Ideal distance from TV to sitting/viewin position

Here is a link for viewing distance calculator:

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

It depends on whether you are using it for normal TV viewing or you are trying to use it for Home theater.

(You state "Just for TV/Screen", which leads me to believe it will be used just for normal TV viewing, however, the sizes you state, leads me to believe it will be used for the a Home Theater setup.

If just for regular TV, I recommend a 3:1 ratio of viewing distance to screen size. (i.e. a 60 inch screen x 3 = 180 inches, or 15 feet, maximum.)

However, if you plan on using it for Home theater, I recommend a 2:1 ratio. (i.e. a 60 inch screen x 2 = 120 inches, or 10 feet, maximum.) Anything greater than a 2:1 ration will diminish the effect you are looking for. (Trust me on this. I have a 46" screen and I use the 3:1 ratio, and while nice for TV, it does not really give me the "Home Theater" effect I was hoping for. I really need a 70 inch TV, as I sit about 12 feet from the screen.)

My two cents worth anyway.

1.5 screen widths is a nice compromise between immersion and a soft image with high quality NTSC sources (DVD), and is a defacto average seating distance for home theater applications. This translates into the following viewing distances:

Diagonal -> seating distance
42" -> 55"
50" -> 66"
60" -> 79"
70" -> 92"

Relevant foot notes:

1. This is about 1% closer than you are to the screen in the last row of a THX movie theater meeting the 36 degree subtended field of vision recomendation. You need to think in terms of small movies screens not big TVs.

2. This is why one-piece consumer televisions are inappropriate for most home theater installations.