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Originally Posted by hwlester
Calm down... Just wanted to emphasize that 180 is misadvertising if you see that listed as a spec.
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It's often listed as a spec by reviewers who aren't actually advertisers; cf.,
the charts and spec. sheets which Blossom and were discussing.
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The viewing angle is measured from one direction to the opposite, giving a maximum of 180° for a flat, one-sided screen. Some display devices exhibit different behaviour in horizontal and vertical axis, requiring users and manufacturers to specify maximum usable viewing angles in both directions. Usually the screens are aligned and used to facilitate greater viewing angle in horizontal level, and smaller angle in the vertical level, should the two of them be different in magnitude.
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An explanation of the exact thing we're discussing:
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The maximum possible viewing angle for any one sided display device is by default 180 degrees, which would mean that the TV or projection screen is being viewed exactly from the side. Obviously, a display device will never have a 180 degree viewing angle, although some devices can get close to this number. . . . A typical maximum viewing angle for a Plasma screen is 180 degrees.
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And now for the practical meaning for someone who simply wants a device without viewing angle issues, as illustrated in
this article:
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The viewing angle we’re here to discuss deals with how far off to the side you can sit and still enjoy a quality image. Display manufacturers will often claim a viewing angle between 176-180 degrees. Counter to our aforementioned THX example, a display’s "viewing angle" is the angle of visibility from the display’s perspective. Therefore, a 180-degree viewing angle means you can theoretically sit anywhere you like, provided it’s not behind the TV.
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Of course, the next paragraph in that same article highlights the dissonant (and likely impossible) physics you're chortling at:
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As you’ll discover, those 178- or 180-degree specs TV manufacturers love to claim can often be downright laughable. Seated one or two degrees beyond the plane of your screen, you might be able to tell that the television is ON, sure, but good luck making out what’s happening on-screen.
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