Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler What video games are you playing tonight?

I’m just going by any distance to screen size chart. I did quote the last post from memory but the numbers are close enough for the exercise. You can get more exacting distances off the chart below or read a full discussion on it In the link ... Rtings did one of the better discussion on why and when tv resolution becomes visible.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/size-to-distance-relationship

I should also point out that different people feel comfortable at different distances from the screen. I like to sit in the 1st 20% of the seating in a movie theater while my wife wants to be in the middle. Hence I want the couch at 6-8' from a 77" screen while my wife wants it at 12. At around 3.5 to 4' from the screen I start to want something more resolution/processing wise. ... I'll have to experiment sitting at 4' or closer sometime just to know for sure if it's too close.

Rereading that last statement I should add a bit of detail ... I need to get to about 3 1/2 feet to see the pixels on a 77" screen and then only on white static objects. Even at 2' the resolution does not bother me. It's more that compression starts to become visible (at least for prime video) and you start to notice artifacts. Make sure you're viewing a 4k source ... all bets are off if you're upscaling (I can see upscaling artifacts at 6' ... perhaps more).

Thanks for the article. Interesting read although very dated now.

My takeaway is not that higher resolutions are moot, rather larger screen sizes at close viewing distances are encouraged. They even link up what to buy with links at the top of the page disguised as a education tool. Lol.

In practice, I install PJ screen combos between a ratio of 1.1x-1.3x diagonal. Depends on room. You simply cannot plan seating for a group of viewers closer than 10’ and expect a comfortable experience from an integration standpoint. (Ive seen ot done on AVS, but those installs dont make sense for many reasons.) This yields a very comfortable screen size and also nearly optimal stereo placement for L/R channels flanking the screen. This puts my installs on the fringe of “barely noticable” in some cases.

I can tell you this simply is not accurate for more than one reason. For one, users do not view test patterns or static charts. We do for setup and calibrating, but after that not. Also, 4k content is mastered to a different color and brightness scale than 1080 rec. 709. Instant tell. Also, sitting at distances they recommend will cause severe eye fatigue in darkened rooms unless the screen brightness is reduced..... This reduces perceived contrast and also defeats the purpose of UHD grading.

I put very little stock in these kinds of articles. In my latest effort with a 110” screen, 4k is noticably better than 1080 from 20’ away at the pingpong table. Many variables in play other than angular density of pixels. It is foolish to plan a setup around maximum perceived quality..... I would have to install a puke pail at each end of the couch for viewers.

The article still applies even though it was written mid '17 (the only difference being that larger screens are more available and affordable now). You're right on all the above and I think that the article is attempting to keep things simple. Sound wise your also right in the zone.

The 1.1x-1.3x is perfect for movies at 4k and covers the the non-4k upscale problems. Personally I'd be willing to sit at 6' from a 77" screen (0.93x) if 4k content was more available and my wife would let me. As far as eye strain I'd have to try it. Anyway, I had a hard enough time convincing my wife on getting a screen bigger then a 55". To her the 77" is huge. To me it's ok, an 85" would have been better and if I weren't afraid of people touching the screen a 100" UST would have been the best I could have placed there. I'll do better in the HT if I ever get to it.

The original point was that 8K in a theater is probably a waste of bandwidth. I believe everything you stated agrees with that point. Also I agree with CV's point ... when going VR, 8K will probably be a winner as you want to cover your peripheral vision to be fully immersed. I think VR screens would need to be specialized for that purpose ... i.e. extremely curved and that they will mostly be worn.

I dont even know how an 8K display would factor in price wise for quite a while. Add lasers and I think its 2025 at least before mortals could afford one.

You could be right on the bandwidth issue too.

I cant believe you dont get pukey at that distance. Impressive. My first frankenstein setup was a 85” screen we sat 75” from. Crammed to say the least. I remember having to look at the floor periodically to stop motion sickness playing driving games. Lol.

You have strong sea legs I bet.

Sitting up close does not work for sports or games. Or anything which has you concentrating on both ends of the screen at once. At 1.1x-1.3x you're as close as you'd want to get for the majority of the people.

I'm expecting laser projectors to be crossing over the affordability/mainstream line in next year or two. As for 8k it makes sense to me as a film and editing standard with 4k being used for distribution. 8K is needed because you loose resolution every time you do any digital manipulation.

That said I'm sure people will want it ... obviously it's true with audio. I personally can't tell the difference between CD quality and anything better ...

What do the guys sitting in the middle of the couch do?? Unless you need that distance ... talk about artifacts

I haven't tried sitting closer the 1x for long periods of time ... so I may not be immune.

Playing video games that close would definitely do it ... my thought on this is with a flat screen your not fully immersed and your brain can't handle having such a large moving center image while the edges remain fixed. Plus the fact that your brain knows the image is flat ...


... wow ... keep having new thoughts on this resulting in too many posts in a row ...

In a perfect world your front wall is blacked out around the projection screen. With the lights out you are indeed fully immersed in the picture. If you have to turn your head to see the screen its too beeeeeeg.

Kinda wondering if you have met a proper setup yet. Not at all saying you dont have valid points. But in a proper setup the what ifs and doubts are gone. With newer 4K laser setups the screen does not seem flat, or like a screen at all. More a window. Cant wait till your room is done. By all means I can help you if you want. Setup is pretty crucial, and online tips and guides are pretty superficial. (He said online. Lol.) Give me a sketch with accurate dimensions and I will give you renders and floorplan.

To bring it back to gaming.

From the hunter: call of the wild during gameplay so a little wonky