Have your say & ask the experts

Is there a general rule of thumb for best viewing distance in relation to screen size? I ask because I will be reshuffling my lounge and I am weighing up which size screen would be best. I currently use a 40" screen across the width of the room. To go any bigger I think I would need to use the the length of the room and perhaps fix a screen to the far wall. If I do this I also intend to put up a dummy wall to fix the TV and my kef satellites to. I could then run all of the wires behind the wall just leaving a sexy new TV and my speakers! I know I haven't listed any room dimensions but I was just after something like:

40 inch screen ideal distance is x amount of feet.

50 inch screen ideal distance is x amount of feet etc etc.

Hope this makes some kind of sense to someone out there

The rule used to be a factor of 3 i.e. 40inch screen for 120inch viewing distance

However if you watch (or will watch) lots of the HD TV then the factor is lower so a bigger TV might then be in order!

 Wives, of course, always want a smaller screen than the husbands!

Loads of stuff on the web also re standard viewing distances for SD and HD, seems there is a "standard" set for viewing SD and HD and the replies above also support that the distance can be less for HD

We have a 52W5500 with a viewing distance of 3.2 metres, watch loads of Sky HD and SD plus upscaled DVD, and it is perfect, really fills your eyes with picture width and the surround sound some how seems more effective also, I guess as it is now happening off screen (as it were) so seems more discreet

Go for the biggest your viewing distance will allow, probably between 46" and 52", and enjoy

Cheers for the replies. You've pretty much convinced me to go for at least 50". I will prepare and present my case to the relevant authorities................her indoors!