunately I have to wait until we buy another house to get it :(

Another vote for the smaller 42". I just purchased a 1080p 42" Panny and my viewing distance is approximately 8 feet. It is an upgrade from my smaller CRT and I have to say I am completely satisfied.

If money was not a consideration I would prefer the 50 inch. However the same model in the 50" would have cost me $1,500 more, or more than double the cost of the 42". To me it was more important to use that extra cash towards quality surround sound, stereo components, etc.

Like I tell my girlfriend... "Bigger is not always better".

:o

Good luck.

My source is HD cable, and I don't have the two TVs to compare side by side. My point is simply that the 42" viewing "sweet spot" is a little further out than the 37". Perhaps I may be viewing from closer than 9'. Never actually measured. But from where I'm sitting, the 42" looks a little less sharp...

I sit about 3 feet away from my 78" screen in my 8'x8' media room and it's nearly perfect. I had a 70" that was just too small from that distance so I returned it. If you're 3 to 4 feet away, I strongly recommend that you get at least a 78" (bare minimum) or else you'll completely regret it.

I sit about 3 feet away from my 78" screen in my 8'x8' media room and it's nearly perfect. I had a 70" that was just too small from that distance so I returned it. If you're 3 to 4 feet away, I strongly recommend that you get at least a 78" (bare minimum) or else you'll completely regret it.

LOL! I hope your kidding... 78" that is like going to a movie at iMax and sitting in the front row with your head tilted back...

Another vote for the smaller 42". I just purchased a 1080p 42" Panny and my viewing distance is approximately 8 feet. It is an upgrade from my smaller CRT and I have to say I am completely satisfied.

If money was not a consideration I would prefer the 50 inch. However the same model in the 50" would have cost me $1,500 more, or more than double the cost of the 42". To me it was more important to use that extra cash towards quality surround sound, stereo components, etc.

Like I tell my girlfriend... "Bigger is not always better".

:o

Good luck.


Now are you taking Pioneer Kuro's? They are more expensive but well worth it. The Panasonic's are about 500-800 difference..

I went from a sd 32" to a hd 46" to a hd 52" and the DOWN to a 42". I am also about 8 - 9 feet away. A 50 would be ok, but no bigger. The 42 fits nicely. The room has large surrounding windows and in the end, having the TV so big and a focal point took away from everything else, kinda overwhelmed a small space (11' X 20').

One thing I found with the 52" is that it blocked part of my view of the woods. Kinda dumb of me to buy a place with a country view and then put a big honking TV in the way.

I love TV's, but they aren't the end all be all of the room. (crouching to avoid thrown objects from fellow avs'ers).

Your best option is a 50" 768p. At 9 feet, 1080p will not be noticeable, so in pretty much any instance, 50" would be the best choice -- Panasonic & Samsung have some excellent values in sub-$2k price range, and if you can afford to spend more, take the Pioneer 5080HD over 1080p Panasonics/Samsungs, as its better contrast will surely outweigh its resolution disadvantage.

I love TV's, but they aren't the end all be all of the room. (crouching to avoid thrown objects from fellow avs'ers).

Aint that the truth.

Sometimes I think if you aren't sporting a 50"+ 1080p Kuro you dont belong here. lol

I would prefer a 58 or 60, but I would settle for a 50........nothing less!:D

How many times has anyone on this forum regretted getting a LARGE screen and exchanged it for something smaller? Once you have gone BIG, it hard to go back. 50 is now what a 42 was just a short time ago..........

Mike

I would prefer a 58 or 60, but I would settle for a 50........nothing less!:D

How many times has anyone on this forum regretted getting a LARGE screen and exchanged it for something smaller? Once you have gone BIG, it hard to go back. 50 is now what a 42 was just a short time ago..........

Mike

Its the same thing with cars. I dont know how anyone can stand to drive something with less than 300hp. Its hard to go back.

500hp is now what 350hp was just a short time ago........

This is how all marketing works. Its called perceived obsolescence.

I just got a 50 inch, at 15 feet it good but at 7 feet its mazing, bigger=better

Its funny, I never, ever thought my 37" was too small sitting 7-8 feet away from it until I started reading threads like this. And I've had the TV for over a year. Stupid me (for reading these threads, not for getting a 37").

Go for 50"...I am 9 feet away from my 42" plasma, 16x9 HD programs are ok but for 2.35 wide screen movies it's a bit small.

Don't they make 103" plasmas? I think I saw one a TV reporter/anchor was standing in front of. It was FRICKEN HUGE. But I suppose you'd get used to it.

Don't they make 103" plasmas? I think I saw one a TV reporter/anchor was standing in front of. It was FRICKEN HUGE. But I suppose you'd get used to it.

i volunteer to be the guinea pig to see if one can get used to it... :) shall we start a collection?

Don't they make 103" plasmas? I think I saw one a TV reporter/anchor was standing in front of. It was FRICKEN HUGE. But I suppose you'd get used to it.

Abt Electronics near Chicago has a Panasonic 103" plasma on display and running in their store. It's a monster! It also has a monster MSRP of $70k.

I went from a sd 32" to a hd 46" to a hd 52" and the DOWN to a 42". I am also about 8 - 9 feet away. A 50 would be ok, but no bigger. The 42 fits nicely. The room has large surrounding windows and in the end, having the TV so big and a focal point took away from everything else, kinda overwhelmed a small space (11' X 20').

One thing I found with the 52" is that it blocked part of my view of the woods. Kinda dumb of me to buy a place with a country view and then put a big honking TV in the way.

I love TV's, but they aren't the end all be all of the room. (crouching to avoid thrown objects from fellow avs'ers).

It's hard to know what kind of room everyone has. If someone has a small family room and doesn't want the TV to be the focus, then sometimes the size of the TV is not determined by the viewing distance but by the size of the room. My wife and I went through this recently. She actually started off wanting a 32", and I eventually convinced her that a 42" would be nicer. I got her to "allow" me to get a 50", but she never liked the idea of the TV overpowering the room. After months of saving and shopping went by, we've decided to buy another house, and one of our priorities is to have a separate media room, and we'll be getting a 60" TV. It's a media room, so the screen is supposed to overpower the room!

What I'm saying is that everyone's situation is different, and sitting 8 feet from a 60" TV is not right in every situation. On the other hand, sitting 10 feet from a 42" is also not right in every situation. I like how these forums bring out examples from each end of the spectrum. It's helped me a lot over the past several months, and I'm sure it's helped others as well.

OP, your viewing distance screams for a 50" 768p TV. However, if you think it would overpower the room and don't want it to be the focal point of the room, then a 42" would suffice. It's all in what you want in your TV.

Go for the 50". I went from a 42" to a 58" at a viewing distance of 11 feet.

There is no question that regular DVDs look a bit softer than they did on the 42".

Also there is no question that it's far more enjoyable to watch them on the bigger screen and it feels far more cinema-like, especially on 2.35:1 OAR movies.

But the 58" plasma and paradigm speakers dominate, the chicks on HGTV would never approve of my living room. ;)