Many factors should be considered when deciding what the image size should be for a new HDTV. Viewing distance is the most important factor. But quite often the least important factor, cabinet size, is used to override all other considerations. For a typical example, a few years ago a long time client moved in to a new home and called to get pricing on a 42″ plasma HDTV. I asked what the viewing distance was and they measured it to be 18′. I explained that 42″ would be a very small image size from that distance and asked how they arrived at that number. The family room had a built-in cabinet, and 42″ was the largest size HDTV that would fit. I stopped by for a visit and took a look at the family room. It was very large, and the viewing area included the dining room and kitchen as well. The cabinet was a typical built-in from the 1990s, made of particle board and painted white with latex wall paint. It was designed for a TV installation before the days of HDTV, and had a 4:3 aspect ratio instead of the 16:9 ratio for an HDTV. It was also sized for the largest TV of the day, about 32″.
In their previous home, this customer had a 60″ diagonal HDTV with a 12′ viewing distance. I asked them how long they planned to live in the new home. They said they hoped it was the last home they would have to buy, so they hoped to live there for many years. I asked where they would most often view television and movies. Since there was no dedicated theater room in the home, the family room TV would be used most often.
I recommended a 72″ rear projection TV for the family room. I explained that the built-in cabinet should not limit their decision, since it was designed for television sets that were obsolete. It was also built of inexpensive materials and in a very ordinary design and it could easily be modified by a good cabinet carpenter to fit the correct size HDTV. They were going to spend many years watching TV in that room, why not start with the correct size and make the box fit the TV, not the other way around?
Unfortunately I could not get this customer to think outside the particle board box, so I delivered and installed a very nice 42″ Panasonic plasma HDTV. It looked great from 6′ away, but from 18′ away most of the incredible detail of a 1080p image was lost. It was a very ho-hum image in a very ho-hum cabinet. The customer said it was OK, but I know they were disappointed. I know cost wasn’t the problem, but I will never understand why they let cheap particle board prevent them from many years of enjoyment of a Wow! video system.
I see this all the time, but please don’t let this happen to you. Think outside the box! Pick the image size first based on all the right criteria, then figure out how you are going to make it fit. Be creative, there is always a way.
Think outside the box!
