Is There Such a Thing as a TV That's Too Big?

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20041104-4370.html' target='_blank'>http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20041104-4370.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"For many in the US, their TV screen can never be too large. If you have a 20" set, you want a 32". Tired of that 32-incher, how about a nice 50" rear projection set. The typical living room has at least one 10-foot long wall, so the size of the television is only limited by the size of the wallet. For a growing population of people outside of the US, size does matter...mainly because families in emerging Asian economic markets have smaller living quarters. MIT Tech Review is running an article that concludes that the US hunger for monster TVs does not produce enough demand for companies to invest money into larger and larger TVs. They suggest a worldwide lack of demand for 50" and larger TVs was what led Intel and others to drop out of the LCOS market."</i><br /><br />This article brings up an interesting question - is there a logical limit as to how big of a TV consumers want to buy? I've had a 51" for the past five years, and it's a good size for the room it's in - but when it was time to upgrade to a wide-screen HDTV, it was time to go big or go home, so I opted for a <a href="http://www.samsung.ca/cgi-bin/nasecabc/en/b2c/product/product_detail.jsp?LoginFlag=NO&prod_id=HLP6163WX%2fXAC&prod_path=%2fConsumer+Products%2fTV,+Video+%26+Audio%2fTV%2fDLP+TV">61" unit</a>. Given the size of the room, even that size might be pushing it, so I can't see getting anything bigger. Some friends of ours have a narrow room for their TV, so a 32" is about as big as they can do. What about you?

[Mike Temporale]

I think the only limitation to the size of your TV, is the space you have to put it in.

Our current house has one of those nooks above the fireplace. Personally, I hate these. So the largest TV we can put there is 36". Unfortunately, the design and shape of the room doesn't lend itself to placing a TV elsewhere. We're ok with this as a casual viewing area, but the basement is going to be transformed into a kick ass home theater. :D

[Chris Gohlke]

If it fits, then it is not too big. We have a 65" widescreen and we are only sitting 10 feet away from it. I was worried that it was too big, after having it for 8 months, I could actually imagine an even bigger tv in that space.

[James Fee]

I have a 65" TV (http://www.tonkinese.net/gallery/HDTV) in a huge room. At the store I thought I needed its size, but after getting it, I've decided at 55" TV would have been better. I've got plenty of space, but it just dominates the room and I don't think any TV should. The last thing I want is someone to come into my house and notice the TV first.

[Gordo]

Currently I have converted a small bedroom (11ft X 11ft) into a Theater. I have projector, but I am only using the room for movies, not TV. I don't think the picture size can be too small for me. Size does matter!

[James Fee]

Currently I have converted a small bedroom (11ft X 11ft) into a Theater. I have projector, but I am only using the room for movies, not TV. I don't think the picture size can be too small for me. Size does matter!Well that is a little different. I have a rear projection TV that is a monster. If I had a projector and a screen I could "hide" then there wouldn't be any issues.

[Jason Dunn]

Our current house has one of those nooks above the fireplace. Personally, I hate these.

Yeah, same here - in fact, when we were buying our house we modified the blueprint to nix the whole "corner nook" concept. I'm a big believer in having a "TV room" if possible, and no TVs anywhere else. Well, except for my geeky basement. :lol:

[Jon Childs]

When we moved into our new house I got the basement for my home theater and pool table (and somehow thought I won even though my wife got to buy everything for every other room :D ). So I was able to put a 120" screen with a rear projector. In a light controlled area such as my basement it is almost too awesome for words. HDTV movies, football, and baseball (yeah Red Sox) are incredible.

[Mike Temporale]

Our current house has one of those nooks above the fireplace. Personally, I hate these.

Yeah, same here - in fact, when we were buying our house we modified the blueprint to nix the whole "corner nook" concept. I'm a big believer in having a "TV room" if possible, and no TVs anywhere else. Well, except for my geeky basement. :lol:

Ya, in our last house, we did all that. But this place was a "previously enjoyed" home. The house rocks, from top to bottom. Except this damn nook. :evil: Once the price of plasma TV's drop, I plan to hang one right over this damn nook. If the fireplace wasn't below it, I would just place an entertainment unit in from of it.

[cmorris]

One more vote for projectors. A 90" screen when watching movies, disappears to the floor when not used. :)

http://www.da-lite.com/products/product.php?cID=19&pID=92

[ale_ers]

When we moved into our house we decided we needed a bigger TV. I actually had one of those moments (I later saw this in a TV commercial) when my wife said that it looked like there was room in the entertainment center for a bigger TV. So I happily went off to the store for a bigger one.

Of course that was ages ago, and now we are contemplating upgrading to a HD DLP.

[BuzzLightyear]

I tell ya, when I win the lottery I'm going to get one of those cinema chains to flog me one of their screens - now that would be fun.

Popcorn anyone :D

Buzz

Actually I run a 42" plazzy in a 20x10 foot room :wink:

[dave_p_1]

I agree with the bigger is better crowd. When I go to the movies, I like to sit close enough that the screen fills my peripheral vision. My rear projection is just a TV, not an immersive media experience. My next outfit will be a front projector.

Dave

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

No, but there is such a thing as a too small wallet. Current we're rather broke, so we're still using this old 29" CRT that has some serious alignment issues..

[Suhit Gupta]

I totally hear you, because even though I am fed up with my 32" piece of junk Sony, upgrading to a new one will mean that I will have to leave my apartment and live on the streets. ;-)

Suhit