Minimum seating distance to 50" plasma?

As a general rule with an HD source on an HD display you can sit as close as 1.5 times the screen width. For a 50" diagonal display this works out to be 5.5 feet. However, plasma displays have a pixel structure and I find it best to be seated far enough away so that this structure is no longer visible. What distance this occurs depends on the specific plasma you select (the resolution, pixel size, and pixel pitch, or spacing, are the key items to consider) and this distance will also depend on your own eyesight. Even people with 20/20 vision will vary in their perception of a visible pixel structure. With the highest resolution 50 plasmas the pixel structure should start becoming invisible at a distance of perhaps 7 to 9 feet, but I suggest you visit some stores and check it out for yourself.


Ron Jones

HD from 7 feet on a Pio 40" is great. No pixel structure visible to me. I sit 6 feet away sometimes for HD and for PC gaming. Pixel structure has never been an issue.


SD scaled optimally from 7 feet kind of sucks. I am watching SD from about 12 feet and its not bad if the source is good. Plus if I scale at 4x3 (1.33/1) with pillar bars its OK, 1.66/1 expanded is a bit grainy however.


DVD from 7 feet would be somewhat irritateing but I sometimes watch good DVD's from that distance.

It all depends how you are going to mount it, the distance from a wall

installation is deferent from a table stand.I have a table stand and i view

from 8' to 10'.

you can sit close to your TV like 5 feet away and still see a really beautiful picture. However, I personally like to sit further away from the TV and have a bigger screen at the same time. I feel it's easier on my eyes.

on the 50 panny when I see good hd I find myself walking right up to the pdp to get a closer look. It still looks good to me.

I have a 55" plasma and my couch is around 7 to 8 ft from the screen. I do not see any pixels at all.

For 50" my vote is 10 feet (not closer).