Plasma TV Size & Optimal Viewing Distance
Probably the most important decision you must make before buying a plasma TV, other than the budget, is to chose the size you wish your plasma TV to be. Most plasma TV models have sizes from 42" up to 65" and the bigger they are, the higher the price is. But the cost is not the only factor you should use when deciding what size your plasma TV should have. One very important thing you have to know, is how the plasma TV size, resolution and the viewing distance relate with the amount of picture detail you are capable of seeing. The goal is to match the plasma TV size and resolution with the distance between you and the plasma TV in such way that you will benefit from the best viewing experience. In simpler words, it means that knowing the distance between where you will be sitting and where your plasma TV will be installed, you have to figure out what size and resolution your plasma TV should have so that you see the highest level of detail possible. We can have this problem the other way around too. That is, having a plasma TV of a certain size and resolution to find out how far from it we should sit in order to have the best viewing experience.
The Old Formula
The problem of finding the best TV size for a given viewing distance is not new. Moreover, it is a problem that applies to all kind of displays - LCD, DLP, Projectors and CRT (the old tube TV). Since the CRT TVs are the oldest it’s only natural that the answer to our question has been given first for this type of display. But the important thing you must understand is that the formula used for a CRT TV doesn’t apply to the new high definition displays. The reason for that is the much higher resolution that high definition displays have and also the fact that HDTVs don’t all have the same resolution. Just in case you are curious, the rule of thumb for CRT TVs is that the viewing distance should be at least 2 times and at most 5 times the diagonal size of the display.
If you happen to find a guide that tells you what is the optimal viewing distance or range for each size of TV but does not also tell you the resolution considered, you should know that those figures are inaccurate when reported to HDTVs. That’s because one important variable (resolution) was not used in the calculation. Those numbers are correct only for old CRT TVs or HDTVs that display very low resolution content (480p). The same is true in the case of the numbers (or charts) that are referring to HDTVs but don’t specify the resolution because you don’t know if the number refers to 1080p displays or 720p displays. The latter is more accurate than the former though.
Viewing Distance and 1080p vs. 720p
One important note to make, is that, depending on the viewing distance, you may not see any difference between 720p and 1080p. To explain this better, imagine that you have in front of you two displays of the same size. One has 1080p resolution while the other has 720p. If you sit close enough to get the best detail from the 1080p display you will probably notice the pixels of the 720p display (which ca be very annoying). On the other hand, if you sit far enough to get the best detail from the 720p display, you will no longer see the full detail from the 1080p display (the image will look the same on both). Knowing this might just save you some money when shopping for a plasma TV. If for any reason (e.g. limited budget or space) you settle on a certain plasma TV size, and you realize that your viewing distance is optimal for 720p, then buying an 1080p display will give you no advantage in picture detail. Of course, that is true only if you don’t intend to move your armchair closer every time you watch a 1080p movie.
Size & Viewing Distance for High-Definition Displays
As I said above, in order to determine the correct size based on viewing distance we must also take into consideration the resolution of the display. Below is a table with the recommended viewing distance for each popular plasma TV size. There is of course, one recommended viewing distance for 1080p displays and another one for 720p displays. Since most of us know the viewing distance and need to deduct the best plasma TV size, we can use the recommended distance column and see what size of plasma TV suits us best. There’s a great chance you will not find your exact distance in the table, but that’s not a big deal. Just look for the closest match.
| Plasma TV Size (inch) |
Optimal Distance for 720p (inch) |
Optimal Distance for 1080p (inch) |
| 42 | 99 | 66 |
| 50 | 118 | 79 |
| 55 | 130 | 86 |
| 60 | 141 | 94 |
| 65 | 153 | 102 |
Make sure you also read Plasma TV & HDTV Resolution because it is related to this guide.
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Great article and info. I will be sitting about 120″ from where my HDTV (probably a 50″ screen) will be. Based on your article, it seems there is almost no question that I will not see any benefit with a 1080p over a 720p if I get a 50″, as 118″ is the optimal distance for 720p. Am I right? Also, this would also hold true even if viewing a Blu-ray showing at 1080p, if I do not plan on moving in any closer than 120″ to view a 50″ screen, correct? Thanks.
@JF: correct!
Really go article. So I am about to buy a 50″ Plasma. 1080p. I only have 8 feet of viewing distance. Is the TV too big?
@ML: if you want to watch SD content (broadcasts, regular DVDs, etc.) choose a smaller size. If you want to watch HDTV (broadcasts, Blu-Ray disks) 50″ is ok. As you see from the table you’re in between 720p and 1080p optimal distances. That means if you have very good eyes you might not find 720p broadcasts optimal but 1080p blu Ray disks will look great. To be sure, go in a store and look with your own eyes.
I view my tv at 17′ away, my living room where the tv is located is 22′ x 26′… I’m looking at the 50″ plasma for budget purposes. At this distance with a 50″ tv,does it make a difference on clarity from the 720p to the 1080p? On the above chart at this distance I need a much bigger tv but finances keep me from purchasing such. Will one outperform the other at this distance? Or will it be a mute point at this distance? I have dish network for cable.
@Joe: From what you have said, I’m assuming you will be sitting at 20 feet or more. In that case, as it turns out from the table above, you won’t be able to see any difference. You’re way too far to actually see the full detail (even for 720p content). At your distance if you plan to watch HDTV you might also want to consider DLP TVs - they offer more size for the buck, but don’t look as great as some of the best plasma TVs.
I plan to purchase a TV and I’m having a hard time deciding on whether paying the extra $$$ for 1080p tv is worth it. Also, I’m still undecided if I should get a plasma or LCD as well. I can tell you that the TV I plan on purchasing is for my kids who will be mainly playing video games and watching movies (blu ray and dvds). I understand I will experience “burn” with a plasma, but in terms of pricing, I’ve noticed plasmas tend to be slightly cheaper than LCDs. I want to get something in the 40″ - 46″ range. The TV will be placed in our den, where outside lighting will be little to none.
From what I’ve learned so far, based on my room setup, a plasma should work because I don’t have to worry about lighting and reflection being a problem. From shopping around at local stores in my town, my fred meyers has a 42″ Samsung 720p Plasma for $699 and I wanted to grab it but something inside told me to research and little and see if paying more for a 1080p is worth the money. In terms of pricing in my town, a 1080p 42″ Samsung is well over $1000. Quite honestly, it seems like the plasma would work just fine, but I wanted to get your opinion….
