HDTV World > Choose an HDTV > Find TVs by viewing distance

Your first inclination is to buy the largest TV you can afford. Counterintuitive as it may seem, though, it is the possible to buy a TV that's too big. At the same close distance, for instance, a large-screen TV can actually look worse than a smaller model, especially with lower-quality sources, because the larger screen more clearly reveals the flaws in the image.

Chances are, the viewing distance in your home is probably already set--your new TV will be sitting at the same location as your existing one, which is already placed a fixed distance away from your sofa. We've set up a tool that allows you to choose the optimal screen size for your room based on that distance. Simply choose your prospective set's aspect ratio--4:3, the squarish, standard shape that's dominated TVs since the 1950s; or 16:9, the cinemalike wide-screen format that dominates new HDTVs--and whether or not you prefer to sit nearer or farther from the TV, and we'll narrow down the screen-size choices that are best for you. (You can further narrow your choices by price, manufacturer, and technology type on the subsequent page--all while remaining within the original size variable you've set.)

Note: This tool assumes that, for 4:3 televisions, close watchers will feel comfortable sitting about three times the diagonal measurement of the screen away, while far watchers will feel comfortable at a distance of about four times the diagonal screen size. Since most people feel more comfortable sitting closer to 16:9 televisions, the tool assumes that close watchers of wide-screen sets will want to sit about twice the diagonal screen size away, while far watchers will feel comfortable at a distance of about three times the screen size.

	Seating preference: Close    Far Aspect ratio: 4:3    16:9 seating distance from screen: Please select seating preference and aspect ratio first