"Near Field" Home Cinema with 1080 Screens

I like to sit close to the screen - whether at home or in the cinema - and never understand why so many people suggest moving back.

Provided the picture is sufficiently clear and detailed, and I am not scanning from left to right to see the whole scene, closer, to me, is always better, more interesting and more "immersive."

I am wondering therefore, how close can you really get your face to the new 1080 screens, and which sizes would be best for this type of intimate "immersive" viewing.

I also ask the question because I often watch TV and/or movies on a second monitor while working on the computer.

At the moment, I have a 20" Sony widescreen, and another 19" monitor, both with high resolution and multiple inputs. I sit about 20" from the screens which I find fun and comfortable.

Conventional wisdom suggests a pair of 30" monitors, maximum, but perhaps even bigger is now possible with 1080 screens?