<P> Sitting beyond these distances will result in a loss of detail . </P> <P> A 1998 Sun Microsystems paper on the limits of human vision and video display systems uses a different constraint value of approximately 1⁄2 an arc minute (or 30 arc seconds), when estimating the saturation point for the human visual system . With 30 arc seconds as the constraint, the view angle necessary to see all the detail provided by an HDTV with a 1080p resolution drops to approximately 16.1 degrees . Furthermore, several academic articles have challenged the notion that 1 arcminute of resolution is the typical resolving power of the human eye, suggesting that on average, we can resolve detail smaller than that . Also, there is the issue of vernier acuity, which is the eye's ability to detect an offset between 2 lines and stereoacuity, which is the ability to discriminate depth by the use of both eyes . Vernier acuity and stereoacuity are cited as being detected with only a 2--4 arc second degree of separation . Ultimately all of the various types of acuity play a part in how we see things and more importantly, how we perceive what we are witnessing . The complexities of the human visual system and the relationship between different types of acuity are not yet fully understood . Thus, depending on which human visual system constraints are applied, viewing angles calculations will vary to some degree, especially when technological constraints are factored in . </P> <P> While viewing an HDTV display from a shorter distance can produce an increased sense of presence, the limitations of technology can have an adverse effect if the viewer is too close to the display . If you examine an LCD or plasma HDTV display when it is turned off, you can see the construction of the pixel grid . Turning the display on doesn't completely mask this . If you are too close to the display when it is on, it can look as though you're viewing it through a screen door . Even with different HDTV display technology, such as front or rear projection DLP, LCoS or laser TV, the way HDTV images are rendered limits how close a viewer can be before the image's segmented nature becomes evident . </P> <P> HDTV displays produce images the same way computer bitmaps (also known as raster graphics) are produced, using a mosaic of colored 4 - sided pixels . Like computer monitors, each HDTV display has a video resolution consisting of rows and columns of specific numbers of pixels . From far enough away, the human eye perceives the illuminated pixels as a smooth image . As one gets closer, a point occurs where the blocky appearance of individual pixels becomes apparent . The image then loses its smoothness, its perceived quality drops, and the advantage of closer viewing becomes a disadvantage . </P>

What is the proper viewing distance for a 55 inch tv