What do you think about a 34"hdtv for small theater

[Kevin L.]

My room size is 12'x12'. So when you sit on sofa and figureing 24" for tv stand or something like it it leaves you with a viewing distance of 8' to the screen. To tell the truth I'm used to large screens I currently have 65" rptv in very large bedroom. I used to use this in theater room but as I'm sure you guessed much too large for my current theater room (wife made me change rooms she gets large bedroom I get small theater room). I even tried the projector route but I'm tied of being in a completly dark room.

[RandyWalters]

Originally posted by Kevin L.
My room size is 12'x12'. So when you sit on sofa and figureing 24" for tv stand or something like it it leaves you with a viewing distance of 8' to the screen.

The recommended viewing distance for a widescreen TV is 2.5 times the screen size which would be about 7 feet for a 34" TV. Another foot or so wouldn't make a huge difference.

Have you considered getting a 37" or 42" Plasma though? If you wall-mount it your viewing distance would be about 10 feet or if you set it on a table stand it would be about 9 feet away.

[Kevin L.]

I thought way to much about everything from dlp,lcd,rptv, and even a small projector setup. I must say I haven't been satisfied with the quality I'm seeing. Maybe I'm just getting to picky. But one could go on and on about the quality problems of those different technologies. I still haven't made up my mind hence the post. I guess the 34" sony appeals to me because of all the stengths such as perfect picture quality. I like to use my gaming consoles systems and was considering dlp for instance but it turns out there are timing issues with responces. I can't seem to find any drawbacks except for size. I would perfer something in the 42-45" range.

[Joxer]

A 42" would be best for 8feet viewing distance. I have a 34" now and watch from about 6feet and it could be larger even at that distance.

[Kevin L.]

Yea, thats what I was afraid of.

[arich]

IMO, a 34" set is a "tv", not a component in a home "theater", if you know what I mean. Personally, I have a 30" set and watch it from about 10ft away, but you know, its a tv. If you want that "theater" experience, you need to go big. Me, I am used to watching tvs, not theaters.

[jefe noche]

I have a Sanyo Z3 and an 84" DIY screen in a room just a little bigger than that. I sit about 11' back and it is a "HOME THEATER" It is a perfect projector for a short throw.

I have a 26" HD direct view in the same room for casual viewing.

[PULLIAMM]

I have a 34" Philips widescreen tube HDTV. My room is also 12' square. I watch from 55" to get a 30 degree viewing angle.
I would love something bigger (maybe 42"), but there are no larger tubes and none of the other technologies even come close to the picture quality. Even if I could spend 3 or 4 grand on a high-end 42" plasma it would not look as good (I went and looked at several at Best Buy before coming to this conclusion.)

Mark Pulliam

[Q of BanditZ]

Take the cheapskate's route: Adjust your viewing distance accordingly.

[Dark Rain]

[QUOTE=arich]IMO, a 34" set is a "tv", not a component in a home "theater", if you know what I mean. Personally, I have a 30" set and watch it from about 10ft away, but you know, its a tv. If you want that "theater" experience, you need to go big. Me, I am used to watching tvs, not theaters.[/QUOTE]

Wow, such an old thread.

I used to sit about 8-9 feet from my 27" analog set and then got a 30" HDTV and it was too small from that distance. I moved it up to around 6 feet and watching it was much more immersive and theater-like. After about 5 months I'm now ready to upgrade to a 34" set. ;) A 42" set wouldn't be too big for my living room, but I'm not all that impressed with the PQ of RP LCDs or DLPs. The size is nice but the technology has a way to go before I ditch CRTs.