Originally Posted by zedd

LCD TV Misconceptions:

Six Common Myths About LCD Displays

Misconception #4: You can't watch an LCD TV from the side.

This is a source of constant carping for LCD aficionados—limited viewing angles. It is sometimes the case that LCD displays have impaired side-viewing angles. Of course, most manufacturers will tell you just the opposite, that LCD TVs have viewing angles to rival comparably-sized plasma displays (i.e., 160° or more). But this is simply not the case. While it is sometimes possible to view LCD televisions 80° off axis, the picture you'll see will be degraded. In other words, there will be a noticeable decrease in color saturation, contrast, and brightness in the picture.

Quality really makes a difference in terms of viewing angle: If you buy an LCD display from one of the better manufacturers (e.g., Sharp or Sony), you should be able to sit about 70° off axis and still see a perfectly displayed imaged. Dot pitch is an important factor here. Higher dot pitches increase the viewing angles of LCD panels. Since dot pitch is measure in millimeters (mm), a good rule of thumb is this: Smaller dot pitches make for sharper images. You generally want a dot pitch of .28mm ("10,000 pixels/in2 of your display) or finer.

To get an idea of how various models stack up in terms of actual viewing angles (rather than stated viewing angles), see Robert Wiley's "5 LCD TV Shootout" article.