Very interesting page;
thinking of getting a Pioneer krp 600-a to watch blu ray, sky hd, sky sd, and upscaled dvd.
Viewing distance is about ten feet, what do you think.
Thanks.
i like the article but have a couple questions and was wondering if someone could help me. me and my husband want to buy a new tv, so im looking around to find out how my husband will get the best tv in size and picture for playing his games and so we can watch movies. We are thinking about getting a 50″ or 52″ plasma or LCD we going to be viewing it from about 9 Feet away, i also would be using it as a PC screen when my husband gets Deployed so he can see his son grow up.
@bianca: I’m not sure what your question is. If you plan to play games a lot and use it as a PC screen, get an LCD. Best models are listed on http://www.thebestlcdtv.com grouped by size.
We have a question. We have a finished basement with no natural light. Viewing distance looks to be about 11 feet. Should we buy a 58″ or 63″ plasma? Kids will be playing video games on it but movies and tv will be primary use. My husband believes we can go higher than 63″. Help!
@jennifer: if you want to watch only Blu Ray movies you can go for a larger (65 inch) model. If you want to watch 720p HDTV broadcasts (most if not all sports channels are 720p) 58″ might be better for that. It also depends how good your eyes are - the distances can change if you have better or worse than average eyes. If you also plan to watch regular DVDs (480p EDTV resolution) or SDTV broadcasts, then a smaller size is better because that content will not look to bad as with a large TV. The answer is pretty easy as it resides from the size/distances table in the guide above. You just need to figure out what you prefer - full detail for HD content and poor SD content, or both types of content at an average level of detail.
I’m confused. I get the size/viewing distance thing. However, I have Sky HD and a PS3. The PS3 plays bluray at 1080P but Sky HD only broadcasts at 720p from what i understand. On top of that the majority of Sky channels are standard definition, e.g. Sky News. So effectively thats 3 difference broadcast resolutions you have to deal with.
How can you pick a TV thats optimal for all 3 broadcast resolutions at a fixed viewing distance? And will SD broadcasts look inferior on a 1080p screen? If so, you are paying a higher price for a TV that actually gives you a worse picture on some channels than a lower resolution TV.
I will be watching TV mainly, some HD and some SD. I will only play games or watch Bluray occasionally. From what is advised on this site, i’m under the impression that a standard 720P HD TV will be best for me, as i will be watching a 720P source most of the time, and a 1080P screen will make the SD chaneels on Sky look poor. Am i right? Or will a 1080P tv give me the best picture whatever i watch?
@Louie: Unfortunately you can’t get the best of all worlds. You have to choose what’s most important for you. SD content can is likely to look BAD on a 1080p TV viewed from the 1080p optimal distance because the picture is very large while the quality is very low. In a way is almost like a low quality YouTube movie seen fullscreen from up close. So your best choice is probably a 720p. You can buy a 1080p but you should choose a screen size that is optimal for 720p or lower resolution content for your maximum viewing distance. That way even though the TV is 1080p, 720p looks optimal and SD looks good enough. But why would you buy 1080p if 720p is enough? You may want a high quality picture, and almost all TVs that can offer you that are 1080p. Also, you can get a chair and sit closer when you’re watching 1080p content (Blu Ray). I have a friend that has a very large room, recommended TV size for 1080p was over 65″ but he didn’t had the money for a high quality 65″ screen. So he bought a smaller one and when he wants to have a quality time watching a Blu Ray movie, he just pulls the armchair closer.
This site is very very helpful. I just had my garden level basement finished as a theater and I am now
shopping for the actual projector system. The screen size will be 100 to 110 inch diagonal. Considering
that the recliners are in two rows with different distances from the screen (6 feet and 10 feet), and all
my sources including satellite, Xbox 360 and DVD’s are in 720P, would the additional cost of a 1080P projector
be worth the money. Is the screen door effect significantly reduced in a 1080P projection of that size,
even though the signals from the Xbox 360 is in 720P, for example, to warrant the additional
expense? Movies, sports, gaming and HD channels will be the majority of the programming being watched.
Please advise and thank you in advance.
Hi! I’m doing a science project about how watching TV for periods of time affects your regular vision and peripheral vision. For this experiment I am using a Sharp Aquos 42″ HDTV. I will have my subjects sit between 6.5 and 8.25 feet away. Is that correct? What should my subjects be watching for this experiment, 1080p or 720p, and what channels are they featured on? Do you have any somments or suggestions that will be helpful to my project? Thanks!
PS: I have COX digital cable, and we get almost all the 0-900 channels. Which ones have 1080p or 720p? What is the difference?
I want to buy a new tv. I watch alot of sports so i know a plasma is better than lcd for that. What i’m not sure about is 720 vs. 1080. i’ll be 8-9 feet from the television. thinking about a 42-46″. please help!!
@Bill: As long as your sources are 720p, an 1080p projector will not offer any advantage. The only advantage would be if you plan to buy a Blu Ray player which outputs 1080p. Also, regular DVDs are not 720p (HDTV) but 480p (EDTV).
@AS: Distances seem OK for HDTV sources. Since you already have the TV you can just go with the eyeballing technique - see how close you can sit in order to get the best/most detail. I have no idea which channels are 720p and which ones are 1080i. Note the “i” as no broadcasts exist in 1080p, only in 1080i. For 1080p the only source is a Blu Ray Disk Player. I can’t help you with anything else as I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish exactly. One tip I can give you is to do the experiment once with ambient light and once in darkness because I think the ambient light affects the perception.
@joshua: Yes, a plasma is generally better, however an LCD with 5ms response time (or lower) has pretty much the same sharpness/crispness. Most if not all of the sports channels broadcast in 720p. 1080p gives you an edge only if you’re watching Blu Ray disks (1080p) and to a certain extent 1080i broadcasts. A 42″ HDTV is the right size for that type of content (720p) and viewing distance.
Thanks for the comprehensive answer. It has confirmed what i was thinking which is that you can’t have a single viewing distance and Tv size that is optimal for all sources.
I have now bought a Panasonic 46″ 1080P and can see exactly what you are talking about. My sofa is about 10ft away. The SD looks decent and HD looks very good. Haven’t tried bluray yet as i dont have any films but the ps3 games look amazing even from close up. Only disappointment is that i didnt realise the game itself has to also be 1080P. Not all games are.
Overall I’m happy with the setup. The thing that will be nice now is if more Sky channels gradually change to HD, as once you get used to HD, SD feels like a compromise. It almost starts to affect the type of TV you watch. I watch more wildlife programs now! And i find myself watching films that I’ve never really liked that much but look good on HD, like The Beach.
