Is a 19 inch TFT ok for a small room with short viewing distance or 17 inch better??

londonman81

Hi all,

I've narrowed down my TFT hunt to a couple of 19inch screens and a couple of 17inch screens.

I'd really like to go for a 19inch screen but my worry is that because I have a small room and very short distance between me and the CRT screen at the moment, it may be too big for the separation distance.

What I mean by this is that I don't want to end up with a screen so big that I have to physically end up moving my head around to see various parts of the display.

I want to be able to see the entire screen within one eyeshot.

I know that by buying a TFT I will have a larger separation than I currently do with my CRT because it will be a thinner screen and therefore further back on the desk.

I also know that when you get a TV there is supposed to be a rule of thumb regarding ratio of separation distance to screen size to ensure that you are able to view it properly and within proportion. I don't know exactly what this ratio is - and does it apply to computer monitors also??

Does anyone know what the minimum separation distance for a 19inch TFT screen should be??

I may have to opt for the 17inch if there's a chance that the 19inch is too big....but like I say I'd prefer a 19inch if possible.

Thanks once more!
L

wolfman

londonman81 wrote:

I also know that when you get a TV there is supposed to be a rule of thumb regarding ratio of separation distance to screen size to ensure that you are able to view it properly and within proportion. I don't know exactly what this ratio is - and does it apply to computer monitors also??

I wouldn't think so, as you're generally sat the same distance from the monitor no matter what its size. A larger monitor just gives you are larger screen to work on.

19" and 17" tft's don't differ too much apart from in physical size. They both run in the same native resolution of 1280x1024. It'll go down to preference and cost. Personally I think a 17" is fine, and cheaper. If you want a larger screen, maybe for watching movies, or generally like having a bigger screen then you might want to consider a 19", but it'll cost a bit more.