How big is to big TV

[Tubingluvr]

Re: How big is to big TV

From what I have seen the price difference between plasma and LCD in the 55" and larger is much bigger.
I can buy a 65" LCD for 1500 but a Plasma is going to run 2500

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: How big is to big TV

I was told that a LCD was better for every day use( as our tv goes on at about 5am and off at 10pm).It keeps my wife company during the day. A plasma tv is better for home theater as it has a true black but will burn out if use for a extended period of time over and over.

This is what the guy told me at the London drugs and he seemed to know what he was talking about. So I think I am going with a LCD and possibly a LED model.

 

[Tubingluvr]

Re: How big is to big TV

I think anything will be an improvement from my projection.
The funny part is the wife is the one always pushing for a bigger and better TV to watch College Football.
Yep you read that right don't mess with the wife's Big Ten Network.
Everybody that knows us well still can't believe it.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: How big is to big TV

Are you sure shes watching the game. Yes I have seen projection TV,s and if the mirrors get out of alignment they can look bad.

 

[surge006]

Re: How big is to big TV

i have a 62" nd im 8 feet away its awesome

 

[i386]

Re: How big is to big TV

As big as you want. Just try it out at the store from the distance you will view it from at home. I sit about 12' from our 50" TV and I'm quite satisfied. My mother has a 42" set at her house but the room is much smaller so it seems just as big as mine. My step brother has a huge living room and a rear projection set that's about 60". From where we sit it looks smaller than mine.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: How big is to big TV

I was told that a LCD was better for every day use( as our tv goes on at about 5am and off at 10pm).It keeps my wife company during the day. A plasma tv is better for home theater as it has a true black but will burn out if use for a extended period of time over and over.

This is what the guy told me at the London drugs and he seemed to know what he was talking about. So I think I am going with a LCD and possibly a LED model.

LCDs use bulbs that can and do burn out over time... Usualy cost $200-$400 to replace based on what I have read and typically has to be done about every 5 yrs...

Plasmas have a life cycle that based on your viewing time (for us about 10 hrs a day (avg)) will last 20yrs with no addt. maint costs...

There is another thread on here about Plasma vs LCD. Take a look at the comments and see what you think...

 

[BWR1953]

Re: How big is to big TV

We have been looking into getting a new flat screen tv. As it stands with all of the information I have read we should get about a 40 to a 42 inch screen for the distance we will be sitting from the screen.

What are the pros and cons of getting a bigger screen?

When it comes to stuff like this, I think my dad said it best.

"If some is good...
...more is better... and
...too much is juuuuuuusst right!"

Honestly, go as big as your wallet can handle. I currently have my GFs 42" HD LCD in the living room and we're talking about moving that into the bedroom and going with something in the 55" - 60" range, which will take up most of the living room wall!

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: How big is to big TV

We had been using a 30" cathode ray until last Febuary when we bought a 50" plasma. I figured a 42" would be big enough but my wife insisted on 50". Now that we have it I don't feel it's too big and that she made the right decision. Maybe we could have gone bigger!

We sit about 10' feet from the screen and we're very happy with our choice, Panasonic Viera Plasma TC P50 SI. We initially bought a cheaper model but it died after 2 months so the store took it back and we upgraded.

Plasma TV's have glass screens that reflect light more than LCD's so they are best used where that is not a problem. Ours is in the basement in a room with one 2' by 4' window and works well there.

 

[aspeck]

Re: How big is to big TV

Visit a store (take your popcorn and beverage with you) and visit their furniture department first. Tell them you want to try out their most comfortable recliner and have them take it to the electronics section of the store. Set it as far away from the big screens as you would be in your home. Then sit back and enjoy the comfy chair and popcorn for the evening. Tell them you need to think about it.

Visit a different store and do the same. This should keep you busy for a week or 2 and you get to use THEIR electricity in the process. Decide which chair and tv fit you best and go for it.

Happy shopping!

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: How big is to big TV

If I have to finance it, its too big.

Seriously, I don't watch enough TV to justify spending a couple of grand on one. I have three TVS (one in the tykes room, one in the living room and one in the shop) and none of them are flatscreens. Two of them are digital ready CRTs and the other is an old analog unit (shop) that I'll probably replace soon. What I might do, is to rotate the CRT unit from my living room to the shop and buy a 32" flat screen to replace it.

What I do have, is 5 flat screen computer monitors! I had four of them on one computer up until about a week ago, but now have three on that one and one each, on two other computers. All are networked and internet capable, so I can be an iboats junkie all over the place!



???

