How Do I Decide What Size TV to Buy?
The advent of high definition and flat screen technology allows televisions to be bigger than ever. But a bigger TV isn't necessarily a better TV, especially in small rooms or areas without a lot of space. If you sit too close to a big television, it damages your eyes and renders the experience less enjoyable over all. Selecting the right size TV means keeping your specific needs in mind, as well as measuring both the space and the television correctly.
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Instructions
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Gauge the size of the space set aside for your television with a tape measure. Plasma screen TVs and similar flat screen TVs don't require a lot of depth, but you still need to measure length and height. A television should have at least 6 inches of clear space around its edges, unblocked by pictures, lamps or other home-entertainment appliances.
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Determine the weight that your table, wall or TV stand can support. Plasma screen TVs can weigh more than 200 pounds in some cases, and older cathode ray tube televisions can be quite heavy as well. Your TV stand needs to support both your television and any other equipment, such as DVD players and stereo systems. The same goes for wall mountings; both the mounts and the walls themselves need to hold the television safely. If there's some question, opt for a smaller TV.
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Measure the distance between your intended spot for the television and the primary place you wish to watch it. You need space equal to two or three times the diagonal length of the TV for optimum viewing. If you have a high definition television, that space should be three to four times the diagonal length of the TV. If your space won't accommodate that distance, reduce the size range of your television. It will still look great, and you'll enjoy watching it a lot more.
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Tips & Warnings
Be aware of the difference in size between old 4:3 ratio TVs, such as cathode-ray tube TVs and 16:9 ratio TVs such as plasma screens and LCD screens. The former have more of a square screen, while the latter have wider screens to better recreate the ratio of movie theater screens. The difference can be misleading because all TVs list their size based on diagonal width. That means a 16:9 television may actually have a slightly smaller size than a 4:3 television with the same listed screen size. Measure the height and length of any TV you intend to place in your home and don't just rely on the size listed on the box.
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- Photo Credit luxury home movie theater image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com