Sorry I have another question. Does Sky HD have better sound quality than Sky SD? Assuming it does would i get the full benefit if i connected the Sky HD box to my stereo amplifier and speakers via phono lead? Or is there some sort of audio HDMI cable i should be using? I only have a standard amplifier but am intending to purchase a proper AV amp.
One more question, i know its not plasma related but…do you consider the PS3 blu ray player to be as good as a current standalone player?
Thanks for your help so far. This is an excellent site for getting those technical answers that have always bugged me!
@Louie: HDMI carries both audio and video signal. Sky HD has an optical audio out connector that you can connect to a surround sound system. So you can connect HDMI to the TV (for video) and the optical to your amp (for audio). PS3 is very good as a Blu Ray player (better than some standalone players).
I plan to splurge on eithr a 50″ or 60″ Pioneer Elite Plasma (1080) partly because I like the styling better than the PDP model. I will abe watching about 60/40 cable TV / DVDs. My viewing distrance is about 10 feet. Which would give me better picture quality…the Elite or the Kuro PDP….50″ or “60″. thank you so much.
@charlene grogan: Since you’re watching EDTV and SDTV and not HDTV go with the 50″ model. Regarding Kuro PDP vs Kuro Elite PRO, the Elite model is certainly better. The PDP doesn’t have accurate colors, which you may not notice or you may, depending on how picky you are. From what I have heard it can be calibrated properly by entering the service menu but I’m not sure if it is true. Also Elite series has more to it than just accurate colors. If you have the money, get the Elite.
about to buy plasma for my entertainment room. watch a lot of sports. viewing distance from couch is 9-11 feet. room is large with a lot of wall space where tv would be. leaning to pioneer 60inch 1080p (6010). do u think too large?? if too 60inch is too large, should i go to the 50inch pioneer 1080p or Sony 52 inch xbr-5?
@JackV: if you can’t answer that question yourself, I definitely can’t. If you watch Blu Ray a 60″ TV is not too big for that distance. If you watch DVD or SDTV it is. Sony XBR5 is an LCD, Pioneer is a plasma - each has advantages and dissadvantages. XBR5 is not a new model. Basically the XBR5 doesn’t have a great viewing angle (if I remember well) and black levels are not as good as those of a Pioneer plasma. Unless you want to use it as a PC monitor, latest models of Pioneer are better. They resist burn-in well and also perform exceptionally in bright environments. It basically comes down to what is important for you and which of the TVs match your requirements better. I hope my answer helps.
Thank you for your answer. I do acutally have HDTV thru comast cable….since that is true would you advise the 60″ or is 10 ft viewing distance too close? Also, do ou have any comment regarding buying plasmas from online stores like butterfly.com?
@charlene: I really can’t decide for you. It is not a straightforward choice but you have to make it yourself. If you get a 60″ you might find DVDs not to great but 1080i broadcasts will look better. Also, if you buy a Blu Ray Disk Player in the future you will get the best of it. On the other hand, on the 50″ model 720p content (e.g. sports) will look just as good as on the 60″ and DVDs will loo better than on the 60″ model. The best thing to do is go in a store, find 2 models - one 50″ and the other 60″ - and see how they look from 10ft away. Test both standard DVDs, broadcasts, Blu Ray so you see how each looks. That will help you a lot with the final decision. It also matters how good your eyes are. For example I don’t have good eyes, so I can sit much closer than it is normally recommended, or watch SDTV and EDTV on a bigger screen, without finding it unpleasant. You really can’t have the best of all worlds. I recommend buying online as long as you trust the store. Most of them have free shipping. Generally on Amazon.com you will find good prices on HDTVs, and it is a big store with a good reputation. butterfly.com redirects me to a golf site…
Good luck
we have a newer samsung crt tv that is advertised as hdtv will i be able to view 720p movies on it
@ROBERT HANSON: I haven’t the slightest idea. Read your TV’s specifications and see what input it accepts and what native resolution it has. If it accepts HDTV 720p, 1080i or 1080p then it can display such content.
Hi, maybe you can help me. I have a rather large living room. My couch is maybe 14 feet away from my TV. I am thinking of buying either a Samsung PN58A650 plasma (58″) or the Samsung PN63A650 (63″). I watch a fair amount of blu-rays, HD TV (mostly 720p), and some non-HD content as well. I also play X-Box 360. Are these sets good choices, and if so, what size? Also, is burn-in still an issue? Both of these sets have anti-burn-in technology. Thanks!
Thank you for your response…it was very informative. Best, Charlene
@Ric: If you want to get the most of 1080p, you may want to get a TV larger than 63 inch. TVs that big are commonly rear projection TVs (DLP TV) but they don’t look as good as plasma TVs. You can also get a big picture with a projector but that looks good only if you have no light in the room. If you choose a plasma, the bigger the better - so the 63 inch one is best. Burn-in is still a problem but only if you play games a lot and for longer time than you watch TV programs and movies. If you mix the content, you’ll be OK. Pioneer, Panasonic and Samsung are the most burn-in resistant plasma TVs, but from these three, Samsung is the least resistant from what owners say. Make sure you read Plasma TV Burn-In guide. Do the break-in and make sure that pixel orbiter is always turned on.
I totally get the chart but… I watch mostly SD (cable)/720p content, and I sit 84 inches away from my tv… Thats not even close to the 99 inches for the 720p optimal distance. What size screen and other suggestions do you have?
Also LCD or Plasma? I play NBA 2K9 (basketball) on Xbox 360, watch NBA basketball, and a DVD 2wice a week.
@Aaron: You can buy an LCD. They come in smaller sizes (32 inch). It will also be a better choice if you play games a lot (more than you watch TV). See http://www.TheBestLCDTV.com and/or http://www.BestHDTVScreen.com for best LCD TV models. For differences between plasma and LCD read that specific guide. Also read the “burn-in” guide and its comments to figure out if you risk getting burn-in from playing games. If you end up preferring a plasma, you can always go in a store and see with your own eyes how SD and 720p on a 42 inch TV looks. If you like it it’s great, if not you can buy a smaller size LCD.
Sorry but hitted the return button while writing.
I own a Pioneer PDP-508XD, and watch at SDTV & some HD/BR contents. I have basically come to the conclusion that while there’s almost no minimum distance for HD contents (check out THX recommendations), there could be some problems with SDTV.
