Is 52" LCD too big for a 8.5-9 Feet View?

I'm 9' froma 46" and it could stand to be a little bigger.

I would go with 52".

Some people in here are going to tell you 58"-60", but I think 52" would be perfect.

My sofa is around 10'(not more) from the TV. I returned the 46V3000 and picked up the 52W3000.
It's perfect for my room. The bluray movie clips and the Planet Earth bluray look absolutely gorgeous - not too big at all.

I'd like to hear more feedback from other members about this issue. I will be sitting about 10 feet away from the tv - I'm considering the Samsung LNT-4671F and the LNT-5271F. My wife thinks the 46" will be just fine, however I'm leaning more towards the 52" as I just enjoy a larger picture. I'll be using it to watch football, movies, and play Xbox 360.

Is the 52" model overkill for sitting roughly 10 ft away? Will the picture look digitizied or will it look better?

Also, what other ammo can you give me to convince my wife the 52" is the right choice for our room?

I picked up a Sharp 52D82U last week. I sit between 8.5 ft to 11 ft away depending on which sofa/love seat. It's the perfect size for me imo. It's not mounted, it's on a stand.

Go for the 52" and get 1080p for the viewing distance and future proof.

I was in the exact same boat as you deciding whether or not to go 46 or 52. I sit about 8.5 feet away from the tv. I bought the 4671 and after a week of watching I kept saying to myself I wish I had gotten the 52. I have recently exchanged my 4671 for the 5271 and have no regrets. The size is perfect from where I am sitting and since you will be sitting slightly further back then me I know you the 52 will suit you just fine.

I am not sure where you are looking to purchase but Amazon has the 5271 for the same price as what the 4671 goes for in most B and M`s. Maybe that will help you with the Mrs.

I use my tv for all the same things you mentioned sports, xbox 360 and movies, and I have been more then happy with the 52 inch. Don`t get me wrong you will love the 46 inch as well and it will look great, but from where you will be sitting I think you will be most happy with the 52.

Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide, both are really awesome LCD`s.

I would answer this way:

Good/perfect input signals(BD/HD DVD/most cable, Sat, antenna HD) will look better(bigger is better).

Crappy signals(SD, noisy HD, standard DVD) will show more crap.

If you watch a little of everything I think 52" is perfect from 10'

Thanks, guys! I appreciate your input and knowledge based on your experiences. I think I'm going to go with the 52" and see how it looks. I'd rather buy a bit bigger screen than buy too small and regret it. I mean, worst case scenario, it looks way too big and I downsize to the 46". I have a few friends that bought 40" lcds thinking they would be just fine, but now ( a year later) they really regret it. I really like the Samsung 5271 and the price is right on amazon.com - I just can't bring myself to spend the additional $1k+ for the Sony XBR 4/5 52" model. The pics looked very similar to me...and to be honest, I'm not the biggest techy guy in the world, so the slight differences won't make that big of deal to me.

My only hesitation with the Samsung 71 series is the glossy/glass screen and the possible glare from windows behind our couch. Anyone have anything to say about the glare of the Samsung 71 series?

I think you need to take a look at how your setup is and see if sunlight or glare will be a major issue for you. I have had no issues with glare on my 5271, but most of my watching comes in the evening so it has not been a problem for me at all. Even when I watch football games during the day on Sunday, no problems. For me the glossy screen was a selling point. I love the way HD movies look, everything seems to pop out of the screen as if you were looking right through a window.

I am sure some people will say the glare was an issue for them with this set, but in my own experience its been fine.

I have nothing bad to say about this tv. I am truly a very satisfied customer.

The only advice I can give is if you are buying this from a store like BB or CC, tell them you want to pick out the box yourself. Take a look at the serial numbers on the bar code. You will want to look for a set that is marked PB or PC as opposed to PA. This will improve your chances of getting a more recent build on your Samsung and the most recent Firmwares available. I did this when I went to Frys and the salesman was pretty frustrated as I had them go through about 4 or 5 tvs in the back room before I found the one I wanted.

The way I see it were spending a lot of money, I want peace of mind knowing I have the newest manufactured tv that has not been sitting around for months in a store or warehouse somewhere.

This is very good to know about the Firmware versions. I've done a little reserach into the firmware thing and apparently it has to do with performance issues with the AMP. I can't seem to find a better deal for the 5271 than on amazon, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed that they send me one of the barcode models/versions you mentioned. Have you had any issues with the AMP related to these firmwares? Also, have you experienced the "TBE" (Triple Ball Effect) that I've been reading about? With all the research I've done on Sony, Samsung, etc etc, I've come to the conclusion that there is no perfect TV - they all have their "little" problems.

