When you’re shopping for video components, especially an LCD or Plasma display, you will be inundated by marketing messages telling you how great 1080p is and how un-cool you will be if you don’t get it. Before you buy anything you need to figure out if you will even notice the difference.

The reason that question matters is because you will likely not notice the difference if you’re not using a projector. The pixels (the tiny colored boxes that make up the picture) are so small on a 720p display that you may not even see them, so 1080p would be a waste of money (assuming all other factors are the same with the displays). Below is a chart that shows the various options and how close you would need to sit to the display to see the pixels.

Display size vs resolution vs seating distance chart

Guidelines

To get the full benefit from the display you want to almost be able to see the pixels. If you buy a 1080p display you need to be sitting this close to make good use of the full resolution:

  • 32″ display – 4.5′
  • 42″ display – 6′
  • 52″ display – 7′

If you buy a 720p display you should at least sit this close, or it’s almost pointless to be watching High-Def content:

  • 32″ display – 8′
  • 42″ display – 11′
  • 52″ display – 13′
Bigger Screens

When you start to get into larger displays, especially projector-based displays, 1080p becomes worth the money. When my wife and I saw The Dark Knight in IMAX we sat about 1/4 of the way back in the theater. This seating position was so incredible I decided that I needed that same experience at home! I ended up getting a 115″ screen and we normally sit about 11′ back. Yes that is larger than what the chart shows as optimal for 1080p, however we don’t see the pixels and the immersion is wonderful. If you enjoy the large-screen experience in your local movie theater I encourage you to save up for a projector and screen so that you can have that at home.

As you can see, it’s easy to be wasteful when buying a display device. There are many factors that go into a choosing a good one, so don’t let resolution be more important then it should be. Spend your money wisely on a display that’s within your means, and at a useful resolution for your situation.

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