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RE: Optimal Viewing Distance for Plasma

Posted by David Aiken (A) on November 27, 2007 at 23:26:54

In Reply to: Optimal Viewing Distance for Plasma posted by townsend on November 27, 2007 at 19:34:32:

For high definition screens, I've seen recommendations of viewing distances that range from around 1.4 times the screen diagonal to 2.5 times the screen diagonal. 12' for a 50" screen is almost 3 times the screen diagonal and you can certainly get closer than that.

I think the closest recommendation I've seen, something like 1.3 to 1.4 times the screen diagonal came from THX and it was intended to reproduce the same viewing angle as a wide screen in a theatre in order to get that immersive experience you mention.

My screen is a 32" (80 cm) LCD and I sit at 2 metres which is 2.5 times the diagonal. I chose that distance so I've got some leg room between me and the screen, and also to provide some distance from the speakers. It's a 1366 x 768 screen and you can definitely see the difference between high and standard definition at that distance. I have tried sitting at around 1.2 metres, around 1.5 times the screen diagonal. The picture still holds up at that distance and you get the immersive experience a lot more but it's simply too physically close to the screen (no room to stretch your legs) and too close to the speakers for good sound.

With a 50" screen, I think you could sit at my distance (2 m = 80") or a little closer, have the leg room to stretch, and I doubt you'd have problems with the screen but I don't know about plasmas and the "screen door effect" you mention. You could definitley sit closer than 12'. I don't know about 66"-70", the 1.3 to 1.4 times the diagonal, because I think that's still getting physically a little too close for what I'd prefer in terms of a feeling of some space around me, and it may be a little close for some speakers, but the picture may still hold up.

So the answer is you can certainly get closer, quite a bit closer in fact, but you're going to have to consider several things at the close end of the recommendations:

- does the picture still hold up (probably);
- are you far enough from the screen to have enough space around you to feel comfortable, put your feet up, have a coffee table, or whatever (maybe, will depend on your needs); and
- are you far enough away from your front speakers to get good sound (once again a maybe, will depend on your speakers: probably if you have 2 way monitors and probably not if you have large floorstanders).

I suspect the one of both of the last 2 of those factors may prove critical as you move closer. Note that they become less of a problem as screen size increases as that minimum distance of 1.3 to 1.4 times the diagonal gets larger and provides the space you need for both of those concerns.




David Aiken

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