We all want a TV that is large enough to give home theater quality but is there such a thing as too big when it comes to buying a new television?

The answer is it depends! Factors that determine the optimal size TV include the size of your room and how far you will be sitting from the screen as well as whether your TV is 4:3 or wide screen format.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Big?

While your natural impulse is to buy the biggest TV your budget allows, if you are sitting too close to a large screen television, the picture quality is likely to seem grainy and poor, which could make you less than satisfied with your investment.

On the other hand, if your home theater or other room in which you watch TV is large and you buy a unit that is too small, you could find yourself squinting to watch the nightly news or your favorite sports events and movies.

So, we’ve put together some facts and information to help you determine the best size TV for your living room or home theater room.

Normal Television Viewing Distance

Research shows that you will feel most comfortable when viewing “normal” 4:3 television shows from a distance that is from three to six times the width of your television screen. Any closer and you will feel crowded; much further and you will have trouble seeing fine details and enjoying the experience.

Refer to the following charts to determine the optimal size for your new TV based on the layout of your room and how far away from the screen you will typically be seated.

If you are buying a 4:3 “regular” format television:

Wide screen, high resolution DVD and HDTV picture quality changes the viewing distances considerably since the picture quality is higher and you want the experience to be more like being in a theater.

In this case, the optimal viewing distance may be as little as 1.5 times the diagonal width of your wide screen TV:

TV and Room Size

The optimal size of a TV is relative to the size of your room. A TV with a screen size under 30 inches is great for the bedroom, but probably won’t be adequate in a larger room intended to seat more than two people comfortably.

You also want to consider placement of your television; optimally the center of the screen should be aligned to eye level both horizontally and vertically.

Remember also that tube and rear projection units are deeper than flat panel models; this needs to be considered in terms of how the TV will be mounted or sit in your entertainment center or other cabinetry; you don’t want the screen protruding into the room.

Most TV models have matching stands and/or mounting hardware available optionally if you don’t have an existing entertainment center.

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