Sony's 2008 4000 range of LCD HDTVs for the UK
Due to the success of my piece about Samsung's 2008 A-range of LCD HDTVs for the UK and by popular request from my boss I have been encouraged to look at Sony's 2008 4000 range of LCD HDTVs for the UK. As before the aim is to highlight the critical differences in the specifications between the different ranges.
What size TV screen should I get and how far away should I sit?
A common question when buying a new TV is "What size screen should I get given that I sit at distance X from the TV?" or alternatively, "What is the best distance to view a TV from if it has a screen size of Y?" This table answers the question but read more if you want a full explanaton.
| Table of Optimal Screen sizes | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| viewing distance |
normal vision (20/20) | good vision (20/15) | poor vision (20/30) | |||||||||||
| PAL | 720p | Full HD | PAL | 720p | Full HD | PAL | 720p | Full HD | ||||||
| 1 meters | 3 feet | < 13" | 13"-17" | 17"-25" | < 10" | 10"-13" | 13"-19" | < 20" | 20"-26" | 26"-38" | ||||
| 1.5 meters | 5 feet | < 20" | 20"-25" | 25"-37" | < 15" | 15"-19" | 19"-28" | < 30" | 30"-37" | 37"-56" | ||||
| 2 meters | 6.5 feet | < 27" | 27"-34" | 34"-50" | < 20" | 20"-25" | 25"-38" | < 40" | 40"-50" | 50"-76" | ||||
| 2.5 meters | 8 feet | < 34" | 34"-42" | 42"-63" | < 25" | 23"-32" | 32"-47" | < 50" | 46"-65" | 65"-94" | ||||
| 3 meters | 10 feet | < 40" | 40"-50" | 50"-76" | < 30" | 30"-38" | 38"-57" | < 60" | 60"-76" | 76"-103" | ||||
| 4 meters | 13 feet | < 54" | 54"-67" | 67"-101" | < 40" | 40"-50" | 50"-76" | < 80" | 80"-100" | 100"-152" | ||||
| 5 meters | 16 feet | < 67" | 67"-84" | 84"-126" | < 50" | 50"-63" | 63"-95" | < 100" | 100"-126" | 126"-190" | ||||
When is the best time to buy an HDTV?
Digital Switchover Madness?
My local paper has just run an article about "Digital Madness" with the storyline that people are confused about the Digital Swithover. They claim that people are needlessly throwing away analogue TVs that could be converted to digital using a receiver costing as little as £20. The story is accompanied by shots of loads of old TVs at a recycling plant.
It's true, they could be converted, but the paper has it wrong. The truth is that people are dumping their old CRT TVs in order to buy better flatscreen ones. The paper knows this but prefers the more shocking line about wastage and confusion due to the switchover.
