So... don't actually have the money yet but it's becoming clear that I need a larger TV for the new house. I'm currently running the old 27" and have a borrowed 32" in the back of the car (too %$#%^$# heavy to carry up the stairs by myself) but at some point fairly soon I am going to have to get something larger.

The loft area is roughly 21 feet wide and 23 feet deep, with the TV in the center of the 21 foot wall. It's a 1-1/2 story house, so the loft is tucked under the 45 degree ceilings with essentially no walls.

I will almost definitely end up with the piano behind the seating position, so I have something like 10-12 feet from the front of a typical big-screen TV to the main viewing position. I arranged for power and cable runs to a post at the far end of the loft (assuming I would put in a projector) but given the seating distance and the relatively high light levels I'm thinking that a rear-projection TV is probably the way to go.

So... I see recommendations ranging from 1.6x diagonal to 2.25x diagonal for viewing distance depending on the resolution and quality of the TV and content. Assuming I will be running with decent quality DVD most of the time what mult8iplier do you think I should be using ?

10 foot viewing distance and 2.25x multiplier gives me about a 50" RPTV, which is nicely affordable. 12 feet and a 1.6 multiplier gives me around 90", implying a projector, and almost everything in between either needs a projector or a big expensive RPTV.

I am kinda leaning towards a good 50" RPTV, ideally something like a Sony SXRD so I can ooze gracefully into Blu-Ray/HD-DVD... what kind of viewing distance are people using with a 50" TV ?

Thanks,
John

51" x 120" screen baaaaaaaaby, now that is what I'm talkin about.

Yeah, I have this uneasy feeling that I should be planning around something like that... maybe a bit smaller... but I'm going to squirm around looking for alternatives a little while longer

Seating from 9.5 to 15 feet in our family room for 50 SXRD.

My son has 56 Samsung under similar viewing.

I think you hit on the real question I need to answer... am I building a real Home Theater in the loft or is it really the den slash music room ? I'm kinda thinking den / music room with a real HT going in the basement later as funds permit.

Darn it... the builder asked if I wanted to build stepped seating into the foundation and concrete slab... and I said no ;(

I tell ya John, I used to have a 55" HD projection tv, and for big theater experience I'll never go back. If you get a projector that is 720p or above, HD material looks breath taking. I've even had a few friends say it looks better than plasma.

Anyway, we also intend to put a smaller 32" or so LCD tv in the same room for when watching the news and things. For movies and HD bring on the big screen. Also, don't plan to go to the theaters anytime soon.

Check with Dennis, I think he'll be getting a projector/screen soon.

I'm sitting about 12-13 feet from my 60" Sony SXRD. I would NOT want to go smaller!

I vote for the HT in the basment John, and you have enough height to build a raised platform out of wood for the seating thing. In my expieriance and my opinion, the wood floor for seating is better for sub woofers, than a concrete slab. Go with the den/music for the loft.

That would work... M40s in the loft for music and HT in the basement...

I just like the way the loft floor... umm... undulates... when the subwoofer is working hard

Mr Rat!,...We understand!!

We sit 12' from our 65" and it seems to be getting smaller monthly!

....and it seemed so large when we got it!

If it were flat and sat near the wall we'd need an 80" or binoculars

.....or a projector.



And up until about seven years ago, 19" was our standard TV size!!

Yeah, and our TV came over the air and our phone came over a wire....whooda guessed!

Hi John. I have a 57" and it seemed a bit big at first. (seated 8-10 feet away) until I got HD. The resolution makes a huge difference in how close the seating can be.

I now find 6-8 feet very fine veiwing.

John, just trust your lean. Go with 10' and the 50" SXRD.

You have to think about lighting issues as well. A place to watch casual tv (news and the like) under ambient lighting. A HT with the darkness necessary.

The SXRD looks good it the lighted room and lights out as well.

I imagine brightness (darkness) control will be the final nail in the coffin of my plans for HT in the loft. The area is open on two sides to big triangular windows so the whole house would have to be blacked out in order to get a dark viewing area...

... or maybe I could borrow from Get Smart and come up with a "cone of darkness" which could be lowered for movies

Yeah, but then you'd have to rearrange your speakers for changing room reflections. You can't win.

Hi John - looks like fun stuff. The planning is almost as much fun as the getting. Let me confuse things a bit for you.

I have a 42” Panasonic plasma in the great room above the fireplace. It is a Commercial model (no tuner or speakers) and the PQ is stunning. I also have a 50” Sony 50XBR800 LCD (currently in the 2nd bedroom and will shortly make it’s way to the basement theater room I am working on).

