Eye damage from sitting too close to HDTV/monitor a myth?

I've read some before that the notion of damaged eyesight when sitting close to HDTVs is a myth. The main reason I've heard is "strain", because eyes have to squint to see smaller, sharper details. So logically speaking, wouldn't having a 27-30 inch monitor actually PREVENT eye damage because all details are bigger and easier to read?

The reason I've been thinking about this issue because I've been exploring the possibility of someday buying a 27-32 inch HDTV to act as my desktop monitor for a truly immersive and panoramic experience. I'm not sure whether this is a good idea or not.

One thing is not to watch a tv in the dark, especially with bright new lcds and plasmas. On average you can start feeling strain or headaches thanks to the iris in your eyes adjusting back and forth with the tv going bright and dark. I just bought a bias light, a light you put behind the tv. Normally you want it 10% of the full brightness of the white one the tv and 6500k color range.

The Ideal-Lume light for $50 is what I bought http://www.cinemaquestinc.com/ideal_lumesb.htm

Regular old tvs I can't stand getting close to unless they are already small, 27-32inch crt tube tvs just bother my eyes because of the large grill pattern and scan lines. Then of course maybe being an interlaced screen can cause eye strain from the flicker at 60hz when too close.

I don't think smaller details cause eye strain considering HD shows, just looking at real life or this 20inch LCD I'm typing on has tiny tiny details with all this text.

I think the majority of these ideas are centered around people who use their TV's too much.

If your sitting in front of your TV for hours upon hours a day, eye damage is gonna be the least of your troubles :)

Just do what i do; get a projector. Its basically like looking at a white wall that just so happens to have an image on it, and when its a sunny day outside, its too hard to see the image, so your forced to do somthing outside :D

No, they didn't.

Seriously, it's on the level of "keep playing with yourself and you'll go blind".

Except this one has its basis in eyestrain, nothing more.