A big screen, but a mini-Pouel

[Agent 57]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Hey everyone, just looking for a little advice.

So because I bought my house and paid obscene amounts of interest last year, my tax return was quite nice and I've decided to go big screen/HDTV/etc. Since I want to go big and have no need/desire to spend ~$5000+ for a DLP/LCD TV, I'm going with a rear projection set, and I did some research and have decided on a Hitachi S500 series model. The problem I'm having is what size to get.

The room I'll be putting the TV in is 19'x11'. I'll be putting the set in the corner of one of the 11' walls, and my main couch will be at the other end of the 19' wall - taking depth of the set and the fact that my head won't exactly be all the way against the back wall into account, I'll be about 15' away.

So here's the thing: I had originally planned to get the 65", but when I went to look at sets with my father this weekend he brought up that he thought the 65" was unreasonably big, in addition to the fact that I could get something in the 51" range (which is still nearly twice the size of my current 27") for a hell of a lot less.

So here's the pouel - what would you/think I should do?

a) Damn the torpedoes, get the humongous 65"
b) Be fiscally responsible, get the 51" - which is still damn big - and save $800
c) Compromise - get the 57" and save $400

Thanks,
<i>-57</i></div>

[the Gray]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>65" from that distance is huge! I'd go with the 51" or 57". Heck, I play on a 32" HD at that distance and it's big.</div>

[Lox]

<div style='font: bold 9pt ; text-align: left; '>is the enjoyment you get with that extra 14" worth $800 to you? I would imagine that as TVs get larger and larger, they approach some sort of plateau in regards to the Law of Diminishing returns. You're paying $800 more for 14". That $800 could be used for other things that would enhance the TV experience more than the added size. I say go for the 51".</div>

[Flip]

<div style='font: 12pt "Cooper Black"; text-align: left; '>If you can part with that much money for the 65" and still be happy then i would say buy the 57" and take the extra $400 to get a good surround system. Sony makes a few great ones in that price range, the receiver wont have a DVD player in it, but i assume you have a good DVD player anyways.</div>

[Kupek]

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>I'm guilty of the same reasoning, but I love that since you've already decided to get a large screen tv, the 51" choice is the "fiscally responible" one.</div>

[Tessian]

<div style='font: 11pt Dominion; text-align: left; '>Going off of what Flip said-- Get the 51" er and spend the money you save on a kick ass surround system</div>

[Torgo]

<div style='font: 9pt Arial; text-align: left; '>Out of the three choices, I'd go with the 51". Really, were you originally planning to turn you're whole wall to be a screen? :)</div>

[Julius Seeker]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '><b>Link:</b> <a href="http://www.norcent.net/norcent/index.as ... dex.asp</a>

You want some good prices on electronics, get Norcent, it's just as high quality as traditional big name brands (and higher than most I have found), but at a lower price.</div>

[NEO_Ronin121]

<div style='font: 10pt ; text-align: left; '>go for the 51" I have one and it is big enough for a room that size, trust me...</div>