I got the Panny when we moved into the house in June, knowing I would be doing the basement. I was a died-in-the-wool Sony LCD guy. The LCD is very good, the Panny is excellent. Shortly after the basement settles, I will be replacing the 50” Sony with a 60” – 65” something. The seating distance “requires” a bigger TV

Anyhow, I have narrowed my choices down to the Sony SXRD or a Panny plasma (they just announced a new 58” size). The local Circuit City has the 50” SXRD and a 50” Panny plasma sitting sort of side by side (how nice of them) and it’s easy to compare. The net here is that they both throw off excellent PQ and I could live with either. I give the edge for PQ, color pop and, most assuredly, blacks & details to the Panny.

Having said all of that, let me suggest that you look at the Commercial Panny. The current 50” model is TH-50PHD8UK. A couple of sources (price, trustworthiness and excellent customer service) are Newegg and VisualApex. Price would be just under $3000 (a bit less expensive than the SXRD). The next model (in 1080P) should be out in April/May from Panny and will likely be a bit less expensive based on the MSRP numbers I’ve seen.

The Panny that Circuit City (and other B&Ms) have is the same as the Commercial, so you can seee the PQ (and maybe compare to the SXRD). The Consumer version comes with speakers, a tuner and a higher price tag.

I hope the info is helpful.

Thanks all !!

The SXRD 60 just dropped $1000 in Canada so it might be a possibility. Sure is nice. Will also look at that commercial Panasonic if I can find it up here.

Randy, I will measure out 51x120" on the wall today but it's gonna be a tight fit under the angled ceiling

John,

Go look at the consumer Panny in a local B&M. The only differences between the commerercial and consumer is that the consumer version has a tuner and speakers. The glass/PQ is the same.

Ray,
actually there are a few minor differences between the consumer and commercial Pannys. I've got a TH-50PHD8UK coming to me very shortly, so I've gotten to wade through the AVS forums *shudder* to do some research. The glass is the same, but I've heard, not confirmed (so take it with a grain of salt) that the video processing hardware is beefier for the commercial. I do know that the commercial has much more "tweakability" in the picture (color, hue, etc.) than the consumer. The commercial also has somewhat more limited connection options, in so far as it comes with a VGA, component, S-video and composite inputs on removeable "blades" you insert in the bottom of the monitor. There are HDMI and DVI blades you can buy seperately and insert, as well as a bunch of other input types (RGB, wireless, SDI, twisted pair)

Hi Ash. You are absolutely correct.

They are configured to sell to different marlets based on their end use. The point I was trying to make (somewhat akwardly) is that stripping most everything else aside, the PQ betwen the commercial and consumer models is pretty near identical. I illustrated that because it would be pretty uncommon to find the commercial version in a B&M, so looking at the consumer model provides a pretty good alternative.

BTW, you are going to LOVE the 50 when it shows up. I'm happy to see you were able to find one - they are pretty scarce (that whole supply/demand thing). I REALLY can't wait to see the new 58". Post your impressions of the 50 when you get it.

In reply to:

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BTW, you are going to LOVE the 50 when it shows up. I'm happy to see you were able to find one - they are pretty scarce (that whole supply/demand thing). I REALLY can't wait to see the new 58". Post your impressions of the 50 when you get it.

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well I ordered it from a Panasonic flagship dealer outside of Richmond about a month and half ago and Pannys been real slow getting them out. Last I heard it'd be "a week or two", of course that was two weeks ago! Doesn't really matter though cause my DirectTV isn't installed yet and I'm leaving for Disney World in a week. (Darn!!) Oh, I'll definetly post a review once I get it up on the wall, and I might even post some pictures!

>>51" x 120" screen baaaaaaaaby, now that is what I'm talkin about.

OK, it does fit... just... and one of my friends who designs and decorates high end offices for a living thinks she can get some spiffy automated blackout blinds for a song...

Randy, does that lens make things wider or just shrink the picture vertically ? I'm still looking at the basement for a real HT; looks like I can squeeze about 10 feet from lens to wall without having to cut a projector-shaped hole in the steel beam that holds up the main floor... so if the anamorphic lens stretches rather than shrinks and I pick my projector carefully I *might* be able to make this work...

For now, we just finished hauling the 32" CRT up to the loft and I am *not* carrying that back down again soon, so 32" 4:3 it is for a while. If someone can post a link to some inexpensive anamorphic glasses then presumably I could wear them when I wanted to watch in 16:9 ?