Rule of thumb: buy the biggest TV set that doesn't give you a headache! Most people think that they bought too small a TV set once they get the TV home.

The older I get, the less I can read on the screen, so will soon have to resort to wearing glasses just to watch TV.

Will the TV be watched from varying distances? Is the room 17' wide or long, or is that maybe the distance to see it from the kitchen or something? I'd go with what was the suggested size (or maybe a little bigger) for the majority of the viewers.

Buy big. Unless you're sitting right in front of it, you'll be happy. Think about how big a movie screen is at the theater in relation to your seating distance. Like it was said above, you're more likely to be disappointed by buying too small than buying too big.