Thanks for all your info and advice, you have been very helpful as I look to invest this chunk of change!

great discussion....I also have the same issue. I was leaning towards a 52"xbr4, then found a 60" Sony RP, 60a3000, for about 1200 dollars cheaper.
Viewing would be 9-10' away.
What I am hearing here is that 52" sizing is ideal........
Whew, what a struggle for a decision.......

I looked at the KDL-52w3000. It has a great picture and a great price. But for some reason I think I need a set up that includes the 120/24fps.......which is the xbr4. Frankly watching both of those sets yesterday in the store....I don't know if my eye could catch the difference.

Bought a KDL52W3000 yesterday at Best buy and received a free Blu Ray Player (actually $299 off the TV with the purchase of a $299 Sony Blu Ray Player). I am sitting 10' or so away and it is perfect. The Size at that distance is excellent for me.

I've viewed a 57" from that same distance for over a year now and Dot Mode 1:1 makes it possible - you should love it and crave even bigger - I will be going to a 65" around next spring. My SD on my Sharp isn't bad at all though comparatively night/day but my primary viewing is HD. May seem large at first if you've had a smaller panel but within a week you'll adjust and usually want even bigger provided you max HD Sources. Enjoy!

Im viewing 92" (Front Projection) from just under 10", so I'd say no..

Yes, the most reasonably priced sets are the rear projection, but know ahead of time that they have a definite sweet spot, and can't be viewed off-axis. Sit in front of them, and at the proper height, and the picture is quite nice. Move to the side a bit, or stand up, and they quickly become dim.

I have FW 2002 on my 5271 and so far I have had none of the stutter issues with AMP on. As for the "TBE" effect, I have seen it a few times during ESPN sportscenter when they are showing the highlights. You only will see it during long passes (does not happen all the time), other than that games look outstanding.

This tv does have a feature known as "game" mode which when turned on gets rid of all issues of TBE (I think it lowers the picture quality when on though). I never have AMP on more then low when I am watching tv or sports from my HD box anyway so "TBE" has not been an issue for me. When it comes to watching HD DVDs, I have AMP adjusted according to the type of the movie I am watching, and you will find what you prefer to use the set more. AMP really comes down to personal preference, some users I know have it off all the time because they like the more cinematic look to movies.

The only thing I can suggest is if you do not have a Blu Ray or HD DVD player look to invest in one. You will be blown away by the picture quality and black levels this tv can produce for an LCD.

This is absolutely improbable if you have HD sources with no artefacts and decent viewing conditions. Remember there is psychological DS (Display Shrinking) effect. After certain period of viewing, display which was initially judged ´giant´ becomes just normal, smaller displays become then 'dwarfs'.

Next, you get appetite for even bigger glass .

The THX company recommends a 1.2 times distance for HD viewing.....

1.2 times the diagonal of your TV.....sooo a 40 inch TV times 1.2 = 48 inch sitting distance.....that is the closest ratio I have seen, but it is just fine with me. Mort

I know what you mean....I was a bit surprised to see THX use that evaluation....but I figure they might know something about this.....

THX makes those recommendations based on what immerses the viewer. 5 feet is pretty close for a 52" TV in a regular house with couches, coffee tables, etc. But if you have a 20 foot screen (just pretend for the sake of argument...), then sitting about 24 feet away would give you a really nice theater-like view.

THX recommendations aren't practical for most folks with non-dedicated theaters, so instead you may want to consider at what point does sitting closer start to reveal the pixels (or conversely, at what point does sitting further away make 720p look just as good as 1080p due to the finite resolution of the Mark I human eyeball)?

For most folks, at 10 feet, a screen size of 60" gives a nice big picture without being overwhelming. 52" gives a big-enough size without dominating the wall when not in use.

I have a 52" LCD, and I sit about 10-11 feet away. I'd like a bigger TV, but the price points start to rise fairly quickly above 52" right now. In a few years (maybe sooner), I suspect it will be well above 60" for the "popular large size", and everyone will wonder why 42" TVs ever existed for family-room viewing... (Remember 19" CRTs?)

IMHO, YMMV, but as others mentioned, the "huge" TV you buy today will seem to shrink over time.

shinksma