Trying to select the correct size TV can be difficult. Most electronics retailers (the ones trying to sell you a TV) will tell you that you should pick a size that is about twice the view distance. For example, if your main view site (your couch) is going to be 10 feet away from the TV, your "optimal" size TV is five feet, or 60 inches. But these sorts of recommendation should be taken with a grain of salt since they are trying to sell you a TV and if they sell you a bigger one, they make more money.

A good rule of thumb for 16:9 (HDTV) TVs is that you should aim for a viewing distance that is 2 - 4 the diagonal of the TV. Not surprisingly, the places that sell TVs emphasize the lower end of this rule since it makes more money for them.

If you want to know where you want to be in this scale, visit your local electronics retailer and bring a tape measure. Measure out various distances from the TV (2x, 2.5x, 3x, 3.5x and 4x) and stand there are watch the TV to find out what distance is most comfortable for you. For me, I like to be between 3 - 3.5x the size away from the TV.