Seems like every store I go into is trying to offer the biggest HDTV in the history of mankind.

What I want is a replacement for the 15" CRT TV/DVD combi in my Home Office. Don't actually look at it much, but it sits about three feet away from me and the biggest screen size I reckon I could cope with is 15" (or 15.5" for a 15:9). The main use is to "watch" DVDs or keep an occasional eye on the digital terrestrial news channels while I work on my computer.

So, the question is: is it, or will it ever be, worth buying an HD TV with a screen size of 15"? Can you spot the difference?

This probably seems like a no-brainer, but humour me ...

I'm very unlikely to get Sky HD in the near future and not much chance of using for an X-Box or PS3 either, but the inner gadget freak still wonders if it's worth getting something "HD-ready".

As a follow-up, does anyone have any recommendations for a small, flat-screen TV with DVB *and* DVD built-in?

Three feet away is probably too far for HD on a 15 inch screen, so it would be a waste of time.

I also wouldn't recommend any TV with a built-in DVD player, you can only buy cheap nasty ones, and the DVD players usually pack up fairly soon!.

I wouldn't say it was too far away, a 15" at 3' is the same as 60" at 12' so HD would be good even necessary. My 17" monitors are 1280x1024 and need to be.

Both of those distances are pretty well OK for SD, you really need to be closer for any worthwhile HD.

You generally view a computer monitor from closer than 3 feet, so you need the high resolution.

You get the benefit of HD for a 60" from 17`-18' down - not 1080 mind, you won't get the benefit of that until 11' or preferably less.

No, you need to be more like under 12 feet to get any advantage from HD on a 60 inch, much more than that and you're far enough away for SD to look OK.

Not according to the scientists and visual acuity tests, or my eyes. If I go 6' away from my 32" CRT (equivalent to 60" panel at 12') I can see lines.

I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one.

Minimum SD viewing distance is about 2.5 times the screen size - so you need to be a fair bit closer than that to get the benefit from HD - so MINIMUM 80 inches (6 ft 8) for a 32 inch SD picture.

If you personally can see the lines at that, you need to move further away or get a smaller TV obviously some people have better vision that others.

His suggested distance for the 15 inch set was just under 2.5 times, so (as I said) it's just about OK for SD - and too far for worthile HD.

I don't sit that close, that's the result of an experiment to see where I could see the lines from.