I’m quite picky, and I have to admit that sitting too close to the panel with SDTV signals, shows artifacts, noise, etc.
At the moment my small TV room has some constrains with a maximum viewing distance of 3,35mt (131″) and I have to admit that I can notice some defects due to scaling and poor bandwidth…
In the meanwhile Pioneer closing it’s TV facility is rising my temptations to buy a 9G before the shortage.. I am very tempted by the 60″ model, the KRP-600A..
My only concern is about SDTV…. if my 508 shows it’s limits at 131″ viewing distance, what will it be with a 60″? Defects galore? Or the new electronics in the KRP-600A are so good that SDTV defects, particularly with low quality sources, are minimized, compared to my 50″?
I went recently in a Pioneer TV shop and had to opportunity to play with the KRp-600A, sitting at the same distance as in my TV room and couldn’t notice more defects than I do with my 50″, say the same “amount”…..
What do you think?
@Luke: You really can’t get the best of both worlds - HD and SD. No matter how good the TV is, it will not be able to do miracles. SD content is poor quality and a big screen acts as a magnifying glass for the flaws. I seriously doubt that the video processing system of KRP-600A is so much better. I am not familiar with this model, though. Video processing can at best reduce noise and enhance the picture a bit. It can’t make it look too good. No matter how good the TV is the SD picture still looks soft, noisy or if the video processing is overdoing it, unreal/artificial. At 60 inch, theoretically flaws should be more visible, however since 50″ is very big for SDTV as well from close distance, the difference in reality is not very big. So, 60 inch is probably not going to look a lot worse. If you’ve seen them both, trust your eyes.
I’m thinking of purchasing the Samsung LN52A650 and currently sitting a viewing distance of 8 to 9 feet. 9 feet is the max for my living room…it’s kind of small. Many times I hunch forward when watching tv probably to about 7 feet. I will be watching blu-ray and playing ps3 games on it but it will mostly be used for regular hd tv. Will regular tv - 720p and 1080i look ok at this distance or am I better off getting the LN46A650? thanks in advance for your help.
Hi there - just a quick question. I just bought a Pioneer Kuro LX509a (Australian model - LX5090 overseas I believe). Having read around the net of late, I see a lot of fuss being made around calibration of the TV itself. What are your thoughts on this? From what I have seen, the major consideration is ensuring that the calibrator is employing ISF techniques.
By the way, I really appreciated the content in the above article when making my decision on TV size.
Many thanks.
@AB: It’s a great TV. I have reviewed PDP-5020FD (US model) and I can say that in this price range it is the best. You can find the review on this site. The only problem is that colors are not perfect (green especially). However, you can see this only if you are looking exactly for that and not with regular content (movies). In a side by side comparison with a TV that has perfect colors you may say the Kuro has the green a bit too vivid, but otherwise it is not noticeable. Some complain about it but I personally think that it isn’t a deal breaker. And if you take into consideration the overall quality of the picture, and you’re not an extreme purist, I would say it is better than anything else.
Regarding the calibration, I have heard that if you use the service menu you can fix the problem with the colors. Unless you actually have a problem with how the TV looks, I don’t think you need a professional to calibrate it. I don’t have ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) training. When I calibrate them I do it from the user menu (as any regular owner). Some people said a professional isn’t worth the price, others were satisfied by what the technician did for them. My best suggestion, if you’re not happy with the image, is to go to http://www.avsforum.com and look for Pioneer Kuro (9th generation) owners thread. Ask there specific questions about the TV, how to use the service menu, etc. Only then, if you’re still not happy, think about paying a technician.
@Jay: I’m starting to get bored answering “I sit at X feet, what size is best for me?”. As I have said before in some other answer, you can’t have best of all worlds. As you see from the table, 52 inch is not too big for 1080p (1080i) at your distance. For 720p, 52 inch is bigger than the optimal distance and 46 inch might be better. However, in real life you can’t really get the exact optimal size for your exact distance and for multiple resolutions of the content. If the TV has a 1080p native resolution, 720p will not look pixelated if you sit too close (maybe just a bit softer), so you can go with the 52 inch model.
I have read the above posts twice, but I think I am still confused. I am looking at buying the new Panasonic TC-50PG10 plasma. Now I think I need 720p instead. We sit 18 feet away from the TV and I can barely see my 38″ CRT right now. I do not have good eyesight either…One contact lense for close up and one for far away. I think this may be a problem with anything I buy. We watch regular TV and DVDs, but are soon buying a Blue-ray player. No cable, satellite, or video games, just regular TV broadcasts that I think are in HD. No natural light in the living room, so plasma seems the best for us. With the 18 foot distance should I get a larger size 720p or the 50″ 1080p? We do watch a lot of movies on DVD, so I am sure blue-ray will soon be our favorite movie source. Thank you for your help in advance.
@Patti: At 18 feet (216 inch), as you see from the table, you are too far for any of the screen sizes and resolution combinations. 65 inch TVs at 720p are best viewed from 13 feet. In conclusion, the bigger the TV the better. With your poor eyesight, thing are even worse. I also have a poor eyesight (-3.5 diopters glasses though I would need -4.0 diopters) and I can see closer than the recommended distance in the chart. The 50 inch screen is ideal for that distance for watching SDTV and EDTV (DVD), but it is too small to get the most out of a Blu Ray movie or HDTV broadcast. I suggest you to buy the largest screen you can afford (65 inch) for a better Blu Ray experience.
You can also find TVs larger than 65 inch. They are rear projection TVs (most common are DLP type). Their quality is not as good as plasma but you can find good enough models.
I hope my answer helps. Good luck.
Thank you for your help. Would LCDs be any better for optimum viewing distance or should we stick with plasma?
@Patti: LCD models come in smaller sizes than plasma. Though you might find LCDs bigger than 65 inch, most good ones go only to 52 - 55 inch. Also, the bigger LCD TVs are more expensive than plasma TVs of similar quality.
5-7 Ft. Viewing Range. PS3 owner, play games when I’m free or have friend/ friends over, I purchase every other new blue-ray that comes out. My LCD met an unfortunate fate. This website convinced me to go with a Plasma.
Questions:
(1.) Are the better picture quality plasmas offered only in 50″ & up?
(2.) Which do you recommed: 42″, 46′, or 50″ (I’m leaning towards the 46″).
(3.) Could you provide me with the top 3 better picture quality plasmas for the recommended choice (March 2009)?
(4.)1080p or 720p.
