Size does matter for televisions THE BIGGER THE BETTER: TV screens are increasing in size. IT is not nearly enough to have a big screen in the home. Now they have to be massive, writes Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson. Australia's insatiable appetite for big-screen TVs is being taken to the next level. No longer satisfied watching a meagre 40-inch display, manufacturers are responding to consumer demand by producing screens as large as 100 inches, with some offering 4K Ultra HD resolution to ensure images stay crisp. But TV makers are split over which technology is best. LG is backing a laser display using a short-throw projector, Samsung is preparing an expensive 4K television for those who need to have the biggest, and Sony will this month deliver smaller, more affordable 4K TVs for the first time. Despite disagreements over price and format, all makers agree TV sizes are growing. Samsung audio visual director Brad Wright says opinions have changed dramatically. "What was once considered a large-screen TV may have been a 40-inch, however, now we are seeing 55-inch TVs becoming the norm," he says. We've seen a growing demand for larger screen sizes as home entertaining becomes less of an occasion and a much more prominent part of our everyday lives. Sony's home entertainment marketing manager Hass Mahdi agrees, saying more than 40 per cent of TVs sold in Australia now are at least 55 inches . He says the new size demands, which have changed from an average of 46 inches just 18 months ago, are due to Australia's love of new technology and larger houses. "There's something about the Australian psyche that says we need to have the best technology," Mahdi says. LG is responding to those demands by producing a 100-inch, full-HD display for $8999. The unusual device uses a short-throw projector with 36 laser diodes that can sit just 56cm away from the screen. LG marketing general manager Lambro Skropidis says the laser display delivers "an extra-large screen viewing experience; an experience we know there is a huge demand for." Meanwhile, Sony is betting on 4K televisions that offer four times the resolution of current full high-definition screens. In addition to a $25,000 84-inch model launched last year, Sony will this month deliver two smaller models - 65-inch and 55-inch 4K TVs - at $8999 and $5999, respectively. Mahdi says the new models meet current size demands, while the lower prices put them in the "ballpark" for consumers who are simply upgrading and are not just early adopters. Samsung also launched a 4K television in May, though the 85-inch screen is priced at $40,000 and not widely available. NBN media general manager Landry Fevre says discussions are already under way to use the fibre-to-the-home network to deliver the data-intensive content demanded by this new technology. European trials have proven 4K content needs a connection of at least 20 to 25 megabits per second to reliably deliver 4K content, he says, but "it's quite a complex endeavour." "It's slow going but in 10 years time, the Australian population will have access to this," he says.