Bigger TVs not always better in small rooms

By Peter Familari November 05, 2008 02:00am

HUGE 55-inch widescreen. Check. High-definition tuner built-in. Check. Top sound system. Check. Connections? Four HDMI and a bundle of others. Tick them off.

So what's not to like about the just released Sony top-of-the line KDL55XBR45 LCD TV?

Not much. But buyers with the hots for such a huge screen should think carefully about the size of their living room.

The seating distance required for this fine example of an LCD TV is a minimum of 5m.

Get closer and any imperfection in the program signal, whether Blu-ray, DVD or high-definition TV program, becomes glaringly obvious.

That brings us to the question: "What is the correct seating distance for a TV?"
Measuring up

In the days of the cathode-ray tube (CRT) the correct seating distance was based on a distance of three to four times the diagonal measurement of the screen. So if the diagonal was say, a metre, the best viewing was 3m to 4m away.

The definition of a CRT TV was so low compared with today's batch of high-definition TVs that if you sat too close you could see the individual pixels of the video image.

The pixels are much finer on the modern LCD and plasma TVs. And there's a heap more of them.

The older CRT viewing distance formula doesn't always work with flat-panel TVs because the picture quality varies wildly between makes and models.

So most people watch their new TVs at whatever distance they feel comfortable.

Crate expectations

The other issue consumers need to factor in with sets this size is the physical dimensions of the shipping crate.

The Sony's crate was big enough for an adult to lie in comfortably and so heavy it required two men to cart it around.

Anyone buying this big unit beware: it won't fit in the back of the station wagon.

Unpacked and wired up to show high-definition TV programs and Blu-ray movies, the picture quality was laced with detail and a solid range of colours.

Consumers can test the quality of the picture in store simply by picking up the remote and flicking through several TV channels.

It will become clear that the new Sony Bravia will show up minute differences between TV programs.

Watch a lot of US sitcoms and daytime shows recorded using the NTSC broadcast system and converted to Australia's PAL system and don't be surprised to see the Sony highlighting their horrible orange tint.

Move to Blu-ray and well-produced 1080i high-definition TV programs and the viewing quality is top-notch for an LCD screen.

But it is still not as natural as a top 50 or 60-inch plasma TV.

Is it the best LCD TV we've seen this year? No. That prize goes to the the top sets in the current Philips 9000 series.

The Sony is the next best thing.

At a glance

Sony
Model: Bravia KDL55XBR45
Price: RRP $9999
In the top rank of LCD TVs, the Sony demands a large room and top-rank video sources.
www.sony.com.au

Rival buy
Pioneer
Model: PDP-LX609
Price: RRP $10,999
A thousand dollars dearer but with a sceen five inches larger than the Sony, the new Pioneer plasma due out this month handles motion more adeptly.
www.pioneer.com.au