(5.) Does the Top Dog for 50″ best the Top Dog of 46′, Picture Quality Wise? (With Viewing Range in mind)?
(6.) Are the regular 46″ Plasmas better then Top of the Line 46′ LCDs, picture quality wise?
* $2,500.00 Give or Take is the most i’ll spend for a Plasmas. Better bang for buck is always better to me. (Technology changes frequently)
Thanks for any answer you might give me, I just want the best bang for my bucks. =)
Hello, I want to buy a small 37 inch size plasma, for SD content, because I have some space restraints. The viewing distance is about 140 inch. I’m looking also to a 42 inch one. Is the 37 inch one too small? Thank you.
@Bogdan: It is not too small. For SDTV (480i), at your distance the optimal screen size is 32 inch. Anything between 32 and 42 inch works for you. Even though for 42 inch the recommended distance would be 15 feet, if the TV has good video processing you won’t see a big difference. Consult this HDTV viewing distance table which has more sizes and resolutions.
@Saiko C.:
1. Pioneer models are available only in 50 and 60 inch sizes. They are the best. Next best models (for 42 or 46 inch) are from Panasonic PZ800U and PZ850U series. So the very best plasma TVs are only 50 and 60 inch. Panasonic models are great, but they are just not exactly at the same level with Pioneer.
2. I can’t recommend you a size. You know better. Is blue ray most important and most viewed type of content? Go with 50 inch Pioneer then. Do you watch HDTV a lot and you have very good eyesight? Get a 42 or 46 inch Panasonic. It’s a matter of what you prefer.
3. They are on the homepage.
4. 1080p - you are watching Blu Ray so it will be useful. Also, the best models are all 1080p so is not really a choice.
5. Yes it does. Pioneer Kuro Elite vs Panasonic PZ800U - Pioneer Elite is certainly better.
6. Depends how you define “regular”. Generally speaking, in the same price range plasma tops LCDs. If you want to play games on you PS3 a lot, make sure you read the “burn-in” guide on this site and think well what to choose between plasma and LCD.
Best bang for the buck for you is a model from Panasonic PZ800U or PZ850U series (46 inch is probably the best) - they are reviewed on this site.
Best picture quality and burn-in resistance (if you play games a lot) comes from Pioneer models. Kuro Elite version is better than the regular Kuro (actually it is the best HDTV in the world) but more expensive (a bit out of your budget - see price on Amazon).
Enjoy it, whichever model you will get
I am considering purchasing the LG 50PS60. It will be $1500 which I believe is a good deal but I’m unsure of two things. The TV will be going into our family room which is full of windows and has a railing behind where we sit. On our current TV this results not only in a glare but also a reflex ion of the railing onto the TV. This is why we are purchasing a new TV. I have read that with plasmas there can be a glare issue but also a wider viewing angle and our other sofa sits at an angle (up to about 160 degrees or so). I know that the TV I am considering is a newer model and it has an auto adjustment to light conditions. We will be sitting about 11 ft from the television. I really need help ion deciding if this TV will be a good purchase. I feel like we have so many things to take into consideration, I don’t know which one will be the best fit. In summary - 11″ from TV, lots of light, glare and reflex ion on current TV, need wide viewing angle. Any help I could get would be greatly appreciated.
@Ron: 11″ (inch) from TV? I assume you mean 11 feet. I haven’t seen the 50PS60 but the 50PG60 has pretty good anti-glare properties. I would say it is just as good as the Panasonic plasma TVs from this point of view. That means, from the plasma TVs, only Pioneer models perform better in this area. The glare problem is possible with LCDs as well. It’s just that it is more frequent with plasma TVs for low to average priced models. I can’t tell you if it will look good for your particular setup, but I can tell you the 50PG60 is better than most TVs (including LCDs) at handling glare. The 50PS60 is also a high-brightness model which will help with this. If it looks bad, probably no TV will completely satisfy you (since it is one of the best when it comes to glare).
Hi, I will be sitting about 9ft. Witch one should i buy and will i notice a difference in resolution? Panasonic tcp50×1 or the Panasonic tcp46s1? Thanks.
Hi,
My viewing distance from eyes to screen is 10′ (120″). I watch everything from standard tv to HD broadcasts to DVD’s. No Blue Ray
The optimal Plasma for me would be a 46″ 720P and not a 1080P?
Thanks,
Mike
@Chris: At your distance, the bigger the better. Panasonic TCP46S1 is 46 inch and 1080p so it is to small to offer the advantage of Full-HD/1080p for you. Panasonic TCP50X1 is 50 inch and 720p and in fact it is optimal for your distance (see the distances table above).
@Mike Rogers: Correct. You can also buy a 720p 50 inch HDTV if you want better quality for HD. For better coverage of all the contents you watch, 46 inch is probably better though.
Hi,
As mentioned before, my viewing distance from eyes to screen is 10′ (120″). I watch everything from standard tv to HD broadcasts to DVD’s. No Blue Ray
I see now that 720P would be best. Since these tv’s are so affordable, what would be a top of the line reccommendation in a 46 or 50″ HDTV?
@Mike: Panasonic PX80U series (2008) or Panasonic X1 series (2009).
Panasonic TH-50PX80U - 50 inch, 2008 model.
Panasonic TC-P50X1 - 50 inch, 2009 model with lower power consumption.
I don’t know of any 720p 46 inch plasma TVs. Especially good ones.
The 46 inch models on the homepage are my recommendations. They are from Panasonic and all are 1080p. The models in PZ85U or PZ80U series are pretty inexpensive. Of course, if you want top notch picture quality you will want a more expensive model (Panasonic PZ800U or PZ850U series or Pioneer Kuro). All high-end / high quality plasma TVs are 1080p.
I’m overwhelmed as I want to purchase 2 TVs - one for my bedroom and the other for my living room. I’ll be watching the bedroom TV 10′ away and mostly in the dark, regular cable tv channels, HD channels and DVDs. In the living room, there’s a lot of sunlight, and I’ll be watching it 12′ away, again regular cable tv channels, HD channels and DVDs. For both rooms, I’ll also be purchasing Blu-Ray Disc players. Can you please help me decide if LCD or Plasma and what sizes for each room? As an aside, I’m not a sports fan! Any help you can give me in this decision would be very appreciated. Thank you.
