# Recommended TV Viewing Distances



## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Here's a list from Wikipedia of recommended HDTV Viewing distances. Unfortunately, the formatting from my original Word document didn;t get copied..

*Manufacturers' recommendations*
Range recommendations from manufacturers are the most modest of the groupings. For the minimum (or nearest) viewing distance, they recommend a view angle of approximately 31 degrees; and for the maximum, a view angle as low as 10 degrees. A 10 degree view angle is approximately the angle that NTSChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTSC television was typically viewed from.
RCA​*Screen Size*​*Recommended Range*​22"​3'0" - 8'4" (0.9 - 2.5 m)​26"​3'5" - 9'10" (1.0 - 3.0 m)​32"​4'4" - 12'1" (1.3 - 3.7 m)​40"​5'4" - 15'1" (1.6 - 4.6 m)​42"​5'5" - 15'10" (1.7 - 4.8 m)​52"​6'0" - 17'0" (1.8 - 5.2 m)​
TOSHIBA[37]​*Screen Size*​*Recommended Range*​40"​4.0' - 6.3'​42"​4.2' - 6.7'​46"​4.6' - 7.3'​47"​4.7' - 7.4'​50"​5.0' - 7.9'​55"​5.5' - 8.7'​65"​6.5' - 10.3'​
*Retail recommendations*
The recommendations currently posted on the websites of retailers Best Buy and Crutchfield take more of a middle ground. Both retailers post a minimum viewing distance that accommodates a view angle of just a little over 32 degrees on average. This viewing distance approximates the view angle needed to be able to see pixel level detail. The maximum viewing distance will provide a viewing angle of approximately 16 degrees with Best Buy's recommendation and approximately 20 degrees with Crutchfield's. The maximum viewing distance (minimum viewing angle) provided by Best Buy aligns with vision theory on the highest spatial frequencies perceivable by the human visual system. Crutchfield's maximum viewing distance aligns with the lower boundaries where viewers typically begin to find HDTV immersive.
BEST BUY​*Screen Size*​*Recommended Range*​42"​5.3' - 10.5' (1.6 m - 3.2 m)​46"​5.8' - 11.5' (1.8 m - 3.5 m)​50"​6.3' - 12.5' (1.9 m - 3.8 m)​55"​6.8' - 12.8' (2.1 m - 3.9 m)​60"​7.5' - 15.0' (2.3 m - 4.6 m)​65"​8.1' - 16.3' (2.5 m - 5.0 m)​
CRUTCHFIELD​*Screen Size*​*Recommended Range*​42"​5.25' - 8.75' (1.6 m - 2.7 m)​46"​5.75' - 9.5' (1.7 m - 2.9 m)​50"​6.25' - 10.5' (1.9 m - 3.2 m)​55"​6.9' - 11.5' (2.1 m - 3.5 m)​58"​7.25' - 12.0' (2.2 m - 3.7 m)​65"​8.13' - 13.5' (2.5 m - 4.1 m)​70"​8.75' - 14.75' (2.7 m - 4.5 m)​
*THX ranges*
While THX still contends that the optimum viewing distance is a position where the display occupies a 40 degree view angle for the viewer, they too provide a range recommendation. The minimum viewing distance is set to approximate a 40 degree view angle, and the maximum viewing distance is set to approximate 28 degrees. 
*Screen Size*​*Recommended Range*​35"​3.5' - 5.0' (1.0 - 1.5 m)​40"​4.0' - 6.0' (1.2 - 1.8 m)​50"​5' - 7.5' (1.5 - 2.2 m)​60"​6.0' - 9.0' (1.8 - 2.7 m)​


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

I constantly get people saying, "Oh that TV is too big. I wouldn't want to sit so close."

I ask them, "Where do you sit in a movie theater? Your TV should be about the same". They look at me like I'm crazy. My viewing of our %% Panny falls right in line with all these recommendations.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

Wow, big differences in those charts.
I have a 32" that I sit 6 feet from .
I have a 46" that I sit 12 feet from .
My son has a 52" that he sits 7 feet from and it looks huge when I go into his room. He says it is perfect.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

While viewing distance used to be a lot more important with LCDs, it isn't so much any more. There was a point at which the outside edges were visibly dimmed and even some color distortion. Now that the viewing angles have increased to 70 or more degrees off-center, the distances can close.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

jimmie57 said:


> Wow, big differences in those charts.
> I have a 32" that I sit 6 feet from .
> I have a 46" that I sit 12 feet from .
> My son has a 52" that he sits 7 feet from and it looks huge when I go into his room. He says it is perfect.


Diff strokes! I watch my 32" in my BR from about two feet, glasses off. 
About nine feet from my 58" plasma, and would be closer if the room decorator would approve moving couch.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

Laxguy said:


> Diff strokes! I watch my 32" in my BR from about two feet, glasses off.
> About nine feet from my 58" plasma, and would be closer if the room decorator would approve moving couch.


Wow, are you trying to get into the movie ? Holey Moley, my monitors are about 2 feet away.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

With my level of nearsightedness, it's pretty darn nice to have that set up. And not wearing specs as I stretch out and doze on and off is a good thing. A smaller set with high resolution might work even better.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

I watch our 46" from 12' away. My wife from 8'. Is 12' really, really too far? Your thoughts please.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

i sit in front of a 90 inch when I visit my folks from a distance of about 11 to 12 feet. I absolutely love it... I don't think it can hurt to go bigger. But you also don't have to, its really up to you and your tastes. But I will say I never hear of people going smaller, and usually when people go bigger they say they are glad they did after while...


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

1953 said:


> I watch our 46" from 12' away. My wife from 8'. Is 12' really, really too far? Your thoughts please.


Yes. For me! YMMV.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

After moving some things a bit I'm now viewing from 11'5". Within spec. My Long faithful Infinity Alpha 37c Center is positioned on a shelve directly below the HGTV. Read an article last day about angling up the center when it's below the HDTV. I did that today using three standard woodworking shims. Sure enough it did improve hearing the center without increasing it's output volume.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

1953 said:


> I watch our 46" from 12' away. My wife from 8'. Is 12' really, really too far? Your thoughts please.


And what is your wife doing while you're watching her and what does that have to do with TV viewing distances?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

1953 said:


> I watch our 46" from 12' away. My wife from 8'. Is 12' really, really too far? Your thoughts please.


Move your seating position closer and figure out for yourself whether you like it better. Asking someone else to tell you how you feel about something isn't in your best interest.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

harsh said:


> Move your seating position closer and figure out for yourself whether you like it better. Asking someone else to tell you how you feel about something isn't in your best interest.


I took it as him not asking how to feel about it, but rather did others think it might not be the best distance. For my money it's too far back.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

1953 said:


> I watch our 46" from 12' away. My wife from 8'. Is 12' really, really too far? Your thoughts please.


Yes it is. At that distance,you can't distinguish fine detail. If you were too close, you'd begin to notice pixelation.


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