 

[jlinder]

Re: How big is to big TV

Here's a big surprise. At 12 feet away you should have a huge screen to be able to see a 1080i picture well. It is all about being able to see a 1080i picture from 12ft. with 20/20 vision and good contrast. Here's the math, so hang on.

20/20 vision allows you to resolve 60 line pairs per degree of arc. A rule of thumb, literally, is that if you were to draw 60 lines on your thumbnail and hold it at arms length (how could you hold it out longer?) you could resolve the lines if you had 20/20 vision.

But at 60 lines/degree you would have almost no contrast. A picture would lose it's punch. You need to go down to about 22-30 line pairs/degree to get good contrast.

A 1080i picture is 1920 pixels wide. That is 960 line pairs.

So to have 22-30 lines per degree with 960 line pairs you need a screen that is between 32 and 43 degrees wide, and at 12 feet there are about 2.5" per degree (12ft x 2 x 3.14/360). That gives you a screen that is between 80 and 109 inches wide. But since screens are measured diag. a screen that wide would be 92 to 125 inches.

So there you have it. Tell your wife you need a 100" screen (Panasonic makes a 103").

BTW - My wife didn't buy it either. Mine is 37", but it was worth a shot.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: How big is to big TV

well it looks like my wife and I are going down to look at a 52 ince. The 65 was cost twice as much so I dont think so but man was that big. I will give you guys the spects if we get it.

 

[Stachi]

Re: How big is to big TV

I have a 50" plasma...I NEEEED a drive-in movie screen size TV...SIZE MATTERS

 

[fat fanny]

Re: How big is to big TV

I have a 50 x50 and it's like boats once you get one you want a bigger one with more bells and whistles I can't however watch the small tv's anymore. I wish Iboats was on tv!!!!! who agrees? Don s or Bondo ast he hosts

 

[jlinder]

Re: How big is to big TV

The only problem with that the bigger TV the more you see the what happens to the video with compression.

Sports is pretty good, especially the big games as they give those signals a higher data rate, but try watching an old movie or TV show and you really see the problem. And calling the cable company is an exercise in futility.

Sorry, just had to climb on my soapbox for a moment.

 

[skargo]

Re: How big is to big TV

I have 2 50" TV's and we sit about 10' from them. Santa just brought my wife a 32" for the bedroom, she doesn't know it yet.

When I get the basement finished, I'm putting a projector down there, hopefully with a 100" picture or thereabouts.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: How big is to big TV

Here's a big surprise. At 12 feet away you should have a huge screen to be able to see a 1080i picture well. It is all about being able to see a 1080i picture from 12ft. with 20/20 vision and good contrast. Here's the math, so hang on.

20/20 vision allows you to resolve 60 line pairs per degree of arc. A rule of thumb, literally, is that if you were to draw 60 lines on your thumbnail and hold it at arms length (how could you hold it out longer?) you could resolve the lines if you had 20/20 vision.

But at 60 lines/degree you would have almost no contrast. A picture would lose it's punch. You need to go down to about 22-30 line pairs/degree to get good contrast.

A 1080i picture is 1920 pixels wide. That is 960 line pairs.



Haha that's very good, I hear people bragging about megapixels but how many megapixels can our human vision actually process.

So to have 22-30 lines per degree with 960 line pairs you need a screen that is between 32 and 43 degrees wide, and at 12 feet there are about 2.5" per degree (12ft x 2 x 3.14/360). That gives you a screen that is between 80 and 109 inches wide. But since screens are measured diag. a screen that wide would be 92 to 125 inches.

So there you have it. Tell your wife you need a 100" screen (Panasonic makes a 103").

BTW - My wife didn't buy it either. Mine is 37", but it was worth a shot.

Very good, Ive often wondered how many megapixels human vision can process..? I mean I can't tell the difference my 1.2 megapixel camera takes good pictures and so does my kids 12meg. but darn if my eyes can tell the difference.

 

[jlinder]

Re: How big is to big TV

Couple of points:

1. Mostly what happens is that when you push the resolution of your eyes beyond 20 lines/degree you lose contrast, and that means the picture loses punch.

2. The number of pixels on a digital camera becomes important as you enlarge the image, or start cropping. Something people forget is that as resolution goes up the number of pixels squares. To double the resolution of a 1megapixel image you need 4 megapixels.

3. When the video is compressed in order to get all those channels down the cable you lose a lot. You would be amazed if you could see HD video in it's native data rate, or even compressed 50 to 1. When you see it it has been compressed to between 150-200 to 1 from it's original data rate. It's amazing how much still remains at that point.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: How big is to big TV

Well we got it a 55 inch LCD. Not the top of the line but the best I could afford. We also got the high def star choice box to go with it.

PS my birthday was yesterday so it was a bday/xmass present.