@Cris: Unless you plan to play games (XBox, PS3, PC) on the TV a lot, you are safe with a plasma. You need a large one, especially if you want to get the most of Blu Ray movies. 60-65 inch models are best for Blu Ray at your distance. The nasty thing is that you can’t have bot Blu Ray and regular DVDs or SDTV look good on the same TV from the same distance. That is, if you want a TV that looks great for Blu Ray it will look almost bad for SDTV, because the upscaled SDTV will have every flaw magnified and even DVDs that don’t necessarily have artifacts will have a soft image (also because of the upscaling). So choose based on which type of content you watch most of the time or which type is more important to look good. Of course, your budget will probably limit your choices in size a lot. For large screens, plasma TVs are probably a better deal. Regarding plasma vs. LCD, read that specific guide on this site.
just purchased a 46″ Panny for our bedroom and the viewing distance is between 8 ‘ and 16′. the picture is great for what it is for hd and bluray (we can see the diiference between the two even at that distance) but as you’ve stated before SD content is terrible. We’re now in the market for another set and we’re considering a 58″ Panny. The room is 12′x12′ and the seating configuration is a gally with the sweet spots being at 10′ off axis. The closest viewing position would be 5′ off axis. One factor in our choice fo a 58″ Panny is price there is actually a deal for a 46″ and 58″ plasmas (th-46pz80u which we already have and a th 58pz800u) for $2999. The question I raise is the HD/SD content at these distances. Can this work for us?
Hi to all of you!
First of all, thank you very much for this article. I know everybody goes with their own situation and I’m about to do the same, but after reading/doing research for a couple hours, I’m getting quite an headache here and getting confused.
I recently bought a Sony 40W4100 which is 1080p capable. My sitting distance is about 8-10 feet and I will have Videotron HD (Montreal/Canada). I’m still in my 30 days exchange/return period and there is a deal right now where I could pull the trigger for the exact same model but in 46 inches.
While the possibility of getting a bigger/more immersive screen is very tempting, I’m afraid of picture quality loss, so I’m really hesitating on my move right now. Is there a huge difference between 40 and 46 inches? What would be your call on this?
Thank you so much in advance.
Great website! Moving into a new house which has a viewing distance of about 13 to 14 feet. I realize that there wont be much of a difference between the 720 and 1080 at that distance, but I’m getting 1080 because in the future I might want to move the tv into another room with a much smaller viewing distance. My question is what size tv do you think would work best for a viewing distance of 13 to 14 ft? I was pretty sold on the 52′ samsung LN52A630 (semi-matte screen to decrease the sun glare in the room). Is that going to be an adequate size or should I bump upto the Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (which is breaking my budget and seems like an inferior tv compared to the samsung with a much lower contrast ratio, 2K vs 40K) Thanks for your help!
@brett: SD should look ok on 46 inch at 16 feet. If you don’t like it, you probably have very good eyes. Between 5 and 10 feet you have quite a range. At 5-10 feet, a 58″ plasma TV will work well for 1080p and 1080i HD (for this resolution and size the optimal distance is 7.5 feet) but SD will be bad. It is actually a bit too big for 720p (most sports HDTV channels) which has the optimal distance at 11.3 feet for this screen size. You can’t have both great HD and great SD. You either have one looking great and the other bad or both looking average. Think at what you’ll be watching most of the time and/or what is most important type of content for you. 46″ is more recommended if you want better SD compared to 58″. But then again, you’re buying a HDTV and soon all programs will be HD, so you probably prefer better HD.
@Max: Basically it comes down to what you’re watching. Videotron HD offers HDTV (at least the name implies it) so I would assume that HDTV is your primary type of content quality an SDTV or EDTV (DVDs) have a smaller percentage of your overall TV watching time. For this type of content, 46 inch is better. It is not too big. As a matter of fact at 8-10 feet, for 1080p (Blu Ray movies) and 1080i (HD channels) optimal distance is 60 inch or larger. For 720p (most HD sports channels) optimal distance is 42 - 52 inch. Even SDTV and EDTV don’t look significantly worse on a 46 inch than on a 40 inch screen because for this type of content the size difference is not that big. Now, regarding your actual question - “Is there a huge difference between 40 and 46 inches?” - it isn’t a huge difference. It is an improvement but not huge. Probably big enough to worth it, however.
Thank you very much for your answer! Your time and dedication is appreciated.
@RD: At that distance, if you’re watching HDTV (either 1080p, 1080i or 720p) you need a 65 inch screen to get the most of it. 52 inch is just too small. On 52 inch DVDs will look good but you will miss a lot of what HDTV has to offer (DVD resolution is not HDTV). Best 65 inch plasma TV is Panasonic TH-65PZ850U and it is probably way over your budget. LCD TVs of this size are not too great and are have poor price to quality ratio compared to plasma TVs. Since, just as many other people, you’re limited by your budget, you have to make a compromise. Better picture quality (a smaller screen of higher quality) or better detail (bigger screen with relatively inferior quality). There is also the option to buy the smaller but better TV and to pull a chair closer to the TV when you want to enjoy it 100%. Unfortunately there is no easy answer and you have to decide yourself. Go in a store and look at TVs. See which approach you like more - the high-quality small screen or the lower quality big screen. If you’re feeling unhappy to make such a trade-off, there is always the solution to wait for a couple of months and in this time save some money. I personally saved money for six months before I had enough to buy my dream TV. I consider it was worth the waiting. Those are all the suggestions I can give you. Unfortunately, the decision is still yours to make.
720 vs 1080. I was told by a salesperson yesterday that some broadcasting such as EPSN, will be going to 1080 in a couple of years. Is there any information (timetable) that refers to this ever happening? I know it would be very costly to cable companies to go to this technology, but are we talking a couple years, 10 years, never happening?
This is what is holding up my decision to go 50 inch 720 verse 50 inch 1080, because I plan to use it for a long time. Any thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated.
The forum that I so DESPERATELY need:
About to get Satelite TV, and was also looking to get the Panasonic TC-P42X1 (720p) plasma all within the next few days. I’ve researched tv’s so much that I want to scratch my eyes out. My viewing distance from the couch is about 8 ft. I sometimes sit on the floor at about 4 to 6 feet. I’ll probably still just watch DVD’s and I’ll get some HD package from whichever satellite provider I choose. It’s a 1 bedroom apartment. My question is, do you think I have the right distance and television set up going on? If not, I’M ALL EARS. Also if you have an opinion on Direct TV vs Dish Satellite, I am on one knee to absorb your knowledge. Thank you, thank you, thaaaaaaank you.
