I'm in the market for a new TV and I've narrowed it down to a Panasonic plasma. However, I'm torn on what size to get. My viewing area is approximately 11 feet from the TV (plus another 6 inches if I mount it on the wall). From what I understand, the "optimal" size would be between 54 and 56 inches for that distance.

But as far as I can tell, they only make 50 inch and 58 inch plasma sets. My gut tells me 50 inches will be fine, but maybe not impressive. At the same time, I worry that the 58 inch version would be too big.

[Note, it's possible that I'll have additional viewing via chairs to the sides of the couch. If so, they'll be off to the side but closer to the TV.]

Any thoughts on this decision?

If you have a chance to view the tv's from the viewing distance, then do so.

IMHO the 58" will be fine, I sit 12 feet from my 100" screen in my theater.

Wow, that's a big theater screen.

I guess I also need to decide if I really need a 1080 TV. The smaller versions come in 720 and 1080, but the bigger one only comes in 1080 from what I'm aware of. If I don't get into Blu-Ray right away, I'm not sure the price difference is worth it.

Buy what you have room for and can afford. I've had an HDTV for five years, and read the forums for a few months before that. Bottom line - I could probably count the number of times I've heard "I wish I would have bought smaller" on my fingers. However, a lot of people regret not buying bigger. I sit 10-11' from a 64", and we could easily sit closer.

The largest TV we had in our house was 25" when we bought our 64" The screen was as big as the entire entertainment center we had before that. The difference was obviously huge, but it didn't take long for that to just become "the TV in our family room". Not that it's not a large screen, but it didn't take long for the "overwhelming" factor to wear off.

Yes but most likely you will go with BD in the future. If you can afford the 58" I would suggest going with that one. If your estimation is correct your only off by 2",so I don't think you would tell the difference.
If money is the issue then you could compromise and go with the 50" 1080P and you then have BD covered later on . Just my 2-cents

Thanks but I have (and had) actually thought about going larger. The only time an image is too large is when the quality is compromised or when you are sitting too close and it causes eye strain.

I have never heard anyone say they wish they had a smaller image to view.

Money is a factor, yes. But only if I plan to buy everything at the same time. For example, if I buy the bigger TV, I can't go out and buy the XBox 360 and a Blu-Ray player on the same day. If I get the smaller one, I can obviously get both of those on the same day.

I don't think I have a problem buying the TV and then buying the components over the next year. It just means I wouldn't be living up to the TV's potential right out of the box.

So, to summarize so far:

Very few people wish they would've bought smaller, so go with the bigger model.

If I plan to buy a Blu-Ray player in the next 5 years, I should go with the 1080.

If you're on a budget, get the 50" 720p ($1200-$1400), otherwise, then step up to the 58" 1080p (around $2800-$3800). At 11.5' viewing distance you won't get that much more visual improvement with a 50" 1080p model ($1700 and up), unless it helps you sleep at night knowing your TV set is a 1080p model.

Remember, resolution alone does not tell the tale of how good a TV is going look and perform (color, contrast, black levels, etc are also important).

Totally understood on the need for more than resolution. I'm not even sold on the need for 1080. I'm just worried about the size. Well, the size and I guess the need for the best picture if I ever upgrade to Blu-Ray.

Just ask your significant other if it hurts.
If it doesn't, then it's not too big.

Wait...what were we talking about again?

Like someone else mentioned, the "wow" factor will eventually wear off...even if you go with the 58" badboy. Get what you can afford.

If your room is large enough, go bigger.

I have a 50" 720p Panny, PS3 Blu-Ray, and sit about 12-13ft away.

Every day I'm completely happy with my set-up: I have no size or quality complaints at all.

My recommendation:
Get the 1080p 58" if it won't break the bank. That's a very reasonable size for your viewing distance and will be perfect for all-purpose viewing, as well as fully ready for your future Blu-ray player. You will likely spend less in the long run if you just buy that now than if you go with a less expensive 720p now and then upgrade in a few years to a 1080p.

For what it's worth, I sit about 8 and a half feet away from my 80" home theater screen which is fantastic for Blu-ray and good for upconverted DVD (though of course, the flaws of DVD technology are obvious). However, I don't watch broadcast TV on it, except for the occasional hi-def sporting event.

You can tell I haven't bought a TV in a long time. I have no idea how future-proof I should consider.

Right now I'm still leaning toward the larger set and just holding off on the XBox and Blu-Ray. Sure, I won't be getting the most out of my set for 8 months, but when I do, I'll be glad I upgraded (so to speak).

And if I can get it on sale somewhere...

How soon are you looking to purchase? Before football season? Since it's almost the end of July you only have 4 months until Black Friday in November.
That is the absolute best time to buy electronics.

My viewing area is roughly what you have and I have a 61". 58" is NOT too big - especially if you're planning to watch a lot of HDTV and/or Blu-ray.

Ignoring the specific sizing, I'll be in a similar situation (hopefully) shortly, but I'll put a seperate thread on that when the time comes.

My plan, which some have alluded to, is to buy a smaller set that you can move elsewhere later that still has a lot of quality for the dollar. Then later when you have more income and prices go down buy the bigger better set later.

However, if this is the only substantial TV purchase you want to make for 5+ years, I'd say get the 58" and hold off on the Xbox and BR player.

Same here. Totally agree. Go with the larger set in this case, You will not be disappointed that you did.

Get the 58". It's only 2" above the 'recommended' viewing size and TV's always look a little smaller the longer you have them anyway.

But what sucks is that going from a 50" to a 58" TV, you only get around 30% increase in viewing area, but the price is nearly doubled for the 58" over the 50". It's a big trade-off if money is a concern.

Color, Contrast, Black Levels, etc; are, imo, more important than 720p vs 1080p. (Would rather have an amazing 720p over a shitty 1080p).

That said, 50" should be fine from 11 ft away, but if you want to be upgrade proofed for the future, going for the 58" isn't a terrible idea, but knowing price drops it's a tough call on how much value you'll get out of the larger set.

I'm 12 feet away in a 13.5 ft living room with a 106" screen and can't complain as once it's off, I can retract the screen and have my wall open again. The big issue with flat panels is there is something protruding from the wall while it off (bezel, speakers, etc; ), the image at 58" won't overwhelm the room by any means, the TV itself might.

Get the 58" Panasonic Plasma. I have this TV, Its great and I only sit 8' away from it in a 12' X 15' room. It Rocks

Exactly. I have the 58" Panny. It feels like it shrank. Sometimes, wish I bought the 65".

You guys always whine, "resolution isn't everything" every thread. This thread is about buying essentially the same model in different sizes or resolutions. That means for this thread it is paramount.

bishop2knight,

I'd get the 58". I only have a 50" plasma, but I could easily justify a 58" size, as it wouldn't be too large, even for a modest living room. Since many movies are 2.35:1, this is where a larger set counts. In a dark room, viewing a 2.35:1 movie, you won't even notice the size of the television.