What TV size should you buy is one of the first questions most people will ask themselves when buying a new TV. Most people begin by first figuring out how big the room is where the TV will be. While that’s a logical way to go about determining screen size, it’s unfortunately the wrong way. Here’s why.
In reality, it doesn’t matter how big the room is. As long as you can fit the TV in the room, then the size of the room becomes irrelevant. What is far more important is determining how far away you’ll be when watching. This is the best way to maximize the viewing experience. When you know the distance to the TV it becomes much easier to choose the right size. There are many variations on the formula so you will find lots of conflicting information on this. However, they are only slight variations of the same formula. Generally, a good rule of thumb to determining the minimum size TV is Samsung’s formula – especially if you’re considering picking up a Samsung TV.
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The Samsung formula is simple. It’s the viewing distance (in inches) divided by 2. Here’s a real world example of the calculation: If you normally sit 9 feet away from the TV then that works out to be 108 inches in total. Using the formula, 108 divided by 2 equals 54 inches. This means a 55 inch TV is the minimum size you should be considering. Keep in mind that’s the minimum, the larger you go the more immersive the experience will be. While the formula is a great way to quickly determine the best-sized TV, there are some other factors that you might want to take into consideration, such as the stand and the resolution. Especially if you plan to buy a TV larger than 40 inches.
Other Factors To Consider When Choosing A TV Size
TVs need somewhere to sit and TV stands are purposely designed for this. However, the larger the TV, the larger the stand that’s needed – and this may impact your purchasing decision. TV stand prices typically scale with size. How much you can spend on a stand will determine the maximize TV size you should buy. If you plan to mount the TV to the wall then this is less of an issue. Either way, the space where the TV will sit on or attach to matters.
Resolution is also an important factor. The larger the TV, the more important resolution becomes. Opting for a large TV with a lower resolution will greatly impact the viewing experience. However, resolution is directly tied to the price, so factoring this into the decision will also improve your odds of buying the perfect-sized TV. For example, if you’re sitting 10 feet away from the TV, using the calculation 10 x 12 = 120 divided by 2 = 60, then a 60-inch TV set is right for you. However, if the 60-inch 4K model is considerably more expensive than the 55 inch 4K version, you are likely better off opting for the 55-inch 4K version instead of a cheaper 60-inch TV that is HD only.
