# IS 47Inch TV too Big?



## thespecialon (30 May 2008)

Looking at buying a 47Inch LCD HD Ready TV for my average size sitting room.

In the shop it looked great and I am sure it would be for watching movies/sports etc
But wat about an evening in front of the TV watching the soaps etc, does it become a strain on the eyes?

PS:I dont have any problems with my eyesight and have as far as I am aware have 20/20 vision and would like to keep it as long as possible!!


----------



## Welfarite (30 May 2008)

You should also consider the effect such a large screen would have on the look/ambience of the average-sized sitting room. It might dominate all other features, such as suite, pictures, etc..


----------



## NickyK (30 May 2008)

I have 50" tv but it's in a fairly big room. If you're going to wall mount the tv then I'd say go for it but if you're putting it in a corner on a stand I'd think twice. 
Sod it you spend more time at home in bed, on the couch and watching tv than anything else. Go for it.


----------



## tosullivan (30 May 2008)

I would think 47" is far too big for an avg siz sitting room.  I know someone with a 42" screen and I think its even too big.  32" is sufficient...36" would probably be maximum


----------



## mik_da_man (30 May 2008)

I have an avg size living room and have a 40" screen.
I found a site that tells you what distance from the TV you should be based on it's size or vice versa

http://www.dtvcity.com/lcdtv/lcdscreensize.html

I found that 40" was optium for me - 47" would be far too big for my room

Mik


----------



## Technologist (30 May 2008)

thespecialon said:


> Looking at buying a 47Inch LCD HD Ready TV for my average size sitting room.


A very important consideration is were the pictures will come from.

A 47" would be great for HD or enhanced-SD from satellite or Blue-Ray HD. 

For DVD or NTL digital it would be so-so.

But for analog TV signals it will look ghastly. I'd not go any more than 30" then.


----------



## nad (30 May 2008)

Might be too big for your room size alright, as i have a friend who bought a 40inch and started to notice it was uncomfortabl viewing, ended up exchanging it for a 32 inch, which he highly recommends.


----------



## tester1 (30 May 2008)

As far as i know Sony Centres offer a service where you can hire a cardboard cut out of the size of telly you are thinking of getting to see what it will look like in the room. Might be a good idea if you are unsure.


----------



## Frank (2 Jun 2008)

I have a 46" in an apartment about 8 or 9 feet away from me on the couch.

Picture from ntl or dvd is excellent. 

Don't see pixelation of the like.

Looking at it right now looks spot on to me.


----------



## RMCF (4 Jun 2008)

I have yet to buy a flat panel (my 36" CRT is still giving a better pic quality on SD than any panel) but those I have witnessed in some houses are just too much.

I think the problem is that most people nowadays think bigger is better. They buy the biggest TV that will fit into their alcove in their living room. The fact that they are sitting 6ft from it never seems to enter their heads. They buy the one thats going to give the wow factor or impress the friends the most. Add this to the fact that when you price these panels, sometimes the 42" is only €75 or €100 more expensive than the 37", so they get tempted to go for the big one.

Search on Google and I am sure you will find a guide for the size you should be buying for YOUR viewing distance. From experience it WILL make a difference. A lot of these new HD panels are not great at showing SD pictures (which the vast majority of the public still watches on a daily basis), and if the set is too big or you are too close you will see the artefacts or picture processing. I have many friends who complain about their picture all the time having been sold the goose but are still waiting for the golden egg the salesmen promised in Currys or wherever.


----------



## ailbhe (4 Jun 2008)

We have a 42" in a very large sitting room. We would be sitting about 7ft from it and find it fine, not uncomfortable to watch and it doesn't dominate the room. My sister has a tiny sitting room and a wall mounted 50" tv which looks ridiculous. It takes up a whole wall in her living room and they have to have a chair under it and sofa is about 3 ft away. 


It is also worth noting that when you have a large store full of large tvs the 50" doesn't look _that_ big. Bring it home and it's another story.


----------



## RMCF (4 Jun 2008)

Why not get the dimensions of the set you are interested in, break down a cardboard box and cut out a rectangel the same size and see how big it looks in your living room (or living space if you modern).

Here's a guide to viewing distances:



or a slightly more complicated one:

http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/Tv-viewing-distance.html


----------

