I am looking at a seating distance of 7-9 ft from the tv. I am choosing between a 42 inch and a 50 inch flat panel. Without discussing resolution I would like to know if once one gets a 50 inch home and in place at this distance is the tv presentation overwhelming and uncomfortable to watch or is it fine? And the other extreme - 42 inch - is it too small of an impact for movie and sports watching.

Would I regret getting one over the other once I get it home and sit down to enjoy HDTV or DVD viewing?

thanks
Joe

imo, 50" won't be "overwhelming" in any way at that distance... i sit that distance from my 60" and don't find it overwhelming...

interesting viewing distance calculator (http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html)

While the 42" might be OK at first, you will eventually wish you chose the 50".
Do a search on AVS and you will see that it is rarely the other way around. :cool:

I have a 42" at that distance in my bedroom and it's just about right. I think the 50 would be overwhelming at that distance but like I said, I'm in the bedroom so it's a pretty small room.

Panny TH42PZ77U

If you are closer to 7', 42" is fine. If you are closer to 9', 50" would be more appropriate.

I sit 6' from my 42", and it is just about right.

My general rule and recommendation is to go as large as you can, without seeing the screen door effect (SDE) at your seating distance. Once you see the SDE, you've gone one size too big.

I am looking at a seating distance of 7-9 ft from the tv. I am choosing between a 42 inch and a 50 inch flat panel.If you are looking for a "proper" movie experience, sitting 6.5ft from a 50" display is almost perfect. It meets the THX and SMPTE specs.

The calculator mentioned in message #2 is an excellent resource!!

Sitting further away or having a smaller screen is just "watching TV".

I sit 8' from my 50" and would have gone bigger if price wasn't an issue.

If you are closer to 7', 42" is fine. If you are closer to 9', 50" would be more appropriate.


I would like to add, it depends on what your source material is. Some TV signals have a lot of noise that vanishes when you get far enough away.

I sit about 10 feet from my 46" LCD. When I'm watching a less than perfect TV signal, my 46" is perfect. When I'm watching a perfect looking HD DVD, I wish it was 60".

Some TV signals have a lot of noise that vanishes when you get far enough away.Along with the rest of the picture detail! :eek:

Sit far enough away and you can save a LOT of money by just buying a 480p display. You'll never tell the difference!

50" might look big at first, but once you get used to it, you might want to go even bigger. I thought my 90" projection from 8 feet was huge at first.. now I want 120" :D

You may regret going with a 42", and find yourself wanting a larger set. 50" is enough to hold off the impulse to buy something bigger.

at that distance just get a 1080p 60" panel and you'll be good ;-). Or you'll also be fine with a 768p 50"

at that distance just get a 1080p 60" panel and you'll be good ;-). Or you'll also be fine with a 768p 50"

Exactly....I'd go right for the 1080p 60" panel if I were buying now. :D

"you'll also be fine with a 768p 50"

If you are spending real money, get a real HDTV (1280x720 or 1920x1080)! Avoid non-standard resolutions for the best PQ.

"you'll also be fine with a 768p 50"

If you are spending real money, get a real HDTV (1280x720 or 1920x1080)! Avoid non-standard resolutions for the best PQ.

Please.....1080p at less than 60" is mostly hype. ;)
Nothing wrong with 768p since that is probably the real world max you are getting anyway.

"Nothing wrong with 768p" :confused:

Look up the term 'aliasing'

"that is probably the real world max you are getting"

Do you have a clue?

"Nothing wrong with 768p" :confused:

Look up the term 'aliasing'

"that is probably the real world max you are getting"

Do you have a clue?

Do you even have a panel at all?
Canucks....:rolleyes:

50" Pioneer PRO-FHD1 in my office, FWIW.

I far prefer the 92" DLP FP in my theatre.

PS. Editing on my phone using the AVS mobile skin is a PITA :(

50' Pioneer PRO-FHD in my office, FWIW.

I far prefer the DLP FP in my theatre.

