Home Electronic Trends Part 1: Does Size Matter?

One of the first things we tend to do when thinking about home theater is rush out and buy a huge new television.  However, bigger is not always better.  If you are in a small apartment or even a standard-sized living room, it is very easy to buy a television that will overwhelm your field of vision.  You also have eager sales reps who are looking to put you into the most expensive model possible working against your best home theater interests.  

The size of your television screen should be is entirely dependant on how far away you will be sitting from it.  If you are starting from scratch, lay out an interior design of your living room and measure the distance between the seating area and where your television will be - this distance will tell you how large of a television you can buy.

Here is a handy chart that can tell you what screen size you should be looking for:

Screen                 Viewing distance range
 
26″                           3.25-5.5 feet
 
32″                           4.0-6.66 feet
 
37″                           4.63-7.71 feet
 
40″                           5.0-8.33 feet
 
46″                           5.75-9.5 feet
 
52″                           6.5-10.8 feet
 
58″                           7.25-12 feet
 
65″                           8.13-13.5 feet
 
70″                           8.75-14.75 feet

Source: Crutchfield.com

If you are getting a high definition television, you should be sitting at the lower end of the range in order to see all of the detail that it offers.  Notice that when you get into even the middle size at 46″, you are already a bit further back from the television than most standard living room layouts.  Buying a 52″ television for a living room that is only 8′ by 10′ simply doesn’t make sense.  For most standard-sized family rooms, you want to stick to something 40″ or under in screen size. 

There is some argument over whether or not purchasing a widescreen versus a regular television will allow you to sit closer to the screen.  In the end, the small space advantage that a widescreen gives you is really not enough to enter into the equation. 

Don’t forget to leave space for the television itself and all of the hardware behind it.  Unless you are purchasing a wall-mounted model, there will be quite a bit of bulky technology in the back to contend with.  Get the specs from the manufacturer or the store that you are purchasing your television from and make sure that it actually does fit properly in your living room within the space range allotted before you purchase.

If you’ve recently purchased a big screen TV or are considering a new home entertainment system, contact Simple Solutions Digital Entertainment at 561-999-4360 for a free consultation on the best custom home theater for your home or business.

Posted on January 23rd, 2009

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