Ideal distance from TV to sitting/viewin position


Don't care about sound at this point.

Just for TV/Screen, what's the ideal distance to viewing positon for each size of 16:9 TVs

42"
50"
60"
70"
eandylee
It depends on whether you are using it for normal TV viewing or you are trying to use it for Home theater.

(You state "Just for TV/Screen", which leads me to believe it will be used just for normal TV viewing, however, the sizes you state, leads me to believe it will be used for the a Home Theater setup.

If just for regular TV, I recommend a 3:1 ratio of viewing distance to screen size. (i.e. a 60 inch screen x 3 = 180 inches, or 15 feet, maximum.)

However, if you plan on using it for Home theater, I recommend a 2:1 ratio. (i.e. a 60 inch screen x 2 = 120 inches, or 10 feet, maximum.) Anything greater than a 2:1 ration will diminish the effect you are looking for. (Trust me on this. I have a 46" screen and I use the 3:1 ratio, and while nice for TV, it does not really give me the "Home Theater" effect I was hoping for. I really need a 70 inch TV, as I sit about 12 feet from the screen.)

My two cents worth anyway.
Here is a link for viewing distance calculator:

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html
1.5 screen widths is a nice compromise between immersion and a soft image with high quality NTSC sources (DVD), and is a defacto average seating distance for home theater applications. This translates into the following viewing distances:

Diagonal -> seating distance
42" -> 55"
50" -> 66"
60" -> 79"
70" -> 92"

Relevant foot notes:

1. This is about 1% closer than you are to the screen in the last row of a THX movie theater meeting the 36 degree subtended field of vision recomendation. You need to think in terms of small movies screens not big TVs.

2. This is why one-piece consumer televisions are inappropriate for most home theater installations.
I am more sensitive to having to move my eyes and head to view the whole scene at one time. I tend to get a headache when I am too close. I have a 51" diagonal wide screen and sit about 12 feet away which seems all right now. But like I said, I am more esnsitive than most in this regard. My suggestion is to go to a tv store, sit at certain distances for a while, and see what works for you. good Luck
For TV, probably 3:1 screen widths (not diagonal measurement). So for a 65inch 65/1.15*3/12= 14 feet. You might be able to push that up to 4:1 for regular TV. For home theater, collapse that to 1.5-2.0 screen widths. 65/1.15*1.5/12= 7 feet. To sit farther away will pretty much require front projection. There are a lot of good digital projectors from $800-2000, check the AVS forums.
Well 12ft for a 92 diag. is just right for me. In about 1hr I'm thinking "I can see a little light between---can't we go bigger?" Some movies give me a headache----just never the screen size.
The distance that you sit from your TV depends more on the signal source rather than screen size. While viewing a regular TV signal, you should sit about ten feet in front of a 50 inch screen. However, with a high definition image, you could move up to a viewing distance of six feet or closer without ill effects. The picture is so detailed that it will seem like you are looking through a window instead of at a TV screen.