I bought myself a 42 inch TV set when I first moved in. It was cheap so I bought it.
I know of my neighbours who have bought 50" TV sets, some were triple of my price.
So I thought to myself... Really? Is a 50" TV set 3x better than a 42" TV set???
This got me thinking. Is there an optimal size for my TV?
Previously, we used to have 20" TVs and now, those are almost non-existent.
Then 32" became normal.
Then now, even my 42" TV is considered small.
So what do I mean when I am talking about optimal size?
I remember previously, when I was watching TV, I could easily follow the show AND read the subtitles at the same time. The eye can only focus on a small area at a time, although it can see around 105 degrees left and right (total 210 degrees), the sides are basically just to notice movement, so that the head can move towards the movement and the eye can focus on it.
So to me, the optimal size of a TV is when I am able to keep a good focus on the show and read subtitles at the same time. Cos there are times, when the TV is too big, the subtitles are 1.5m - 2m long, and by the time my eyes run through the words, I miss the details of the scene.
I am around 2.5m -3 m from my TV. I reckon most people who stay in the new HDBs are around this distance. At this distance, even with my 42" TV, I find it a little strained when watching shows. I mean, I can follow the show, but I'm kinda rushing to scan the subtitles so that I can return my focus to the center of the screen.
I've tried watching shows on my dad's 32" TV in his room. That's pretty small. I can hardly make out some words on the TV and I have to go closer to the screen.
Thus, I reckon that the sweet spot is somewhere between this range. Maybe around 35"-38" at around 2.5m-3m distance from the screen. I find the TV size in the hotel room to be pretty optimal cos I can watch Bloomberg and read the text news and follow the audio news at the same time. I didn't really measure that size, but it's definitely less than my current TV size and larger than my dad's TV.
So I do wonder... why do people continue to buy large TVs?
Regardless of where you sit on the couch, people are around 3m from the TV. Even with 14 people in the house during a gathering, a larger TV doesn't really mean that there is significant benefits from the size, unless they all can move further away from the TV.
I recognize that there may be instances, where a family would use the built in TV bracket to turn the TV towards the dinner table so that they can watch TV and eat at the same time. This might be a good case for a larger TV cos the dining table is usually further away.
However, basically, I think, people don't think so much.
People don't think about the size the eye can focus on in relation to distance and size of the TV.
I think, people just buy a TV around 48" and above. Cos everyone else is doing so, and cos it's the "normal" price and size of a TV now.
Also, a larger TV fills up the wall space so it doesn't look empty. Cos I think it's normal for people to want to fill up empty spaces. If the area permits, then fill it up. Else there's going to be so much empty space on the wall without anything there.
I guess I'm just weird. Cos I'm probably one of the few who would actually WANT a smaller TV. Cos I actually think it allows me to watch the show better. Cos I can have a clear view of the whole screen from where I am sitting. Whereas, I think for most people, it's about the size and the cost.
Like for my laptop, I intentionally got a larger screen laptop cos I expected to be watching shows on it. So I got a 14" laptop. At 1m - 1.5m, the size is just nice. So if I scale that by 2.5, I would get 35". Which is the expected optimal size for my TV.
Hmmm... maybe I'm just overthinking things.
Does anyone else feel the same? ie, finding it hard to follow the show and subtitles at the same time due to the size of the TV? Or is it just me reading slowly?
Thanks!
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