Does Matter Heres When Screen Size vs. Viewing Distance vs. Resolution Carlton Bale. Ive read various articles debating the importance of the 1. I want to set the record straight once and for all if you are serious about properly setting up your viewing room, you will definitely benefit from 1. Why Because the 1. But dont just take my word for it read on for the proof. SAMSUNG 60 Class LED 1080p Smart HDTV 2 HDMI inputs 2 USB ports 1080p resolution Motion Rate 120 wide color enhancer. Z6s4Wg9LM5Q/hqdefault.jpg' alt='If Only 1080P' title='If Only 1080P' />Dahua has been making waves lately with some new products that are outstanding at a price point thats breaking barriers. The IPCHFW3200CN is an HD 1080P outdoor. There are a few obvious factors to being able to detect resolution differences the resolution of the screen, the size of the screen, and the viewing distance. To be able to detect differences between resolutions, the screen must be large enough and you must sit close enough. So the question becomes How do I know if need a higher resolution or not. Here is your answer. Based on the resolving ability of the human eye, it is possible to estimate when the differences between resolutions will become apparent. A person with 2. 02. E on the 2. 02. Snellen eye chart from 2. Using the Home Theater Calculator spreadsheet as a base, I created a chart showing, for any given screen size, how close you need to sit to be able to detect some or all of the benefits of a higher resolution screen. Click the picture below for a larger version. What the chart shows is that, for a 5. For the same screen size, the benefits of 1. In my opinion, 6. Usb 2.0 To Fast Ethernet Adapter Driver Mac'>Usb 2.0 To Fast Ethernet Adapter Driver Mac. Need For Speed 3 Hot Pursuit. TV even through the THX recommended viewing distance for a 5. So, most consumers will not be able to see the full benefit of their 1. TV. However, front projectors and rear projection displays are a different story. They make it very easy to obtain large screen sizes. Plus, LCD and Plasma displays are constantly getting larger and less expensive. In my home, for example, I have a 1. For a 1. 23 inch screen, the benefits of 7. For the same screen size, the benefits of 1. This means that people in the back row of my home theater would see some improvement if I purchased a 1. Note the THX recommended max viewing distance for a 1. So, how close should you be sitting to your TVObviously, you need to look at your room and see what makes sense for how you will be using it. If you have a dedicated viewing room and can place seating anywhere you want, you can use this chart as a guideline. Its based on THX and SMPTE specifications for movie theaters the details are available in the Home Theater Calculator spreadsheet. Looking at this chart, it is apparent that 1. Any resolution less than 1. For me and many people with large projection screens, 1. In fact, you could probably even benefit from 1. If you havent heard of 1. Heres a link to some info on Audioholics. It is part of the HDMI 1. Youll partially be able to see the benefits of 1. THX Max Recommended viewing distance and the resolution benefits will be fully apparent if you are just a little closer. Ive read of plans for resolutions reaching 2. I dont see any benefit youd have to sit too darn close to the screen to notice any improvement. If you sit too close, you cant see the far edges of the screen. In conclusion. If you are a videophile with a properly setup viewing room, you should definitely be able to notice the resolution enhancement that 1. However, if you are an average consumer with a flat panel on the far wall of your family room, you are not likely to be close enough to notice any advantage. Check the chart above and use that to make your decision. ISF states the the most important aspects of picture quality are in order 1 contrast ratio, 2 color saturation, 3 color accuracy, 4 resolution. Resolution is 4th on the list and plasma is generally superior to LCD in all of the other areas but much more prone to reflectionsglare. So pick your display size, then measure your seating distance, and then use the charts above to figure out if you would benefit from the larger screen size. So be sure to calibrate your screen I recommend the following for calibration. Recommended Calibration ToolsI dont like reading charts just tell me what resolution I needIf you dont like reading charts and are looking for a quick answer, enter you screen size below to see how close youll need to sit to fully appreciate various screen resolutions. Note about or closer viewing distances calculated above if you sit closer than the distances shown above, you will be able to see some but not all of the detail offered by the next higher resolution.