This factor will probably be the first one to consider before buying a new television. Not only will it make a significant effect on the price of the television but it will affect your perception of the picture quality.
Television sizes are measured diagonally, from corner to corner of the visible part of the screen, it does not include the surrounding border or bezel. My old Sharp LCD’s screen size is 52 inches, the visible area of the screen is 45 inches x 25.5 inches. Since the television has a 2 inch bezel surrounding the screen the monitor is actually 50 inches x 31 inches. The stand and speaker add another 3 inches to the height, making the overall size of the television 50 inches x 34 inches. For people with limited space, it may be these last dimensions that will dictate the size of television that could be purchased. Fortunately, the bezel on televisions has continually been decreasing over time, therefore given a maximum space the actual size of the television screen that can be fit into this space has increased. For example, newer OLED televisions have a bezel of less than ¼ inch and therefore the overall dimensions of a 2020 55 inch OLED is about the same as a 2007 50 inch LCD display. In my case I had an existing monitor stand and limited space so this was definitely a consideration for me.
If you do not have space limitations, optimal sizes have been determined based on your viewing distance. The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers recommends a viewing distance such that the screen fills up approximately 30 degrees of your field of vision as the optimal distance for mixed usage. Using this criteria, RTINGS (R3) indicates that the optimal television size can be determined by dividing your viewing distance by 1.6. For example, if you normally watch your television from a distance of 7 feet or 72 inches, you should purchase a display of 72/1.6 or 45 inches. This is for HD television sets which generally have a pixel density of 1920 by 1080. The maximum pixel density of a 4K display is 4 times as great at 4096 by 2160 and therefore one can get much closer to it before seeing the individual pixels. Therefore, the ratio may be even lower (e.g. 1.2) for 4K televisions and therefore you can get much closer to a 4K television which allows you to get a more immersive experience.
Due to advancements in technology and consumer demands, the average screen sizes of televisions has increased over the years. In the 1990’s, the average screen size was in twenty inch size range whereas today, televisions sizes average 55 inches and larger. It is generally thought that this change is due to the increasing tendency for people to want to enjoy a more cinematic experience at home. This has resulted from the availability of movies for home viewing with video players and more recently with the growth of streaming services such as Netflix. What this means for buyers is that the average size is often the sweet spot in terms of pricing, the prices of screen sizes larger than this average size often increases significantly. For example a 55 inch Sony A8H OLED retails for $2,499 (CDN) while the 65 inch model is $3,699 (CDN). The high end Samsung QLED Q80T increases from $1,799 (CDN) for a 55 inch model, $2,299 (CDN) for 65 inches and $3,699 (CDN) for 75 inches.
When all factors are considered, it may come down to the screen size that corresponds to the amount of money that you are willing to spend on a television. Once you have more or less figured out the size of television that you will suit your needs and budget, it is time to consider different technologies which at the same time may mean a choice between manufacturers.
Next part: LCD versus OLED and what the heck is QLED.
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