Different room factors should have an impact on the selection of your HDTV. Room size, seating arrangement, and lighting conditions will have a drastic impact on your optimal viewing experience. Expect to rearrange your room to get the most vivid picture with the least amount of reflection for everyone to enjoy.

Room Size As a general rule you should sit 2-3/4 times the diagonal distance away from your TV to get the best viewing experience. For example, if you purchase a 42” screen your couch should be 115.5” (or nine feet) away from your TV. You will see the pixels that make up the image if you have a screen that is too large or if you sit to close. Sitting too far from the screen will degrade the overall picture quality as well.

Viewing Angles Usually TV is best viewed straight on, with the HDTV at the same level as your eyes. If your TV room is set-up with seating on opposing angles or not directly in front, you will want to consider screens that allow for off-axis viewing. Flat Screens (Plasma, CRT or LCD) offer the best viewing angles. Rear-projection, although it has improved, still does not look as good from side angles. Front-projection (theatre style) can offer decent viewing from multiple angles if set-up correctly.

Lighting Always consider the lighting conditions when selecting your HDTV. Rooms with little or controllable (bulbs on dimmers) lights work best for optimal viewing experience. In rooms with a lot of competing light (Large Windows) Flat Screens (Plasma & LCD) work best, whereas, projection styles cannot compete and don’t look nearly as well.