When it comes to buying a high definition Television, the rule of thumb is: bigger is always better. In the past, you could actually see degradation of quality the larger you go. Today, that is no longer the case. A good way to determine how large a TV you should get would be to take some time with a tape measure and really do some math.
Do you have a wall unit?
If so, how much space do you have in it? Try to measure not only length and height, but also depth. Depending on the type of furniture, you may actually be able to wall-mount a television inside of a cabinet. This would be useful if you wanted to maximize your space by removing the stand that the TV comes with. Make sure that when you mount your television inside of a cabinet, your television has some leeway for the heat to escape. You want to be certain that your TV has room to vent the hot-air exhaust that LCDs and Plasmas give off. Proper ventilation is not essential, but it impacts the life of your TV; cooler TVs last longer.
Viewing Distance!
Definition - distance from where you usually sit while watching TV to the actual proposed location of the TV to be purchased.
This is where the “rule of two” comes into play. If you are sitting 100” (8.3 ft) from where your TV is supposed to live, then you should be purchasing a 50” television (or as close to 50” that you can get because LCDs do not come in 50”, they come in the 52” size). The rule of two is whatever size you plan on getting, you should double that measurement and that is your viewing distance. Obviously, it makes no sense to get a 60” TV when you are just sitting 4 feet away, if could be a strain on your watching experience.
A few other key factors to keep in mind when it comes to placing the TV are the location of the TV, specifically, in which room of the house will you be watching? For instance, if you will be wall-mounting your television, you will want to place it at different heights in different rooms of the house. For instance, if you will be mounting the TV in the bedroom, you want to be certain that the height of the TV clears your bed height so that you do not mount it too low. Additionally, when mounting a TV in a typical den or family room, a standard height for the bottom of the TV is 40 inches off the ground, or depending on the height of your couch or furniture, the bottom of the TV should line up with your eye-height. Typically that height is roughly 40” off the ground.
In conclusion, follow the rules and you should be fine. Remember to go as big as you can afford, while following the rule of 2 as well as the mounting guidelines.
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