Need help determining screen size

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post #1 of 5

2/24/04 at 7:22pm

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374 Posts. Joined 8/2002
Location: Colorado
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I have a small section of my basement (13' L x 9' W) that I will be making into a basic HT.

With a RPTV (figuring on a typical depth of ~2') I'd be looking at viewing distances of around 6' and 9'. Cruthfield recommends a screen size of 30-45" for these distances. Does this sound reasonable? Will something in the 45-47" range be too big for the front row?

If I went with a front projector or flat panel, I would be looking at viewing distances of around 8' and 11'. Again using Crutchfield, they recommend a screen size of 40-55".

I guess my basic question is when you have more than one row of seats, how do you determine your viewing distance and do they Crutchfield recommendations make sense?

I'd also like to say thanks to the people here, as I have already picked up an immense amount of info.

Thanks

Joseph

post #2 of 5

2/25/04 at 10:02am

123 Posts. Joined 3/2002
Location: Ashburn, VA
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JosephF:

a general rule of thumb you will see posted in many threads on this board is (1.5 * screen width) = viewing distance. note: screeen WIDTH not diagonal, you may need to convert some numbers.

a 45" flat panel diagonal, is approx 40" wide, and can be viewed at approx 60" or 5 ft...

This is very subjective to your viewing habits. Some like to sit front row in a theater, others want the back section. That's your call.

But I think the crutchfield numbers are way too conservative with hdtv quality sources and displays. You may have needed to sit that far away from a grainy TV 10 years ago, but not now.

FYI: I have an 80" wide FP, and sit approx 10 ft back, and it's just perfect for me for the immersive feeling.

If you go more than 1 row in your setup, choose "your" primary row, and calculate for that.

post #3 of 5

2/25/04 at 10:44am