High definition television and other flat screen TV sets come in a myriad of sizes, styles, and features. One of the biggest questions that many first time HDTV buyers ask is how big of a set to buy. Screen size is incredibly important to the overall enjoyment of your new plasma or LCD television and should be one of the highest priorities on your list when selecting a new flat screen television. For many people bigger is better. In actual practice however this mantra may not lead you to purchase the best flat screen high definition television for your particular room. There are several important things to consider:
- How big is the room you are going to put the television in?
- How far away will you be sitting from the television under normal circumstances?
- What are your viewing habits? Do you watch a lot of movies or just broadcast television?
The Primary Consideration in HDTV Screen Size Choice:
Some television gurus say that you should simply take your old televisions diagonal screen size and multiply it by 1.22 (A 32 inch standard television x 1.22 equals a new 39 inch HDTV set). This doesn't always tell you what the right size is for the space the television will be in. The biggest factor in your decision should be the size of your room and how far you are going to sit from the new hdtv. If your couch is eight feet from the screen you should consider something in the neighborhood of a 42inch television. CNET television has a great guide on this topic as well as several charts to help you size up your room's needs.
Most people find that when they apply this formula or these charts to their room size that they will need a much larger set than they had expected. Remember that the newer LCD and Plasma HDTV sets are built in wide screen format. It may sound like it is a lot bigger when in reality it is only wider.
One final consideration when thinking about your optimal HDTV screen size is what your own personal viewing habits are. If you watch very little television and never rent movies on DVD then perhaps you can get by with a slightly smaller HDTV. If however you watch a couple of hours or more of television each day and/or want a theater-like experience then you should save a few extra dollars and invest in a larger flat screen TV.
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