How to choose the right TV size
The right screen size is about how much of your field of view the picture fills. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers suggests the screen should fill about 30 degrees of your view for comfortable everyday watching. For a cinema feel, THX recommends closer to 40 degrees. The calculator measures that angle from your seating distance and suggests the closest standard size.
Worked example. You sit 9 feet (108 inches) from the wall and mostly watch shows. Width = 2 x 108 x tan(16 degrees) = 61.9 inches. Diagonal = 61.9 / 0.8716 = 71 inches, and the nearest standard size is 75 inches. Anything from 66 to 90 inches stays inside the comfortable 30 to 40 degree range. For movies at the same distance the math gives 85 inches.
Modern 4K and 8K screens have such fine pixels that you can sit much closer than the old rules for HD sets suggested, so most people are happiest going one size bigger than they first planned.
TV size by viewing distance
| Seating distance | Everyday viewing | Movie and sport feel |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ft (1.5 m) | 43 in | 50 in |
| 6 ft (1.8 m) | 50 in | 55 in |
| 7 ft (2.1 m) | 55 in | 65 in |
| 8 ft (2.4 m) | 65 in | 75 in |
| 9 ft (2.7 m) | 75 in | 85 in |
| 10 ft (3 m) | 77 in | 98 in |
| 11 ft (3.4 m) | 85 in | 98 in |
| 12 ft (3.7 m) | 98 in | 98 in or a projector |
| 15 ft (4.6 m) | 98 in or a projector | a projector |
Every row above comes straight from the calculator, rounded to the nearest size sold in stores.
How far should the couch be from the TV?
Work backwards from the screen you own. For a comfortable picture, sit where the screen fills 30 to 40 degrees of your view. Closer than that and you turn your head to follow the action. Further away and a big TV starts to feel small.
| TV size | Closest comfortable seat | Furthest comfortable seat |
|---|---|---|
| 43 in | 4.3 ft (1.3 m) | 5.8 ft (1.8 m) |
| 50 in | 5 ft (1.5 m) | 6.8 ft (2.1 m) |
| 55 in | 5.5 ft (1.7 m) | 7.5 ft (2.3 m) |
| 65 in | 6.5 ft (2 m) | 8.8 ft (2.7 m) |
| 75 in | 7.5 ft (2.3 m) | 10.2 ft (3.1 m) |
| 85 in | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) | 11.5 ft (3.5 m) |
| 98 in | 9.8 ft (3 m) | 13.3 ft (4 m) |
What size TV for a bedroom?
Bedrooms are usually smaller, so the bed sits 6 to 8 feet from the wall. That points to a 50 to 65 inch screen for everyday watching. Choose "Bed" as your seat height: your eyes are lower when you are propped up on pillows, so the center of the screen should sit lower too, about 30 inches (76 cm) above the floor on a dresser rather than high on the wall. In a dorm room or small guest room where you sit 5 feet away, a 43 inch screen is plenty.
How high should you mount a TV?
Aim for the center of the screen to sit at your eye level when seated, usually about 42 inches (107 cm) from the floor for a sofa. Mounting a TV high above a fireplace forces you to tilt your head back, which gets uncomfortable over a long film. If you must go high, use a tilting or pull down mount so you can angle the screen toward you.
Fitting a TV into your living room design
A large black screen can dominate a room, so balance it with art, shelving or a gallery wall, and choose a media console at least as wide as the TV. Plan the whole layout with our rug size calculator and wall art size calculator, and see our living room layout ideas for inspiration.
