Whether you want a new bedroom set or a massive home-theatre centerpiece, our CNET editors' guide gives you the full picture on shopping for a new TV.
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1. Size up your screen
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6. Accessories
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Size up your screen
The first thing you need to decide is how large a screen you want. Usually, the largest screens cost the most, but regardless, the TV should deliver the right-size picture for where you'll sit relative to the screen. Sitting closer to a smaller TV means you won't have to spend as much on a big screen. But if you sit too close, the picture will look poor.
Size factors: Regular TV-viewing distances | Wide-screen TV-viewing distances | Size and your room | Screen sizes and display types
Regular TV-viewing distances
Most viewers feel comfortable sitting away from the set at a distance that's between three and six times the width of the screen. The following chart can give you a rough estimate of the minimum and maximum viewing distances for regular 4:3 televisions.
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4:3 TV diagonal screen size
(in centimetres) |
Min. viewing distance
(in centimetres) |
Max. viewing distance
(in centimetres) |
| 33 | 79 | 158 |
| 48 | 116 | 232 |
| 51 | 122 | 244 |
| 61 | 146 | 293 |
| 69 | 165 | 329 |
| 81 | 195 | 390 |
| 91 | 219 | 451 |
| 102 | 244 | 488 |
Wide-screen TV-viewing distances
With wide-screen sets showing DVD or digital, you can sit as close as 1.5 times the screen's diagonal measurement and not notice any loss in quality, while sitting farther away than three times the screen size means you're likely to miss out on the immersive feel. Here's a rundown of minimum and maximum recommended viewing distances for wide-screen sets.
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16:9 TV diagonal screen size
(in centimetres) |
Min. viewing distance
(in centimetres) |
Max. viewing distance
(in centimetres) |
| 66 | 100 | 198 |
| 76 | 116 | 232 |
| 86 | 131 | 259 |
| 107 | 162 | 320 |
| 119 | 180 | 360 |
| 127 | 192 | 381 |
| 140 | 210 | 390 |
| 152 | 229 | 457 |
| 165 | 247 | 494 |
Size and your room
If you're mounting the set inside an entertainment centre, be sure it fits in every dimension; also, leave a few centimetres on all sides so that the TV has enough ventilation. If you're getting a bigger set, you may want to consider a dedicated stand; many TV makers sell matching stands that increase the aesthetic appeal of their hefty boxes.
Screen sizes and display types
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