DOH! :o

LCD front projector in the Home Theater, 90" diagonal screen, I sit 84" from the screen. No, it's not overwhelming, but it does disclose every flaw in any image, and leads you into the viscious circle of upgrading all your source components.

I can see the flaws in my 37" set and my 61" and 65" set. They are always there and I wlays see them. You can see problems from an SD set that is only 25" using DirecTV. I always see it. An HDMi FLEA helps alot but they can only do so much.
I sit 9 feet from my 65" set and I could easily watch a 73" set at that distance.

Thank you so much for all the great responses.

Which current technology (used to be LCoS) beats the others for SDE, assuming compared displays are all 1080p?

Is it Plasma or something else? Any suggestions as to which models in the 50-60" range have the least SDE at 1080p?

I too like to sit close to the screen and be immersed in the visual.

I sit 8' from my 50" and would have gone bigger if price wasn't an issue.

Same here.

50" Panny PZ77U 1080P at 10-12 ft. and it is fine but if I could afford it I would go right out and get a 60"+ panel. At my distance I can see the difference beween HD-DVD and broadcast HD but it is really evident when I get closer to the set. So if I moved my recliner 4-5 ft. closer it would be more in line with my panel and seating distance. But moving the recliner is not really an option in the current configuration of the living room and frankly I am more than satisfied with the picture. So the point is don't even bother with a panel smaller than 50" as you will just end up being disappointed and wishing you had gotten the bigger set or bringing the smaller one back for a bigger one which is a royal PIA. Now I just have to play around with calibration to improve my greys and color.

. . . So the point is don't even bother with a panel smaller than 50" as you will just end up being disappointed and wishing you had gotten the bigger set or bringing the smaller one back for a bigger one which is a royal PIA. Now I just have to play around with calibration to improve my greys and color.That is a fairly general statement. I submit that larger is not always better. The size really depends upon the viewer, furnishings, and how you use the room. Our family room is used for other than television viewing and we did not want a TV to be the primary focus in the room. We bought our widescreen tv two years ago. It is 42" which is perfect for us. We are not disappointed and have not once been tempted to purchase a larger set.

I am looking at a seating distance of 7-9 ft from the tv. I am choosing between a 42 inch and a 50 inch flat panel. Without discussing resolution I would like to know if once one gets a 50 inch home and in place at this distance is the tv presentation overwhelming and uncomfortable to watch or is it fine? And the other extreme - 42 inch - is it too small of an impact for movie and sports watching.

Would I regret getting one over the other once I get it home and sit down to enjoy HDTV or DVD viewing?

Which will be your primary viewing material? HDTV? Or (SD) DVD? Because SD material would look better on the smaller 42" screen than on the 50" screen. Going to bigger sets means SD material will look worse because all the flaws in the SD source will be that much larger and more noticeable.

And have you considered a compromise between 42" and 50" and instead getting a 46" set?

That is a fairly general statement. I submit that larger is not always better. The size really depends upon the viewer, furnishings, and how you use the room. Our family room is used for other than television viewing and we did not want a TV to be the primary focus in the room. We bought our widescreen tv two years ago. It is 42" which is perfect for us. We are not disappointed and have not once been tempted to purchase a larger set.

NM,
I am not going to argue your points as they are to some degree correct. I was basing my "opinion" on what the OP mentioned his particular situation was. Your opinion "which is perfect for us" is in the minority if you read many of the posts. Most folks given that everything is within their particular limits will always want the biggest set possible. You can find many posts that say they got panel A and returned it for a bigger panel B. The OP may be very much like you and be satisfied with a smaller panel, but if he/she is like the majority of the posters they will not be happy with the smaller panel at the stated viewing distance. Nothing worse than purchasing something that once you get it home you are not happy with it and have to go through all of the hassle of re-packaging and returning it for something more to your liking. I am not here to argue but just add my .02 worth to questions that are posed to the community. I have read hundreds if not thousands of postings here in preparation for purchasing my TH-50PZ77U, most if not all of the postings I read were of great help to me in making an informed purchase whether they were positive or negative. YMMV!!!

albiemanmike, I believe our posts are really OBE since the OP last posted more than a month ago.

