Buy a 100" diag or sit closer to fill the same field of vision?

[alangouger]

Bigger is better, unfortunately, anything 100" will still break the bank. I am thinking of grabbing an 85", looking for recommendations & which flat-panel technology?

Does anyone buy into sitting closer works as a substitute for buying a bigger set?

[Paul Heroy]

There is an active thread discussing this over on the old forum with many good points raised. (I'm sure multiple old threads too.)

Obviously a lot depends on your room etc. but one very basic point raised there is the issue of speaker geometry. That can limit how close you can effectively sit, which then determines screen size requirements. Of course the more speakers you add the more difficult it is to compress the seating distance very close for a smaller screen. If you're only talking a standard 5.1 setup or even 2.0 you can probably get closer than a 7.4.2 type layout. But the width of the 2 L/R would be a big factor to me. If you have like 10' between the L/R and can't get closer, I don't know if sitting 5' from the screen would be very good. Always nice to keep close to that ideal equilateral triangle for L/R/MLP. 

[TRainH2O]

It depends on your eyesight, too. 

I suppose the layout of your room would be the limiting factor. I currently have a 92" front projection screen and I sit on the opposite wall. It's about 16 feet from the screen and I like the size at that distance. In my particular situation, it would not be an option to sit closer.