Simply LED TV Wall mounts

One major consideration you should have when considering your tv and tv wall mounts is the optimal viewing distance.

Many of you will remember growing up with small TV’s when you were kids. I remember when my family were huddled around an ‘enormous’ 12 inch screen watching old black and white TV shows together. The screen was so small we had it about 3 feet away – and we were still squinting!

Today’s TV’s are getting bigger and bigger, and with the latest flat screen tv wall mounts, can be placed in any location imaginable.

But despite the massive range of flat panel tv wall mounts available, many people still sit unnecessarily close to their TV’s – especially gamers, who love to be completely immersed by their TV screens. Sitting too close can be harmful. Many studies argue that sitting too close to TV’s can damage your eyes, cause short-sightedness and myopia.

While some of these studies are heavily disputed, some of the undeniable side effects of sitting too close are headaches and pains from bad posture caused by excessive hours sat down on furniture that provides no back support.

So how far back should you be?

There have been many studies on optimal viewing distance and the reality is there’s no hard and fast rule. However, there are guidelines and calculators out there that will give you a good idea of the optimal distance to sit at.

A good starting point for widescreen TV’s is to take the screen size in inches and divide by four to find the optimal viewing distance in feet. For examples, see the table below.

As you can see, you should be sitting around 11.5 feet away from a 46″ TV screen – meaning at 11.5 feet you’ll be able to see the whole of your TV comfortably without pixilation.

That may be a disappointment for some people as their room may not be big enough to sit that far away, but remember, comfortable viewing is much more important than screen size – and an overly large TV in a small room will not suit the room well, so choose your TV and plasma or lcd tv wall mounts carefully.

More information

Of course, the ‘divide by four’ theory is a rough estimate and there are other factors that will determine the optimal viewing distance including the width of the TV, viewing angle and resolution. For example, higher resolution TV allow for closer viewing as pixels that make up the image are smaller / more numerous. Custom TV wall mounts can also offer a range of mounting options that can affect the distance too.

For more information, try searching for ‘viewing distance calculator’ in Google and have a closer look at the results.

Conclusion

There’s no definitive optimal viewing distance calculator as every person is different. To find out the optimal viewing distance for you, use the ‘divide by four’ rule as an estimate then visit your local audio/video store. Stand in front of the TV’s and measure how far away you are to view them comfortably. If you haven’t already bought the TV, base the size of TV you buy on the size of your room and the viewing distance. A little bit of extra research now will make the TV you buy a great investment that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

For more information on choosing the right wall mount for you, click tv wall mounts.

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