We are thinking of buy a new TV And after seeing the options we have in the market and reading some guides with the most important information and recommendations, we have already found our ideal model. Now it only remains to decide what specific size of that model we take home.
At this point, and as there are increasingly more diagonal screens for cheaper prices, the idea of buy the biggest TV that fits in the living room furniture Or that we can hang on the wall, something that will undoubtedly be the most spectacular, but that can have a series of physiological and economic drawbacks.
When thinking about the ideal size of a television we must consider several aspects, such as the room size where we are going to install it, the distance at which we will usually sit and especially the type of use that we are going to give the TV, since sporadic use to watch a movie from time to time is not the same as if we want have it on all day to see DTT programs.
Hence, it is not an immediate decision and that in addition to reading the recommendations that science gives us, if we can, we can try it at the home of family or friends with the size we are thinking of buying to see if it fits in our way of use. Otherwise, if we choose too big a model We may have any of the following problems or inconveniences that will degrade the experience of using the device.
Eyestrain from not covering the entire screen
It is a very common problem with large screens if the viewer sits too close with respect to the size of the diagonal. As we saw in its day, there are studies that tell us how from 60 degrees we begin to lose color perception and at 124 degrees it is no longer possible to see well with both eyes, so there are associations such as the SMPTE that propose to consider an angle of Optimal viewing of 30 degrees, which restricts the maximum size of the television that we must install at home.
This recommendation tries to reduce the so-called effect or problem of the “tennis match”. That is, we have to be moving our heads continuously from one side to another to see all the sections of the image on the screen.
It is a nuisance that we will suffer depending on how we use the TV. For example, if we want it only to watch movies for a couple of hours in a row, fatigue will be minimal, but if we are in front of the screen all day it can cause serious discomfort.
What distance would be optimal? The general rule of thumb is that the minimum viewing distance is three times the height of the TV or 1.6 times the diagonal of a 16: 9 screen.
Thus, for distances of less than 2 meters, a size of up to 50 inches would be recommended, the 55 inch are reserved for distances of 2.1 meters, the 65 inches are recommended for about 2.5 meters and if we want to put 75 or more inches we should have at least 2.9 meters of distance between the screen and our actual position in the room.
Visual fatigue due to excess brightness
It is clear that how much more light output have a bigger screen will be the spectacularity of your images. Hence, the high dynamic range has become a must for most users, even being above the resolution of the panel.
A large TV will generally be brighter than a small one, since it has a larger emission surface and also the manufacturers reserve the most advanced technologies capable of emitting more nits for your higher end models with larger diagonals.
It is an ideal feature if we want to watch TV during the day in a room with lots of ambient light, but if we are to make viewings in a room with little lighting and / or in the evening, having a huge TV in front of us that easily reaches 800-1000 nits of light power can be counterproductive.
If we are going to watch TV for many hours a day, having a so large and powerful direct light source (yes, you can always lower the intensity of the light to a certain point) and relatively so close, it can cause discomfort and visual fatigue.
More diagonal means more electricity consumption
One of the factors that we normally do not take into consideration when choosing a television is the energy consumption. We look at the resolution, the brightness, the functionalities, the panel technology, but not whether it uses more or less watts.
However, with the times that run, it is a determining characteristic in the case that we are one of those who have the TV on for many hours a day making “background noise” and above all a question that must be taken into account if we buy a model with a large diagonal.
At this point it is worth taking a look at the technical specifications of the different models to see how much they spend and even switch to a more efficient technology such as OLED, which, as we saw in its day, can lead to significant energy savings in the long run. term.
If we are one of those who turn on the TV and have it at home all day for 8 or 10 hours, it is best to choose a model with a moderate size, since in dimensions of more than 55 inches electricity consumption skyrockets compared to the smaller versions.
To check it, we only have to go to the manufacturers’ specifications on their web pages for a specific model and see how the “standard” values (for intermediate use with brightness and luminosity values in the middle range) and “nominal or maximum values. “grow considerably with the size of diagonal.
In older LCD televisions we have consumptions that easily exceed those 200-250 watts on average in sizes 50-55 inches. But without going much back in time, with a modern LCD-LED mid-range TV (2019) of the most popular such as the Sony XG95 we have a standard / maximum consumption of 145/256 watts in 55 inches, a figure that amounts to 176 / 313 watts in 65 inches, 230/371 watts in 75 inches and that reaches 282/438 watts in the 85-inch model.
If we opt for the OLED technology, the consumption drops considerably with respect to LCD. For example, with a model from the same manufacturer, the Sony AG9 we have values of 132/394 watts in 55 inches and 169/490 watts in 65 inches. We can also opt for a more efficient model in the OLED range such as the LG G16LA with the latest generation EVO panel that offers us a consumption of 107/165 watts in the 55-inch version or 128/226 watts in the 65-inch version. inches.
That is, depending on the model we buy, going from a 55-inch diagonal to a 75-77-inch diagonal can mean about 70-80% more power consumption, something that we will have to consider if we are going to have the TV on for many hours a day.
More diagonal means more heat in the room
This electricity consumption also influences the room air conditioning. The television behaves like a small heater that will be on for a good part of the day, heating the room during use.
In winter it will be good for us, since it will be like having a flat stove on the living room furniture, but in summer it will fight against the air conditioning by raising the temperature of the home and once again increasing the cost of electricity to lower that temperature.
For example, a TV with an average consumption of about 250 watts in summer easily increases the temperature of a room of 15 square meters. 1 to 1.5 degrees, so the air conditioner will need more time and energy to keep the room cool.