I currently have a 36-inch Sony Trinitron CRT TV (flat screen tube), and DVD’s look great on it. I’d like to upgrade to plasma, and I’ve been looking at a few 50-inch models. I sit about 8 feet away from my current TV. Someone told me that a 50-inch plasma might actually look smaller than my CRT, because I’m used to the 4:3 ratio, and a wider screen would “fool” my eyes into thinking it’s smaller because of the widescreen ratio. First, is that a possibilty, and would a 50-inch, 720p be sufficient for my sitting distance?
I will not be connecting my computer or playing video games on the TV. I watch lots of DVD’s and SD TV.
Thanks!
@John: I am sure that some day there will be 1080p broadcasts. However I personally don’t know of any specific time frame for this. 1080p screen is also useful for 1080i broadcasts. 1080i channels can look better on a 1080p display than on a 720p display if you sit at the right distance. There are also Blu Ray movies which are 1080p.
@Dan: From 4-6 feet 1080p will look great and from 8 feet you will be able to get the most of 720p which might not look as great from 4-6 feet. 8 feet is also a good distance for DVD viewing, though DVDs will not look as good as 720p or 1080p/i since they are EDTV (Enhanced Definition - lower resolution than HDTV). I would say that since you are comfortable moving closer or further away from the TV, you can get the best of all resolutions. In conclusion, 42 inch is probably the best screen size. However, since TC-P42X1 has 720p native resolution, only 720p content will look great and sitting closer (4-6 feet) will not allow you to get the most of 1080p/i content as it is still displayed as 720p (because that’s the native resolution of the TV). In other words, you would have to buy a 1080p TV and sit on the floor at 4-6 feet, in order to get the most of 1080p (Blu Ray movies, if you plan to buy a Blu-Ray player) and 1080i HDTV broadcasts from your satellite TV provider. Your TV choice is OK, however a 1080p model could offer a better experience with 1080i HDTV broadcasts (as long as you sit on the floor) and Blu Ray movies if you ever buy a player for them. Sitting on the floor (4-6 feet), you are too close to a 42 inch TV if you’re watching 720p or lower resolution content (it will look better from the couch). I hope my answer was clear enough and helpful.
I don’t have an opinion about satellite TV providers but I recommend you SatelliteTVGuru.net where you can find a comparison.
@Craig: According to the formulas for recommended viewing distance, a 50 inch plasma is too big to watch DVD and SDTV from 8 feet. As a matter of fact, even your 36 inch TV is a bit too big for that type of content. I take it that you either have a somewhat poor eyesight or for some reason you’re not finding it disturbing to sit that close for that screen size and type of content (and here I’m referring especially to SDTV which is very low quality). My best recommendation is that you actually go in a store and watch SDTV and DVD on various sizes of plasma TVs from 8 feet. See which screen size you like most from that distance.
Regarding the aspect ratio fooling your eyes, it is true. The equivalent of 4:3 32 inch TV is a 16:9 (widescreen) 42 inch TV (in order to have roughly the same height of the image). In practice, DVDs will look bigger on a widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) because the movie on the DVD is actually widescreen and will fill the whole TV screen, while on a regular 4:3 TV you would get black bars above and beneath the actual picture. The opposite happens when you watch SDTV which is 4:3 content. When displayed on a widescreen, the 4:3 SDTV content will appear with black bars on the sides. So in order for this content to have the same displayed size, the height of the widescreen TV must match the height of your current TV. That means the widescreen TV must have a longer diagonal than your current 4:3 TV.
As a conclusion, a 50 inch TV might actually look worse than your current TV. Go in a store and watch DVD and SDTV with your own eyes to see if you like it or not.
yeah that makes sense. but since I’m getting satellite so I’m assuming I’ll watch more HD content than standard, and I’ll be watching DVD’s until I choke up for a Blu ray. You seem to think 42 inch at 1080p would be right but every single knuckle head i talk to says go big like 50″. And I keep telling them that’s too big. So would a TC-P46G10 be a better size and choice since it’s in the middle? Or will that amplify the lower dvd and hd feed? ANd am I in the right arena going with a panasonic plasma? Thanks again.
Actually, my 36-inch CRT looks great from where I sit. And, no, my eyesight is fine:). I went to Best Buy and stood about 8 feet from a 50-inch plasma, and it did not look too big at all. As for SDTV, I still record all my TV shows on VHS - and that looks fine too. I would be getting a 50-inch plasma mainly for DVD’s. I watch a lot of movies and would love to see them even bigger than on my 36-incher. But, I’ll take what you said into consideration and see if I can get the store to show me SDTV on a plasma.
Re: 720 vs1080p what happens when you only watch movies and TV that is broadcasting in 1080p?..surely you will lose out if you only have a 720 set???
I’m trying to decide between a 46 pz800 and a 50pz80 from Panasonic. My family room has viewing distances from 4 ft to 13ft. The average distance being 9ft or more. We mostly watch TV (we’ll be getting an HD Box), but will probably start watching movies on Blueray. Which TV do you suggest?
@Dan: From your previous message I assumed the 42 inch 720p HDTV is a choice forced by budget. 1080p/i looks perfect from 6.5 feet on a 50 inch TV. That means you can get a 50 inch TV if you plan to watch mostly HD on it. For SD and DVDs it is a bit too big, however you must understand you can’t get the best of all worlds. 46 inch could be a solution that offers a balance in quality across all types of content you watch. You have the numbers from the table, you know what you like and how you use the TV. The choice is yours. There’s no way to make both HD and SD look great using the same distance/size constants. Pioneer Kuro is the best plasma TV (they exited the TV business but you can still find their models in stores and online). Panasonic comes next and not too far away. Look at the top on the homepage. I have not made the top with 2009 models, but they are similar in terms of picture quality. Even if you buy a Panasonic, the quality varies a lot across different series. Some are entry-level (cheaper, 720p, not perfectly accurate colors) others are high-end (expensive, better colors).
@alex: Yes you will, but only if you sit at the optimal distance for 1080p (closer) when you are watching the 720p TV. It is a matter of 3 measures - picture resolution and quality, distance, screen size. You get the full detail/quality from a 1080p TV only if you watch 1080p or 1080i content from the right distance (close). Even if you have a 1080p TV, if you sit too far it won’t make any difference compared to 720p.
@Sonja: From “9 feet or more” any of those is too small to fully benefit from the detail in HD content. The PZ800 has better quality but the PZ80 is slightly bigger. It’s not an easy decision, I know, but only you can make it. It’s a matter of choosing size vs quality or the vice-verse. The PZ80 has a nice picture. Not as good as PZ800 but very good. So, unless you’re a purist when it comes to colors and picture quality you will like the PZ80 just fine.
