TV viewing angle

[brightncheerful]

Compared to the Panasonic 32" that we've replaced with Panasonic 40" TX-40EX700B, the viewing angle for me is awful. Mrs Bnc is okay because where her chair is positioned is close to the 'sweet spot' but yours truly prefers to look at a TV screen side-ways.

Having done a bit of research after buying the TV, I gather viewing angle is a common problem. Technology is king so I shall adapt. We have not arranged our living room (TV room) to accommodate visitors seating so we don't have a sofa, only individual recliner seats. The room isn't wide enough to move the seat to a better position, at least not without rearranging position of other furniture (including a piano). I think that by abandoning my recliner and instead placing a chair in the sweet spot I can sit up and watch even though it might and probably won't be as comfortable.

My suggestion to Mrs Bnc that we could return the TV and exchange it for another 32" has been rejected, now that she has a few hours' experience of 40". Also, without viewing the latest 32" model, I don't know whether its viewing angle would be same (for me) as before. Another possibility that I haven't broached is that I sit in Mrs Bnc's chair to watch the TV which would mean her having to watch the programme on her own some other time. I have to be careful in what I say: the mode of our conversation on the subject so far would lead reasonable people to conclude that divorce is imminent!

What do others do? And what colour, contrast, etc settings can I adjust to minimise the degradation in quality?

PS - What we've watched so far was recorded on a DVD recorder connected to our old 32"TV. I'm wondering whether this new 40" screen is partially to blame for the picture quality, regardless of the sweet-spot. Watching TV programmes on this TV the colours, etc are much better than the colours on our previously recorded stuff. Would that be the case?

PPS - When recording from TV to recorder (without the TV switched on) would I be right in thinking that the quality of the recording is akin to the broadcast? And when viewing the recording on the TV would the TV colour etc settings affect the picture quality?

[PinkDalek]

Compared to the Panasonic 32" that we've replaced with Panasonic 40" TX-40EX700B, the viewing angle for me is awful. Mrs Bnc is okay because where her chair is positioned is close to the 'sweet spot' but yours truly prefers to look at a TV screen side-ways. ...

I'm probably being dim but isn't looking at a flat screen sideways always going to be a problem?

[brightncheerful]

I'm probably being dim but isn't looking at a flat screen sideways always going to be a problem?

The 32" was a flat screen and not a problem. And elsewhere where I've looked at flat screens from an angle I haven't been aware of anything major.

As I understand, it depends upon the angle. Apparently, the rule of thumb for distance from sweet spot is one person - which presumably depends upon the width of the person!

For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JCDt4LPMqw

[Stompa]

Perhaps it would be worth thinking about a curved screen?

https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/ ... ns-2912678

[PinkDalek]

Got it; so not exactly sideways.

A solution might be to change the angle of the screen slightly, if there’s enough room. Not too much that Mrsbnc is inconvenienced (a small adjustment might not be obvious to her) but enough that your viewing is improved.

Alternatively buy a cosy sofa for the two of you.

[Slarti]

Compared to the Panasonic 32" that we've replaced with Panasonic 40" TX-40EX700B, the viewing angle for me is awful. Mrs Bnc is okay because where her chair is positioned is close to the 'sweet spot' but yours truly prefers to look at a TV screen side-ways.

Having done a bit of research after buying the TV, I gather viewing angle is a common problem. Technology is king so I shall adapt. We have not arranged our living room (TV room) to accommodate visitors seating so we don't have a sofa, only individual recliner seats. The room isn't wide enough to move the seat to a better position, at least not without rearranging position of other furniture (including a piano). I think that by abandoning my recliner and instead placing a chair in the sweet spot I can sit up and watch even though it might and probably won't be as comfortable.

My suggestion to Mrs Bnc that we could return the TV and exchange it for another 32" has been rejected, now that she has a few hours' experience of 40". Also, without viewing the latest 32" model, I don't know whether its viewing angle would be same (for me) as before. Another possibility that I haven't broached is that I sit in Mrs Bnc's chair to watch the TV which would mean her having to watch the programme on her own some other time. I have to be careful in what I say: the mode of our conversation on the subject so far would lead reasonable people to conclude that divorce is imminent!

What do others do? And what colour, contrast, etc settings can I adjust to minimise the degradation in quality?

PS - What we've watched so far was recorded on a DVD recorder connected to our old 32"TV. I'm wondering whether this new 40" screen is partially to blame for the picture quality, regardless of the sweet-spot. Watching TV programmes on this TV the colours, etc are much better than the colours on our previously recorded stuff. Would that be the case?

PPS - When recording from TV to recorder (without the TV switched on) would I be right in thinking that the quality of the recording is akin to the broadcast? And when viewing the recording on the TV would the TV colour etc settings affect the picture quality?

In general different flat screens have different viewing angles, which are often used as selling points for computer monitors, low viewing angle being higher security. I don't know if these are quoted for TVs

You have mentioned a DVD recorder in this post, and a previous one, but unless you have to stick a DVDr into the machine before recording, I think that you mean a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) But, whichever, it is usual to wire things up so that the signal comes from source to recorder and then from recorder to TV, so that the TV doesn't reduce the recorded signal if turned off. So you usually don't record from TV to recorder, but fromsignal to recorder, which is why you can record one or more things while watching another.

TV settings shouldn't matter when recording, but can and do make a difference when doing playback, otherwise you'd have no control over the volume. But, unless your source, Sky,Virgin, Freeview, etc has changed, once you have the TV right for live viewing, the things from the recorder should be OK as they are recorded as transmitted. On most recorders.

Slarti