Isn't there a calculation that is used to determine the optimum seating distance from a TV? Thought I read it somewhere but can't remember.

I'm not completely sure, but I think it was 3 times the diagnal of a 4:3 set, or five times the height of the screen (both 4:3 and 16:9 sets).

For an RPTV it's 2.5 x screen size (e.g. 55" TV = 12 feet distance) This number can vary some depending on the signal you are sending it. If you have an HDTV and progressive scan DVD player you can get closer without losing detail.

The number would be smaller for direct view TVs but I don't know exactly.

Obviously if you are watching widescreen movies on a 27 inch directview TV then you want to be fairly close to the screen.

I can sit quite close to a RPTV if the scan lines are removed. The picture doesn't need to be all that sharp, either.

I was told for an HDTV it's twice the diagonal measurement. I'm about 8.5 or 9' from my 55" screen. It's great for widescreen movies but kind of annoying for regular TV because of the crappy cable reception. So now I've got to enlarge the room. ([sarcasm]that makes the wife happy[/sarcasm])