This is a bit off the subject but you seem pretty knowledgeable when it comes to plasmas. I recently bought one and I was told to have some sort of surge protection. I changed the wall outlet to one of those fused ones that will kick off if there is something wrong. Is this enough or should I buy a cheap surge protector power bar to go along with it?
@Dave: I don’t have a surge protector or power conditioner and I don’t know enough about this to give you an advice. My power doesn’t fluctuate. I am sure you will find information about this on home theater forums (e.g. http://www.avsforum.com).
Not to beat up a dead horse or anything but this seems the place to ask my question. I planned on purchasing a 50″ Plasma - the viewing distance will be about -15-20Ft, the TV hung on the wall in a daylight basement. I have Directv and am not eligilbe for HD(too many trees southward :-() so my viewing would be standard satelite and DVD’s on my Bose Receiver and of course some VHS. I’m wondering if a 50″ will be too small after reading above (i could be misunderstanding).
I haven’t made a decision as to which brand to buy yet but if you could give me some basic things to look for (based on my info above) it might be easier to decide and purchase. I’d be happy to give more info if needed, just not sure exactly how to ask for what I need.
Of couse i would like to the picture to be as good as possible without HD and will need to purchase one that I can hang, the old projection TV just can be set where we’re relocating the TV (the kid is happy with that - he gets the 50″ Projection)
Any info you can provide is very much appreciated.
Michelle
@Michelle: 50 inch is a good size for SDTV/EDTV and that distance. Best brands are Panasonic and Samsung. Since you plan to watch SDTV/EDTV, a TV with exceptional quality won’t help much since the quality of the content is low. That means, for you less impressive models (LG for example) work as well. Find a TV that has good video processing for low quality sources (SDTV). That means good noise reduction, and features helpful for SDTV. Also, buy a 720p model because with a 1080p model you would waste money. There aren’t many plasma TV manufacturers left, and for what you need you should focus on specific models not brands. You are looking for a low-end - middle-end model, or one with average quality rather than an expensive/high-end model. The 720p models are few. Probably the best choice would be a model from Panasonic X1 series (from Panasonic’s 2009 lineup). Panasonic might also have C1 (also 720p) series in mass-market stores. These are cheap models and not as good as X1. So i think, the best is an X1 model. There are also the 2008 720p models - Panasonic PX80 series. Now, since you’re looking for a 50 inch plasma TV, you will find out that the number of 720p models of this size are very few.
Thanks for the info - we actually were able to make a purchase based on the info you provided. We did decide to go with the X1, got a great price and we’ll see how it all pans out very soon.
Thanks again!
We have a finished basement with recessed lighting our viewing distance is going to be 9 feet. We are interested in a HD 1080p Plasma Panasonic Viera- what would you recommend for size?
@Stephen: Consult the distances table. It depends what you plan to watch on it. For 1080p/i 65 inch is best, for 720p a 50 inch model is better. Since you want a 1080p model I assume you plan to watch 1080p/i on it so the 65 inch one is probably best.
Thank you so much for your informative articles. Unfortunately, as was the case with some others, I have become confused. I want to purchase a Panasonic and I intend to sit about 9 feet from the TV screen. (maybe even 9.5 feet) That distance does not show on your chart. Additionally, I intend to use the TV solely for viewing regular DVDs and about 75-80% SD television (I record alot on a DVR and it seems that SD takes up much less space than HD) and about 20-25% HD television. As DVR hard drives become larger, I certainly would switch to recording in HD. I have COX cable and believe they up-convert all signals to 1080i? So, given this viewing distance and my viewing habits, do I go 720p or 1080p and which size. Based on your advice to others, I would like to have a decent viewing experience for all the above. I understand I may not get the best HD experience, but I don’t want a bad SD experience either.
Thank you very much.
@CraigB: basically you would choose the closest distance from the table. It depends what you want most - good HD or good SD/DVD. So I would recommend 720p. The distance for SD/DVD to look acceptable and still get some advantage from HD as well would be 42-46 inch. The recommended size for SD would be 32″ but you might actually be OK with how SD and DVD looks on a 42 or 46 inch TV. Best would be to actually go in a store and see both SD and HD from 9 feet and pick the size YOU like better.
Thank you very much for your reply. One more question. If I changed my viewing habits (not viewing distance) and told you that I will record and watch as much as I can with Cox Cable HD instead of SD would your advice to me change at all? Would you still recommend 42-46inch 720p?
@CraigB: In that case, I would recommend 55-65 inch. 55 inch will work better for 720p content (most sports channels), and you can go as high a 65 inch to get the best of blu ray movies for example. So somewhere in the middle (58″ Panasonic or 63″ Samsung) is probably just fine for HD broadcasts. And of course, 1080p native resolution.
Hi,
Edited version (apologies).
I plan to watch regular digital TV (not HD, though may upgrade sometime in the future) from a distance of approx 9′, in a well lit room. What size and resolution would you recommend. Will be watching a lot of live sport. With thanks.
Lots of repeat questions…hopefully I won’t bore you by being redundant. I am about to buy our first flat screen and frankly have been resistant to spend the kind of money required to entertain myself with tele-vegitation. Times are changing so time to get with the program. Price is a major consideration and ever since I saw my first HD tv at the Smithsonian in DC some years ago I believed that plasma was the way to go. It appears since Vizio and Pioneer will no longer produce plasma units choice and selection as well as R&D will slow if not come to a screeching halt. So my question is will it be wise to invest in something that appears to be on it’s way out?
ps I do have a Beta machine in the basement?
MD
@Dricky74: If it’s SD, a 32″ 720p LCD TV is enough. If you plan to upgrade to HD, you should pick something between 46″ 720p up to 65″ 1080p - depending on how much money you have and/or what kind of HD content you watch most. Most sports HD broadcasts are 720p, so a TV with native resolution of 720p is enough. If you go through the guide and the comments above yours, I am sure you will figure out what is best for you.
@MikeD: I don’t think plasma is going to disappear too soon. With some exceptions (expensive ones) in LCD arena, Plasma still offers better quality for the price and better dollar-per-inch ratio.
Hey so I just got a 50 inch V10 today. You helped me come to the conclusion on the size of my tv so I just had a question about the break in on a Panasonic Plasma. Do u recommend a break in DVD or Scrolling the white bars for a certain amount of time? Or just start watchin the damn thing. ANy advice would help me out alot. Thanks you.