The point I tried to make is that "we" can not say the OP will be disappointed with a smaller display, as you claimed. I countered your statement by telling him that I was perfectly happy with my smaller display.

Suppose the OP gets a larger set home only to find that he does not like it? He is still stuck with a return. Only he can make that judgement and that will depend upon his likes/dislikes, how he intends to to use the set, etc. These are points I tried to bring out.

It seems that most posters in this forum, of the 100s or 1,000s I've read, want the home theater experience while the majority of consumers are looking for only a television. The 'sweet spot', the size display most purchased, is 40"-44". http://tech.msn.com/products/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=5222404 Maybe this is where the OP fits, with the majority of consumers, we don't know.

I agree with you, there is nothing worse than buying a set, taking it home and then wanting to return it. The OP asked if he would find a 50" set "overwhelming and uncomfortable" or a 42" display too small. DonMac made a valid point, perhaps he could consider a set between 42" and 50".

The OP may be like the smaller segment of the market that wants the larger sets or he may be like the average consumer and will enjoy a 40"- 44". Neither of us can make a statement that he would/will be disappointed with any size display.

The OP may be like the smaller segment of the market that wants the larger sets or he may be like the average consumer and will enjoy a 40"- 44". Neither of us can make a statement that he would/will be disappointed with any size display.

The average consumer is unaware that a bigger panel is a better choice for most.
The chances are small that he will be unhappy with the bigger panel.
Those spec sheets and sales figures are clouding your vision NM. ;)

The average consumer is unaware that a bigger panel is a better choice for most.
The chances are small that he will be unhappy with the bigger panel.
Those spec sheets and sales figures are clouding your vision NM. ;)
Neither of us can say for certain what size display would be the most pleasing for another person. We can pass along our experiences, likes/dislikes but in the end it is the person buying the set that has to make the decision.

The general public has migrated to a certain size range for a number of reasons - the price is decent, the sets appear much larger than the 27" crt it will replace, etc. etc. If size was the deciding factor they would have gone to projection sets long ago.

Neither of us can say for certain what size display would be the most pleasing for another person. We can pass along our experiences, likes/dislikes but in the end it is the person buying the set that has to make the decision.



Oh come on now, admit it. You really wanted a bigger screen. ;)

Oh come on now, admit it. You really wanted a bigger screen. ;)No, I never have. I love the set I have now.

Oh come on now, admit it. You really wanted a bigger screen:D:D

NM,
I will agree with you wholeheartedly that you nor I can make up his mind for him. I think the numbers you mention are mainly price driven. I for one would have bought the 58PZ700U if price was not a deciding factor. And I think if you asked many of the consumers who bought 36"-46" sets why they did most would say because they could not afford the much bigger set that they really wanted. We live in a "Give it to me NOW" society and folks will give up something they really want for something they can have right now instead of waiting till they can get the one they really want. I have been guilty of this myself but I now try to resist the urge to do that and with the panel I finally did purchase it took me 4+ years to finally get it and when I did I got the one I wanted. Although I looked at the 58" and would love to have that one the price and the reality of having that size won out and I got the one I always wanted to get which was a 50" panel. Thanks for sharing your opinions I respect them and appreciate your sharing them, just because people disagree doesn't mean we can't enjoy a healthy exchange of ideas. Cheers!!!!

Depending on where I sit...I am anywhere from 6-8 feet away from my 42" (Panasonic TH-42PZ77U) and it is fine. Not even close to overwhelming but not too small either. Of course I also have it mounted in a shallow wall nook that isn't very wide and 50" is out of the question....one of the new Panasonic 46" panels might just work though.:cool:

one of the new Panasonic 46" panels might just work though.Panasonic just released their 150" today! (http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/Technology/article/291728) :eek:
http://multimedia.thestar.com/images/b1/c4/59fbdfaf428889abacb893390412.jpeg (http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/Technology/article/291728)

That ^^ would almost be worth taking out a second mortgage for...almost.;)