LED, LCD and plasma TV: What size TV should I buy?
- Select the right TV screen size for your home with our interactive tool
- Input your viewing distance to find the right screen size
- Recommendations for standard and high-definition, plus 3D TV
TV screen size and viewing distance calculator
The choice of TV screen size and the type of TV we watch on is more important than ever. Watch a lot of high-definition TV? Then you should look to get a bigger screen. But, sit too close to a big screen when watching standard-definition TV and the results can be disappointing.
The final decision will often be a compromise between your viewing habits and the size of your living room. But be realistic - are you really going to start knocking through walls to accommodate your new super-sized plasma TV? To help avoid any calls to the local builder, our handy screen size selector tool should help you find the best compromise.
Check out our TV buying guide for more in-store hints and tips. And, exclusive to Which? members, once you're ready to buy check out our in-depth, expert TV reviews.
Click the links below to see TVs in your recommended size range:
- Reviews of 19 to 26-inch TVs - best for kitchens and bedrooms
- Reviews of 32 to 42-inch TVs - best for normal living rooms
- Reviews of 46 to 60-inch TVs - best for the perfect home cinema experience
Getting the right screen size for standard-definition TV
Most of us, most of the time, watch standard-definition TV. Standard-definition, whether on regular DVD or broadcast via services such as Freeview, is made up of 576 horizontal lines. This looks fine from a certain distance, but sit too close in a small room and it's easy to spot the lines and pixels that make up the picture.
Matters can be made worse by the lower quality standard-definition broadcast signal. Digital TV is compressed for broadcast, resulting in a loss of quality and common problems such as a granular effect known as 'picture noise'. Bigger screen sizes tend to be less forgiving of the digital picture processing side-effects more apparent on a lower quality standard-definition picture.
The best spot for standard-definition is roughly seven times the picture height away from the screen - this is equivalent to around 8 or 9 feet for a 32-inch TV. But, what if you were to throw high-definition into the mix? And how close-up should you get to a huge TV?
High-definition TV for bigger room sizes
HD TV boasts roughly double the resolution of a standard-definition signal, making it more detailed and realistic. Each frame is made up of 1,080 lines, either interlaced for broadcast HD (all the even lines are scanned and then the odd ones) or progressively as on Blu-ray discs (the lines are simply scanned one after another). The latter 1080p standard is marginally more detailed and realistic, but the difference is really quite subtle.
Either way, the extra detail means you can sit closer when watching HD TV (or watch from the same viewing distance as you normally do but with a bigger telly), but with less chance of seeing the digital picture processing side effects. As a rule of thumb, bigger plasma and LCD TV screen sizes tend to do justice to the extra detail of HD.
SD versus HD TV
| SD and HD comparison | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Users | Video resolution | Frame rate (frames per second) |
| Standard-definition broadcast | Freeview, Sky, Virgin, analogue TV | 576i | 25fps |
| Standard-definition DVD | Standard DVD discs | 576i | 25fps |
| High-definition broadcast | Sky HD, Freeview HD, Freesat HD, Virgin HD | 1080i | 25fps |
| High-definition DVD | Blu-ray DVD, high-definition games consoles | 1080p | 24fps |
In reality most of us don't watch just one type of TV or another, we watch a mixture of standard and high-definition TV. There's no absolute golden rule, and the final decision will often be down to your personal preference and the size of your room. But instead of shifting between optimum positions for SD and HD TV, the sensible option is to opt for a compromise viewing distance, or a compromise TV screen size.
3D TV and TV screen size
Some of the latest HD TVs are 3D-ready. As a rule of thumb, for the optimum 3D experience our expert panel watch from a distance of four times the screen height away from the screen. Sitting close to a 3D TV reduces the chance of being distracted by the frame of the TV, and increases the chance of enjoying a more immersive 3D experience. The effect of the screen resolution tends to be of lesser importance, as the brain concentrates on the depth effect.
To watch TV in 3D you'll need a pair of glasses and access to some 3D content. Sky and Virgin launched 3D services in 2010 that work with their current HD boxes, and the latest 3D Blu-ray players can playback 3D Blu-ray movies.
- See all our TV Best Buys to find the perfect TV for you.
- Check out our LED, LCD and plasma TV Best Buys
- Not sure which brand TV to invest in? Take a look at our best TV brands
