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TV VIEWING DISTANCE QUESTION

I am in the market for a new TV and I wish to take advantage of the new 1080P technology. My short list includes the Samsung 5678 (56 inch picture 16/9 measured diagonally). I plan to sit about 11 feet 6 inches from the
TV.
Last night I watched a movie at a friend's house on her new 42 inch Sony Plasma TV and I was sitting about 11 feet
from the TV. Today I had a major headache, sort of the way I feel when I am sitting too close in a movie theatre.
In a movie theater I am comfortable near the back.
My research tells me that to really enjoy high def its best to sit 8-11 feet away and most manufacturers say there is no problem sitting 11 feet away from a 56 inch tv.
Anybody have any experience with this and any suggestions
would be welcome. I currently have a 34inch Sony XBR 16/9 CRT which is great, but I wanted a bigger picture. I would hate to spend $4000 on a 56 inch TV and find that its too much tv for the room. Or could it be that I have a particular personal sensitivity to sitting that close?
kjl
teonyc's avatar
teonyc
43 posts
 
As others have responded, light, flickering or sudden changes in light to dark can stimulate headaches. Also keeping your eyes focused on a single point for extended periods that are different than your usual focal length can do the same.

With respect to screen size, use your own subjective experience and taste. Going by the numbers is a good place to start, but you may find a smaller screen to be more comfortable if you regularly experience headaches. Room decor can also be a big difference. If a 42" screen is mounted on a dark background, you may get the same immersion as a larger screen on a light-color wall. I recently made this change, and the difference was spectacular.
unsound
7,318 posts
 
www.myhometheater.homestead.com
larryi
3,801 posts
 
Plasmas can be very bright. That can be the cause of eye strain, particularly if you are not used to the brightness.

It is possible to cause more eye strain from sitting farther, not closer, because the bright spot (the picture) in a small part of your field of view can cause eye strain. Your brain averages the light level in determining how wide to open the iris. A small screen makes that average low, causing the iris to open up and this makes the bright spot (the screen) seem even more intense. That is why it is recommended, particularly for smaller sets, that a light source be located BEHIND the set to reduce the apparent intensity of the set's brightness.
bradz's avatar
bradz
229 posts
 
Check out this thread in reference to lighting: http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/printthread.php?t=408684 Hope this helps!
larryi
3,801 posts
 
One additional word of caution. If you are sensitive and subject to eye strain from watching tv, be particularly cautious about DLP. A lot of people report becoming fatigued by viewing DLP sets using a single chip (all rear projection sets and, generally, front projection sets under $30,000). If you are considering such sets you need to spend some time viewing a friends set to be sure you can live with them.
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