Re: SIT CLOSER TO YOUR HDTV

My bad for using an analogy to illustrate a point to you Skyturkey. The point of this thread (actually many of the replies to it) is that a lot of people are not comfortable sitting as close to the TV as those guidelines suggest. I'm at the back edge of what they suggest for a 52" screen. It's pretty comfortable for me but I could see how any closer would be a bit much. Sitting too far back where it'd look like a postage stamp would be dumb. Most people replying here are talking about the balance between viewing comfort and maximum resolution. As far as wasting money goes, from your assorted posts on your equipment history, I'd say you're a highly qualified expert.

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As far as wasting money goes, from your assorted posts on your equipment history, I'd say you're a highly qualified expert.

Why thank you. And as the expert I am, you should heed the advice provided to you my myself and several others on this thread to actually take advantage of the money you've spent.

At the very least, we now know why a few of you think that there's no perceivable difference between standard DVD and high definition media!

Yeah, what it really comes down to is what a person is comfortable with. We all tend to think that our own equipment and even our own viewing distance is what everyone else should adopt, but it comes down to personal preference. I suppose, though, that it doesn't hurt to experiment or try to get other people to experiment. Ideally, one would have one's viewing chairs or sofas on wheels to accommodate whatever source we were watching (SD or HD).

I just came home from the motion-picture theater ("The Bank Job," highly recommended), and I'm always amazed at how many people voluntarily choose to sit in the farthest seats from the screen or in seats on the far left or far right. Some people even like sitting in the upper left back seats or whatever. And I wonder why they don't try to get seats in the very center of the theater where I sit, where they can enjoy the surround sound to its fullest and see the screen in all its glory but without ruining their eyesight or straining their neck. But I'm just happy that most people don't try to sit in the middle. It leaves more room for me.

John

So we're the few that runs into the theatre to find the middle seats? Nice...

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HD offers no benefits from a distance at which your eye cannot perceive more detail than that in a 480 line image (or less).

So, yet again, what's the point if you're gona have to look closer like if you needed glasses? Obviously not worth it, but let me tell you, I have a 32" 1080i and I sit about 9 feet away from it, and I do notice the difference between not-HD digital video, and real HD video. Now, I haven't been able to compare on HD DVD, but I think it would be hard for me to notice the difference...I do have a combo disc, I'll check it later...

[Post edited by mvckalel on Mar 7, 2008]

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And I wonder why they don't try to get seats in the very center of the theater where I sit, where they can enjoy the surround sound to its fullest and see the screen in all its glory but without ruining their eyesight or straining their neck. But I'm just happy that most people don't try to sit in the middle. It leaves more room for me.

Please provide the name and address of this theater. It seems everyone in my neighborhood knows exactly where the sweet spot is and we have to wait at least two weeks even with mediocre new releases to get our place there without fighting!

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And I wonder why they don't try to get seats in the very center of the theater where I sit, where they can enjoy the surround sound to its fullest and see the screen in all its glory but without ruining their eyesight or straining their neck. But I'm just happy that most people don't try to sit in the middle. It leaves more room for me.

Yeah, sometimes I'm curious about that myself. My girlfriend would never even consider sitting anywhere else in the theater but the dead center because of that same reason, which works out for me as well because that's where you get the optimal viewing experience anyway. It could also be a bit of a pain as well, as I've had to walk out of theaters numerous times because all of those good seats were taken moments after the people were let in.

That's why most of us go on Mondays or Tuesdays...and days after the release....

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I have a 32" 1080i and I sit about 9 feet away from it, and I do notice the difference between not-HD digital video, and real HD video.

I take it that 1080i is a CRT? Well if it has 1080 lines of viewable data, no matter if you have 20/20 vision you will not perceive the amount of detail delivered. In fact, just a couple more feet away and you'll be unable to resolve the full amount of detail in an NTSC 720x480 image. Any more than 11 feet, two inches from away from the screen, and even NTSC would be a waste of money for you since you cannot resolve that resolution from that distance with perfect vision.

The fact you can tell broadcast analog NTSC from HD at that distance probably has more to do with signal quality (stability, color depth, etc.) than actual resolution.

Sky,

The secret is (1) getting to the theater early (I like to arrive at least ten minutes before the trailers start, and it gives me time to socialize with a movie buddy or with my wife), (2) going to an early matinee on a weekday (yeah, the joys of retirement), and (3) maybe waiting a week or two after the movie has opened (today was an exception with "The Bank Job," and we noticed there were quite a few more people than usual. Normally, we're practically the only people in the multiplex).

John

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My girlfriend would never even consider sitting anywhere else in the theater but the dead center because of that same reason, which works out for me as well because that's where you get the optimal viewing experience anyway.

It's not just viewing experience, but audio experience as well. Each audio channel is calibrated to converge properly to that center point, which just coincides with the THX recommended viewing angle specification of course. Sitting elsewhere is like having those late quests that come to your house take that awful seating area near the left rear surround speaker.